Migrating To Shopify: The Important Things You Need To Know

Migrating to Shopify from another platform can be daunting thought for many online retailers and a very difficult task if you have never performed one before. Protecting all the work you have previously done on your site and minimizing the loss of rankings, traffic and conversions during the process is absolutely essential.

There are many elements of the migration process that can have severely negative impact your store’s performance which is why you should seriously consider a Shopify migration expert if you are thinking of migrating to the platform.

What is Shopify Migration?

Shopify migration refers to the process of moving an online store’s data, assets, and operations from one ecommerce platform to another, with Shopify being the target destination.

Retailers might choose to migrate to Shopify for various reasons, such as seeking a more user-friendly interface, better integration options, more robust e-commerce features, or a desire to use Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem.

The Shopify migration process is a complex one and involves a significant number of tricky technical steps but here’s a very broad overview of what’s involved:

1. Data Transfer: Moving product information, customer data, order details, and other essential store data from the current platform to Shopify.

2. Design and Theme Setup: Customizing or recreating the store’s design on Shopify to maintain or refresh the brand’s look and feel. This can involve using a pre-built Shopify theme or creating a custom design depending on what you need to get going.

3. Functionality Replication: Ensuring that all the functionalities of the old store, such as search filters, product sorting, and other custom features, are replicated or enhanced in the new Shopify store or what business-critical features and functionality you can’t launch without.

4. SEO and 301 Redirects: Updating SEO settings to maintain search rankings and implementing redirects from old URLs to new ones to preserve rankings, traffic, conversions, link, page, domain authority, and of course 404 errors.

5. Third-Party Integrations: Integrating the Shopify store with third-party applications for services like shipping, payment processing, inventory management, marketing, customer service, etc. all need to be taken into consideration.

6. Testing: Rigorous testing of the new Shopify store to ensure all data has been accurately migrated and that all functionalities are working as intended.

7. Go Live: Making the new Shopify store live for customers after ensuring that everything has been set up correctly and is fully operational.

8. Post-Migration Support: Monitoring the new store closely after going live to address any issues quickly and provide support for any necessary adjustments.

Shopify migration can be done manually, which can be labor-intensive and requires a solid understanding of both the source and destination platforms, or it can be done using automated tools or services that specialize in e-commerce migrations. 

Hiring a Shopify expert or agency is also common, as they can help to ensure a smooth transition with minimal downtime or loss of data and revenue.

Why Migrate to Shopify?

There are a significant number of reasons why so many retailers across the globe are migrating to Shopify but the justification and rationale will be different for each and every business depending on the existing platform they are using and the problems they are facing as a result.

The business benefits of re-platforming are endless but the most common reasons my clients have migrated to Shopify are:

• Complete and total ownership of your ecommerce platform
• The ability to manage, maintain, and develop your own platform without the need to rely on expensive developers
• Eliminate server side costs
• Free of lengthy and expensive contract ties
• Scalable e-commerce platform
• 99.98 server uptime
• 24/7 award-winning Shopify support
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Omnichannel marketing model capabilities

Here are a few platform-specific benefits of moving to Shopify:

There are many key benefits to migrating to Shopify, including:

• Ease of use: Shopify is known for its user-friendly platform, making it easy for businesses of all sizes to create and manage their online stores.
• Scalability: Shopify can scale with your business, so you don’t have to worry about upgrading your platform as you grow.
• Security: Shopify takes security seriously, with features like built-in fraud protection and SSL encryption.
• Features and functionality: Shopify offers a wide range of features and functionality, including product management, payment processing, shipping, and marketing tools.
• App ecosystem: Shopify has a large and growing app ecosystem, which means you can add new features and functionality to your store with ease.

In addition to these general benefits, there are also some specific benefits to migrating to Shopify from other e-commerce platforms:

• For merchants migrating from Magento: Shopify is easier to use and manage than Magento, and it offers a wider range of features and functionality out of the box.
• For merchants migrating from WooCommerce: Shopify is more scalable and reliable than WooCommerce, and it offers a wider range of payment processing options.
• For merchants migrating from Amazon: Shopify gives you more control over your store and your branding than Amazon, and it offers a wider range of shipping options and saves you 10-40% commissions on ever sale!

Overall, Shopify is a great choice for businesses of all sizes that are looking for a user-friendly, scalable, and reliable e-commerce platform.

So, If you are considering migrating to Shopify, I’d recommend that you do your research to understand the specific benefits that it can offer your business. You should also consult with a Shopify expert to get help with the migration process.

Migrating to and from ANY platform is a tricky process, no matter what platform you’re using but minimizing the risk of losing rankings, traffic, and conversions should be the number one priority for every migration project. 

What Are The Benefits of Hiring a Shopify Migration Expert?

Hiring a Shopify migration expert can provide a business with a range of benefits, especially when moving a store from another platform to Shopify. Here are some advantages of engaging a professional for this task:

1. Expertise and Experience: A Shopify migration expert brings a wealth of experience, having likely performed multiple migrations before, and can foresee and address common issues that may arise during the process.

2. Time-Saving: An expert can complete the migration more efficiently than someone learning the process as they go. This saves time and allows business owners to focus on running their business rather than on the technical details of the migration.

3. Data Integrity: One of the biggest risks during migration is the loss of data or corruption. Experts ensure that all products, customer data, and transaction records are accurately transferred to the new platform.

4. Customization: Experts can help customize the new Shopify store to meet specific business needs, whether it’s through the customization of themes or by developing custom features.

5. Minimized Downtime: Professional migration services can minimize the downtime associated with the move, reducing the potential loss of sales and ensuring that customers have access to the store as quickly as possible.

6. SEO Preservation: Migrating to a new platform can severely impact a website’s organic performance in a negative way if not managed correctly. An expert will help you minimize the loss of rankings, traffic, and conversions. 

7. Training and Support: Post-migration, experts can offer training on how to use the Shopify platform and provide support for any questions or issues that might arise, helping businesses make a smooth transition.

8. Risk Management: Professionals are skilled in risk assessment and management, ensuring that the migration is planned and executed with a backup strategy and contingency plans.

9. Post-Migration Assistance: After the migration, there may be a need for further adjustments and optimization. An expert can provide these services to ensure the store is running optimally.

10. Focus on Strategy: With a migration expert handling the technicalities, the business can focus on strategic aspects, such as marketing, customer relationship management, and growth planning.

11. Scalability: Experts can set up the Shopify store in a way that is scalable for future growth, considering aspects like app integrations, international sales, and multi-channel retailing.

12. Compliance and Security: Shopify migration experts are familiar with the legal and security aspects of e-commerce and can ensure that the store complies with relevant regulations and security standards.

Whilst there is an inevitable cost associated with hiring a Shopify migration expert, the benefits of doing so can far outweigh the potential costs and risks of attempting to carry out the migration in-house, especially for retailers that lack the don’t posses technical expertise or in-house resources to do so effectively.

What Are The Challenges Of Migrating To Shopify?

Migrating an online store to Shopify, like any platform switch, can come with a number of challenges that need to be addressed. Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Data Transfer Complexity: One of the primary challenges is the transfer of existing data (products, customers, orders, etc.) from the old platform to Shopify. The data structures may differ significantly, necessitating careful mapping and sometimes cleansing of data to fit Shopify’s requirements.

2. SEO Preservation: I’ve mentioned this above, ensuring that you minimize the loss of rankings, traffic, and conversions is essential. Exporting metadata, and content and setting up proper 301 redirects to individual pages as well as maintaining URL structures where possible is crucial for success. It would be crazy to throw away link, page and domain authority that you have built up over time.

3. Design and Functionality Replication: If the current site has a custom design or specific functionalities, replicating these on Shopify can be complex. Shopify uses its own templating language, Liquid, which might require rewriting custom code.

4. Third-Party Integrations: If your old site was integrated with third-party applications for shipping, payments, inventory, etc., you would need to set up and configure these integrations on Shopify. Not all third-party services may be compatible with Shopify, which can lead to the need for alternative solutions.

5. Feature Parity: Some features from the previous platform might not be available natively on Shopify or might operate differently. This can lead to additional custom development or the need to install third-party apps.

6. Data Security: Safeguarding sensitive data during the migration is critical. It’s vital to ensure that customer data, especially payment and personal information, is handled securely to comply with privacy laws and regulations.

7. Training and Adaptation: The team managing the online store will need to learn how to navigate and use Shopify. This learning curve can slow down operations temporarily.

8. Transaction History: Migrating historical transaction data can be particularly challenging, and in some cases, it may not be possible to import everything. This can affect reporting and customer service.

9. Costs: Depending on the complexity of the store, migration can be costly, especially if there is a need for extensive custom development or if you are hiring experts to ensure a smooth transition.

10. Downtime: Although Shopify migrations can often be performed with minimal downtime, there’s always a risk, particularly if the migration hits unforeseen issues so be fully prepared and have detailed contingencies in place.

11. Post-Migration Bugs: Even with thorough testing, unforeseen issues and bugs may arise after the migration, requiring prompt attention to fix.

12. Multi-Channel and Multi-Currency Selling: Businesses that sell across different channels and in multiple currencies might find these areas challenging during migration, as they have to ensure the new Shopify setup aligns with their sales strategy.

Planning, expertise, and thorough testing are key to overcoming these challenges. Often, working with a Shopify migration expert or agency is recommended to navigate these potential pitfalls effectively otherwise the consequences could be disastrous.

Shopify Migration Resources & Downloads

Shopify provides an extensive range of migration information and tools to help you make a decision – no matter which platform you’re thinking of re-platforming from.

Check out some of these resources and download the guides that are relevant to you:

Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform

2 – Migrating to Shopify From WooCommerce

3 – Migrating to Shopify From Wix

4 – Migrating to Shopify From Squarespace

5 – Migrating to Shopify From Etsy

6 – Migrating to Shopify From Amazon

How To Choose A Shopify Migration Expert

Choosing the right Shopify migration and re-platforming expert is critical, period.

The cheapest option is certainly usually never the best option but I’d recommend an experienced individual or agency that has significant experience in replatforming stores at a similar turnover as yours.

Ask your potential developer about their web migration process, what they do, how they do it etc. In my opinion, minimizing the loss of rankings, traffic, and conversions is the #1 priority so I’d always go with an experienced Shopify SEO expert as Shopify SEO is hard enough as it is, without someone throwing away all of your hard work that’s you’ve done to get where you are organically.

It’s a complex process and you need to be in safe hands. Here are a few of the main questions you should be asking your developer before you decide on who to use:

1. What experience do you have in developing the Shopify platform?
2. What experience do you have in my sector?
3. Are you a certified Shopify Partner?
4. Have you migrated any sites like mine before to Shopify?
5. If yes, what were the results?
6. What is your web migration process? Please itemize each stage.
7. How will deal with 301 redirects from the old URLs to the new URLs?
8. Where are you based?
9. How long have you been working with Shopify?
10. Can you offer me a personalized service?
11. What kind of ‘post-launch’ support do you offer?
12. Do you offer email and telephone support?
13. What hours do you offer telephone support do you provide?
14. Do you build Shopify themes or do you simply customize other people?
15. Do your designs integrate with major EPOS, Finance and Accounting software?
16. Can you provide Shopify API Integration support?
17. Can you develop Shopify apps if additional functionality is required?

If your potential supplier can answer positively to all of the above. Then you have found your supplier. 

What To Expect During A Shopify Migration

From experience, I’m going to point out some of the things that most people don’t even talk about or mention but these are issues that you must seriously consider…

Agency Resistance: Depending on which platform you are using, you may not have admin access to all of your data for exporting. Be aware that if you ask for this, it will usually trigger alarm bells that you’re leaving or moving away from them and their services. Some agencies will undoubtedly be awkward.

Marketing Issues: Again, if you’re moving away from a particular company, are they managing your marketing too? And, do you have all the necessary access to be able to kick them out of Google Ads, Meta Ads, Instagram etc. Merchant Center access is another really important one to have too.

When you move to Shopify bear in mind that you’ll have a whole new URL structure and product feed which will need to be integrated with Shopify’s API and your ad account so do expect some downtime and a dip in paid ads as a result.

Depending on how your campaign is set up – all URLs in your Search, Display & PMax Ads will need changing. 

Dip in Sales: I’ve never performed a Shopify migration that hasn’t experienced and initial dip in sales because of all of the reasons above. It can take up to a few months for Google to fully re-index your whole new URL structure and for your Ads campaigns to gain full momentum so choose your timing carefully.

I’d always recommend starting your migration as soon as possible and having all of the work completed and ready in the background for when you need to make the switch.

How Much Does A Shopify Migration Cost?

The cost of a Shopify migration can vary widely depending on several factors:

1. Complexity of the Current Store: The more complex your current store is (in terms of the number of products, customers, and historical data), the more it will likely cost to migrate.

2. Customization Needs: If you need a lot of custom work to replicate the look, feel, and functionality of your existing site or to take advantage of new capabilities in Shopify, this can significantly increase costs.

3. Data Migration Tools or Services: You may use automated data migration tools, which have their own costs, or you might hire a service provider, which could be more expensive but offer a more comprehensive service.

4. Additional Apps and Add-ons: Depending on the features you need, you might have to purchase additional apps or add-ons within Shopify, which can add to the overall cost.

5. Development and Design Work: If you’re hiring a designer or developer to create a custom theme or specific features, this will be a substantial part of the cost.

6. SEO and Marketing Services: To preserve your SEO rankings and set up new marketing campaigns, you might need the services of an SEO or digital marketing expert.

7. Training and Support: Post-migration, you may require training for your team to handle the new Shopify backend, as well as ongoing support.

8. Project Management: Larger migrations may require a dedicated project manager to ensure that the migration process is smooth and that timelines are met.

Typically, for small to medium-sized businesses, a Shopify migration might cost anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. For larger enterprises or stores with a high degree of complexity, costs can easily run into tens of thousands or more.

Examples of Pricing Tiers:

• DIY Migration: If you’re doing the migration yourself using automated tools, you might only pay for the tool itself, which can range from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars.

• Basic Professional Migration Services: A straightforward migration done by a professional might start at around $5,000 to $10,000.

• Custom Migration with Design and Development: A comprehensive service including custom design and functionality might start at around $20,000 and go up from there.

It’s important to get quotes from several service providers and to have a clear understanding of the services included in any quote. Also, remember to consider not just the upfront cost but also the ongoing costs associated with running your Shopify store, such as monthly fees, transaction fees, and any app subscription costs.

Conclusion

Replatforming to Shopify represents a strategic move towards leveraging a more robust, user-friendly, and scalable ecommerce platform.

The complexities inherent in such a migration, however, demand expertise that goes way beyond mere technical knowledge; it requires a nuanced understanding of e-commerce, familiarity with Shopify’s platform, and a strategic approach to maintain and enhance your online business’s performance during and after the transition.

This is where the specialized skills of Shopify migration experts can become invaluable.

A good Shopify migration service has the blend of technical proficiency and creative acumen needed to ensure your store’s unique branding and functionality are not just preserved but also optimized during the migration process minimizing the loss of rankings, traffic and conversions.

This kind of service provides the meticulous attention to detail that can be the difference between a seamless transition and one fraught with setbacks and a loss of revenue.

A personalized service at this level can help in capturing the nuances of your brand’s ethos and the specific operational needs of your business, leading to a bespoke Shopify solution that truly resonates with your target audience.

With resources aimed at data integrity, SEO preservation, third-party integrations, and post-migration support, services like Ultimate Retail Growth ensure that every base is covered.

Our holistic approach means that your migration is supported by a consistent, strategic framework that works to minimize downtime, protect data, and maintain business continuity.

Furthermore, the ongoing support and optimization services provided post-migration are critical for adapting to the new platform and continuously improving your store’s performance.

Our commitment to staying ahead of the latest e-commerce trends and Shopify features means that your business is always poised to leverage new opportunities for growth and efficiency.

To finalize, embarking on a Shopify migration with the dual support an expert team provides a synergistic solution that combines the best of personalized service with comprehensive, scalable migration strategies. 

This dual approach ensures that the migration process is not only a technical upgrade but also a strategic enhancement, allowing you to deliver an exceptional shopping experience that can drive your online business to new heights.

Whether it’s preserving the integrity of your data, ensuring the continuity of your SEO efforts, or crafting a stunning and effective storefront, this collaboration is designed to position your e-commerce business at the forefront of a rapidly evolving digital marketplace and we’d be delighted to help.

Shopify Migration Questions?

If you have any questions about migrating to Shopify I’d be delighted to help! All you have to do is leave a comment below and I’ll answer your questions personally, alternatively get in touch and tell us more about your Shopify migration project through:

ULTIMATE Retail Growth

Thanks, Kristin