BigCommerce Replatforming Done Right - Part 4: Content
Posted on in Ecommerce by MoJo Active
Our 'BigCommerce Replatforming Done Right' series helps you avoid common migration pitfalls and ensure a smooth, streamlined launch of your new storefront.
In previous posts, we shared tips and best practices for migrating order histories, customer records, and product information. In this final installment, we explore some essential strategies for moving non-product content and maximizing its potential on your new BigCommerce store.
Beyond Products: The Power of Content
Moving to a new ecommerce platform demands careful planning – especially when it comes to your content. Your articles, blogs, landing pages, and product descriptions are invaluable assets that drive traffic, educate customers, and build trust in your company. Neglecting these elements during a migration can derail all of your strategic growth efforts.
Because your content does more than just fill pages:
- SEO Boost: Well-written, informative, relevant content drives organic search rankings and attracts new visitors.
- Decision Support: High-quality content helps shoppers compare options and make informed purchases.
- Market Authority: In-depth guides and insightful posts establish you as an expert, fostering customer loyalty.
Protecting your content investment is crucial during an ecommerce site migration. But simply copying your content from one platform to another isn't enough. Replatforming is an opportunity to reimagine how your content engages and supports your customers.
Your Content Success Blueprint
Successful migration starts with careful planning. A well-defined content strategy ensures a smooth update process and enhances your customers' experience on your site. Here's what you need:
Inventory of Existing Content
Create a detailed list of your existing content. Evaluate each piece for purpose, target audience, performance, and alignment with current brand messaging. Then take a step back and use that inventory to update, consolidate, or remove outdated content.
Platform Requirements
Review BigCommerce's content structures and capabilities. Assess how your existing content is stored and determine the need for migration or adaptation. Familiarize yourself with BigCommerce's off-the-shelf features and functionalities (e.g. the built-in blog tool) to get a better sense of how your new content will work and flow on the platform.
SEO Considerations
Identify top-performing content using traffic and backlink data. If your URLs are changing, create a 301-redirect plan to maintain SEO value. Be sure to update internal links and resubmit your XML sitemap to Google and Bing.
New Content Planning
While migrating existing content is crucial, don’t miss the chance to develop a fresh content strategy for your new BigCommerce store. First, take a look at your content inventory and try to identify any gaps or areas of opportunity. Along the way, be sure explore new content formats (e.g. videos, infographics, 360-views) that align with your audience.
Finally, create a content creation calendar to make sure the content on your new site stays up-to-date and relevant...for your customers and, of course, search engines. With these foundational elements in place, your content migration plan should start to take shape, guiding you through three key stages:
- Prioritization: Determine which content is most important to your business and your buyers.
- Optimization: Enhance content quality, SEO value, and user-friendliness.
- Adaptation: Anticipate how specific content formats might need to be adjusted to fit the BigCommerce platform.
By considering these factors, you can not only successfully migrate your content but also transform it into an even more powerful tool that drives engagement, boosts conversions, and strengthens your brand on the BigCommerce platform.
Refresh, Don’t Replicate: Upgrade Your Content Tech
Outdated visuals, poorly adapted layouts, or misalignment with your new brand aesthetic can hinder user engagement. Replatforming is a chance to breathe new life into your content. That process starts with the strategic evaluation above. But as you're updating your content, be sure to take a look at the tech stack that supports it.
Here are some tools to help take your new site content to the next level:
- Kontent.ai: Robust platform for managing large volumes of complex content structures across multiple platforms. Ideal for brands with a vast content library.
- Contentful: Flexible CMS to manage content across multiple channels and adapt it for different devices. Perfect for future-focused content strategies.
- Shogun: Unleash creativity with custom landing pages and dynamic content layouts that boost engagement and conversions.
- Bloomreach: Combines the power of a CMS with rich merchandising features for personalized content experiences that drive sales.
The best tool fit depends on your content goals, your team's technical expertise, and the overall design structures of your site. Considering these factors early on helps you choose the right content tools to ensure a smooth migration and a new site that empowers your business and site strategy.
Transformation: Adapting Content to Thrive
Replatforming is the perfect opportunity to optimize your content for a better customer experience. Think of your content as a living entity that grows and evolves with your business. It needs to be nurtured, trained and, occasionally, pruned.Here are some ideas to revitalize your content:
- Visual Upgrades: Replace outdated images and include videos within product detail pages to enhance impact and engagement.
- Format Refinement: Don’t just move content; transform it. For example, you could repurpose long-form articles as visually appealing infographics.
- Repurposing: Maximize your reach by finding new uses for existing content assets. You can adapt successful blog posts for social media or use social content to inspire new articles.
The transformation should continue post-migration with a robust content creation and promotion strategy to drive engagement, traffic, and loyalty.
Energize Your Ecommerce Growth
Need expert guidance for a seamless content migration? MoJo Active specializes in preserving and revitalizing valuable content on your new BigCommerce site. Let’s ensure your replatforming boosts your SEO, customer experience, and company revenue.