Switching costs vs. growth opportunities: Why switching to Shopify is easier than you think.
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6 min reading time
Reducing switching costs is a crucial aspect of Syncer's business model. The process of migrating to a new platform, such as from Lightspeed to Shopify, typically involves significant costs and risks, both financial and emotional. Here's a detailed explanation of how Syncer minimizes these hurdles:
1. Financial Switching Costs
Migrating to a new platform often entails significant financial costs. Consider cancellation fees for existing subscriptions, purchasing new tools, hiring specialized help, or the risk of lost revenue due to a poor transition. For many entrepreneurs, this feels like a significant barrier to even considering switching. These direct costs fuel the status quo bias : a preference for the current situation because switching seems too risky, even if the current platform is suboptimal, as is currently the case with Lightspeed C Series or Magento 1 Series.
Status Quo Bias
The concept of status quo bias , as discussed by Dr. Jonah Berger, aligns perfectly with reducing financial switching costs. People and companies have a natural tendency to stick with the current situation, even if it's not optimal, because switching feels like too much of a risk . Syncer strategically addresses this by not only lowering costs but also reducing the perception of risk.
Why replatforming with Syncer is the best option, according to our customers:
Syncer reduces financial switching costs through innovative strategies that combine both cost control and value enhancement:
Transparency and Predictability :
All migration costs are clearly communicated upfront. There are no hidden fees, eliminating uncertainty and fear of unexpected financial obligations. This clarity makes it easier for customers to financially justify the switch.
Automation and Efficiency : Syncer's API-driven migration process automates tasks like data transfer and SEO migration, significantly reducing manual labor and associated costs. This significantly lowers the total cost compared to traditional migration methods. This ensures consistent and accurate data synchronization. Our AI tools and software don't forget data that humans might otherwise overlook.
Continuity without loss of turnover : With real-time synchronization of the current store to the new one, Syncer ensures the webshop remains operational during the migration. This prevents loss of revenue, which removes a significant financial hurdle.
Preservation of Valuable Data : By fully migrating SEO data, customer files, and order history, Syncer prevents companies from incurring additional costs later to rebuild this value.
Psychology Behind Status Quo Bias
Jonah Berger explains that people often weigh risks more heavily than opportunities, leading them to cling to the status quo. Syncer addresses this by showing clients that:
Changing pays off : The switch provides access to improved functionalities, such as scalability and integrations, and a future-proof platform.
Risks are manageable : By communicating clearly and preventing unexpected costs, Syncer reduces the fear of negative financial consequences.
Example of Results :
Companies that switch through Syncer often save significantly on migration costs and avoid risks traditionally associated with platform migrations, such as lost revenue or remediation investments. This makes the decision to switch more logical and secure.
Time costs
Migration processes require time for planning, data collection, and implementation. This can have a significant impact on daily business operations. And on your wallet! Some companies in the industry easily charge €20,000 to €25,000 for a data migration. 🙃 This is insane!
How Syncer reduces these time costs
Automation via APIs
Syncer synchronizes the live store with a new development store without interrupting daily operations. This happens in real time, preventing business downtime.
Self-Service Onboarding
The Syncer dashboard allows customers to monitor and manage a large part of the process themselves, which saves additional time.
Rapid implementation
The average time for a full migration is just a few days, depending on the size. After that, your live store will be synchronized with your new Shopify Demo Store. Everything that happens in your live store (redirects, orders, changes, new customers, signups, discounts, tiers, etc.) will also happen in your new Shopify environment. This is the foundation of a migration.
3. Cognitive Costs
Learning to use new systems can be overwhelming, especially for teams without technical knowledge.
Syncer offers a user-friendly dashboard with a progress bar that shows the migration status. This makes the process easier to understand for non-technical users. It also makes it easier for users to familiarize themselves with the platform, thanks to clear Dutch documentation.
By providing training and clear documentation, Syncer minimizes the learning curve for new platforms like Shopify.
Customers have access to Premium Support, including live chat, to get quick help with questions.
4. Emotional Costs
The uncertainty about the outcome of the migration (such as data loss or SEO impact) often causes stress.
Syncer's Solution :
100% Data Guarantee : Syncer migrates and syncs not only products and orders, but also customers, filters, discount codes, and all SEO settings (such as 301 redirects). This prevents loss of organic traffic. Literally all data is synchronized in all available languages.
Real-time Updates : Customers are informed daily about progress through automatic reporting, providing certainty about the process.
Go live without downtime : Synchronized transitions mean there is minimal impact on daily business operations.
5. Perception of Risk
The fear that a new platform is no better than the current one or will cause unexpected problems can deter customers.
Potential customers can experience a migration through a demonstration in a Shopify demo store built by Syncer, which increases confidence.
Detailed TCO analysis : Syncer calculates the total cost of ownership (TCO) over three years, including subscriptions, hosting, and transaction fees, to provide insight into financial risks.
Overarching Strategy: Combine Cost Reduction with Value Enhancement
Syncer not only eliminates switching costs, but also adds value:
Bundling of services : Customers can create packages that suit their needs, such as setup, design and migration services.
Long-term benefits : With features like multi-language support and multi-market integrations, Syncer supports scalability and growth.
In short, by reducing financial, time, cognitive, emotional, and risk costs, Syncer makes platform migration more accessible and less intimidating. The result: customers transition with confidence while maintaining their focus on growth.
