Moving Ecommerce Platform: Unable To Move Customer Accounts. Opinions Please!

[steve_c]

Hi all,

Thought this would be the best place to post this and get some of your opinions...

Our ecommerce shop runs on quite an old platform.

We need to move this over to a more modern and robust solution (Shopify). This is for a number of reasons (improved payment gateway, portability, integration and design).

We can export our customer database (around 20,000 accounts - not all active, obviously) but cannot move passwords over for obvious reasons (passwords on original platform are protected by one way algorithm).

We are in a bit of a quandary and have the following solutions:

1) Move accounts over and mail all customers that they will need to reset their passwords

2) Do not move accounts over and send them a mail, asking them to register again (this may confuse existing customers if they do not get the mail).

3) Disable the need for user accounts and allow people to check out as guests (Problem here is that they will not be able to view their old orders but the move will be done in a quiet period).

Personally, I like the idea of idea 3 as I've been reading a few articles which state that removing the need for requiring user registration increases conversions.

I'd like to hear your opinions, if possible!

Thanks in advance, as usual!

Steve.

 

[steve_c]

3 is a good option for the reasons you mentioned (I hate having to sign up for accounts at places I may only use once).

Couldn't you offer the option to check out as guest whilst also doing option 1? That way users who want to keep their accounts can do.

Hi Planty

Thanks for your reply.

Well I originally thought that but some of my customers are quite elderly.

If they come to the new site and try to sign in with their email and password, they will be told their password is incorrect. This could stop them from going any further.

Thanks again

 

[steve_c]

The problem is with option 3 is that you are limiting the chance to have repeat business and collecting data for purchasers that enable you to run custom personalised campaigns.

If it was me, I'd split accounts into a few categories:

1) Anyone that hasn't ordered in the last 12 months. Write their accounts off. Fire them an email advising that you've moved to a new platform and for security reasons will not be moving their accounts over as they've not been used in 12 months. Advise they will need to create a new account when visiting the site.

2) Those that have visited in the last 6 months, move them over first and fire them an email. Thank them for their business and that to provide them with a faster more responsive experience you're moving the site to a new platform. Tell them you are moving their accounts over and that they will need to create a new password on logging in to the site for security reasons.

3) 6-12 months old, move them over second, again, email them advising them of the change and that a password reset will be needed on the site when logging in for the first time.

Put a notice on the login page reminding them that any customers that have used the site in the last 12 months will need need to create a new password the first time they log in. Anyone over 12 months or new customers should create an account as standard.

Pop on a second notice that creating account allows you to send them special offers and deals.

Hi AHarvey

Thanks for your reply.

You make a good point regarding splitting the customers into groups of activity.

Having accounts disabled still enables you to collect data about purchase habits from customers but simply removes the need for these customers to log in.

Essentially, the shop still creates an entity for the customer with the email address.

The problem with mailing customers is that not all of the customers will receive the emails (especially if they have unsubbed from our newsletters etc).

Then confusion starts when these people attempt to log in. Their password will be incorrect and they will not be able to sign up under their original email address.

Thanks again,

Stephen.

 

[steve_c]

Many thanks for all of the replies.

To answer a few pf your questions, I am going from PrestaShop > Shopify. There is no way to move over the passwords or hashes.

If I went with both option 1 and 3, a returning customer may not be expecting to create an account again and if they did tick the box to "remember me", I assume they would be prompted that their email address is currently in use...

Having thought about it more, I'm sure that 3 is the only option. I think I would rather have customers wonder why they do not have to enter their password any more rather than trying and failing (or trying to create a new account and being told it already exists).

We have a large amount of repeat custom, gord.

 

[steve_c]

I would recommend you either email your users or put an explanation page up when they try to login. Unless you explain to them that it is a considered action as part of an overall improvement they may just think your company is incompetent for losing their login details.

You may even be able to present it as a positive thing. For example "We are upgrading our system to improve the features and stability we offer you. Unfortunately as part of the platform upgrade, and because we take you're online security seriously by holding passwords securely, we are not able to migrate your login details to the new system. We politely ask that users re-register on our site and apologise for any inconvenience we have caused. In the mean time you may like to checkout as a guest.", etc, etc.

Hi Hades

Thank you for your reply.

I cannot see how this would be a good move.

There is no way I can guarantee that the customers will receive the email (may end up in junk etc) and the explanation page not not be such an elegant solution, especially for new customers.

I don't think I can use the optional accounts setting as the existing customers will receive error messages saying that their account is already registered.

 

[steve_c]

Then is option 3 even viable? You're going to kill a lot of repeat custom with guest only checkouts. It means form filling every time.

Option 1 is the best as is Hades' advice. No you can't guarantee people will read the email, but why would your explanation not be elegant? And why would new customers get the email? This is just for the accounts you migrate, don't send it to anyone else.

Hi Hades,

The process with guest checkouts is actually slightly quicker than logging in (I've had some regular buyers test the site for me).

With accounts, you need username, password. Then you need to select your delivery address / billing address and proceed to card payment details.

With guest checkout, you enter name and address (usually saved by autofill) and then card payment details.

Let's say I go with option 1 / 3.

Some customers do not get my email telling them of a need to change password for the new system. They visit the new site and go through to checkout. There's an option to register an account on checkout and they are told their email is already in use. They then try to login to that account and told their password is incorrect.

There's a chance I will lose that sale.

It's a good point about communication and I think a good idea to mail customers telling them of the change and the new guest checkout feature.

A banner is also a good idea with maybe a link to the new site FAQ.