Sometimes, to grow or expand your business, you need to change your ecommerce platform. This process is quite risky, as it can lead to a drop in traffic, lower conversion rates, and a temporary loss of sales. However, a smart approach can turn these threats into opportunities for growth. To achieve this, it’s important to choose an experienced and reliable company like https://dinarys.com/.
What is ecommerce platform migration?
Migration is the transfer of an online store from one platform to another. It can include:
- CMS change;
- redesign;
- updating the catalog structure;
- transferring product databases, orders, users, and SEO data.
Migration is most often used when scaling a business. It is also relevant when expanding the product range. However, one of the main reasons for switching from one platform to another is the technical limitations of the old system.
Key risks of migration
An unprepared website migration can truly pose a serious risk to a business. Quite often, this process is accompanied by a loss of search engine rankings. But this is not the only problem. Other possible risks include:
- pages disappearing from the index;
- 404 errors and incorrect redirects;
- slow loading speed;
- shopping cart and checkout failures;
- loss of customer data and purchase history.
Step one: pre-migration audit
Preparation begins with a comprehensive audit of the current website. It is essential to document the category and subcategory structure. It is important to analyze all page URLs, as well as meta tags, titles, and text.
Traffic and conversion metrics are also important during the audit. Particular attention should be paid to pages with the highest traffic and sales. Another key factor is identifying top-selling products.
Stage two: planning the new website structure
The new platform should replicate or improve the current catalog logic. Drastic, unnecessary changes to the structure are one of the most common causes of traffic loss.
We recommend:
- maintaining the main categories;
- minimizing URL changes;
- planning filters and navigation in advance;
- eliminating duplicate pages.
If changes are necessary, they should be accompanied by appropriate SEO settings.
Stage three: setting up redirects
301 redirects are a key element of a secure migration. Each old URL should point to a relevant page on the new site. Redirecting all pages to the homepage is unacceptable.
Stage four: transferring content and data
It’s important to transfer not only products, but also their descriptions and specifications. Customer reviews, user data, and orders are also important to migrate.
Content with good SEO performance should be preserved as intact as possible.
Stage five: pre-launch testing
Before launching a new website, technical testing is necessary. It’s crucial to check that it displays correctly on different devices, as your customers may use a variety of devices. Pay close attention to the shopping cart and checkout process, as this is the core of the shopping experience. Pages should load quickly and there should be no broken links.
Stage six: post-migration monitoring
After launch, it’s important to monitor key metrics daily:
- traffic and rankings;
- page indexing;
- number of errors in Search Console;
- user behavior;
- sales level.
Small fluctuations in the first few weeks are acceptable, but a sharp decline requires immediate correction.
Proper ecommerce platform migration is not a technical move, but a strategic process. A detailed audit and the right steps can help avoid loss of traffic and sales.