Your first eCommerce platform may have served you well as you were helping your company get up and running online. Without a large budget, you had to make strategic decisions about where to invest your funds, and, at the time, you decided to hire an in-house developer to create a custom site. You’re now several years down the road and business is booming, but you’re dealing with a myriad of issues caused by your custom eCommerce solution.
The good news is you’re not alone. Many merchants are experiencing the same frustrations. Here are the seven signs it’s time for you to break up with your eCommerce platform:
1. You are completely dependent on the developer(s) who built the platform for upgrades and maintenance…only he/she knows the system
2. You are unable to integrate with best-in-class tools like email marketing platforms and merchandising tools because they are not supported by your custom platform
3. You cannot add features and functions in quick and cost-effective way to help you do everything from managing tax rates, to allowing photo posting on product pages via social media
4. You are unable to create a responsive web design that will work across all platforms and screen sizes
5. Every promotion requires development support to create and implement
6. You are unable to achieve the look and feel you want for your brand, or create the experiences you want for your customers
7. Your business processes are inefficient and limited by the way your site works
As hard as it might be to say goodbye to years of working with an old friend, if any of the bullets above resonated with you, it’s time to move on.
Note on the author: This blog post was originally featured by Magento on April 2, 2014. Read their latest blog posts at magento.com/blog or follow them on Twitter @magento.