Switching from WordPress to Shopify can save you time, reduce costs, and help your store grow. Shopify offers built-in eCommerce tools, reliable hosting, and 24/7 support, making it a simpler and more efficient platform for online businesses. Here’s what you need to know:
- Save Money: Shopify can cost up to 36% less than WordPress setups requiring extra plugins and hosting.
- Built-In Tools: Includes secure payments, inventory management, tax calculations, and PCI compliance.
- Scalable: Handles traffic spikes automatically and offers over 8,000 apps to meet your needs.
- SEO-Friendly: Keep rankings intact with URL redirects, metadata transfer, and optimised performance.
Quick Overview of the Migration Process:
- Backup WordPress Data: Secure your product catalogue, customer info, and order history.
- Choose a Shopify Plan: Plans start at AUD $39/month, with options for growing and enterprise businesses.
- Transfer Data: Use automated tools for products, customers, and orders.
- Design Your Store: Customise a Shopify theme to match your brand and optimise for mobile.
- Preserve SEO: Use 301 redirects and maintain metadata to protect rankings.
- Test and Launch: Check payment systems, shipping settings, and customer accounts before going live.
Switching to Shopify simplifies operations and sets your business up for growth, whether you’re just starting or scaling. Read on for a detailed step-by-step guide.
Pre-Migration Planning
Careful planning is essential for a smooth migration from WordPress to Shopify. Data indicates that 54% of website owners have faced data loss, yet only 10% take the precaution of performing daily backups.
Create WordPress Backups
Backing up your WordPress store data is crucial. Always create a backup before making upgrades or changes.
Make sure to back up the following:
- WordPress core installation
- Product catalogue and images
- Customer data
- Order history
- Theme files and customisations
- Blog posts and pages
- Custom code and configurations
To minimise risks, store at least three copies of your backup in different locations – such as a local drive, cloud storage, and an external hard drive. This approach protects against potential data loss or corruption during migration.
Set Migration Priorities
Take time to review and organise your store content. Focus on transferring critical data while leaving behind outdated or irrelevant elements. Here’s a breakdown to guide you:
| Priority Data | Optional Data |
|---|---|
| Active products | Discontinued products |
| Recent orders | Older orders (3+ years) |
| Current customers | Inactive customer accounts |
| Popular blog posts | Low-traffic content |
| Gift cards | Expired promotions |
| SEO metadata | Outdated page templates |
This approach ensures that your new Shopify store remains streamlined and effective.
Select Your Shopify Plan
Choose a Shopify plan that aligns with your business goals and budget. Shopify offers several pricing tiers:
| Plan | Monthly Cost (AUD) | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Shopify | $39 | New online stores |
| Shopify | $105 | Growing businesses |
| Advanced | $399 | Scaling operations |
| Plus | From $2,300 | Enterprise businesses |
You can save 25% by opting for annual billing. Additionally, higher-tier plans come with reduced transaction fees, which can be beneficial if your business processes a high sales volume.
When deciding on a plan, consider:
- Your current monthly sales
- The number of staff accounts needed
- Reporting and analytics requirements
- Inventory management across locations
- International selling needs
It’s recommended to start with at least the Basic plan, as the Starter plan doesn’t include a full e-commerce website. You can always upgrade as your business expands.
Once your backups are secured, migration priorities established, and Shopify plan selected, you’re ready to begin transferring your store data.
Moving Your Store Data
Easily transfer your store data using dependable tools. Here’s how to move your data step-by-step from WordPress to Shopify.
Export Data from WordPress
Organise your WordPress store data into clear categories:
| Data Type | Details to Include |
|---|---|
| Products | Images, descriptions, variants, pricing |
| Customers | Contact details, purchase history |
| Orders | Transaction records, shipping details |
| Content | Blog posts, pages, metadata |
If your store has a complex setup, automated migration services can save time and reduce errors. For example, Cart2Cart estimates that migrating a store with 1,500 products takes about 5 hours on average.
Import Data to Shopify
To ensure a smooth migration, follow a systematic approach. Start with products, move to customer data, and finish with historical orders to maintain proper links between all elements.
When importing, keep these steps in mind:
1. Select the Right Migration Method
Pick a method that suits your store’s complexity. For most WordPress stores, using a specialised migration service is the best option.
2. Map Data Fields Correctly
Ensure WordPress fields match Shopify’s structure. Pay close attention to:
- Product variants and options
- Custom fields and metadata
- Customer groups and tags
- Order status definitions
3. Transfer Store Assets
Ensure all store assets, like theme files, stylesheets, and images, remain accessible. Adjust URLs by removing protocols if necessary.
Verify Your Data Transfer
After migration, checking your data is critical to avoid disruptions. Focus on these areas:
| Element to Check | Potential Issues |
|---|---|
| Product Details | Missing variants, unpublished items |
| Customer Data | Incomplete profiles, missing order history |
| Order History | Incorrect status, missing transactions |
| Media Files | Broken image links, missing alt text |
"The customer service is excellent. They took time with me to explain the procedure and do a demo/test run so I could see the results before I paid to do the full migration." – Debbie Durham, Netsolutions
To minimise risks, start with a test migration. This lets you spot and fix mapping issues before completing the full transfer. Many migration services offer free demos with a limited dataset.
If any problems arise, fix them promptly. Common solutions include:
- Publishing hidden products
- Manually adding missing variants
- Updating broken image links
- Reconnecting customer-order relationships
Setting Up Store Design
After transferring your data, it’s time to rebuild your store’s look and functionality in Shopify.
Match Your Store Design
Choose a Shopify theme that closely resembles your current design. Then, customise it to align with your brand:
| Element | How to Customise |
|---|---|
| Brand Colours | Adjust theme settings to match your colour scheme |
| Typography | Set fonts using the theme editor |
| Layout Structure | Edit sections and blocks for proper content placement |
| Mobile Responsiveness | Test your design on various devices |
Take Graphene X as an example. In February 2021, they customised Shopify’s Debut theme to replicate their original design. This resulted in a 79% boost in overall site performance while preserving their brand’s identity.
"The quality of your site reflects the quality of your business." – speedboostr, Shopify Expert
To improve your store’s performance, consider these tips:
- Use system fonts for faster loading
- Optimise images for responsiveness
- Host assets directly on Shopify’s servers
- Reduce JavaScript dependencies
Once your design reflects your brand, expand its functionality by adding key apps.
Add Required Apps
Install apps to maintain essential store functions:
| Function | Suggested App/Setup |
|---|---|
| Email Marketing | Integrate Klaviyo |
| Accounting | Connect Xero |
| Analytics | Install Google Analytics 4 |
| Customer Support | Add a help desk tool |
For inspiration, look at BodyMods, a Canadian retailer managing over 2,500 products. They successfully migrated their entire store while keeping all critical functions intact.
Configure Store Basics
Set up the fundamentals for smooth operations:
- Enable payment processing in AUD
- Define shipping zones (e.g., domestic, express, international)
- Adjust tax settings for 10% GST and include your ABN details
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Maintaining SEO Rankings
When redesigning your store, it’s crucial to protect your SEO rankings. This involves paying close attention to key SEO elements and ensuring your site’s performance stays strong.
Transfer SEO Elements
Preserving your SEO data is essential for maintaining rankings. Here’s what to focus on:
| SEO Element | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Meta Titles/Descriptions | Copy over all existing metadata exactly as-is |
| URL Structure | Create 301 redirects for every page |
| Image Alt Text | Keep all image descriptions intact |
| Content Layout | Replicate your current site structure |
Shopify’s URL Redirects tool makes setting up 301 redirects simple, ensuring 90-99% of your ranking power is passed to the new pages.
"If a merchant changes too many things during migration, it’s hard to tell why the data points are changing." – Carla Wright, merchant engagement lead at Shopify
Map your existing WordPress URLs to Shopify, and use Google Search Console to address any 404 errors immediately.
Check Store Speed
Your store’s speed directly impacts both SEO and user experience. Shopify offers several built-in tools to help optimise performance, including:
- A global server network
- A content delivery network (CDN)
- Automatic image optimisation
Track your store’s performance with Shopify’s Web Performance dashboard, which monitors Core Web Vitals such as:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading speed
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Evaluates visual stability
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Assesses interactivity
To further improve speed, use an Online Store 2.0 theme, optimise third-party apps, remove unused tracking tags, and utilise Google’s PageSpeed Insights. Test your store’s speed on various devices and from different locations, and keep a close eye on performance to ensure your rankings remain stable.
Final Migration Steps
Once you’ve tackled data, design, and SEO, it’s time to wrap up your migration with these last steps.
Go Live on Shopify
Set up your domain by either:
- Purchasing a new domain directly in Shopify, or
- Connecting or transferring an existing domain.
Before launching, test your store’s key functions:
- Place test orders using different payment methods.
- Check order fulfilment workflows and shipping calculations.
- Process both partial and full refunds to ensure they work smoothly.
- Make sure all automated email notifications are being sent as intended.
Update Your Customers
To migrate customer accounts:
- Export customer data into Excel.
- Import it into Shopify using Matrixify.
- Send account activation emails through Shopify’s admin panel.
When importing historical orders, disable order notifications to avoid unnecessary emails to your team. These steps help create a seamless experience for your customers during the switch.
"Before and after your website launch, we review and test all core components and ensure that your existing website URLs are all redirecting correctly. Maintaining your Google ranking is our priority."
- Alinga
Get Expert Help
Consider bringing in professionals to test essential components, confirm URL redirects, protect your SEO rankings, and assist with any post-launch tweaks.
"Understand the client’s requirements, implement great solutions using best practices and be available for ongoing support!"
- Alinga
Wrapping Up
Now that we’ve covered the migration process, let’s recap why moving to Shopify can be a smart choice. Shopify provides a reliable platform with 99.98% uptime and round-the-clock customer support, helping you focus more on sales rather than technical upkeep.
Its infrastructure lightens the load of maintenance and supports business growth. For example, Shopify Plus merchants have seen a 126% year-over-year growth.
When migrating, prioritise these areas:
- Customer and order data: Keep all historical data intact.
- SEO rankings: Use proper URL redirects to avoid losing search visibility.
- Core functionality: Ensure all critical store features work smoothly.
- Mobile-friendly design: Enhance the user experience with a design optimised for mobile.
Shopify’s tools and expert support simplify the migration process, ensuring your data stays intact, SEO rankings are preserved, and best practices are followed. This makes the transition smoother and sets up your store for success.
If you’re unsure about handling the migration alone, professional assistance can make the process easier. Experts can ensure accurate data transfer, protect your SEO performance, and help get the most out of your Shopify store.
