Start with what is really there
I map the data, features, apps, URLs and connected systems. This is where catalogue edge cases, manual workarounds and dependencies that never appear in a demo tend to surface.
E-commerce migration consulting
Shopify migration: change platforms without leaving the hard decisions until launch
Moving from Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop or a custom platform is about much more than importing products. I help you decide what should move, what needs rebuilding and what is better left behind before the new store goes live.
What does a Shopify migration actually involve?
The catalogue, customers and orders are only part of the job. Commercial rules, apps, ERP and fulfilment flows, traffic-driving URLs and the team's daily routines all need a place in the new setup. The aim is to make the business work on Shopify without blindly recreating years of accumulated complexity.
When it is worth considering
- Store changes take too long or require too many suppliers
- Hosting, maintenance and extensions consume budget without moving the business forward
- Your ERP, CRM, WMS or PIM needs to work with a platform the team can manage more easily
- New markets, B2B channels or operating processes are stretching the current platform
How I run a migration
Make the build decisions early
For each feature, we decide whether to use Shopify itself, an app, custom development or remove it altogether. If Shopify is the wrong fit, it is better to find out now.
Check the data and the SEO work
Trial imports are reconciled against the source. In parallel, I map real URLs and review content, metadata, canonicals and tracking rather than treating SEO as a launch-week task.
Rehearse the launch
Checkout, payments, notifications and integrations are tested with real scenarios. The move follows a shared runbook with named owners and checks for the hours after launch.
What your team keeps
- A map of the current data, features, apps and integrations
- Written decisions on what to keep, replace or simplify
- Data transformation rules and reconciliation checks
- A redirect map built from real URLs and an SEO checklist
- Test scenarios and a detailed launch-day plan
- Post-launch checks and documentation for the people running the store
Questions clients usually ask
How long will it take?
There is no honest timeline before seeing the store. A straightforward catalogue with a handful of integrations is very different from a multilingual business connected to an ERP, several warehouses and B2B price lists. After the initial review, I can set out the phases, dependencies and a realistic estimate.
Can we bring customers and historical orders with us?
In most cases, yes. We first check what the source platform exposes and what still has operational value. Some information may need metafields, an app or a searchable archive, while customer accounts may need to be activated again.
Will we lose organic traffic?
Some fluctuation is possible during any platform change, and nobody can credibly promise otherwise. The risk is reduced by working from the existing URLs before launch, creating precise redirects, and comparing the old and new sites after release.
Do we really need Shopify Plus?
Not necessarily. Shopify Plus makes sense when B2B, checkout, automation, market or organisational requirements justify it. I review those needs before recommending the more expensive plan.
Let’s talk about your migration
In the first call, we look at your current platform, the systems around it and why you want to change. From there, we can decide whether Shopify fits and what needs investigating first.