In today's digital commerce landscape, an increasing number of brands are pivoting from Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) to Shopify. This guide delves into every critical factor you should weigh when transitioning an online store from Magento’s platform to Shopify.
At Tenten, we’ve embraced Shopify as our exclusive platform of choice, convinced by its unparalleled capabilities:
Accommodates businesses of all scales, from sole proprietors to sprawling multinational corporations.
Provides robust security, scalability, and reliability.
Streamlines the onboarding process, with expert agencies like Tenten available to help brands scale effortlessly.
Over 4.4 million Shopify stores thrive globally, including renowned names like Gymshark, Huel, and Victoria Beckham.
Its app marketplace allows for seamless integration of added functionalities.
Shopify Plus users unlock advanced features such as Launchpad and Flow.
We consistently assist brands in migrating to Shopify, ensuring a smooth transition. If you're contemplating such a move, here are the essential elements to bear in mind.
Why Shift From Magento (Adobe Commerce) to Shopify?
Shopify’s relentless innovation is evident in its public changelog, where new features and updates are rolled out at an impressive pace, sometimes multiple times a week. These frequent advancements significantly enhance Shopify’s functionality, rendering it an ideal platform for businesses of all sizes, whether small or globally expansive, offering remarkable flexibility, growth potential, and international scalability.
For a clearer understanding of the benefits, check out our comparative analysis between Magento 2 and Shopify Plus.
“We needed an urgent migration from Magento 2 to Shopify before Black Friday. The team at Tenten was exceptionally organized and professional throughout. We not only launched our new website just in time but also saw an immediate uplift in user engagement and sales!”
Smalo EBike
How to Undertake a Magento to Shopify Migration
Once you’ve decided to replatform, a clear roadmap is crucial. While migrating a store involves numerous steps, with a well-structured plan, it's possible to transition to Shopify, reaping the rewards of the platform’s advantages without sacrificing SEO or your existing traffic.
Selecting the Right Shopify Plan
Shopify’s tiered pricing ensures scalability. Depending on your business size, you can select from various plans, which can easily be upgraded as your business grows.
'Basic' starts at £25/month (or £19 if paid annually), perfect for solo entrepreneurs.
'Shopify' serves small teams, priced at £65/month (or £49 if billed annually).
'Advanced' is tailored for expanding enterprises at £344/month (or £259 annually).
'Shopify Plus' is the enterprise solution, starting at £2,000/month on a three-year term.
A three-day free trial is available for Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans, with the first month priced at just £1.
Backup Your Magento Store Data
This step is critical. Migrating can be intricate, and it’s easy to encounter issues. By backing up all your Magento store data, you safeguard yourself against potential mishaps.
You can back up your Magento data by navigating to the Admin sidebar, then going to System > Tools > Backups.
Data Migration
Understanding which data to transfer is crucial. Be mindful not to leave out any essential data, though redundant or obsolete information can be excluded. Transferring as much data as possible is often the best strategy.
Thankfully, Shopify provides tools to assist with this, such as the Cart2Cart Store Migration app, which simplifies data transfer, including products, orders, customers, and images.
Exporting Data from Magento
For those on Magento 2, here’s how to export data:
Navigate to Admin > System > Data Transfer > Export.
Select ‘Products’ as the Entity Type.
Choose CSV as the file format.
Importing Magento Products into Shopify
Migrating product data requires diligence, as attributes differ between platforms. Each product’s options (such as variants and tags) must align with Shopify’s system. Shopify provides a support system and forums to assist.
Use the previously exported CSV file, and reorganize the data according to Shopify’s CSV product import template. Required fields include product titles, descriptions, categories, tags, variants, prices, image URLs, and more.
Importing Collections
While collections can’t be imported via Shopify’s dashboard, apps like Cart2Cart can handle this task. Alternatively, if you’ve tagged your products correctly, you can create collections based on these tags.
Migrating Blogs and Pages
Content migration is vital to prevent traffic loss or SEO penalties. Third-party apps from Shopify’s App Store can help you transfer your blogs and pages seamlessly.
Customer Data Migration
Shopify allows direct importing of customer data. However, customers will need to reset their passwords, as password migration is prohibited due to encryption protocols.
“Tenten helped launch our store in record time! The theme customization and UX improvements were precisely what we needed. Their professionalism and promptness are unmatched.”
Hygreen, E-Commerce Manager
Designing Your Shopify Store During Migration
Moving to a new platform is an opportunity to refresh your store’s design. You can leverage Shopify’s customizable themes or even send out email marketing to notify customers of the redesign, ensuring they aren’t caught off guard. Shopify’s themes are not only visually stunning but also offer high levels of customization, ensuring a delightful user experience.
Tenten can elevate your store’s design through bespoke customization—view some of our previous Shopify projects here!
Shopify Store Development
As part of your migration, we offer custom development services for your Shopify store, including handling subscription integrations and payment gateway migrations.
Managing 301 Redirects
Ensuring a seamless migration is key to avoiding ranking drops. The primary reason for post-migration ranking decreases is the disruption caused by new URLs. It’s crucial to implement effective 301 redirects to map old URLs to new ones, preventing users from encountering dreaded 404 errors.
While Shopify allows manual redirects, larger migrations require third-party tools to bulk upload URLs. Tools like Screaming Frog can help export URL lists, and apps in the Shopify store can simplify the bulk uploading process.
Site Navigation Migration
Ensure your site's navigation remains intuitive to maintain customer satisfaction. Shopify uses 'collections' in place of 'categories' in Magento, so organize products similarly to provide a familiar shopping experience.
“Tenten’s migration from Woocommerce to Shopify was flawless! The team’s attention to detail and creativity surpassed our expectations. We couldn't be happier with the result!”
Vamoof
Testing Your Shopify Store
Before launch, test your new site across devices to ensure a flawless user experience. Pay close attention to performance, especially if you’ve communicated a redesign to your customers.
Thorough Testing and Training
We offer comprehensive QA testing for your new Shopify site, and we can provide training for your team, ensuring they are well-equipped to operate the new platform efficiently.
Magento to Shopify Migration Checklist
Here's a condensed checklist for migrating from Magento to Shopify:
Back up and export data from Magento.
Choose the right Shopify plan and theme.
Import data into Shopify.
Redesign your store.
Set up 301 redirects.
Test your store before going live.
Train your team on Shopify's features.
Costs of Migrating from Magento to Shopify
The cost of migration varies based on several factors:
Data volume: More data means higher costs.
Store design: Custom themes and development incur additional costs.
Shopify apps: Replacing Magento extensions may have additional fees.
Shopify fees: Plans start at £19/month and go up to £2,000/month for Plus.
Agency fees: Shopify experts like Tenten can manage your migration, with costs varying based on your needs.
How to Save on Migration Costs
There are ways to minimize costs during migration:
Take advantage of Shopify’s free trial and discounts for annual payments.
Opt for free themes, though premium options may better reflect your brand.
Use Shopify Payments to avoid transaction fees.
Need Help with Your Migration?
With a well-planned migration, your Shopify store can exceed your old Magento store’s performance without any adverse effects on rankings or traffic. If you need assistance, Tenten is here to help guide you through the migration process, ensuring a successful transition.
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