Migrate an E-commerce Store to Shopify in 8 Steps

Migrating your e-commerce site to Shopify can address various issues. In this case, it is the ideal solution for online store owners who need to increase productivity, enjoy a more modern interface, or automate processes as much as possible. Nevertheless, unless you are a Shopify expert, migrating a store to this CMS requires time and certain technical skills. Moreover, it is necessary to ensure that the migration is feasible so that products and information are successfully transferred to the new platform. Discover, through our guide, how to perform a website migration by following the indicated steps. To go further, here's what we offer as Shopify services at Stellar.

1. Configure basic settings from the old online store

Before embarking on the migration of an online store to Shopify, it is essential to assess the migration possibilities of the store. It is also crucial to remove protocols specific to the old e-commerce platform (HTTP, HTTPS, etc.) to make all store elements accessible (theme, images, etc.).

For the rest, you need to ensure that all basic settings are up to date:

• the store's email address;
• billing information;
• employee profiles, etc.

Only once all these elements have been thoroughly reviewed is it possible to proceed further and begin the actual migration operations.

2. Export and then import data from the old site to Shopify

The next step is to transfer content and data from the old platform (WooCommerce, Prestashop, WordPress, Wix, etc.) to the Shopify store. This step can take some time depending on the size of the online store and the data contained.

There are different solutions for importing data from the old platform to Shopify:

• copy and paste the content to be retained (products, blog, pages, orders, gift cards, etc.);
• use a dedicated Shopify app (Transporter, Mega Media Exporter, etc.);
• create an application that uses the Admin API;
• manually transfer content from a CSV file (option only valid for migrating customers and products).

To transfer content, you must proceed in a logical order: first products, then customers, and finally order history. This way, the site owner retains the complete history of customer orders, and migrated orders are linked to the associated products and customers.

3. Verify that sold products are transferred

Once the content has been migrated, you need to verify that all data has been transferred correctly. This step is even more important if the site owner performs the migration with an application.

The owner can then analyze descriptions, images, and meta descriptions to ensure everything is in order. It is even possible to go further in the verification and create a collection to organize products by category or to familiarize oneself with the available product stock.

4. Customize the e-commerce site's appearance on Shopify

After these technical procedures, it's time to focus on the site's appearance. Initially, the online store is configured with a default theme. However, it is possible to customize it and opt for a different design.

The owner can thus select:

• a free theme from those available from the Shopify dashboard;
• a paid theme by visiting the Shopify theme store.

Paid themes are developed by external developers and are customizable. They are often distinctive and allow the site to have a modern image. Free themes can also be effective, but the choice remains quite limited.

5. Perform various configurations

To perfect the migration of their site to Shopify, the online store owner must perform various configurations: the domain name, shipping, payment services, and taxes.

Configure the domain name

When setting up the Shopify store, it is possible to purchase a new domain name from the CMS. In this case, it is essential to set the Shopify domain name as the primary domain so that it appears in customer browsers, search results, and social networks.

Then you need to configure the redirection so that customers reach the new site. By creating a new domain name, the site owner can also change the email address of the store and collaborators so that everything is consistent. Here again, it is necessary to perform redirections so that customer emails are transferred to the new email addresses.

However, site owners are not obliged to create a new domain name. Indeed, it is also possible to transfer the domain associated with the old platform to the new Shopify account.

Configure shipping

During a migration, it is important to properly configure the shipping methods to avoid:

• reimbursing customers who have paid too much;
• asking customers to pay an additional fee because the amount paid is not sufficient to cover the delivery of the order.

Furthermore, if the online store sells digital products or services, you must remember to disable the shipping option.

Configure taxes

Sales tax is part of the online store and differs based on the products sold, the store's location, and the shipping destination. It is therefore necessary to take the time to understand Shopify's tax configuration processes to properly configure the taxes to be applied by the store.

Configure the payment service provider

While Shopify offers its own payment solution, the e-commerce owner can also opt for third-party payment services. In this case, it is necessary to configure a payment service provider from the Shopify admin interface.

6. Place a test order

At this stage, the store's migration to Shopify is almost complete. All that remains is to place a test order to ensure that everything is functional. Placing a test order is also ideal for understanding the customer journey and can help to make necessary corrections. To do this, it may be interesting to:

• perform a successful and failed transaction;
• refund or cancel an order;
• process an order only partially;
• archive a successful order, etc.

If the mentioned procedures proceed correctly, then this confirms that the migration was successful. Otherwise, the owner can make the necessary corrections.

7. Configure redirection addresses

The last, and by no means least, step to avoid losing customers is to configure the redirection URL addresses. In other words, you need to redirect traffic from the old platform to the new store. This way, customers will not land on pages displaying 404 errors. It is possible to create redirection URLs directly through Shopify, in the settings, by clicking on the section titled "URL redirects".

8. Invite customers to create accounts on the new site

Once the site has migrated and all modules are functional, the site owner can notify their customers of the platform change. On this occasion, they can invite them to create a new customer account and re-register on the new site. If the online store has many customers, it is possible to use an application available on the Shopify App Store to send invitations automatically.

Although many steps have been detailed, site migration only takes a few minutes to a few hours depending on the size of the online store. It is therefore possible to benefit from a brand new, modern, and functional platform in a short time. Nevertheless, the procedure is quite complex and requires good organization. If necessary, it is preferable to be accompanied either by competent web developers or by an agency whose job it is.