Why Switching eCommerce Platforms Should Not Scare the Daylights out of You

Think about the last time that you or a friend moved into a new apartment. You probably loved being settled in the new space after some time, but the process of getting there was so grueling that you swore never to move again.

Just thinking about finding a new place, putting down deposits, packing and loading (and unpacking and unloading) all of those boxes, completing change-of-address forms, and reconnecting utilities stresses me out.

We can’t make moving into a new abode less of a hassle, but we can dispel the myth that replatforming and upgrading your online business has to be similarly painful.

To prove it, I interviewed nearly 50 online store owners and asked them to share their fears about eCommerce replatforming.

It turned out that these fears were holding them back from replatforming their old and outdated stores to X-Cart 5. They were stuck because they assumed that all replatforming was costly, difficult, and risky. And while that may be the case with moving to some eCommerce providers, it’s not so with migrating to X-Cart.

Read on as I shatter misconceptions around eCommerce replatforming. I think you’ll find it not only reassuring, but freeing as well.

Fear #1: Replatforming Is a Huge Headache

It can be, but it doesn’t have to be.

If you think that eCommerce replatforming is nothing but a litany of problems and costly surprises, not to mention a seemingly never-ending process, think again.

We’ve already successfully migrated 32% of all X-Cart 4 stores to our new X-Cart 5 eCommerce platform — and the number is growing daily as more clients choose to upgrade. Now that we’ve migrated a third of our customers, we’re faster at it than ever.

Fear #2: I’ll Have to Sell a Kidney (and Maybe Additional Organs) to Afford Replatforming

This is a legitimate fear. In truth, eCommerce replatforming has always been rather expensive. But not for those who wish to migrate to the X-Cart 5 eCommerce platform.

Let me explain why.

We’ve just launched a massive eCommerce migration campaign to bring increased success to our loyal customers. We made this a priority, and we committed to it. This means that we’ve made migration so efficient that there are no extraneous costs.

Getting started is easy. Simply purchase a license exchange. It will cost you $49.50, about the cost of a new sweater on Amazon. Upgraded online store or new sweater? You decide.

• After that, migrate your online store using our Migration Wizard. It’s free.
• Or, if you’d prefer, connect with us and let the pros handle the data migration service for you. Our team will do the project scoping, capture business requirements, and create a roadmap. Cost: contact us to get a free quote. You’ll also get post-launch support as a bonus.

Note: Your Commerce replatforming project will take more time and cost more money if you use an external Migration as a Service (MaaS) offering like Cart2Cart or any other cloud-native migration solution. The price may even go up by thousands of dollars.

Fear #3: I Can Stretch What I Have

You can — for a little while. Maybe. But you shouldn’t.

Sure, you can postpone using fancy-schmancy marketing tools, like email auto-responders and banner carousels.

But what’s really important is that you don’t get left behind where it really matters. Sticking with a platform limited to non-responsive design is a commerce killer.

Mobile eCommerce now accounts for 54% of all online transactions. If your site isn’t mobile responsive, you can kiss those sales goodbye.

When that happens, you not only lose sales and customers, but Google also downranks your eCommerce site. Yep, mobile responsiveness is so important that Google will penalize your ranking if your site isn’t up to snuff.

Another reason why you’re not fine sticking with what you have: security.

Although we do roll out security patches for X-Cart 4, they’re manual, so applying them can slip through the cracks. And hackers love these opportunities.

With X-Cart 5, security updates apply semi-automatically (and they’re free within the branch), so your online store is up to date and not vulnerable when it comes to bad actors looking to steal sensitive information about you and your customers.

Big changes can cause big work on older systems. Remember GDPR? Who doesn’t! Those kinds of big global changes require time and money when getting older platforms up to speed.

But X-Cart 5 is fully ready for the ever-changing world:

• You’ll always be up-to-date using easy updates and upgrades.
• Regular security updates will protect your online retail business from hackers.
• Mobile design will delight both Google and your customers.

Fear #4: X-Cart 5 Is So New That It’s Got to Be Buggy Still

All new software has some strange behaviors at first (like when my colleague Helen updated to Mac Catalina and lost her admin creds — not cool, Apple). It’s a matter of how many nuisances, how serious they are, and how quickly they get fixed.

We’ve learned a ton in the eight years we’ve been developing X-Cart, which means that releases are increasingly stable, bugs are less annoying, and we squash those bugs faster than ever.

Just to make sure that our software is tight and right from the start, we’ve expanded our QA team by 60%. Their productivity is amazing, and they are exterminators when it comes to removing bugs before release.

Moreover, our automatic multi-channel testing system, with beta testers getting first dibs on the newest features, makes it next to impossible to release software with errors. Updates are rolled out in several waves to ensure there aren’t any major issues with the update itself.

And the fact that the number of bugs reported by our users is at a historically low level proves the effectiveness of this new approach. Fewer bugs reported: it’s the only instance when we’re happy to hear from you less.

Fear #5: X-Cart 5 Is Less Feature-Rich

Just the opposite.

There are more than 1,000 apps for X-Cart 5. If there’s a capability you want, it’s likely a quick add-on with just a few clicks. And if you can’t find what you want, our developers can create it.

On top of that, X-Cart is the richest platform out there when it comes to automotive features. Under a single subscription, you get what you need to make car owners prioritize buying at your store:

• Automotive-first design templates, including manufacturer-friendly
• Part fitment search by YMM, VIN, engine type, and the tiniest part details
• Visualizer for wheels & tires
• Numerous integrations with automotive-first third-parties: SEMA Data, Wheel Pros, Turn 14 Distribution, and the list goes on.

Fear #6: New eCommerce Software Is Harder to Customize

Nonsense!

Customizing X-Cart 5 isn’t more difficult; it’s just different from the old way.

Due to its modular architecture, customizing X-Cart 5 software is a little like playing Mario. There’s no chance of harming your site. Whenever you make a mistake, you can just pause, reload, and resume when you’re ready.

And don’t worry, upgrades have never been easier.

I’m sure your software developers will quickly understand the new codebase of X-Cart 5, too. There’s nothing weird or unusual. Developers who know object-oriented development will find it easy to work with X-Cart 5 code.

Fear #7: The New Shopping Cart Is Slower

False.

I’m sure you know that having a speedy website is critical for your business.

It’s important to the user experience (waiting longer than 2 seconds for a page to load is a dealbreaker for today’s users) and it’s good for SEO (fast websites rank higher in search results). Speed is also a sign of a healthy server.

Now the best part: X-Cart 5 eCommerce websites, hosted on our specially designed X-Cart servers, load in just 0.2 – 0.4 seconds. None of the existing open-source eCommerce software solutions, like OpenCart or PrestaShop, even comes close.

Fear #8: I’ll Lose My Site Traffic, Get Zero Return on Investment, and Find Myself in an SEO Slump

You won’t. We guarantee it.

Our team will make sure that you don’t see negative effects from replatforming.

They’re aware of all the risks, like lost positions in Google, abandoned carts, and diminished customer experiences, and they’ll make sure none of this happens to you.

Fear #9: The X-Cart 5 Admin Interface Is So . . . Unfamiliar. I Don’t Have Time to Relearn

Yep, the X-Cart 5 admin interface is indeed new and likely unfamiliar. But it’s the good kind of new, the kind that does more, empowers users, and just makes sense.

Once you migrate to X-Cart 5, you’ll quickly see how easy it is to navigate through the new interface. It’s intuitive and quick to master.

And, as part of our service, there’s an onboarding manager ready to advise and help.

The Final Word

Many eCommerce businesses need to consider platform migration as soon as possible, lest they get left behind in terms of functionality, speed, and security.

You’ll have to decide whether you should upgrade or move away to a new platform that delivers more power and more features for a lower price.

Now that you’ve got more information on your side, you’ll be able to make the right decision when choosing how to move forward.

Still feel scared about replatforming your online store?

Don’t be. Moving to X-Cart 5 is easy, smooth, and cost-efficient. Nothing to fear here.

FAQs

Why do you need to upgrade an eCommerce platform?

Upgrading your eCommerce platform is a strategic move for any growing business. It’s about ensuring your store is secure, fast, and scalable. A modern platform provides enhanced security to protect customer data, improved performance for faster loading times, and the ability to handle increased traffic and sales.

It also gives you access to the latest features and integrations for marketing, SEO, and store management, which older platforms often lack.

How is X-Cart 5 better than X-Cart 4?

X-Cart 5 is a complete modernization of the X-Cart platform. While X-Cart 4 (Classic) is still functional, X-Cart 5 offers a better user experience for both store owners and customers with a more intuitive administrative panel and a cleaner, automotive- and mobile-first design.

It’s built on a modern, modular architecture, making it easier to customize and maintain. The upgrade process is also simplified with an automated, one-click system, unlike the manual, complex updates required for X-Cart 4.

Essentially, X-Cart 5 is faster, more secure, and provides a richer set of features out of the box.