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March 23, 2023
Why would a business consider a platform migration to a new community? If you're running an online business community, you may have asked yourself the same question at some point. Drawing from our experience, we've compiled a list of the most common reasons why businesses migrate their community to a new platform.
Many of our clients start with a basic blogging tool or website with simple collaborative features but are looking for a more robust platform to grow with them. Some of our clients are migrating from a related product, such as a knowledge management tool. Those companies may choose to integrate that system with a full-featured community or migrate their existing data to the new community platform.
If the platform you are currently using to host your online business community has limitations that are hindering your community's growth, you might need to consider moving to a different platform. For instance, if your current platform doesn't support certain features that you need to enhance user experience, you may need to consider moving to a more robust platform that offers those features.
Some consider migrating due to issues related to the alignment of vision with their current software company. These businesses may look at the future roadmap of the software and believe there may be an alternative platform with goals and values that are more aligned with the overall direction of their digital workplace or customer community.
Sometimes, the migration is due to satisfaction levels with the software platform’s pace of innovation, product support, up-time, as well as the technology’s flexibility. Specifically, the ability to integrate with third-party products and the availability of out-of-the-box integrations.
Another reason, typically driven by the information technology department, is to consolidate the technologies being used. They may be a “Microsoft shop” or a heavy user of Salesforce.com and wish to leverage those vendor relationships and buying power to use more of their software and product offerings.
We also see platform migrations occur during merger and acquisition activity or other consolidation efforts. Clients find themselves owning more than one community or related product. A migration, sometimes multiple, will allow the company to consolidate their collaboration efforts onto one software platform, providing them with improved business outcomes by having more or all of their staff on the same tool.
Migrating to a platform that offers better user engagement tools can provide a more interactive experience for community members. For example, a platform that allows users to create and participate in polls, quizzes, or games can increase engagement and create a sense of community. Additionally, a platform that offers more customization options can enable businesses to tailor the community experience to specific user preferences. This can include the ability to customize user profiles, create subgroups, or add new features.
If you're experiencing growth in your community, your platform must be able to handle the increased traffic and activity. A platform that offers better scalability will ensure that the community remains stable even as it grows. This is important because it can help to maintain the quality of the community experience and prevent technical issues or downtime.
Integrating a community with other platforms or tools can help to create a more seamless experience for users. For example, integrating a community with a CRM system can provide businesses with valuable customer data, which can be used to improve engagement and retention. Additionally, integrating with other communication tools such as email, chat, or social media can help to streamline communication and create a more efficient workflow. Migrating to a platform that offers better integration capabilities can also help to future-proof a community, ensuring that it can easily adapt to new technologies or features as they become available.
Overall, moving your online business community may be necessary to provide a better experience for your community members and to help your community grow. We understand the challenges of community migration and can help you smoothly transition to a new platform that meets your needs. Our team has extensive experience in community platform migrations (we even wrote an e-book on it) and can assist you in evaluating your options, selecting a new platform, and executing the migration process. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you migrate your community to a new platform.
