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From the TheGenieLab US - TheGenieLab Blog blog

For those that have an out-dated store, and would like to enjoy the new savings, feature benefits and themes of a new platform along with updated tools, reports and management systems – you might be a candidate to overhaul your store. 

It can be a daunting task, much like a real brick and mortar store but in the IT space – the big move. All the while, the endeavor to make your new store fresh, improved in its organization and product displays with better SEO tools to gain a bigger presence on the web; this increases the scope of work. It’s not just a relocation of the store, it becomes an upgrade.

Considerations and how to organize yourself when you are looking to engage your web-development team.

1. 1. What are the key things you want to keep from the old site?
   1. Customer account information.
   2. Product hierarchy
   3. Product images (unless you have new higher resolution ones)
   4. Marketing (Value proposition, Logo design, etc.)
   5. Subscriptions (if applicable)
   6. Customer Reviews/Ratings.

Those are some of the key considerations in retaining key work products of your store going forward. There may be more, depending on your business model and data flow process.

1. 2. What are the areas of improvement that you are looking to achieve?
   1. Hosted migrating to a cloud store? (Cost savings, less IT maintenance)
   2. Enhanced new Theme for your store (Mobile responsive, better appeal/layouts and navigation).
   3. New features like Wishlists, cart abandonment monitoring, chat AI and new integrations for logistics/financial reporting.
2. Again, you might have a few more items to list that are specific to your business, your clients or even your accountant.

If you have both lists identified, and you are ready to engage with a new store – finalize the list with your 3 Ecommerce Marketing strategies (3 stages of the Marketing Funnel) to make sure you have covered all the bases for your new project plan.

 

Here are a couple of examples:

Project: X

Platform: 3D-Cart – Microsoft based (ASP)

Hosted: Yes

Products: 58 total

Additional channels: Amazon

Requirements: Looking to simplify to a cloud-based platform such as Shopify. Have a theme that will adapt the imagery on the current site, with a product import. Setting up payment methods as well as shipping methods that are currently utilized in the current 3D-Cart store and migrate the domains over when completed.

Project: Y

Platform: Magento 1.x

Hosted: Yes

Products: 5K+

Additional Channels: Not yet

Requirements: Much like project X, the migration is a bit more complex at the product level since Categories and sub-Categories will need to be kept and transferred over to Collections and sub-Collections – this will be achieved via a cart2cart type of tool. Additionally, a customer migration that has current login/pass for the existing website will be migrated over and clients will be prompted to resetting their password as the transfer will not be compatible in the encryption of their password. The Boost theme might be a contender as it contains pre-integrated features for the marketing funnel and might be appropriate to the requirement of keeping the look/feel of the current site. Additionally, there are tools like the Shopify Shogun Builder, which allows you to drag/drop and design pages for the creation of the liquid files in order to match-up the existing design.

Source: adamenfroy.com

https://www.adamenfroy.com/ecommerce-platforms

1. Awareness of Marketing Tactics

   Your top of the funnel (TOF) marketing activities introduces your brand to new audiences in order to make an impression that will make them remember who you are, what you stand for and what purpose you serve. With this in mind, the desired action is to then get them to know more about what you are propositioning and see your online store. Your return-on-ad-spend (ROAS) will vary based on the platform and method used to promote the demographics and relevance to the audience being exposed. Facebook Ads will work differently than Google Ads and while Google is the more traditional method, Facebook is today’s social media method of bringing awareness.

   Store requirements: Landing pages are an easy way to welcome your new clients onto your website, as it is a measurable way to see how successful your ads are to people reacting and engaging with the awareness campaign.

2. Consideration Marketing Tactics

   Middle Funnel activities include Pay Per Click (PPC), Email marketing, SEO, Affiliate marketing – basically, target marketing. The audience will know what you offer and are happy to receive information on news/products/promotions and are trusting in your brand and shop.

   Store requirement: Landing pages, as well as Ad Design/Development, takes place in this stage where your brand (look/feel) will require some level of consistency to your Store Theme/Logo ID/layout. Email marketing such as MailChimp, Client subscription tools, and specific landing pages for your PPC might be appropriate so as to measure your successes in your marketing.

3. Conversion Marketing 

   Much effort comes into helping a client to commit and transact in your store. A combination of Marketing and Promotional efforts come into play. On the marketing front, getting the client's engagement via Google Retargeting Ads, Facebook Dynamic Product Ads (DPA’s) and Cart Abandonment Emails bring the client back to your website to engage at the bottom of the funnel. Promotional activity such as “free shipping” or other promotional discount methods might entice the client to engage and purchase their basket there and then.

   Store requirement: Cart Abandonment tools are common in various store platforms are a basic necessity for remarketing. The ability to promote such as “Free Shipping” can be a tool/requirement on some platforms. Payment methods are a key enhancer at this stage, such as PayPal vs. CC’s. One page checkout is also important to make this stage of the funnel easier.

Conclusion:

Every few years the question will come up as “Is my store doing enough to grow my business?” With careful consideration, planning and identifying the relevant tools that would enhance your Marketing and Customer Satisfaction; there will be a point where the Return on Investment will make that consideration a moment of engagement.