What You Need To Consider When Moving Website Platforms
Suppose you have an existing website that needs a refresh. You need to consider many different elements. There can be so many reasons for moving platforms, whether you want more control of your website elements, have taken over the management of a website but are more familiar with another platform, or have simply outgrown the features available to you. With any website you own or manage, you need to ensure that it integrates with your business processes, such as picking, packing, and delivery, if your website is ecommerce.
With so many platforms available and so many different pros and cons, you need to research all of your options. You also need to access the level of support you are likely to need. Suppose you have a good knowledge of website management or employ someone who does, then you may not need a vast support package. However, a level of support is likely to be required for any platform unless you develop something yourself. Support and creation are where website development agencies come into play.
Development agencies will generally specialise in a few specific platforms or can build something bespoke to suit your needs. A bespoke option might be necessary if you have the complex account structures or functionality your customers require. Opting for a custom build can also be an excellent way to continuously develop your online offerings without competitors being able to see this, copy what you're doing, or have the same technology readily available to them too. Of course, you always have the option to make your functionality only available to customers once they log in on any platform with some additional development or additional features.
The best way to start making your platform decision is to set up meetings with a few different development agencies. It would be best to write a detailed brief of what you want to achieve from your online presence. An excellent way to approach a brief is to break this down into a few different sections. You will need to research your competitors and rate their online offerings. If they have functionality that you don't currently have, note this. You will then need to write out a list of your current functionality and rate how well your customers use this. You can then start to think about the functionality you would like to have, your research can inspire this, or it can be purely based on your knowledge of what your customers are looking for. Once you have gathered this information, start thinking about the processes you currently have in place, such as how your website links to any stock/order management systems and how the latest technology could improve your internal processes. All agencies will be used to discussing this kind of information and will likely ask you further questions to consider to make sure you are taking the proper steps for your business. Some platform moves may be simpler than others, and staying within the same platform has its advantages. For example, if you have a Magento site, you will want to set up a meeting with a Magento 2 agency to see how you can make this move in the least disruptive way possible. Gather as much information from as many experts as you can at this stage. Remember that many agencies would love the opportunity to start a project with you, so they will be able to guide you through the process and give you the time and information you need.
Once you have your brief and meetings in place, you will need to evaluate which platform has the best functionality for you. When opting to use an agency rather than managing the creation of a site yourself, you may want to factor in the style of working of each agency. You will likely be working with them for quite a few months, so it's good to know that your approach to work matches well. Of course, you will need to consider cost and project times to make sure that this works alongside your existing operations. Try to avoid launching a new website at peak times in your business as there will likely be teething issues that need to be addressed with any launch, so you need to minimise the impact this has on your customers.