Shopify Store Migration Checklist: Magento & WooCommerce to OS 2.0
Why Migrate to Shopify?
Migrating your e-commerce store is one of the most critical decisions you'll make. Done right, it can unlock massive growth. Done poorly, it can tank your SEO, lose customer data, and cost you months of revenue.
Pre-Migration Checklist
Before touching a single line of code, you need to audit everything:
- •Product Data Export: Document every product field — titles, descriptions, variants, images, metafields, and SEO metadata.
- •Customer Data: Export customer accounts, order history, and addresses. Ensure compliance with data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA).
- •URL Mapping: Create a complete spreadsheet mapping every old URL to its new Shopify equivalent. This is non-negotiable for SEO preservation.
- •301 Redirects: Every single old URL must redirect to the new one. Missing redirects = lost organic traffic.
The Migration Process
A clean migration follows these steps:
Set Up Shopify Store: Configure store settings, payment gateways, shipping zones, and tax rules.
Theme Development: Build or customize your theme before migrating data. Don't use a template as-is.
Data Import: Use Shopify's CSV import or a migration tool like Cart2Cart. Always test with a subset first.
SEO Transfer: Port over all meta titles, descriptions, alt texts, and structured data. Set up 301 redirects.
Testing Phase: Spend at least one full week testing every flow — browsing, search, add to cart, checkout, payment, email notifications.
DNS Cutover: Switch your domain to point to Shopify. Monitor closely for 48 hours.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- •Ignoring SEO redirects: This single mistake can cost you 30–60% of your organic traffic overnight.
- •Migrating during peak season: Always migrate during your lowest-traffic period.
- •Not testing checkout: Payment gateway misconfigurations are surprisingly common post-migration.
- •Forgetting email flows: Ensure transactional emails, abandoned cart sequences, and marketing automations are all reconfigured.
Pro tip: Run both stores in parallel for 1–2 weeks before fully cutting over. This gives you a safety net if anything goes wrong.