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Why and How to Migrate from Magento to Shopify

Magento is cool, Shopify is cool, any platform is nice when it's a fit, so in case someone for example your agency told you that you need to migrate to Shopify because it's better for marketing you can get some more information on that topic in this post.

As eCommerce platforms grow and evolve, so do their customers. Magento has been a powerful and useful eCommerce platform since its launch in 2008, two years after Shopify was launched. It provided (and still provides) a way for enterprise-level businesses to build their eCommerce websites but Magento version 1 came to an end June 2020 and with it stopped security updates and support. Anyone who continues to use Magento 1 is now open to security vulnerabilities that will not be fixed by the Magento team.If you choose to migrate your store from Magento 1 to Shopify, there are a few things to keep in mind and decisions you will have to make along the way.

Improve Cybersecurity

While Magento may hold its own in many respects when it comes to competing with Shopify, in the matter of online security Shopify is a better choice. According to mitre.org, a non-profit organization that is an expert on cybersecurity, Magento 2 has several cybersecurity vulnerabilities in its platform. The same can’t be said for Shopify.Consider the fact that you hold sensitive customer data, and as an online retailer you have a responsibility to protect it. It only takes one leak to completely shatter your reputation and permanently damage the trust your customers place in your store when they buy from you.

A Chance to Redesign Your Site

Migrating from Magento to Shopify is also an opportunity to either completely redesign your site or make some minor improvements. Whatever changes you make, make sure your new design is driven by customer data to improve not only the look of your site but also its functionality.Because Magento uses open source software, you do theoretically have more flexibility when it comes to designing the look of your site. The caveat is that you have to code it yourself or pay someone who does. Shopifydoeshave many themes to choose from, and gives you the ability to build your own custom theme but, again, this also requires coding knowledge. To overcome this, you could use Headless commerce. Its benefits are covered in the next section of this article.

Incorporate Headless Commerce

This is a solution store owners are increasingly turning to when migrating from Magento to Shopify, as both platforms have limitations in terms of design, functionality, and being locked into one platform.Read our article on Shopify's theme limitations here.Whether you are migrating to Shopify, Magento 2, or another platform, Headless commerce gives you the option of keeping the benefits eCommerce platforms give you while eliminating their limitations at the same time.

What Gets Migrated?

Everything, or rather, everything you choose to bring over to the new site. This includes content, products and customer data. This sounds rather simple and easy, but it is not. Migrating your store can be a herculean task. Many choose to do it using a professional. Let's take a look at what you will need to move from one site to another.

  1. Content

It's a good time to ask yourself: "Do I really need this?" and do some spring-cleaning. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and get rid of content that's outdated and no longer useful.Static pages like privacy and return policy pages, terms and conditions and about pages are fairly easy to migrate. But there is also dynamic content to consider, such as product and category pages, blog articles and the homepage.The third aspect of this are the files you have on your Magento site, such as product images, downloadable content such as guides and PDFs and lead magnets.

  1. Products

This part may require extensive involvement from you or another person. While it's simple enough to download your product data as a CSV file from Magento, the data is not formatted in the way that's readable for Shopify. There are a few products online that specialize in migrating stores and Shopify Experts are another option because migrating product data can get very technical, very quickly.

  1. Customer Data

Last but not least is personal customer details if they signed up for an account, their order history, gift cards and discounts codes they may have. It's very important that there is as little disruption as possible to your loyal, existing customers during the migration.

Things to Consider Before Migrating from Magento to Shopify

Before transferring the first bit of data from your Magento store to your new Shopify storefront, you must consider a few things.

  1. Back it up!

Back up your Magento site before you migrate, in the off-chance that something goes wrong and your data is lost. There are online services that do this, but you can also do your own backup. Better to be safe than sorry, as they say.

  1. Research Themes

Shopify has many wonderful free, paid and custom themes for you to choose from. We strongly suggest you do your due diligence and choose one that is right for your store's purpose.

  1. Consider Design

Do you want an exact replica of your Magento site, or is this an opportunity to make some minor aesthetic adjustments? Change is good, and perhaps this is your chance to completely revamp the look of your site.

  1. Your Apps and Integrations

It's possible that the Shopify theme you chose offers functions that were performed by an app or integration in your Magento store. Make a list of all the apps you want to keep

  1. Test Your Shopify Store

The migration went well, but your work isn't over yet. Test your site over the next few days to make sure everything is working correctly. Use the major different browsers (Chrome, Safari, and Firefox) and test both desktop and mobile versions of your site.

The Final Word

Migrating your store can be an immense task, but it can also be an opportunity to elevate your store. Working with professionals is key, as well as making the right decisions for your store. This isn't something to be rushed, so do your research before you migrate.Want to know how Headless commerce can be integrated during migration to make your store look and function exactly as you want it to? Get in touch with us to learn more.

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