Who has not heard anything about Magento? It is one of the best open-source eCommerce platforms, allowing entrepreneurs to build online stores with unlimited customization and modern features. Some merchants find this platform similar to WooCommerce and have been capturing a critical position in eCommerce.
However, in the dynamic eCommerce field, how long we can stick to one platform can’t be said. As technology evolves at a leopard pace, new eCommerce platforms are introduced. Indeed, there are lots of eCommerce platforms, but Shopify has made its name in the eCommerce fraternity and offers a lot more to store owners.
Along with creating eCommerce stores, it also offers web-hosting functionalities, so more and more store owners want to migrate from Magento to Shopify.
This blog will share a detailed guide on quickly migrating from Magento to Shopify without losing data or facing downtime.
Why Should You Consider Moving Your Magento Site To Shopify?
Migrating from Magento to Shopify can be a strategic move for many enterprises. While Magento offers robust integrations for larger enterprises, Shopify also provides many advantages that can improve the eCommerce experience, especially for smaller to mid-size businesses. Here are several reasons that demonstrate that considering this move brings certain benefits such as:
- Ease of Use
- Cost-effectiveness
- Scalability
- Support and Community
- Security
If you’re still on the fence, check out our detailed blog on the 10 Reasons to Migrate to Shopify to understand how this platform can empower your business with better features, ease of management, and improved growth opportunities.
Where Magento Lacks:
- Complexity in Setup
- Higher Development Costs
- Slower Performance
- Limited Out-of-the-Box Features
In short, Magento has its strengths and weaknesses, and Shopify offers a compelling alternative for businesses seeking simplicity, support, and scalability. Evaluating your needs can help determine if the migration makes sense for your eCommerce business.
How to Migrate from Magento to Shopify?
Before we start the migration process, let’s look at what data you can migrate and whatnot.
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Data you cannot migrate from Magento:
Shopify does not provide a native method for importing many data components. These data, as well as solutions for handling such non-migratable data, will be shown below:
- Product categories and collections: To make things easier, use a third-party tool or manually recreate groupings.
- Page content and blogs: Use a third-party program or manually copy and paste text, then make changes in Shopify’s editor.
- Passwords of customers: Customers can receive password reset emails, or third-party suppliers or programs like Bulk Inviter (for Shopify Plus) can be used.
- Discounts: To import and modify discounts within Shopify, use third-party tools like Matrixify.
Pre-migration Preparation
As such, going through a practical migration process is significant before jumping headfirst into it. Here’s the breakdown of the pre-migration steps to guide you:
Assessing Your Current Magento Store
First and foremost, you need to go deeper into the current state of your Magento store. All the essential features should be noted: products, categories, customers’ information, orders, etc., and any additional features. It is a detailed way of establishing what information must be migrated.
Bring all the data because data must be included. In this step, it is essential to ascertain what you are required to do for the migration.
Setting Migration Goals
After that, the objectives for the migration will be defined. Consider what you want to accomplish better than current performance, user satisfaction, or additional options. There should be some understanding of what about the current store is to be preserved and what is to be changed.
Choosing the Right Shopify Plan
After determining the kind of data you want to transfer, let’s examine the various plans that Shopify offers. The options can be compared depending on the business’s instructions and budget.
Issues such as the range of products, expected traffic, and future development should be considered when choosing a plan. Depending on a specific need, a variety of plans are available, so select the most proper plan for you.
Following the steps mentioned above, you’ll never find yourself struggling with migrating from Magento to Shopify.
Data Migration
After identifying all the data that needs to be migrated from your existing platform, the next step is to start the migration process. To make this easier, we’ve broken it down into three key sections:
Product Migration
Begin by exporting your product data from Magento, ensuring you include everything: images, descriptions, prices, and attributes. Only some data can lead to significant losses, so be thorough!
How to Back Up Your Magento Store:
- Navigate to the admin panel and click the “System” option.
- Select “Backup” from the tools section.
- In the top-right corner, you can easily choose the type of backup you need.
Magento offers three backup options:
- A backup of the database and media folder.
- A complete backup of the file system and database, including the media folder.
Once your product data is exported, import it into Shopify, ensuring it is well-categorized and organized.
Explore More Migration Options
If you’re evaluating multiple eCommerce platforms or need a step-by-step process for migrating between them, don’t miss our eCommerce Platform Migration Guide.
Customer and Order Data Migration
When migrating customer data, include essential information such as first name, last name, email, and newsletter subscriptions, along with billing and shipping addresses.
You can import customer accounts and order data into Shopify, maintaining customer relationships. There are two primary methods for data migration:
- Using a CSV File: Your files must be formatted according to Shopify’s CSV requirements and should not exceed 15 MB. This method is straightforward and allows for easy file uploads.
- Using an Importer App: Many apps specialize in data import. The advantage of using an app is that it helps ensure no data is missed and preserves formatting.
SEO and URL Migration
Managing URL redirects and structures during migration is critical for maintaining your search engine rankings and ensuring a smooth user experience.
Proper URL migration safeguards your website’s visibility and authority, helping prevent organic traffic loss. By carefully mapping and redirecting URLs, you can avoid broken links, improve crawlability, and maintain your online presence during the transition. Don’t forget to update meta tags, descriptions, and structured data for optimal search engine performance.
By following these steps, you can ensure a successful data migration from Magento to Shopify.
Design and Development
Another significant attribute of Shopify is its theme. The look of your online store can be changed easily. When working with a professional designer, you may come up with a theme that appropriately symbolizes your business and its advantage over the competition.
Customizing your theme enables you to create a homogenous brand image for your customers, hence getting more business from them.
Front-end Customization
Cleaning up is a wise decision when it comes to reinventing certain elements and functionalities from your Magento website using custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This makes it possible to design experiences that accomplish your new application’s goals according to organizational needs while delivering the proper interactions for a coherent, successful experience on the new site.
Thus, working with these elements, you can preserve the primary idea of the old Magento setting while using the crucial improvements of Shopify.
Third-Party App Integration
Before deciding to migrate from Magento to Shopify, you need to discover which apps are available and can be used instead of the Magento extensions. Shopify’s ecosystem is trusted by a wide range of businesses, from startups to big brands using Shopify, making it a reliable choice for eCommerce growth. Here’s a look at some essential Shopify apps for critical features:
Analytics
Shopify App: “Google Analytics by Shopify”
Overview: Currently, this app can seamlessly be installed in any Shopify store, and you get detailed stats on website traffic, customer activity, and conversions. It is ideal to use as a replacement for Magento’s analytics extensions.
Email Marketing
Shopify App:Klaviyo
Overview: Klaviyo performs well in email marketing, and it has advanced features such as automation, segmentation, and personalized campaigns; this feature set matches the Magento email marketing extensions.
Payment Gateways
Shopify App: Shopify Payments
Overview: It offers a built-in payment gateway based on the security feature, which shows this feature to be an excellent match with Magento payment options. However, if necessary, Shopify also integrates other third-party payment gateways.
Integration Process
To integrate your chosen apps:
- Go to the Shopify App Store page in your store’s Admin and then search for that app.
- Read more on the application’s specifications, ratings, and comments provided by users in the application store.
- You can use it as a free application or install it and configure it in the admin panel of your Shopify store.
- Go to another screen to make settings depending on your preference, as the app proposes.
- Always be very careful and try everything before using them so that you find out whether they work or not.
This means that by using the recommended Shopify apps written above, you can migrate seamlessly and even get better functionalities for the crucial apps you were using in Magento. This strategy will help guarantee a favorable user attitude and provide all the necessary tools for your online store.
Test Your Shopify Store
Before you launch the Shopify store, conduct a testing process for your menu checkout experiences and add add-to-cart products and templates. Also, check the cross-browser capabilities. The more you test, the more issues or bugs you can encounter in the early stage.
Launch Your Store
Once everything is ready, launch your new Shopify store. You must plan your launch event to avoid downtime for your visitors and loyal customers.
Why Choose WebyKing for Website Migration?
Although Shopify has made it simple to migrate from any eCommerce platform, including Magento, it can still be daunting for large stores. In such cases, you may need assistance from experienced Shopify developers to handle the export and import of essential data and plugins.
WebyKing is here to help you every step of the way with your Magento to Shopify migration. We are recognized Shopify professionals who can help with technical data importing and exporting, optimizing your Shopify store’s content, adding subscriptions, and designing bespoke pages and distinctive web designs.
WebyKing offers professional Magento to Shopify migration services, and here’s why you can trust our expertise:
- Over 11 years of experience in Shopify
- Safe and secure migration
- Dedicated support
- No loss of valuable data
- Customized solution to fit your needs
We have helped numerous clients migrate their online stores and achieve fruitful outcomes for their online journey. So what are you waiting for? If you are one of those eCommerce store owners and looking for a trusted Shopify migration service provider, contact us, and we will be ready to assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I import a product from Magento to Shopify?
You can manually import products from Magento to Shopify by uploading a CSV file, or you can use the Magento to Shopify migration tool.
Is it easy to move to Shopify?
Yes, migrating to Shopify is not only simple but also advantageous in many ways if you’re searching for a sophisticated eCommerce platform with advanced capabilities.
What precautions are taken to avoid disruptions during the migration go-live phase?
Careful preparation, comprehensive testing, and a well-timed launch are all crucial steps toward minimizing disruptions and ensuring a smooth transition to your new Shopify store.
Download Our Comprehensive Website Migration Checklist!
Whether you’re upgrading technology, improving performance, or rebranding your business, this checklist ensures a smooth and successful migration every step of the way. Get Your Free Checklist Now!
