eCommerce sales peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers switched heavily to online shopping. Four years later, the competition has become so stiff that businesses must now reinvent and innovate. eCommerce replatforming, where retailers migrate their online business to new platforms, is an important step in that direction.
We don’t just mean changing the hosting of your website. eCommerce replatforming is an omnichannel approach that improves the functionality and customer experience of your website and app.
Let’s unpack the ins and outs of eCommerce replatforming as we look at the emerging trends you should consider.
Omnichannel eCommerce Replatforming Continues to Grow
Omnichannel means being present wherever your customers are. That could be an app, website, social media, or all three.
There’s a reason why so many retailers are adopting an omnichannel approach. Click-and-collect (buy online, pick up in-store) sales in America are expected to skyrocket to $141 billion in 2024. This is nearly double the 2020 numbers ($72 billion). Clearly, people want convenience at every touchpoint of a brand.
So, what does all of this mean for the future of eCommerce replatforming? It means businesses need to create an omnichannel strategy to stay agile and competitive. Think, a centralized back-end system that connects everything from inventory and pricing modules to customer databases. Any changes you make to the back end reflect on all the channels.
An omnichannel approach makes online shopping easier for your customers, too. They get a seamless experience, regardless of whether they’re using your app or your website.
Headless Commerce Migration
Another trend to consider is going “headless,” or separating the front end of your website from the back end. In traditional eCommerce setups, the front end (what the customers see and interact with) is tightly intertwined with the back end (the behind-the-scenes stuff like codes, inventory management, media files, and payment processing).
This setup makes the website architecture bulky. To make any changes in the front end, you also need to update the back end.
A headless architecture gives you far more flexibility and control over each aspect of your site. It also improves the load time. Because the back end is connected through application programming interfaces (APIs), you can deliver lightning-fast experiences to your customers.
What’s more, headless websites give you a faster time-to-market. Businesses can quickly roll out new front-end experiences, such as seasonal promotions and flash sales. Salesforce’s State of Commerce report shows that barely 5% of organizations can make changes to the front end within minutes. Imagine the competitive edge these 5% of businesses have!
Pro Tip: Consider a phased switch to headless eCommerce. It can be a complex process that requires stringent planning.
Artificial Intelligence Continues to Influence eCommerce Replatforming
Artificial intelligence is shaking up every industry, including eCommerce. Simply put, it’s reshaping the way businesses operate and interact with customers. Here’s how you can use it in your eCommerce replatforming:
- Use generative AI to produce informative and persuasive content. In fact, 73% of B2B and B2C marketing executives say they use AI to brainstorm ideas, create first drafts, and generate text, photos, and videos to showcase their products effectively.
- Automate your processes, such as inventory management and order processing. AI can increase efficiency and reduce human error in such repetitive tasks.
- Use AI to sort through the heaps of customer data and give personalized product recommendations. Customers love personalization.
- Implement AI Chatbots to provide round-the-clock support.
- Use sophisticated machine learning algorithms to prevent fraud and safeguard online transactions.
- Let AI crunch the numbers and show you trends so you can make data-driven decisions. This can give you valuable insights on how to switch up marketing strategies and improve sales forecasts.
Hosted Platforms Will Continue to Dominate
Hosted platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce give retailers a comprehensive suite of tools and services to build and manage an online store. These include front-end templates, hosting, security, and support. This one-stop solution is especially useful if you’re operating on a tight budget or don’t want to deal with multiple vendors.
Beyond convenience, hosted platforms also offer scalability and flexibility. You can easily add new features, accommodate growing traffic, and increase your number of products. What’s more, they roll out regular updates and new features automatically. You don’t have to worry about managing complex software upgrades yourself.
Another key advantage of hosted platforms is that they give technical support to help you troubleshoot issues. It’s no wonder hosted eCommerce replatforming is so popular. Shopify alone powers around 4.5 million stores worldwide.
Big Data Continues to Be Crucial for Enterprise eCommerce
Big data is a big deal in eCommerce. It analyzes everything that happens in your business. More importantly, it drives intelligent insights, such as how to elevate shopping experiences, secure online payments, optimize pricing, and increase sales.
This wealth of information enables businesses to personalize their products, services, and marketing efforts. The problem is that it can be expensive to maintain this data with old technologies. But with eCommerce replatforming, this data can be transferred to the cloud.
One of the best things about data migration is that it can help you significantly lower costs. You’ll require smaller IT hardware and fewer development teams to maintain the data on the cloud. Data migration also makes it easier to break down data silos and gain better visibility into your business.
Make Your eCommerce Enterprise More Agile With Zobrist
The eCommerce landscape is constantly evolving. As the competition to gain customers’ attention grows fierce, businesses must be agile, innovative, and customer-centric to stay ahead.
Migrating to better, more flexible platforms can help keep your eCommerce enterprise on top. It’s also an important step to future-proof your business. So, embrace new technology and trends to give your business more opportunities to grow.
Not sure where to start? Zobrist offers several solutions to make your eCommerce replatforming easier. We can help you build a headless architecture that drastically reduces page load time. Our tools also enable you to design high-converting payment pages and make inventory management a breeze.
Contact us to take your eCommerce store’s shopping experience to the next level.