Migrating your eCommerce store to Shopify is an exciting step towards a more scalable and user-friendly platform. However, migrations are not always smooth sailing. Many businesses start the process with high expectations, only to face unexpected roadblocks that delay their transition or, worse, cause data loss, broken functionalities, and significant revenue loss.
If you're planning a Shopify migration, it's crucial to understand the common reasons why migrations fail—especially when transitioning from platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Squarespace. In this blog, we'll examine the pitfalls associated with each platform, why migrations fail, and how you can set yourself up for success.
The Challenges of Migrating from Different Platforms
Each eCommerce platform has unique architecture, data structures, and challenges that make migration complex. Here’s what can go wrong when migrating from some of the most commonly used platforms to Shopify.
Migrating from Magento
Magento is a powerful and highly customizable eCommerce platform, often used by large businesses with complex needs. However, its flexibility also makes migration difficult. Most Magento stores are custom-built, meaning that product data, customer information, and integrations may not follow a standard format.
Why Magento Migrations Are Tricky:
- Custom Code Complexities – Many Magento stores are heavily customized, making it difficult to extract and transfer data seamlessly.
- Data Extraction Issues – Unlike Shopify’s streamlined database, Magento often stores data in complex relational tables, making it harder to map directly to Shopify’s structure.
- Third-Party Dependencies – Magento stores often rely on numerous third-party extensions that may not have Shopify equivalents. You will likely always have to use a third-party connector and work with a dedicated team to extract your data. It’s also likely that you’d have to migrate the date from then, or set up new apps from scratch again.
- SEO & URL Structure Challenges – Magento URLs and SEO settings don’t always transfer smoothly, leading to ranking losses. SEO is challenging and has to be handles by an industry expert at all times.
For a more in-depth look at migrating from Magento to Shopify, check out our guide: Migrating Your eCommerce Store from Magento to Shopify.
Migrating from WooCommerce
WooCommerce, built on WordPress, is a popular choice for small to mid-sized businesses. However, its open-source nature presents challenges when moving to Shopify.
Why WooCommerce Migrations Can Be Difficult:
- Plugin Dependency – Many WooCommerce stores rely on multiple plugins, some of which have no direct Shopify counterparts.
- Data Inconsistencies – WooCommerce stores often use custom fields for product data, making automatic data mapping tricky. It’s also important to note that sometimes you have to pay for an additional plugin just to be able to download an export.
- Performance Issues – Large WooCommerce sites with poorly optimized databases can result in corrupted or incomplete exports.
Migrating from BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a direct competitor to Shopify, making migration relatively straightforward, but it’s not without challenges.
Common BigCommerce Migration Pitfalls:
- URL Structure Changes – Shopify uses a different URL structure, which can affect SEO if not handled properly.
- Feature Gaps – Some BigCommerce features, like built-in customer groups or complex pricing rules, may not have direct Shopify equivalents.
- API Limitations – Data extraction from BigCommerce can be cumbersome, leading to data loss or misalignment during migration.
Migrating from Squarespace
Squarespace is known for its simplicity and design focus, but its eCommerce capabilities are limited compared to Shopify.
Why Squarespace Migrations Can Be Tricky:
- Limited Product Data – Squarespace stores don’t always include structured product data that maps well to Shopify.
- Restricted Export Options – Squarespace provides limited export capabilities, making it difficult to retrieve all store data.
- Basic eCommerce Features – Shopify offers far more robust eCommerce features, but this means additional setup work when migrating.
Why Shopify Migrations Fail
Understanding why migrations fail is key to avoiding costly mistakes. Some of the most common reasons include:
Poor Planning
Many companies underestimate the complexity of an eCommerce migration. Failing to map out product data, customer records, and order histories before migration can result in major issues post-launch.
Data Loss & Corruption
Incorrect data mapping, missing product images, and lost customer accounts are frequent problems when businesses rush migrations without careful verification.
SEO Disruptions
URL structures, meta descriptions, and 301 redirects must be managed correctly to avoid ranking losses on search engines.
Incompatible Features & Functionality
Some eCommerce platforms have features that don’t exist in Shopify. Without proper adjustments, businesses may find critical functions missing post-migration.
Third-Party App Conflicts
Apps and integrations often differ between platforms. Without a plan to replace or reconfigure these, businesses can experience major disruptions.
How to Ensure a Successful Shopify Migration
Now that we’ve covered what can go wrong, here’s how you can ensure your migration to Shopify is a success.
1. Plan Every Step in Detail
A migration should never be rushed. Take the time to plan out:
- Which data will be migrated (products, customers, orders, etc.)
- How URLs and SEO will be preserved
- Which features or apps need replacements
For a detailed step-by-step guide on preparing for migration, read our blog: Planning for a Shopify eCommerce Migration: Prep for Success.
2. Use Automated Migration Tools Where Possible but Carefully
While we never recommend automated extensions like LitExtension and Cart2Cart because they do not provide the most effective solutions, based on your migration type we do recommend working with third-party connectors to export and import the basic data tables. This is especially important where you have a third-party acting as an ERP - NetSuite, SalesForce etc.
3. Perform Thorough Testing Before Launch
Set up a test environment on Shopify to ensure that:
- All product data has been imported correctly
- Order history and customer accounts function properly
- Checkout and payment methods work as expected
4. Redirect URLs to Maintain SEO Rankings
Set up 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones to ensure Google and your customers can still find your products. Work with your Google Search Console expert to minimize and even improve SEO after launch, but expect the two-week wobble!
5. Work with eCommerce Experts
Migrating an eCommerce store is a significant task that can have long-term business implications. Working with professionals like Total Commerce Partners ensures your migration is smooth, efficient, and error-free.
Top Tip: Data First - Always
Many businesses have challenging migrations because they lead with design and hope everything falls into place whereas they should lead with data first at all times.
Making Your Shopify Migration a Success
Shopify migrations can be daunting, regardless of whether you are transitioning from platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, or any other platform. However, with proper planning, the right tools, and expert guidance, your store can successfully make the move without losing critical data, SEO rankings, or functionality.
At Total Commerce Partners we specialize in seamless Shopify migrations, ensuring that businesses avoid costly mistakes and transition smoothly. If you're planning to migrate, reach out to our team today and set your store up for long-term success!
