Shopify migration
Shopify migration: switch while your store keeps selling
I build Shopify stores: native, on a Shopify theme, or headless, with a custom front end separate from Shopify. Want to move from WooCommerce, Magento or Lightspeed? I move your store, your data and your integrations to Shopify, for a fixed price. After launch I stay involved for 90 days.
Tell me about your store| Now | On Shopify | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Products and variants | Shopify products | Import |
| Customers and orders | Shopify | Import |
| Exact Online | App or integration | Connect |
| iDEAL | Shopify checkout | Test |
| /product/blue-hoodie/ | /products/blue-hoodie | 301 |
Everything is listed before the build starts.
In short
Your current store keeps selling until the switch.
Your current store stays live while I build and test the new Shopify store. Before the build starts, it is clear which data moves and how each integration works on Shopify. You get a proposal with a fixed price and a schedule. To protect your Google rankings, every old URL is on a complete list: it stays the same or gets a redirect to its new place.
Sales
Will my store keep selling during the migration?
Yes. When you move your store to Shopify, your current store stays live until the switch.
Your current store keeps running
I build and test the new store separately. Your customers keep ordering in the old one.
A content freeze at the end
For the final period, your team and I agree that no new products or pages are added. That way nothing gets lost.
Test orders with every payment method
Before the switch I order with every payment method and check that the orders arrive correctly.
Switching at a quiet moment
Never just before a campaign, a sale or the busy weeks around Black Friday and December.
Your old data is kept
A read-only copy of the data from your old platform is kept for a few months.
Cost
What does a Shopify migration cost?
There are one-off costs and monthly costs. I don't list amounts here, because every migration is different.
One-off: the migration
After an intake you get a proposal with a fixed price. It mainly depends on the points listed here.
Monthly: Shopify and apps
You pay for the Shopify plan, paid apps and transaction fees. Compare that honestly with what your current store costs each month in hosting, plugins, licences and maintenance. Current prices are on Shopify's pricing page.
Anything still uncertain is named in the proposal. You don't find out on the invoice.
The one-off price mainly depends on:
01. Products, variants and URLs
02. Languages and countries
03. Integrations that need to come along
04. Native theme or headless
Data
Does all my data come along?
Most of it does. A few parts I plan as separate tasks.
What Shopify supports
Products, customers, historical orders, gift cards and store credit, blogs and pages. Depending on the part, that goes through CSV files (spreadsheets), a migration app or the Shopify API (the technical connection).
More than names and prices
I also bring over SEO titles, meta descriptions, image alt texts and product specifications.
Reviews, loyalty points and subscriptions
Each has its own export and import. I plan them as separate tasks.
What your customers notice
Passwords cannot be moved. In the customer accounts Shopify uses now, customers log in with a one-time 6-digit code sent by email. Send your returning customers an email at launch that explains this.
Integrations
Will my integrations keep working?
Usually, if they are mapped out beforehand. Each integration gets a Shopify app, middleware (software that connects two systems) or a custom integration. I list this before the build starts.
Read how a Shopify integration with your accounting, ERP and POS works.
Integrations to check beforehand:
Exact Online or AFAS
Warehouse software
POS system
bol.com
Klaviyo
Payment providers
Product feeds, for example for Google Shopping
Is Shopify right for you?
Can Shopify do what my current store does?
For most stores, yes. Not sure whether moving to Shopify is wise? Then I work that out with you in the intake, before you decide anything. If Shopify is not right for your store, I will tell you.
What Shopify does well
Hosting, security, updates and a PCI-compliant checkout (safe for card payments) are included. With Shopify Markets you sell in several countries, with their own currencies, languages and domains.
What to check first
Complex B2B pricing, products with very many options and variants (Shopify has a maximum per product), configurators or a heavily customised checkout. Shopify Plus (the plan for larger stores), custom apps or headless can often solve this. I look into it beforehand.
Is a theme not enough?
Read when headless Shopify fits betterPayments
Will iDEAL work from day one?
Yes, if you arrange it beforehand. iDEAL through Shopify Payments depends on Shopify's own checks, and a new store does not always pass straight away. That is why I set up and test payments well before the switch. Read more about iDEAL on Shopify: conditions and costs.
Through Shopify Payments
iDEAL is built in, with no app or separate contract, if your store passes the check.
Through another provider, such as Mollie
If you don't pass the check, you add iDEAL through another payment provider. Shopify then charges a transaction fee for external providers on each order, on top of that provider's rate.
Running the store
Can my team run the store themselves?
Yes. I set up the store so your team manages products, pages and campaigns themselves, without a developer.
In control yourself
At Orangefit, a store I built with the Superhero Cheesecake team, the content team publishes pages without a developer.
Training at handover
At handover I teach your team how to work with the store.
Help when you need it
After launch I help with updates, fixes and small improvements. Per job, with a block of prepaid hours or on a monthly retainer, whichever suits you best.
Will I stay findable in Google?
That mainly depends on your URLs and redirects. On a native Shopify store almost every URL changes, because Shopify uses fixed paths such as /products/ and /collections/. I make a list of every old URL and where it goes. You see that list before launch. Every old URL gets a 301 redirect (a permanent redirect), one to one. If you go headless, I set the URL structure myself and your current URLs can stay as they are.
According to Google, temporary ranking changes during a site move are normal. It can take a few weeks or longer before Google shows your new URLs. For the first 90 days I keep an eye on Search Console (Google's free tool for your search visibility) for new 404s (pages that cannot be found) and falling rankings. The full technical approach is in the checklist I work from.
Platforms
Which platform are you on now?
Every platform has its own points to watch. These are the main ones.
WooCommerce to Shopify
A WooCommerce store often runs on many plugins. I replace them with Shopify apps or custom work, depending on what you really use.
Magento to Shopify
Magento 2 stores often have large catalogs, products with many options and variants, and many filter URLs. I check beforehand how your products fit in Shopify.
Lightspeed to Shopify
I set up multiple languages and countries with Shopify Markets. Do you use the Lightspeed POS? Then in the intake I look with you at connecting it or switching to a POS that works with Shopify.
Approach
How does a Shopify migration work?
Seven steps, from intake to aftercare. More about how I run projects.
Tell me about your store01. Intake
You tell me how your store works now: catalog, integrations, languages and markets.
02. Data, integrations and URLs mapped
Which data moves, how each integration works and where each URL goes.
03. Fixed-price proposal with schedule
With a fixed price and a schedule. Anything still uncertain is in it.
04. Build and move the data
I build in short cycles and move your data, so you see progress along the way.
05. Testing with test orders
With every payment method, all the way into your own systems. And I test the redirects.
06. Launch at a quiet moment
Never just before a campaign or sale.
07. 90 days of aftercare
I follow Search Console, fix new 404s and answer questions.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is your question not here? Get in touch with me.
How long does a Shopify migration take?
How long it takes to migrate your store depends on the size of your catalog, the integrations and the design. The proposal includes a schedule, so you know when you go live.
What does a move to Shopify cost?
The migration itself has a fixed price, which you get after the intake. On top of that you pay monthly for Shopify, apps and transaction fees. What sets the price is explained above.
Do my customers' passwords come along?
No, passwords cannot be moved. Customer details and orders do come along. In the customer accounts Shopify uses now, customers log in with a one-time 6-digit code sent by email. So they don't need a new password.
Will I lose my Google rankings?
No one can rule that out, but you can reduce the risk a lot. Every old URL either stays or points straight to its new place, and I bring titles, meta descriptions and structured data (extra information for Google, such as price and stock) along. Google advises keeping redirects in place for as long as possible, generally at least a year.
Can I move from WooCommerce, Magento or Lightspeed to Shopify?
Yes. Shopify supports moving products, customers, orders and content. What differs per platform is explained above under WooCommerce, Magento and Lightspeed.
Can I switch to headless during the migration?
Yes. Then you rebuild the store once instead of twice, and you can keep your current URL structure. The project does get bigger, because a custom front end (the part your customers see) is added. In the intake I look at whether headless or native Shopify fits better.
Contact
Tell me about your current store
Which platform does your store run on, how many products do you have and which integrations are there? Email info@petercoolen.com or call +31 6 57 54 60 27.
Tell me about your current storeRather do the migration yourself? Use the checklist I work from for a Shopify migration.