Top 5 Auto Parts eCommerce Migration Concerns and How to Overcome Them

With the constantly evolving new eCommerce platforms and technologies, many online auto parts retailers look hard at their ability to meet customer expectations and provide the experience their shoppers, from DIY enthusiasts to professional mechanics, anticipate.

As per the survey conducted by Digital Commerce 360 in 2022, 76% of retailers are prepared to invest more in filling the gaps in their website functionality in 2023, and 27% of eCommerce businesses even plan to switch to a new eCommerce solution.

According to the Digital Point forum, reasons for eCommerce replatforming vary from business to business, but the most common one is the need for more flexible software with broader customization opportunities.

The apparent indicators that a shopping cart solution needs replacement are technical issues impacting the online store’s performance and marketing bottlenecks resulting in a poor shopping experience and a drop in customer loyalty.

When coupled with high maintenance costs, these issues can translate into a higher total cost of ownership, seriously hitting the overall business profitability. If this is not the reason to consider changing your eCommerce platform, we can’t figure out what is!

However, migrating to another shopping cart solution entails risks and worries that no auto parts seller can ignore. We are here to reveal the most common eCommerce migration concerns and show how those doubts can be cleared away, provided that you have chosen the right platform to migrate to.

Top 5 Auto Parts eCommerce Data Migration Concerns that Hinder Your Business Growth

1. Budget and Time Overrun

Migrating your auto parts eCommerce website and all customer data to a different platform starts with estimating the amount of money you are ready to invest. The eCommerce platform migration costs generally include the initial price of the new software and the cost of expert help.

However, given the complexity of website migration, business owners justifiably fear they may miss their budget goals and timelines.

Solution

Take the time to find the right eCommerce software provider with technical skills, experience, and resources to handle the migration from kick-off to finish.

Determine the overall scope of work and discuss every step of your eCommerce replatforming project in advance to minimize the risk of running behind schedule or overspending.

2. Picking the Wrong eCommerce Site to Migrate

Besides such factors as the popularity of one eCommerce platform and the price advantage of another, the fundamental aspect to consider is whether the new solution can ensure the operational efficiency of your online auto parts store.

In other words, how seamlessly will the new eCommerce platform integrate into your company’s internal processes, and will it meet your specific feature requirements, data security, and customer demands—like managing ACES and PIES data—in the long run?

Solution

Dig deep to assess the capabilities of a new shopping cart solution in the context of your business growth. At this point, the API-driven solutions, like X-Cart, promise higher agility for your eCommerce site.

Due to the modular structure, this type of eCommerce platform offers more extended customization options, allowing you to create your digital ecosystem (including fitment data providers, ERPs, and distributors), which can be scaled and adjusted to your future business goals.

3. A Drop in Organic Traffic and SEO Rankings

Given that an auto parts store’s hard-earned SEO progress is its bread and butter, the concern that migration can affect its position on search engine results is entirely justified. At the same time, eCommerce replatforming doesn’t necessarily ruin your SEO efforts, provided that you plan all the redirections early on.

Solution

A complete SEO audit of your website before and after the migration will protect you from a drop in search engine rankings. Map the existing store URLs—from category pages for specific models to individual part pages—page to page to work out the required visibility so that none of your previous marketing efforts will be lost.

If you are not an expert, you’ll likely need a dedicated SEO consultant to work out a proper SEO strategy for your eCommerce website during and after migration.

4. Lost Online Store Sales Due to Migration Downtime

Much to our regret, temporary website downtime during the data migration process is a necessary evil. Transferring your online store’s data, including millions of SKUs and complex fitment tables, and switching DNS records will take some time for all the changes to fully propagate.

However, a prolonged website downtime can result in lost sales and reputational damage for auto parts sellers.

Solution

With the right migration services team, you can reduce the downtime to a couple of hours. For example, we ensure your source store is available for buyers during migration to X-Cart.

On top of that, the final stage of migration, entailing changing DNS records, can be scheduled during your least-trafficked hours.

5. Overcoming the Old Habit

As with anything new, moving to a completely different eCommerce platform takes time to adapt to the unfamiliar interface and, in some cases, rebuild your entire business logic, especially around how you manage parts catalogs and fitment data.

Whereas replatforming to a better software solution will enhance your business processes’ efficiency, you may still need some assistance to minimize the adaptation period.

Solution

Getting used to the new platform won’t take long, provided that you’ve chosen an easily scalable and flexible solution with an intuitive interface and comfortable website navigation.

In addition, find out if your new software provider’s customer care team can support you each step of the way: from deep insights into your unique business structure at the start of your migration project to mindful implementation to helpful guidance along the way.

Dispel eCommerce Replatforming Process Fears with X-Cart

Changing eCommerce platforms can help online auto parts businesses catch up with the evolved technological innovations, gaining higher scalability and providing a better customer experience. But to successfully migrate to a new shopping cart solution, you should consider all its capabilities in the context of your specific business needs and goals.

Don’t settle for a compromise that will cost lost sales and missed opportunities. X-Cart offers an API-driven, highly customizable eCommerce platform that seamlessly integrates into your business as it scales and grows. And the professional team with dedicated support will migrate you hassle-free with no risk to your online presence, data accuracy, or security.

FAQs

1. What is eCommerce migration?

eCommerce migration, or replatforming, is the process of moving an online store from one platform to another. This involves transferring all essential data, including products, customer information, order history, and unique elements like auto parts fitment data, to a new system that better suits your business needs for performance, features, and growth.

2. How to do Shopify migration?

Migrating your store from Shopify to a new platform like X-Cart involves moving your data, design, and functionality. You generally have two options:

• You can use an automated migration app (like Cart2Cart or LitExtension) to transfer your store’s data yourself.
• You can opt for an assisted migration where a dedicated team, like the experts at X-Cart, manages the entire process for you to ensure a seamless and accurate transition.

3. How long does it take to migrate to X-Cart?

Migration to X-Cart won’t take more than a month. Your source store will be up throughout the whole data migration process. Switching DNS records, however, takes at least a couple of hours for the changes to propagate. But we can schedule this phase at the time and date that best suits you.

4. Can I schedule a free X-Cart demo?

Absolutely. You can schedule a free X-Cart demo with our solution advisors and take a definitive tour of the key features necessary for your business to get a clear picture of what our shopping cart looks like from the inside.

5. eCommerce migration project on my own vs. assisted replatforming: which is better?

You can migrate your data from the source store to X-Cart with the two store migration apps available at X-Cart App Market: Cart2Cart and LitExtension. However, the X-Cart team can ensure hassle-free migration to X-Cart at a lower price than that charged by automated shopping cart migration services.

X-Cart’s dedicated expert team will migrate everything — including custom-developed design, features, and unique fitment data integrations — with professional support and post-launch testing.