The Replatforming Guide: How, When & Why to Switch Ecommerce Platforms

When it comes to ecommerce, pivots and shifting priorities are simply par for the course. Consider all the changes teams have had to navigate in just the past few years: emerging channels, new payment types, increasing customer expectations, and more. To keep the pace, businesses depend on their ecommerce platforms. Your platform is what connects your business to your customers, and it is often the linchpin of success. It’s a make-or-break technology that can either give you the freedom to innovate and deliver the digital experiences your customers want — or it can hold you back.

As the market changes and business needs evolve, many commerce leaders find their current platform can’t keep up with growth, won’t allow them to expand globally, or is too cumbersome to support innovation. This moment is a proverbial fork in the road: Leaders need to decide whether to switch ecommerce platforms (also known as “replatforming”), or make changes to their existing technology.

So how do you determine which option is right for your business? Start by defining your business goals to decide whether your platform can meet all of your needs. Then, use a holistic, objective framework to evaluate your current platform’s success — both past and present. This guide will give you clear, practical advice to help you decide when (and how) to replatform.