Is your store growing, but customizing the customer experience on your current platform keeps getting harder? Missing basic functionality that should “just work,” where every small change seems to need another plugin or app?
Quick note on apps: Shopify uses apps too, but not for everything. Sometimes you need one (e.g., Recharge for subscriptions). Other times you shouldn’t (FAQ accordions, product media galleries, etc). A good Online Store 2.0 theme covers common blocks out of the box. The goal is fewer, better apps.
If that sounds familiar, and you’re considering a move to Shopify, you’re in the right place. First, we’ll check whether Shopify is the right fit. If it is, we’ll follow a structured, proven playbook to migrate while keeping your data, products, and SEO equity intact.
Shopify’s appeal is a simpler stack and a faster storefront. Day-to-day changes feel intuitive. Built-in analytics and dashboards are strong, and the ecosystem is there when you need to extend, without managing servers, constant plugin updates, or configuring cache/CDN.
Do you really need to migrate?
Sometimes a full replatform is overkill. If your store is already fast, stable, and easy to update, you might only need a UX refresh, better content, or clearer organization. Migration makes sense when there’s real, tangible ROI.
Common signals it’s time to move:
Slow mobile experience
Plugin conflicts or security issues that keep happening
Checkout underperforming against your benchmarks
Limited analytics, decisions not data-driven
Inventory, shipping, or returns are harder than they should be
Multi-currency, languages, or subscriptions feel out of reach
If two or more of those ring true, moving to Shopify likely pays off. Next up: decide what to pack and bring with you to Shopify. Time to declutter.
Decide what to to bring with you
Don’t pack the whole attic. Bring the pieces customers and ops rely on and leave the clutter. Products, variants, images, and the content people actually read should make the cut. Old landing pages with five views a month and tags that serve no purpose can stay behind.
Two passes help: first for usefulness (does anyone use this?), second for cleanliness (is it accurate, current, and worth carrying?). While you’re at it, inventory important URLs: including orphaned ad landing pages and seasonal promos. So nothing gets stranded when you redirect.
A few notes that save headaches:
- Customer accounts migrate, passwords don’t. Send a friendly reset email
- You don’t need every historical order. ~3 years is usually enough for support and reporting.
- Metafields are your friend. If you track structured data (MSRP, MPN, care notes), define it up front so PDPs stay tidy.
- Keep a list of must-keep URLs (top organic pages, ad landers, key blog posts). You’ll map these to redirects later.
Map the data before you move it
Shopify is flexible, but opinionated. Decide where things land now so you don’t fix them later. Titles and descriptions are easy. Options and variants need a plan: Shopify supports up to three options (size, colour, material, etc.) and up to 2,048 variants per product.
Document the rules. If tags drive automated collections, agree on the exact tag vocabulary (singular/plural, capitalization) so the catalog behaves as expected.
Build a clean base
Pick a modern Online Store 2.0 theme and keep it light. The goal is a fast, readable storefront with fewer apps, not more. Start with the essentials: reviews, flow automations, maybe subscriptions. Choose well-maintained apps rather than “does-everything” bundles (bloated).
Structure matters here. Clear collections, helpful filters, and product pages that answer real questions in a few short blocks will outperform clever layouts that bury the point. Write honest copy. Use real photos. Keep checkout flexible if possible.
Validate the data, not just the theme
The import is step one; validation is the real work. Open representative products across your catalog (best sellers, complex variants, long descriptions). Confirm media, options, and structured data (metafields) appear where intended. Browse your top collections and a couple of edge-case ones: are items included/excluded as expected? Then check a handful of pages and blog posts for formatting and internal links.
When issues repeat, don’t patch by hand. Adjust the import files and re-run. That's how you will keep the catalog consistent and apply changes across many products at the same time.
QA checks after product and content import:
- Products: variant order & images, pricing/compare-at, inventory visibility, SKUs/barcodes, metafields
- Collections: rules include the right items, sort order, filters/facets, pagination
- Pages/blog: heading hierarchy, images & alt text, internal links to Shopify URLs
- SEO: titles/descriptions, canonicals, changed slugs captured for 301s
Protect SEO without overthinking it
If a URL already ranks or earns links, keep the slug where possible. When you can’t, add a clean 301 and move on. Set a single primary domain, force HTTPS, and make sure everything else points there. Submit your sitemap in Search Console and watch coverage and 404s for the first few weeks. Small bumps are normal. Respond quickly and you’ll keep your momentum.
Three simple priorities keep rankings intact:
- Three simple priorities keep rankings intact:
- Preserve high-value pages and URLs when you can
- Redirect anything you change
- Monitor 404s and fix the broken links fast
QA like a customer, not a developer
Grab your phone. Find a product, add to cart, apply a discount, pick shipping, pay, and read the emails. Do it logged out and logged in. Try a gift card if you use them. Break something on purpose and read the error state. If it’s confusing, fix the copy. Also run a quick accessibility pass: keyboard navigation, visible focus states, useful alt text.
If someone can’t use your site easily, you’ll see it in conversions.
Launch day
When it’s time to go live, remain calm. Remove the storefront password, switch the primary domain, and run one real purchase end-to-end. Check pixel events (view, add to cart, initiate checkout, purchase) and make sure all analytics tools are receiving data. Tell your support team what changed and where to find things.
Final checklist:
- Primary domain + SSL set, old domains redirecting
- Payment, tax, shipping rules behaving as expected
- Key email templates branded and sending
The first month
Expect a handful of redirects you missed; add them quickly. Watch page speed and prune any surprise heavy images or third-party scripts. Start a simple CRO loop: review checkout drop-offs, tighten forms, surface shipping costs earlier, and test small copy changes on PDPs. Add new features slowly: bundles, subscriptions, or upsells are great, just not all on day one.
The short version
Move what matters. Map data before you import. Build a fast, clean base with fewer apps. Protect SEO with sensible redirects. Launch, then iterate quickly. If you do those things, you’ll keep your rankings and your sanity. And your store will feel easier to run the day after launch than the day before.
