Ensure a smooth transition without losing data, customers, or SEO rankings. 🚀
🔹 Phase 1: Pre-Migration Preparation
✅ 1. Evaluate & Plan Your Migration
- Decide on migration method:
- Manual (CSV export/import)
- Automated migration tool (LitExtension, Cart2Cart)
- Hiring a professional like Ventura Web Design (See our BigCommerce to Shopify Migration Service)
- Identify key features in BigCommerce that need replacement in Shopify (e.g., bulk pricing, custom fields).
- Make a list of installed apps in BigCommerce to find Shopify alternatives.
✅ 2. Backup Your Store Data
- Export and save your:
- Product Data (Products → Export)
- Customer List (Customers → Export)
- Order History (Orders → Export)
- SEO Metadata (Meta Titles, Descriptions, URLs)
- Images & Media Files (Download manually or use a script)
- Keep a backup of your BigCommerce theme and content for reference.
🔹 Phase 2: Store Migration
✅ 3. Set Up Your Shopify Store
- Sign up for a Shopify account and choose a pricing plan.
- Select a theme (free or premium) similar to your BigCommerce design.
- Configure store settings (currency, tax, shipping, and payment methods).
✅ 4. Import Data from BigCommerce to Shopify
- Use a migration tool (recommended):
- LitExtension / Cart2Cart / Matrixify (to move products, customers, and orders).
- Manual CSV Import (if not using a tool):
- Go to Shopify Admin → Products → Import to upload product data.
- Import customers and orders similarly.
✅ 5. Verify Product & Customer Data
- Check that all product details, descriptions, and images are correct.
- Ensure customer data (email, addresses) is intact.
- Double-check pricing, inventory, and stock levels.
🔹 Phase 3: SEO & URL Redirection
✅ 6. Set Up 301 Redirects (Preserve SEO Rankings)
- Shopify has a different URL structure, so set up 301 redirects:
- Old BigCommerce URL: /product/sample-product
- New Shopify URL: /products/sample-product
- Use Shopify Admin → Navigation → URL Redirects to manually redirect pages.
- Submit the new XML sitemap in Google Search Console to reindex Shopify URLs.
✅ 7. Maintain SEO Optimization
- Ensure meta titles, descriptions, alt texts, and structured data are transferred.
- Check robots.txt to make sure Shopify allows search engines to crawl your site.
- Monitor Google Analytics and Search Console for traffic drops after migration.
🔹 Phase 4: Design & Customization
✅ 8. Recreate Design & Branding
- Customize your Shopify theme to match your old BigCommerce store’s branding.
- Add homepage banners, logos, and fonts.
- Configure navigation menus and collections for easy browsing.
✅ 9. Install Shopify Apps to Replace BigCommerce Features
- Find alternatives for BigCommerce features missing in Shopify:
- Bulk Pricing / Wholesale → Bold Custom Pricing, Wholesale Club
- Advanced Filters & Search → Smart Search & Instant Search
- Customer Reviews → Judge.me, Loox
- Product Bundling → Bundler – Product Bundles
- Abandoned Cart Recovery → Built-in on all Shopify plans
- Google Shopping / Facebook Ads → Shopify Marketing Apps
🔹 Phase 5: Testing & Pre-Launch
✅ 10. Test Everything Before Going Live
- Check your store on different devices (desktop, mobile, tablet).
- Test checkout process (place test orders with different payment methods).
- Ensure email notifications work (order confirmation, password reset).
- Check shipping rates & taxes to make sure they’re correct.
🔹 Phase 6: Launch & Post-Migration
✅ 11. Make the Switch & Announce the Migration
- Set BigCommerce store to “Maintenance Mode” or put up a migration notice.
- Make Shopify store live and redirect the domain to Shopify.
- Announce the migration via email, social media, and website banners.
- Encourage customers to reset their passwords (Shopify cannot import encrypted passwords).
✅ 12. Monitor & Optimize Post-Migration
- Track Google Analytics to monitor traffic and conversions.
- Watch for broken links or missing pages using tools like Google Search Console.
- Continue optimizing speed, SEO, and mobile usability.
- Gather customer feedback on usability and checkout experience.
🚀 Bonus: Quick Checklist Summary
✅ Backup your BigCommerce store
✅ Set up your Shopify store & theme
✅ Migrate products, customers, and orders
✅ Set up 301 redirects for SEO
✅ Customize your Shopify store design
✅ Install replacement Shopify apps
✅ Test everything before launching
✅ Switch domain & announce migration
✅ Monitor performance & optimize
Ventura Web Design and Marketing can help you in the process when migrating your store from BigCommerce to Shopify.