What Is a Migration?

No, not birds. A migration is the process of moving your eCommerce store from one platform to another.

Why should merchants migrate to Shopify?

vs

and more...

Out-of-the-box ease of use and an intuitive interface.

Not...that.

Backend is user-friendly. (Think: more hand-holding and speaking in terms regular people can actually understand.)

Backend is heavily code-dependent. Expect to lean on developers...a lot.

Time not spent fighting with code can be allocated to other business tasks and making your customers happy.

Waiting for developers to make code magic happen = less time to run your business. (Read: make money.)

No worries about hosting, conducting frequent backups, losing customer data, or spending thousands of dollars on server space and hosting.

Requires external server space and hosting (cha-ching), and carries the risk of customer data loss during necessary (frequent) backups.

Hundreds of native integrations available--no development needed.

Since these systems are code-dependent, installing integrations will require code knowledge and extra elbow grease.

Equally suited to small businesses, behemoth entities (lookin’ at you, Kylie), and any businesses looking to scale.

“Legacy systems” built with the Big Guys in mind--those with the resources to hire developers, purchase server space, and more. Scalability is severely limited for smaller operations.

A lot of merchants accidentally think that migration means “I’m just gonna copy and paste all my shit into Shopify,” but that’s not how it works.

What’s actually involved with a migration?

SEO

This is a huge part of migration that merchants rarely think about. When you migrate (to any platform, not just Shopify), you become a completely new site from an SEO perspective. Having a plan to retain your domain authority is critical to minimizing impact to your traffic.

UI/UX + Rebranding

Do you want your site to stay exactly the same? Do you want a mini facelift? Or do you want to overhaul the whole thing and start over? It’s helpful to think about your UI/UX goals prior to migrating so that you and your Shopify migration agency know the full scope of what comes next.

Coding

All eCommerce platforms speak different “languages” — JS, Ruby, Java, Python, C++ — the list is endless. Try to copy and paste code from one platform to the other and watch the whole cookie crumble. 🥺

Unique Needs

While some migration tasks will be uniform across businesses, every client is different and has unique needs. Subscriptions are a great example, as they necessitate a two-layer approach: first you move to Shopify; then you perform a second migration to one of their best-in-class subscription integrations. (Yes, we are the droids -- er, Shopify migration experts -- you’re looking for. Subscriptions are our jam!)

Odds + Ends

Thinking only about your site’s content when considering what needs to be migrated is sort of like moving to a new house and taking nothing but picture frames and curtains. In order for your site to function properly, you also need to think about your third party apps, ERP (enterprise resource planning), customer records, and more.

How long does it take?

That’s like asking how long it took to form the universe.

1 hour

Because they’re all so different, one migration might take an hour while another takes 8 months.

8 months

Because they’re all so different, one migration might take an hour while another takes 8 months.

The Tako team has been fantastic!

“Their designs are super creative, and they are true Shopify experts, always advising the best possible solution to achieve our goals. They have also been super available even for any last-minute requests or issues. They are a pleasure to work with and amazing partners!”

Marco M

Rebel Girls

Pain Points of Other Popular Platforms

(Kiss These Goodbye)

Migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify

Requires prior knowledge of Wordpress before you can even learn how to use the WooCommerce plug-in.
Customization requires code familiarity.
Wordpress is self-hosted, and its full architecture is exposed to anyone who installs it on a web server. This means it’s easy for potential hackers to exploit it, because the structure for the databases, files, and general setup is consistent across installs. Most people don't bother to implement advanced security protocols or good passwords, either.
In plain language, WooCommerce is hackable AF.

Migrating from Magento to Shopify

Magento’s massive size and confusing raw data structure mean that manual exports are ill advised. It splits up key data components into multiple tables, which are nearly impossible to wade through and can be particularly nefarious if memory comes up short and prohibits you from collecting all the required pieces.
Magento uses an old version of PHP, which presents limitations on how data can be exported, as well as maximum execution time. In other words, the amount of raw data you can export in one chunk right from the admin panel is often limited. PHP will time out after a period of time. Installs and setups vary in this time out period; it can be changed--but not by the average human--and is never unlimited.
Complicated user experience for merchants

Extra Brownie Points for Shopify

No hosting fees
No server maintenance
App + extension upgrades won’t break your entire store
More uptime than private web servers or other hosting platforms
Ability to scale is apparent + can be quickly leveraged

PSST — Are You in the Big Leagues?
Or Plan to Be?

Shopify Plus allows you to scale quickly and efficiently, with robust customization options (helloooo Shopify Scripts!), extra support, and tons of value-adding features. Talk to us about upgrading.

Should you DIY a migration?

In short, no. You should lean on Shopify migration experts for migration services.

Still want to DIY? We do consulting.

Side Effects of a Shopify Migration

SEO

You now know that, with the help of a Shopify migration agency, you can migrate from one platform to another with your site intact. Google however — like a petty ex — will cancel you. Your search rankings will take a hit with any migration (not just to Shopify), but if you have an informed plan in place to regain and maintain your domain authority, you’ll be back in Google’s good graces in no time.

CHANGE IN MONTHLY COST

This could be positive or negative. You may pay less for hosting, but more overall because you choose to integrate more apps. Conversely, if you say au revoir to hosting fees and don’t opt into new integrations, your cost will decrease.

Don’t shy away from some bells and whistles, though! If your cost does increase after migrating to Shopify, it’s very likely to be balanced by greater ROI in the long run due to its ease of use, quality development, astonishingly deep documentation, and incredible API.

ENJOYMENT OF YOUR BUSINESS

A migration to Shopify ensures that you spend less time drowning in technical nuts and bolts and more time investing in things that create a better experience for your customers--product updates, marketing, shipping and return enhancements, and more!

See What We Can Do

A website that's stunning even without makeup

Migration • Fully Custom Design + Development

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We Are Shopify Migration Experts.