Your eCommerce business is booming, your company is growing –but why isn’t the money rolling in as fast as you anticipated? Congratulations! It’s possible that you have outgrown your eCommerce platform! This is a clear indicator that it is time for you to move onward and upward with your business – but how do you know when your needs have surpassed your platform functions?
1. Your current platform doesn’t have the features that you need
The larger your business grows, the higher your customer expectations are. It’s important that your eCommerce platform offers all the features and functions you need to please your customers. For example, if your platform doesn’t take mobile payments, or makes mobile payments difficult and complex, the platform might not be right for your growing business. Ensure that any store-front features (customer-facing) are simple to use, and optimize your platform admin features to be more automatic, customized, and scalable as needed.
2. Manual processes that deplete time and resources
Manual tasks are time-consuming, and not productive. For example, asking platform administrators with spreadsheets, manual analytics or customer information input means less time is being spent on optimizing and future-proofing your business and processes. Consider simplifying your processes, by connecting customers to trusted services like USPS flat rate boxes. A well-integrated eCommerce platform means you can automate simple tasks like data feeds, reporting and shipping, and can focus on more productive areas of the business.
3. Your agency is struggling to develop
Many companies find that their eCommerce platform doesn’t allow them enough control over their servers and APIs. This slows down the communication and business processes, and will seriously affect your ability to develop. For example, it’s critical that your platform be aware of and ready to take advantage of things like new Digital payment trends, which dictate the direction of the market and are vital to businesses who want to stay cutting-edge. If you find you are struggling to add new and vital elements to your platform, it might be time to seek a more powerful solution.
4. You’re facing limitations with content design and customizations
When you are first starting out, the drag-and-drop platform might be easy to set up and launch, but you will find issues later with your ability to customize your site and your content design. As you grow, you will need more freedom to expand, build your brand recognizability, and update your look and processes. If you are finding that you can’t make the changes to the look and structure that your customers want, you might need to switch platform providers.
5. You can’t reach international consumers with your current platform
The biggest benefit of eCommerce is the ability to serve customers outside your local area, and this often means working with international customers. Basic platforms often focus solely on one region or country, severely limiting your international growth potential. Consider an eCommerce platform with more functions, and don’t forget to consult branding and design experts when you launch your new platform!
6. You are having issues with your payment options
Digital payments have reached a staggering $6.6 trillion in 2021, a 40% increase in just the past two years! Payment is the most important part of the eCommerce process, and any issues with this part could be a disaster for your company. Limiting your payment options will limit your business, and using insecure or untrusted payment options could open you up to customer complaints at best, and legal issues at worst. If your customers are experiencing issues with your payment options, are requesting different options, or think your platform doesn’t prioritize their privacy and financial security, they will simply find another eCommerce business to patronize.
7. Systems that don’t allow for growth and expansion
If your eCommerce platform is holding you back, you are using the wrong program. Your platform should be able to help you grow, and grow with you – it should never limit your growth or options. Some companies even charge excessive amounts for upgrades and expansion of their services, something that is hard to predict without clear communication and planning. If you think your platform is holding you back, now is the time for a change.
If you have plans to see your business expand, it’s time to take stock of your current eCommerce platform, to ensure you have all the functions and features you need to enable steady growth of both your business and your customer satisfaction.
