What To Consider During an eCommerce Subscription App Migration

Camila Gómez

November,10 – 2022

The correct platform for any online business, whether a subscription-based or a one-time purchase one, serves as a crucial component in determining the success of the business. So, if you don’t want your online business to fail, you should be extra careful when picking the platforms it will run on.
Here are some things you can think about if you consider that getting a subscription app migration is necessary.

Choose the Right Subscription App Migration

Nature of your business

Certain platforms work best for one-time purchase types of businesses, while others are built with subscription-based types of businesses in mind. As a result, based on the nature of your business and extensive research, make sure you select the best platform for your company.

Your target client’s demographics

Who do you intend to sell to? Are they old or young? Are they male or female? What types of things do they enjoy on any given platform? Where do they communicate? Such client information assists you in determining the best platform for your online business.

Research the common practices among your competitors

It’s always a good time to consider what your competitor is doing on their platform that you need to do or can do better. Competitors are a great way to figure out which platform is best for your online business. Hence, make sure you do extensive research on all your competitors.

The above serves as a great guide to choosing the right platform for your online business. If you find that your current platform needs to be changed, re-platforming may be the best option.

Re-platforming means an online business moves from one set of computer systems to another. Online businesses may shift from the use of third-party eCommerce platforms to their own inbuilt systems, or from one eCommerce platform to another. Cost-effectiveness requires careful evaluation, which is not an easy process.

Map out integrations, functions, and third-party apps

Prior to a performing re-platforming, planning is needed to make sure that objectives are realized. In these plans, you should consider the various integrations used in your current system. Will the integrations work after re-platforming or will there be a need for further changes?

It’s also important to think about what functions the current technical system serves. It doesn’t help to switch to a new technical system if the new system can’t do the things that the old one is already doing.

Also, take note of third-party apps that you currently use on your platform before re-platforming. Will there be a need for these apps after re-platforming and will the new platform support those apps?

Re-platforming is an essential step in managing an online business. But it’s pointless to try to succeed if you don’t map out how the current technical system works, what it does, and what third-party apps you use.

Is Your Online Store a Subscription-Based Business?

In a subscription-based business, customers pay a certain fee on a regular basis for your product or service. Unlike one-time purchase types of businesses, subscription-based models work like a contract between the business and the customer to be renewed. Either weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, annually, or any custom arrangements.

The eCommerce platform for a subscription-based business should work seamlessly in order to keep conversion rates at an all-time high. Potential customers leave a website if it loads for more than 3 seconds. This points to the fact that any slight mishap with a potential customer from the eCommerce platform that you use for your business could mean lower sales and higher losses.

BigCommerce is a great eCommerce solution provider. Forrester has ranked it as a strong performer in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) eCommerce solutions. It is the most trusted solution provider. You should therefore check it out here if your business is a subscription-based business.

You may want to read:
7 Tips to Help Subscription Retailers Dominate Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Shopify vs. BigCommerce for Subscription Based Businesses

Shopify and BigCommerce are powerful eCommerce platforms, both offering solutions to millions of businesses. And both serve businesses of all types and sizes. Any sort of eCommerce need, such as online sales channels, storefronts, or customer support, can be solved by these two giant eCommerce platforms.

However, there are subtle differences between the two powerful eCommerce platforms that set one above the other in terms of service delivery. Let’s take a closer look.

Shopify offers a limited number of built-in features and focuses more on the use of third-party apps that are present in its app store. BigCommerce, on the other hand, is big on built-in features which are easily scalable to the size and level of your online subscription-based business.

BigCommerce doesn’t charge any transaction fees for any of its plans, no matter what system is used to process credit card payments. Shopify, unlike BigCommerce, also presents a challenge to its users in the form of transaction fees, which are zero percent when using Shopify Payments. This makes BigCommerce a better choice for customers than Shopify.

If your business signs up for one of Shopify’s cheaper plans, you can only get limited customer service. Shopify Lite offers only 24/7 live chat, and email and phone support are only accessible with other plans. BigCommerce still beats Shopify in this email, with no restrictions on accessing phone support for all their plans. They count with 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support.

10 Things to Consider Before Performing a Subscription App Migration

Based on the small ways in which its service is more flexible that its fierce competitor, Shopify, it seems to be a better eCommerce platform.

1. Impact on your business:

Will it result in improved performance or efficiency for your business? If there are no clear benefits, there is no need to re-platform.

2. Cost

The costs of re-platforming includes the cost of the new platform, maintaining costs, the downtime caused by the move, and the cost of training new staff. Make sure to budget for such expenses before re-platforming.

3. Features of the new system:

As stated earlier, the whole point of a new system is to enhance efficiency with better features. If this is not the case, avoid re-platforming by all means.

4. Skill expertise of your team:

Will your team be able to manage the migration or will it be a higher cost in the long run? Make sure the system fits the skills of your team and that they don’t have to learn too many new skills.

5. Integration with previous and future systems:

Ensure that the new system supports the older system’s integrations as well as any future integrations to avoid re-platforming in the near future.

6. Future improvements and needs:

Though you may want to solve a current need, make sure the new system will not be outdated soon and it solves all possible future needs.

7. Inspect your site prior to migration:

Do not blindly move everything to your new platform just because you are under pressure to get back on-site. Ensure you run tests on the new website, checking to ensure nothing from the older system slips through the cracks and preventing future problems.

8. The right time to run the migration:

Timing for migration is an essential consideration. When your e-commerce platform experiences the lowest traffic, you should grab that opportunity and migrate, since any problems that may arise will have little to no impact on the business.

9. Customer support:

As stated earlier, the whole point of a new system is to enhance efficiency with better features. If this is not the case, avoid re-platforming by all means.

10. Move only up-to-date data:

If your business has been in operation for a long Therefore me, it’s possible that you may have data that you no longer need. , ensure you review all content to ensure you only migrate with the necessary and better content.

Features and Capabilities You Should Consider When Planning a Subscription App Migration

Easy-to-use integrations: The new system should easily accept plugins and extensions.
Proper analytics: the new system should have streamlined, easily accessible analytics that can help you to properly draw meaningful insights.
Site speed and responsiveness: A fast, responsive site is among the features to be considered.

Headless Technology

For higher efficiency, headless technology detaches the front-end delivery from the storing, managing, and delivering of content on e-commerce platforms. Therefore, most current eCommerce platforms make use of Headless technology for higher efficiency.

Give customers an optimal checkout experience

Whether or not a random web visitor becomes a customer for your online business depends on how they check out. Thus, it is essential to ensure the checkout experience is optimal.

Subscriptions Cloud is a native app for BigCommerce that removes all the barriers for businesses trying to sell subscription-based products.

Besides from being fully integrated with BigCommerce…

Subscriptions Cloud also offers no transaction fees to third-party apps, and a simplified checkout process to ensure you don’t lose a sale. It keeps all the credit card information secure as it is powered by Square. Remember to consider integrating this app during your subscription app migration.

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