Taking on site migration is like stepping into a labyrinth of complexities, challenges, and potential pitfalls. Whether prompted by a need for tech upgrades, rebranding initiatives, or evolving business strategies, the decision to migrate a website is a significant undertaking for any organization. From transferring vast amounts of content to preserving hard-earned search engine rankings, the process demands detailed planning, technical expertise, and effective communication. 

As a leading agency specializing in website migrations, InteractOne knows how to help merchants switch eCommerce platforms with focus and confidence. From meticulous content transfers to safeguarding SEO performance, we understand the intricacies and the “gotchas” of replatforming. 

Contact us today for help navigating the complexities of switching platforms with clarity and assurance.

In this guide, we delve into the common eCommerce website migration issues and how to avoid them—with help from InteractOne’s expert team.

• Assessment and Planning
• Guiding Merchants to Optimal Solutions
• Customization and User Experience (UX)
• Assisting with Data Migration to Avoid Data Loss
• Phased Approach to Website Configurations following Migration
• Getting Help with the Replatforming Headache

Listening to the Business Requirements: Assessment and Planning

Our approach to site migration is rooted in collaboration, thorough planning, and a commitment to delivering exceptional results. 

1. Evaluate the current site

We start every eCommerce platform migration project by thoroughly evaluating the current website. Our team assesses the site’s structure, content, functionality, and existing issues to understand its strengths and weaknesses. This comprehensive audit serves as the cornerstone of our migration strategy, enabling us to identify areas for improvement and develop tailored solutions to meet your business needs.

2. Define goals

Once we have a clear understanding of your current website, we work closely with you to define the goals driving the migration. Whether you’re looking to improve performance, update outdated technology, or undergo a rebranding, we’re here to help you articulate your goals clearly. By aligning our efforts with your business goals, we ensure that every aspect of the migration is geared towards delivering tangible results and driving success.

3. Set objectives

With the goals in place, we collaborate with you to set specific objectives for the project. Whether it’s maintaining or improving SEO rankings, preserving valuable customer data, enhancing user experience, or minimizing downtime during the transition, we establish clear objectives that serve as the foundation of our migration strategy. Additionally, we assist in defining key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the migration, enabling you to track progress and make data-driven decisions throughout the process.

Guiding Merchants to Optimal Solutions

4. Recommendations

Every business is unique. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to switching eCommerce platforms. That’s why our team of experts leverages their extensive knowledge and experience to recommend strategies and technologies tailored to your specific goals and objectives. Whether it’s choosing the right platform, implementing custom solutions, or optimizing performance, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. 

5. Create a migration plan

Once the optimal strategies and technologies have been identified, we work with you to create a comprehensive migration plan. This roadmap outlines the timeline, tasks, and responsibilities for each phase. Our thorough plan coordinates and executes every step of the replatforming process, from initial preparation and moving content to testing and deployment. 

Handling Customization and User Experience (UX)

6. Prioritize user experience

Creating a fantastic UX is key to delighting customers and securing their long-term satisfaction. Our team crafts visually appealing designs with intuitive interfaces to captivate your audience and drive conversions. From creating custom layouts to optimizing navigation or implementing interactive features, we focus on enhancing every aspect of the user journey to deliver a customer experience they’ll love. 

But we don’t stop at aesthetics. We strongly emphasize usability and functionality so that your website not only looks great but also performs flawlessly across devices and browsers. By prioritizing customization and UX, we help you differentiate your brand and build customer loyalty. 

Assisting with Data Migration to Avoid Data Loss

7. Product data migration

Moving your product data is often one of merchants’ most significant pain points. The process can be daunting and overwhelming, whether dealing with simple product catalogs of a hundred SKUs and basic categories or complex catalogs with tens of thousands of SKUs and categories.

Luckily, we specialize in moving product data from one platform to another, making sure that all your product information is transferred accurately and efficiently. Our team employs advanced techniques and tools to handle data migration of any scale, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuity for your eCommerce store. 

8. Customer and order data migration

Migrating customer and order data presents its own challenges, particularly when reconciling data model changes from one system to another. At InteractOne, we understand the importance of preserving customer relationships and order histories during migration. Our team works diligently to ensure that customer and order data is moved accurately, and we implement strategies to associate orders with the corresponding customers seamlessly. By leveraging our expertise in eCommerce data migration, we help you maintain continuity in your operations and provide a smooth transition for your customers. 

Phased Approach to Website Configuration following Migration

By taking a phased approach to configuration, we empower you to launch your website quickly with the essential features needed to start generating revenue and serving your customers. As the full site is developed and launched in subsequent phases, we continue to iterate and optimize, ensuring that your online store evolves to meet the changing needs of your business and your customers. 

9. What is the minimal viable product (MVP)?

At InteractOne, we advocate for a phased approach to site configuration, beginning with developing a minimal viable product (MVP). This strategic method, our ‘secret sauce,’ prioritizes the core functionality and essential features required to launch your website and start generating value for your business. By focusing on the MVP first, we can expedite the launch process and get your site up and running quickly, allowing you to establish an online presence and start serving your customers while additional features are developed and implemented.

10. Replicate the setup from the old site onto the new platform

As part of our phased approach to configuration, we prioritize replicating the critical elements of your previous setup on the new eCommerce platform. This includes configuring third-party payment methods, shipping options, customer reviews, and other essential features integral to your online store’s operation. Our team works diligently to ensure these configurations are replicated correctly, maintaining consistency with your previous setup while leveraging the new platform’s capabilities to enhance performance and functionality.

Get Help with the Replatforming Headache

In the eCommerce business, staying competitive requires embracing change. We hope you understand more of the common eCommerce website migration issues and what it takes to successfully transition to a new platform, from assessing business requirements and handling data migration to prioritizing customization and user experience.

Migrating eCommerce platforms is a complex task that requires careful planning, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of your business needs. While it may be tempting to tackle the migration process internally, the reality is that it’s best left to a team that specializes in migration work. Just as you wouldn’t attempt to build your own office from scratch, trying to migrate your eCommerce site without expert assistance could lead to costly mistakes and unnecessary headaches.

With InteractOne’s help, you can confidently and easily navigate the intricacies of site migration. Our team of experts has the knowledge, experience, and resources to ensure a smooth and successful transition to your new platform. By partnering with us, you can rest assured that your site migration will be handled efficiently, allowing you to focus on growing your business and delighting your customers. 

Don’t let the complexities of site migration hold you back. Contact InteractOne today, and let us help you elevate your online presence with a seamless and stress-free migration experience.

TikTok has quickly become a key eCommerce player in a culture of instant gratification and impulsive buying trends with the newly launched TikTok Shop. InteractOne believes TikTok Shop will change the way businesses and creators connect with their audience on social media by offering a seamless way to integrate viral content and product sales right within the app, which is something other social media platforms have been struggling to do. If you sell consumer goods online, you should seriously test selling on TikTok Shop.

Looking for assistance with designing, building, or maintaining your online store? Contact Us today for the answers to all of your eCommerce questions.

What’s TikTok Shop?

TikTok Shop is a community-driven eCommerce platform that brings shoppable videos, live streams, and a central product marketplace to the TikTok app. Now sellers can seamlessly connect and sell to their customers through engaging content while also easily collaborating with creators to promote their products.

How Selling with TikTok Shop Works

• In-Feed Video & LIVE Shopping: Users can shop directly from videos and live streams that appear on their “For You” page.
• Profile Shop Page: Sellers can display their products on their TikTok profile page, inviting users to explore collections and make purchases while browsing a seller’s profile.
• Shop Tab: A central marketplace within the app accessible directly from a user’s feed, offering users a comprehensive product browsing experience.
• Creator Content: TikTok has made it easy for sellers to partner with popular creators so they can spotlight and promote products directly to their communities while earning commission from referrals. Creators can tag products from a seller in their videos.
• In-Feed Shop Ads: Users can find products while scrolling TikTok with targeted shop ads that prompt users to purchase a product or visit a seller’s store.

Why is TikTok Shop Positioned for Success?

Seamless Shopping Integration with Content

Across the United States, TikTok has over 150 million people consuming all kinds of content from creators. A large portion of these users have experienced the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt phenomenon where they discover, share, and purchase products they see in their feed. Before the launch of TikTok Shop, users would have to leave the app to make a purchase of any exciting new products they discovered. Now, TikTok Shop allows sellers to sell directly to users after they discover a product without having to leave the app. TikTok has even been giving users coupons to encourage initial purchases.

Selling Through the Affiliate Program with TikTok Creators

Content on TikTok seems to go viral easier than any other social media platform. This means that any piece of content could reach a large audience organically, including videos about products. The new affiliate program sets sellers up for success by being able to connect with creators through commission-based product marketing. Creators can partner with sellers to promote their product through monetized content. This creates a win-win situation for sellers who can capitalize on a creator’s content, while creators can easily monetize their content.

eCommerce Integrations 

TikTok has created an ecosystem of 3rd-party integrations to easily support seller operations. Some of these integrations include commerce partners like Shopify, WooCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce, and Magento. The integrations even support multi-channel partnerships and an array of service apps designed to streamline eCommerce operations from print-on-demand, customer service, and shipping. Allowing sellers to integrate the eCommerce platforms they are already using to sell into the TikTok Shop reduces the friction for sellers to use their platform, showing that TikTok is trying to create a seamless experience for both users and sellers.

Should I Sell My Products on TikTok?

Deciding to sell on TikTok Shop depends on how well you understand your audience and the unique, dynamic marketplace that TikTok has created. It’s a platform where quick, eye-catching content reigns supreme and where the users eagerly engage with brands that can provide value through their content. If your products and content have visual appeal and you’re adept at crafting stories that captivate users, TikTok Shop could significantly amplify your online sales. 

eCommerce success on this platform requires more than just listing your products. Success on TikTok demands active engagement and a flair for creating buzz-worthy moments. If your brand is about being adaptable, trend-forward, and interactive, then TikTok Shop offers an exciting avenue to expand your digital footprint and connect with an audience that values novelty and authenticity in their shopping experience. TikTok has even created the TikTok Shop Academy to help sellers learn how to boost their sales and find success on their platform.

However, TikTok may not align with every company’s strategy. Businesses with an audience that is not heavily engaged on TikTok or those offering products that require a more traditional or detailed purchasing process, might not benefit as much from the platform. If your brand’s marketing approach relies on long-form content, in-depth education, investing in TikTok Shop could lead to a misallocation of resources. Companies that prioritize a hands-on customer service experience and controlled brand environment may find the fast-paced, influencer-driven nature of TikTok Shop challenging to navigate. If this is you, focusing on more established eCommerce channels or platforms that better cater to your specific market segment and sales approach might yield better results.

Can TikTok Shop Be Trusted?

Consumer safety and trust seems to be the largest speed bump for the TikTok Shop. When launched, TikTok made a commitment to creating a secure shopping environment with policies to foster trust. Initiatives like partnering with trusted brands and offering promotional incentives have been key in building credibility for TikTok Shop, but many users are still skeptical about the quality of the items being sold. Users are also tired of advertisements, generic TikTok Shop product videos, and creators giving inauthentic product reviews that can show up too frequently on their feed. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to build trust with your audience to ease consumers’ fears.

TikTok Shop & Marketing

While skepticism exists, the key to dispelling doubts lies in building trust. TikTok proudly showcases the platform’s potential as an eCommerce and marketing powerhouse with these compelling stats:

• 70% of TikTok users discover new brands and products on TikTok
• 3 in 4 users are likely to make a purchase while using TikTok
• 83% say that TikTok plays a role in buying decisions

Integrating TikTok Shop into your marketing strategy is a game-changer. It’s not just about selling your products; it’s about authentic storytelling, community building, and creating an immersive brand experience that resonates with the TikTok user.

Use the content you create to organically promote your products, leveraging the community and trust you’ve built. Be sure to post a mix of promotional content with valuable videos to avoid audience fatigue. Nobody wants to be sold to all the time.

The affiliate program also gives you the opportunity to work with trusted creators to boost your brand awareness and expose your products to a potential new audience. Creators know how to create content that appeals to their audience which sets you both up for viral success. Creator partnerships are an effective way to promote your products without breaking the bank on advertising.

Our Take

As we witness the evolution of social media into dynamic eCommerce platforms, TikTok Shop emerges as a revolutionary force, reshaping how brands and consumers interact within the digital marketplace. Embracing this change offers many opportunities for you to authentically connect with your audience, creating a community around your products through storytelling and shared experiences. As TikTok Shop continues to expand and refine its offerings, adapting to its ecosystem can provide a competitive edge, tapping into a market of engaged and ready-to-buy users. The journey toward eCommerce success on TikTok is ripe with potential—businesses willing to innovate and build trust within this space are set to thrive.

Give us a shout if you’re ready to set yourself up for eCommerce success with a new TikTok Shop.

Footnotes:

Sources: (1) TikTok Marketing Science Global Retail Path to Purchase (US Results) conducted by Material August 2021. (2) TikTok Marketing Science Global Entertainment Study (US Results) conducted by Material, December 2021. (3) Marketing Science EU Holiday Shopping Behavior Research 2020 conducted by Walnut International for TikTok For Business.

2024 SaaS Platforms for eCommerce Websites

The development of SaaS solutions and platforms for eCommerce is an integral part of the industry’s recent history, with significant shifts that have empowered businesses to lower website operating costs while improving site stability, security, and performance. Ultimately, this increases customer engagement and frees up budget space for marketing to drive more traffic and sales. 

The shift from traditional on-premises applications like Magento (Adobe Commerce), WordPress, and many other legacy platforms to SaaS parallels the broader digital transformation. SaaS in eCommerce specifically has been a game changer for small to medium-sized merchants. The transformation has been marked by SaaS platforms’ ability to drive down maintenance costs while improving performance, security, and stability. Shopify and BigCommerce are leading the way in the eCommerce SaaS sector, creating industry-wide waves much like Salesforce did with its revolutionary CRM product.

The foundation of SaaS can be traced back to the 1980s and 1990s, with the emergence of Application Service Providers that provided software and services over the Internet. However, it wasn’t until the early 2000s, with improved internet infrastructure and the decrease in cloud computing costs, that SaaS began to flourish. Salesforce is often credited as the first successful SaaS provider, launching in 1999 and setting the stage for the popularity of SaaS across industries, including eCommerce.

Are you seeking to start selling online or for a new eCommerce website builder? InteractOne is proficient in optimizing and managing web design. Our expertise lies in eCommerce optimization and development, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us for assistance. 

Evolution of SaaS in eCommerce Websites

The evolution of SaaS in eCommerce has been a game-changer for the industry, altering its very landscape. SaaS is not new to eCommerce, with the first SaaS platforms like Volusion and Yahoo Stores coming online in the late 1990s. These early offerings, however, failed to gain traction with mid to large-scale businesses due to their lack of flexibility and limited APIs. Shopify, BigCommerce, and Demandware (now known as Salesforce Commerce Cloud) entered the SaaS eCommerce arena in the mid to late 2000s. Shopify and BigCommerce were slow to grow with the mid-market since, at that time, they had limited features, APIs, and third- party ecosystems, including apps and integrations. Also at this time, most mid-market and enterprise eCommerce merchants were choosing to go with on-premises solutions that provided flexibility and performance that SaaS could not supply.

However, DemandWare took a unique approach and tailored its SaaS offering to suit apparel merchants well. With this approach, they soon became the first eCommerce SaaS platform to achieve scale in the mid-market.  

The Rise of SaaS in eCommerce

In the 2010s, BigCommerce and Shopify began to catch up with DemandWare in the mid-market as they greatly improved their APIs, native features, and third-party ecosystems. These SaaS platforms started enabling mid-market merchants with standard eCommerce B2C needs to set up online stores with relative ease and at lower costs compared to traditional on-premises solutions, like Magento or WordPress. Shopify and BigCommerce have made a significant impact by providing scalable, secure, and user-friendly platforms that are accessible to a wide range of businesses​​.

The development of SaaS solutions has not been without its challenges. A significant hurdle has been ensuring the robustness of APIs. In a SaaS model, APIs are the lifeline of the software, as they are essential for integrating various services and functionalities that eCommerce platforms need to provide a seamless user experience and create custom website functions. Unlike on-premises solutions, where developers have direct access to the core code and database, SaaS platforms require more complex and robust APIs to connect custom apps, other software applications, and data sources​​​​.

 Robust APIs are crucial because they allow eCommerce platforms to integrate with third-party services, such as payment gateways, inventory management systems, ERPs, and CRM tools. This integration is essential for creating a cohesive and efficient system that can handle the intricate processes of online retail​​.

SaaS for Managing eCommerce Website Design

As eCommerce continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, managing custom user experiences and large volumes of data becomes a critical need. SaaS solutions must be capable of providing unique user experiences (UX/UI) while handling a high number of transactions and vast amounts of data. Robust APIs allow for the management and integration of large data as well as custom UX/UI through headless solutions that separate the frontend presentation layer of an eCommerce site from the backend eCommerce functionality. Headless solutions offer greater flexibility and performance by allowing developers to create custom, highly performant user experiences empowered by SaaS backends.

This evolution towards more prevalent use of SaaS over on-premises solutions marks a pivotal shift in eCommerce. On-premises platforms, once the go-to for businesses seeking customization and control, are being outpaced by the performance, security, and ease of use offered by SaaS platforms. The SaaS model’s ability to simplify complex processes and lower the barriers to entry for online commerce is proving to be a compelling reason for its growing dominance in the market​​.

The trajectory of SaaS in eCommerce is fueled by a continuous push towards higher performance and lower costs, driven by the need to solve complex challenges and cater to the ever-evolving demands of eCommerce businesses. As the industry moves forward, the significance of SaaS platforms is likely to grow, leading to even more sophisticated solutions.

Benefits of SaaS Platforms for eCommerce Stores

When comparing SaaS to open-source solutions, several key benefits of SaaS platforms become evident:

Enhanced Website Security:

SaaS platforms typically offer better security due to their closed system architecture. This differs from on-premises, open-source platforms like Magento, where the code is accessible to everyone. Open-source solutions can be more vulnerable to security breaches because hackers can easily gain access to the source code and work to find exploitable weaknesses. Then, when patches are released for open-source code, it takes time for the community and merchants to implement the new code. Conversely, the core code of SaaS platforms is closed to the public and cannot be viewed by hackers in order to find vulnerabilities. SaaS providers continuously update and monitor their code and systems. This means they can quickly deploy new core code changes and security updates to all of their customers at once​​.  

Stability & Customization:

The microservices architecture prevalent in SaaS-powered websites contributes greatly to their stability. Customizations must be created as apps that sit outside of the core codebase and cannot override any of the SaaS core code. This architecture allows different components of an online store to be developed, deployed, and scaled independently, reducing the risk of system-wide failures. However, this can introduce limitations in customizing the core code compared to open-source solutions, where developers have complete access to modify the system at a fundamental level​​​​. For example, it is typically not possible to customize or override core features of the order workflow with SaaS eCommerce software and do things like edit order numbers, charge for shipping after order placement, or develop sophisticated B2B shipping or payment options.

Maintenance and Upgrade Development Costs:

Maintenance and upgrade development costs are generally much lower with SaaS platforms. This is because the SaaS provider manages the core code infrastructure and platforms for all of its clients in mass, which includes handling updates and maintenance of the core code. This means that as long as the SaaS application APIs are not changed (which they normally are not), third-party apps, integrations, and custom apps don’t need to be updated with every SaaS core code update. The simplicity of this model means that upgrades are often seamless and do not require extensive downtime or complex migration processes, which is a common concern with on-premises or open-source solutions​​​​.

Performance & Developer Flexibility:

SaaS platforms are designed to auto-scale, provide high performance, and are not likely to slow down under normal increased traffic loads. In other words, they are purpose-built to be scalable and efficient for all the sites on their platform. Open-source platforms like Magento may face challenges in maintaining performance since scalability depends on the hosting provider, third-party apps, and customizations. One flawed update could cause site-wide complex issues, downtime, lost sales, and costly fixes due to the monolithic nature of on-premises software, meaning apps are usually not decoupled from the core application. 

SaaS platforms also tend to offer greater developer flexibility. Since SaaS solutions are cloud-based, developers can build custom apps using various technologies without the need to understand the core architecture or manage servers. This allows for the creation of unique features and functionalities that can be integrated with the SaaS platform through APIs, whereas open-source solutions require a deeper knowledge of the core system for extensive customization​​​​.

 SaaS platforms stand out for their enhanced security, stability, cost-effective maintenance, and superior performance, along with offering developers a flexible environment for innovation without the need for in-depth infrastructure knowledge. These benefits make SaaS an attractive option for many businesses looking to leverage eCommerce solutions.

SaaS Limitations in eCommerce

SaaS platforms, while revolutionary in their approach to eCommerce, do face certain challenges when meeting the complex demands of modern businesses.

Handling Extensive Inventories in Online Businesses

For businesses with large and varied product ranges, SaaS platforms can sometimes stumble. They are built for scalability but have inherent limits that can hinder the seamless management of extensive product catalogs.

Confronting Database & API Constraints

The streamlined nature of SaaS platforms means direct database manipulation is always off-limits, leading to a reliance on APIs. This dependency can introduce performance issues such as bottlenecks, particularly when scaling up operations due to rate limits and potential latency in data exchange.

Best Practices for Navigating B2B Ecommerce Site Requirements

The B2B sector often entails intricate eCommerce processes, which can be at odds with the more generic B2C-oriented design of many SaaS platforms. Complex order processing and specialized workflows required in certain B2B transactions can be tough to implement within the standard offerings of a SaaS platform.

Adapting to Sophisticated Pricing Mechanisms

SaaS solutions may also struggle with intricate pricing models that are commonplace in B2B contexts, like tiered pricing or customer-specific discounts. Such nuanced pricing strategies often demand a level of customization and flexibility that open-source platforms are inherently equipped to handle.

Product Restrictions or Bans

SaaS providers have been known to restrict the types of products they allow to be sold on their platforms. If certain types of products do not agree with a SaaS platform company’s core values, they may restrict or not allow merchants to sell those products—for example, firearms and CBD. Also, in the past, SaaS platforms have made quick decisions about certain products or types of merchants to ban from their platform and have given merchants very little and often insufficient time (i.e., two weeks) to move off their platforms.

When On-Premises, Open-Source Is the Answer

These challenges point to scenarios where on-premises open-source platforms could be more beneficial. Open-source software grants the liberty to extensively customize the system, aligning with the unique and complex requirements of a business. This can be especially important for companies that operate with highly specialized business models or those that need granular control over their eCommerce ecosystem.

In light of these considerations, businesses must carefully evaluate the capabilities and constraints of SaaS platforms against their specific eCommerce needs to determine if a SaaS or open-source solution is the right technological choice for their online strategy. Working with an eCommerce platform consultant like InteractOne, who has years of real-world experience developing solutions with SaaS or on-prem open-source software, can be critical to making the right decision.

2024 Comparison of SaaS vs Open-Source Platforms

When considering SaaS vs open-source platforms for your eCommerce needs, it’s essential to understand the core differences and how they can impact your business.

SaaS Platforms:

Pros:

• Ease of Use: SaaS platforms are known for their user-friendly interfaces and ease of setup, which can be ideal for businesses without technical expertise.
• Maintenance & Hosting: The SaaS provider manages hosting, maintenance, and updates, reducing the workload for your team.
• Security: Enhanced security is typical of SaaS platforms, given that access to their core code is closed and very protected.
• Scalability: SaaS solutions can easily scale with your business, handling increases in traffic and transactions smoothly.

Cons:

• Customization Limits: There may be restrictions on how much you can customize the platform, as you don’t have access to the source code and cannot override or change core functions
• Ongoing Costs: While maintenance costs can be lower, the subscription-based model means ongoing license expenses, which typically increase every year.
• Integration Dependencies: You will be reliant on the platform’s APIs and existing integrations, which can limit flexibility.
• Business Risk: SaaS providers can change their terms and conditions at any time and may decide to stop providing services for certain types of products (i.e., firearms) or markets (i.e., geo-political issues). 

Open-Source Platforms:

Pros:

• Customization: Complete freedom to customize the platform to your exact specifications due to access to the source code.
• Community Support: Robust communities where developers share tools, plugins, and advice can be a rich resource.
• Control: Full control over your hosting environment, security protocols, and updates.

Cons:

• Technical Expertise Required: Requires a certain level of technical skill to manage and customize effectively.
• Maintenance Responsibility: Your team is responsible for updates, security, and maintenance, which can be resource-intensive.
• Security: While you have control over security, it also means you are fully responsible for implementing and maintaining it. And don’t forget—hackers have unlimited access to the core code of your website application and are always looking for vulnerabilities to exploit.

Each type of platform has its merits and can be the best choice depending on specific business needs. SaaS platforms are generally best for businesses looking for ease of use, minimal maintenance, and scalability. In contrast, open-source platforms are ideal for those requiring deep customization and control over their eCommerce environment. 

Our Take: Picking the Best eCommerce Website Platform

The architectural robustness of SaaS solutions is a significant advancement over traditional on-premises platforms. With SaaS, the core code remains intact and unalterable, compelling businesses to innovate through the creation of independent applications for additional features and functionalities. This approach not only futureproofs your eCommerce website, but also substantially reduces maintenance and support costs.

It’s clear that SaaS platforms are becoming the preferred choice for many eCommerce businesses. They offer a streamlined, reliable foundation for businesses to build upon, ensuring that they are well-equipped for the demands of modern commerce. The move to SaaS is not just about keeping up with technology trends—it’s about embracing a structure that positions businesses for long-term success.

Choosing the Best eCommerce Platform for Your Online Store

Choosing the right platform for your eCommerce business is a critical decision that can have long-term impacts on your operation’s success. In order to make a good, well-informed decision, we recommend working with a platform specialist like InteractOne. At InteractOne, we specialize in providing development services for SaaS platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, as well as open-source platforms like Adobe Commerce, Magento, and WordPress. Transitioning to a new eCommerce platform is a significant undertaking, and we are here to guide you through every step of the process. 

Our platform consulting process includes:

Assess Your Business Needs:

Start by understanding your specific business requirements. Consider the size of your product catalog, the expected volume of sales, the geographic reach of your business, and the level of customization you need in your website design.

Technical Capabilities:

Evaluate your team’s technical skills. Some platforms are more user-friendly for non-technical users, while others might require more advanced knowledge or even developer support.

Scalability:

Think about where you see your business in the next few years. You need a platform that can scale with your business, handling increased traffic and sales without compromising performance.

Budget:

Understand the total cost of ownership of the platform, including subscription fees, transaction fees, add-ons, and any additional tools or services you might need to sell online.

Ecosystem & Integration:

Look at the ecosystem surrounding the platform. The availability of third-party apps, plugins, and integrations can greatly enhance functionality.

Support & Community:

Consider the level of support offered by the platform. A strong community and responsive customer service can be invaluable to building a great eCommerce website.

Compliance & Security:

Ensure that the platform complies with the necessary legal and security standards, especially if you operate in multiple regions with different regulations.

Futureproofing:

Choose a platform that is innovative and keeps up with eCommerce trends. This will help you stay competitive and adaptable in a rapidly changing market.

With our expertise, you can navigate the complexities of platform selection and migration for your eCommerce store. InteractOne will help you make a smooth transition to the right solution to maintain and to build an eCommerce business online. 

BigCommerce and Shopify rank among the best eCommerce platforms. They make it easy for users to create, promote, grow, and maintain profitable businesses through a unified online store. Both platforms are intuitive, offering accessible features and mobile-responsive templates. When choosing between BigCommerce and Shopify, it’s crucial to consider their distinct strengths, impacting user experience, scalability, and overall business efficiency.

This article explores why both are great but also dives into critical factors to help you decide which aligns better with your business goals. Whether you’re starting your entrepreneurial journey or steering an established enterprise, our impartial analysis provides insights to make a decision aligned with your distinct business objectives.

In this guide to Shopify vs. BigCommerce, you’ll learn: 

1. BigCommerce vs. Shopify: Differences At a Glance
2. Which one is better: Shopify vs BigCommerce?
   
3. Key Comparisons in Commerce Platforms
4. Head-to-Head Comparison
5. Ease-of-Use
6. Customization
7. Features and Integrations/Plugin ecosystem
8. SEO Capabilities
9. Pricing Comparison
10. Design and Customization
11. eCommerce Tools
12. Performance and Scalability
13. Customer Support
14. B2B Tools 
15. Which Platform Wins?

For help with all of your Shopify and BigCommerce eCommerce needs, contact InteractOne today. 

BigCommerce vs. Shopify: At a Glance

Shopify and BigCommerce are popular eCommerce platforms designed to help businesses create and manage online stores. BigCommerce offers a comprehensive set of built-in features, providing scalability and customization options suitable for businesses of all sizes. It emphasizes flexibility, making it ideal for growth-oriented companies. 

Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and vast app ecosystem, making it easier for beginners to set up and manage their stores. Shopify is often favored by small to medium-sized businesses for its simplicity, while BigCommerce caters to those looking for robust features and scalability. Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on the specific needs and preferences of the business owner. 

Which one is better: Shopify vs BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is excellent for big stores with lots of things to sell. BigCommerce makes many features possible without needing extra changes and doesn’t charge transaction fees. Being more feature-rich, it may have a steeper learning curve due to the capacity for growth and customization features. Additionally, BigCommerce has a threshold for annual sales, after which you must upgrade to a more expensive plan. 

Meanwhile, Shopify is easier to use and provides an accessible base platform for anyone to set up a basic Shopify store. The multitude of apps in its app marketplace gives you options for customization and functionality. However, Shopify imposes transaction fees on your sales unless you use their payment portal. These charges can quickly add up for stores with high sales volumes. 

Key Comparisons in Commerce Platforms

Head-to-Head Comparison

Ease-of-Use

Shopify is often lauded for its user-centric interface and intuitive design, catering to beginners. The platform provides a straightforward setup process, customizable templates, and a large app ecosystem. 

In contrast, BigCommerce presents robust features and scalability. While it may involve a steeper learning curve than Shopify, it provides more advanced tools for customization and growth. This fully-fledged platform attracts many users for its full suite of tools and features for online success. 

Customization

Both BigCommerce and Shopify provide extensive customization options, enabling merchants to tailor their online stores to reflect their brand identity. They offer a variety of free and paid themes and templates across diverse industries. 

For users with coding experience, both platforms offer a higher level of flexibility in design and functionality. BigCommerce is recognized for its flexibility and scalability, offering a wide range of customization options for users with more technical expertise. 

Conversely, those with limited coding or design experience may find Shopify appealing due to its simple drag-and-drop feature, simplifying customization. It’s worth noting that achieving certain advanced features and customizations on Shopify may require knowledge of its proprietary coding language, Liquid. However, you can turn to Shopify’s vast library of themes and diverse app ecosystem for more straightforward customization, providing extra features and functionalities. This abundance of themes and apps offers alternatives that may eliminate the need for extensive coding experience. 

Features and Integrations/Plugin ecosystem

BigCommerce and Shopify excel in providing robust integration capabilities through their respective app marketplaces. 

Shopify’s App Store is known for its extensive and diverse offerings, spanning categories like payments, shipping, marketing, and analytics. The platform integrates with popular services such as PayPal, Stripe, and MailChimp, supported by a vibrant developer community. 

In comparison, BigCommerce, while featuring a comprehensive App Marketplace with essential integrations, distinguishes itself with notable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integrations, making it a favorable choice for larger businesses. 

Both platforms support essential functionalities like payments and shipping, but Shopify’s larger and more diverse ecosystem may be appealing to businesses of various sizes.

SEO Capabilities

Irrespective of the SaaS platform selected for your eCommerce store, its effectiveness is tied to its visibility on search engines. 

BigCommerce boasts strong out-of-the-box SEO capabilities, offering features like customizable URLs, automatic sitemaps, and responsive themes for effective mobile optimization—an essential factor in search engine rankings. 

Shopify provides an easy-to-use interface with built-in tools for optimizing meta titles, descriptions, and URLs. It supports customizable header tags and redirects, with its app ecosystem featuring various SEO apps to enhance functionality.

Both BigCommerce and Shopify enable users to edit their site’s HTML and CSS, providing robust SEO capabilities. 

Pricing Comparison

Monthly Subscription Fees

Both platforms operate on a subscription-based model. BigCommerce and Shopify have various pricing plans, starting from basic to advanced, with costs tailored to the size and needs of the business. Monthly costs range from $39 up to $399. 

With Shopify, you can choose Shopify plans that best align with your budget and goals. However, in BigCommerce, your plan depends on the online store’s annual sales. The Standard plan is designed for stores with annual sales up to $50,000, the Plus plan for those with revenue up to $180,000, and the Pro plan for stores generating up to $400,000 in annual revenue.

Transaction Fees

Transaction fees can significantly impact overall costs. BigCommerce and Shopify differ in their approach to transaction fees. BigCommerce doesn’t impose additional transaction fees on top of the subscription costs. In contrast, Shopify charges transaction fees unless users opt for their proprietary payment gateway. Consider your overall sales volume when evaluating these transaction fee structures. 

Additional Costs (Themes, Apps, etc.)

Beyond subscription and transaction fees, you can incur additional costs for themes, apps, and other add-ons. Both BigCommerce and Shopify provide a marketplace of themes and apps, some of which are free, while others come with a price tag. Understanding the necessity of these additional features and their associated costs is essential when evaluating the overall affordability of each platform.

Cost: Does Shopify Win?

Determining whether Shopify is cheaper than BigCommerce depends on various factors, such as the business’s size, sales volume, and specific needs. While Shopify may have a lower entry-level subscription fee, the transaction fees and additional costs to build an advanced Shopify website including using the Shopify app store can contribute to the overall expense. You should carefully assess your business’s requirements and preferences to determine which platform offers the best value for your investment. 

Design and Customization

When designing and customizing your online store, factor in theme variety, design flexibility, and mobile responsiveness for a site that meets both aesthetic and functional requirements. 

Themes and Templates

Both platforms provide a selection of themes and templates to help businesses create visually appealing and professionally designed storefronts. BigCommerce and Shopify offer a mix of free and premium themes, allowing users to choose a design that aligns with their brand identity and customer experience goals.

Flexibility in Design

If you have unique branding or functionality needs, the level of flexibility in design is a crucial consideration. BigCommerce is recognized for its flexibility and scalability, providing users with more technical expertise the opportunity to delve into deeper customization of themes. Conversely, Shopify caters to users seeking simpler customization with its clear-cut drag-and-drop editor, making it accessible for those with limited coding or design experience. Shopify offers an easier base, whereas BigCommerce offers more built-in features. 

Mobile Responsiveness

In an era where mobile commerce is prevalent, ensuring mobile responsiveness is vital. Both BigCommerce and Shopify prioritize mobile responsiveness in their themes and designs. This ensures that online stores are optimized for various devices, providing a seamless experience for customers browsing and purchasing on smartphones and tablets. 

eCommerce Tools

For managing your store, BigCommerce and Shopify offer tools to streamline operations and boost efficiency. 

Product Management

Efficient product management is fundamental to any online store. Both platforms have robust tools for adding, organizing, and updating product listings. You can access features like product variants, categories, and descriptions to help you showcase your products. 

Both BigCommerce and Shopify support detailed customization of product variants, ensuring flexibility. BigCommerce allows for the flexible organization of products into categories and subcategories, facilitating a structured product catalog. Shopify offers a straightforward product organization system so businesses can categorize and organize products for easy navigation.

Enhancing product presentation is prioritized, with rich options for detailed descriptions and multimedia content on both platforms. For easy management, both allow import/export of product data, with BigCommerce also supporting bulk import/export—an advantage for businesses with large catalogs. 

Inventory Tracking: BigCommerce or Shopify?

Prevent stockouts or overstock situations through accurate inventory tracking. BigCommerce and Shopify equip users with inventory management tools, allowing businesses to monitor stock levels, receive low-stock alerts, and efficiently manage their product inventory to meet customer demand. 

Order Processing for Fuller Carts

Smooth order processing is essential for delivering a positive customer experience. BigCommerce and Shopify offer a wide range of integrated payment gateways so businesses can choose options that suit their preferences and regions. Shopify has the added option of using Shopify Payments as an integrated solution for seamless transactions. There are also tools for subscription management, order fulfillment, tax calculation, and multi-channel selling. 

Marketing: Learn More About Shopify and BigCommerce Tools

Abandoned cart recovery is available on both platforms, with BigCommerce offering it as a standard feature and Shopify making it optional. This allows businesses to send automated reminders to customers who still need to complete their purchase. BigCommerce has promotional banners to engage customers and drive sales, while Shopify offers customizable promotional pop-ups for effective marketing. 

BigCommerce integrates with WordPress to combine content flexibility with eCommerce capabilities. It strongly focuses on SEO capabilities, offering customizable URLs, automatic sitemaps, and responsive themes. The embedded blog feature facilitates content creation and SEO optimization. 

On the other hand, Shopify includes a powerful blogging platform for businesses to publish and manage content seamlessly for improved SEO and customer engagement. It offers customizable meta titles, descriptions, and URLs to optimize content. 

For email marketing, BigCommerce integrates with various platforms for targeted campaigns and effective customer communication. In contrast, Shopify provides built-in email marketing features, offering customizable email templates and the capability to sync with popular email marketing services for comprehensive campaigns. 

Both BigCommerce and Shopify support selling on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, they provide robust tools for tracking website performance, customer behavior, and sales data, empowering businesses to shape informed marketing strategies based on comprehensive analytics and reporting features. 

Performance and Scalability

The performance and scalability of your eCommerce platform are pivotal for providing a seamless and responsive shopping experience. 

Page Load Speed 

Page load speed directly impacts user experience and search engine rankings. Both BigCommerce and Shopify prioritize fast-loading pages. They use content delivery networks (CDNs) and optimize images to enhance page load speeds, ensuring customers can navigate and make purchases swiftly.

Server Reliability

The reliability of the server hosting your online store is critical to prevent downtime and ensure consistent accessibility. BigCommerce and Shopify invest in robust server infrastructure, minimizing the risk of server-related issues. Both platforms strive to provide reliable hosting solutions to keep online stores operational. 

Scalability for Growing Businesses

As businesses grow, the scalability of the chosen platform becomes paramount. BigCommerce and Shopify are designed to scale with companies of varying sizes. They offer different pricing plans and infrastructure to accommodate increasing product catalogs, higher traffic volumes, and the evolving needs of growing online businesses. 

Customer Support

The quality of customer support can significantly impact the overall experience of using an eCommerce platform. 

If you encounter any issues or have questions, Shopify and BigCommerce provide multiple avenues for assistance. You can get 24/7 customer support through live chat, email, and phone. This ensures that users from different time zones and regions can access help whenever needed. These support teams can communicate directly with support representatives for more personalized assistance. 

BigCommerce and Shopify also have comprehensive Help Centers that serve as a knowledge base. Users can find answers to common questions, tutorials, and guides to navigate the platform effectively. The Help Center covers topics ranging from setup to troubleshooting technical issues.

You can also find help through the BigCommerce and Shopify communities, where users can interact with each other, share experiences, and seek advice. This community-driven support system allows users to learn from the community’s collective knowledge and find solutions to specific challenges.

B2B Tools 

Both platforms have features or functionalities that cater specifically to B2B needs. 

BigCommerce and Shopify share some common B2B features:

• Customer groups and pricing lets merchants offer personalized pricing based on customer segments, such as order volume or loyalty.
• Custom price lists accommodate negotiated pricing for different B2B clients.
• Bulk ordering and discounts let users set up tiered pricing or discounts based on quantity, which can encourage larger purchases.
• Quote management lets customers request quotes for bulk orders, and merchants create, send, and manage quotes within the platform.
• Account management tools such as order history tracking, shipment tracking, and account management functionalities.

The BigCommerce platform has a few additional key B2B features:

• Purchase order (PO) system that lets B2B customers submit purchase orders directly through the online store, streamlining the ordering process for wholesale transactions.
• B2B shipping and tax features, including the ability to set up custom shipping options and handle complex tax scenarios.
• Customizable checkout processes, including multiple payment options and integration with payment gateways that support B2B transactions.

Meanwhile, some Shopify relies on third-party apps or customizations let merchants set up credit terms for their B2B customers. This can include options for net payment terms, helping businesses manage their cash flow.  

Does InteractOne Prefer Shopify? Or does BigCommerce Win?

In the end, both BigCommerce and Shopify have distinct strengths and considerations for businesses looking to establish or enhance their eCommerce presence. Differences in features and functionality mean that the choice between both platforms depends on the specific needs and preferences of your business. 

If you prioritize flexibility, scalability, and have technical expertise, BigCommerce may be the ideal choice. For user-friendly customization, a vast app ecosystem, and potential cost savings on transaction fees, Shopify wins. 

With experience with both platforms, InteractOne can help you to make the choice between Shopify and BigCommerce by determining which features you really need. We analyze your requirements to identify which platform aligns with your interests. Leveraging our expertise, we provide an unbiased opinion to guide you in deciding which platform is a better fit for your business. Whether you are looking to build a Shopify store or BigCommerce store, we can help you to make the right decision. InteractOne provides an unbiased comparison of Shopify or BigCommerce. Contact us today to get started.

As a business person, you’re used to factoring costs. Materials, packaging costs, shipping, services, marketing and labor costs – the list goes on. Opportunity cost doesn’t show up on balance sheets, but that doesn’t make it any less real. Poorly directed or half-hearted investment in your product data feeds can miss the mark on a stream of revenues – lost opportunity. How can you know if you’re missing out?

First off, let’s define what we mean by investment. We’re talking about money you spend on outside feed services and subscriptions, of course, but equally you should consider your time – even if your team size is limited and you consider those costs “built-in.” 

Deceptively Simple

Product data feeds can seem like an easy win – a fairly simple and relatively low-cost way to tap into the biggest marketplaces – Amazon, WalMart, Google, Facebook. Like pay-per-click, you can put it on simmer or crank it up to boil, right? Not really. In reality, your market sector and your catalog size are the two biggest determinants of how you might best approach a product data feed strategy. All-in looks very different for a mass-market merchant versus B2B and niche merchants.

Although your platform might promote it this way, your eCommerce platform also does not determine your product data feed approach. It can make things easier or harder, but it shouldn’t set you on a path. Defaulting, and limiting yourself, to your platform’s way of connecting to channels might be leaving a lot of opportunity on the table.

Also contrary to the impression you might get, spend is not the biggest determining factor of success. Neither is picking the “right” feed platform. The single biggest indicator of future success is the state of your catalog data: Is it complete and richly attributed? Do you have the tools in place to improve and create new variants? This is where you need to invest.

Strategies for exploiting product data feeds can be grouped into three categories – one of which will probably be a best fit for your particular business and market position.

Manual Feeds

Manual product feeds work just like they sound – you choose the channels and upload a file. A manual feed can be absolutely the best tactic if your catalog is small, static, or unusual in some other way that precludes you from automating.

The main advantage can be transparency – you know exactly what’s being fed because you’re doing it. You also determine where and when you feed your data, affording you full control. Generally done in house, manual feeds also can convey a cost advantage.

The disadvantages of manual feeds are easy to identify. You will encounter a higher cost or investment in time if you have a larger catalog. Any desired or necessary change to the catalog – even small changes – will require re-feeding the data manually. 

It’s a narrow slice, but if you have a mostly unchanging catalog of manageable size, relatively sheltered product pricing and focused in-house or retained catalog/merchandising resources, don’t dismiss manual feeds.

API Data Feeds

This might be the most alluring but potentially underperforming choice. Your catalog feeds directly to your selected channels by way of an application programming interface (API) that is built into your eCommerce software. You don’t have to schedule or execute uploads or maintain data outside of your catalog. Changes to your catalog are reflected automatically in your product data feeds. Guaranteed accuracy. Assuming you have a healthy catalog and a clean code base – the API approach is easy.

Disadvantage –  API data feeds are designed to be a hands-off approach but it might not be prudent to think of them that way. Your products are submitted to your channels exactly as they are found on your site – no customizing or optimization for the particular platform. Multi-feeds can get complex (negating one of the advantages). If your catalog doesn’t have all of the attributes that your competitors are showing on the different channels, you can have a lot of behind-the-scenes work to do to catch up. 

Product Feed Platforms

Product feed platforms such as Feedonomics or Godatafeed offer pinpoint control and flexibility over how your products will appear on each selected channel. This is potentially the most powerful path to multi-channel selling, provided you invest in continually fine-tuning your catalog. The platforms allow advanced techniques that change your product data based on conditions and rules you define, such as inserting keywords into product titles and/or descriptions on the fly. Merchants who dedicate themselves to maximizing the tool’s capabilities find they are able to convert customers they might have otherwise missed.

Analysis is critical here. Does the market for your products have the upside to warrant such an investment of resources? Or will a less intensive effort be sufficient to bring you adequate results? How competitive is your space? Managing a product feed platform has costs you’ll want to understand in context with the possible benefits.

Product Feed Apps

Product feed apps such as Xtento or Simprosys are bolt ons to platforms such as Adobe Commerce (aka Magento) and Shopify.  These apps allow you to feed major markets like the feed platforms while also providing the ability to customize your feed per channel.  While not as easy to use as the feed platforms, these apps can provide a lot of custom functionality for a fraction of the cost of using a feed platform like Feedonomic or Godatafeed.

Is Your Feed Optimized?

Whether you choose manual feeds, a product feed platform or product feed apps, you’ll strive for “optimization.”

But what does an “optimized” Product Data Feed even mean? Everybody says it, and there are plenty of services that you can pay to “get” optimization. But how do you know when your product data feeds are optimized? … when you reach your sales goal? … when you subscribe to an optimization service and pay the bill?

One element of optimization is alignment. Whether you create your product data or you get it from a manufacturer or a third party, it will rarely match up with all the fields you need for all of your channels. Your selling platform will have one set of required and optional data, Facebook will have another and Walmart yet another. Channels use your product data to award you an ad rank or quality score, which you don’t have to look at but you do have to live with! You’ll get an error message if you don’t supply the required fields, but not for the optional data. If your competitors are diligently supplying high-performing optional fields, you won’t know you’re missing out.

Quality and Currency

Another shade of meaning to “optimization” is quality and currency. Simply having data in the required fields might get you past the gatekeeper, but the content itself needs to be accurate, up-to-date and appealing to the customer. Scan your data and make sure those outlier fields – those which you don’t use on your site, but Pinterest requires, for instance – aren’t filled with placeholders or bland data. Platform-specific attributes and fields are an opportunity for you to fine-tune that specific content to that specific audience. Capitalize on these unique fields to gain a competitive advantage on each platform.

These distinctions are key when you’re deciding which route to take. If you are willing to invest in optimization, then you’ll want the flexibility that a platform, feed app or separate managed manual feeds provide. When managing your product data feeds, however, you don’t want anything coming at the consumer out of left field – remember that your products are going to be seen side by side with competing products so it’s best to hew close to standard practices. In other words, sometimes, less can be optimal.

Avoid Paralysis – Steps You Can Take Now

Whatever your situation and whatever your choice, your product data – and thus any product data feed – will benefit from a few common product feed optimization tactics:

• Build your product titles for the feed using several key attributes (color, size, gender). Not just branded terms from your catalog.
• If you sell brand name products, feature the brand name at the beginning of the product title (ie. Nike – Men’s Impact 4 Basketball Shoes …)
• Utilize existing catalog attributes to populate missing channel fields when appropriate.
• Promotional language and ALL CAPS, even if they are part of your successful branding, aren’t typically allowed in feeds and should be removed.
• The same goes for symbols or HTML artifacts that sometimes fall out of style sheets after an import.
• Save yourself some time and know which attributes/fields are and are not required for the particular channel. Know which are basic, customizable and semi-customizable and decide on a strategy before you finalize the data.

The other thing feed management providers rarely mention is data integrity. We’ve seen instances where a company subscribes to a feed platform, only to find out that their product database doesn’t play nice with the importer or feed utility. Often, this is because of core hacks and customizations on the eCommerce platform that compromise or straightjacket product data control and need to be solved first.

InteractOne approaches managing your data feed optimization the same way we approach development: One step at a time and with a close eye on the data. Small changes can make a big difference – the Pareto Principle (aka 80/20 rule) applies here – spend your resources where they’ll count most!

Contact us to learn more about how to optimize your eCommerce site.