How to Migrate Your Store to Shopify: Step-by-Step Guide

Switching to Shopify can make managing your online store easier. This guide explains everything you need to know about migrating your store, from backing up data to setting up payment and shipping for Australian customers. Here’s a quick overview:

• Why Shopify?: Faster checkout (15% higher conversion rates), global reach, and customisation with over 13,000 apps.
• Pre-Migration Steps: Back up your store data (products, customers, orders), choose a Shopify plan, and set up your account.
• Data Migration: Export products, customers, and orders as CSV files or use migration apps for larger stores.
• Store Setup: Select a mobile-friendly theme, adjust settings for Australian standards (AUD, GST, metric units), and integrate payment and shipping options.
• Testing and Launch: Test your store, set up URL redirects to keep SEO rankings, and train your team.

Quick Comparison of Shopify Plans:

Plan Feature	Basic (AUD $39)	Shopify (AUD $105)	Advanced (AUD $399)
Staff Accounts	2	5	15
Inventory Locations	Up to 4	Up to 5	Up to 8
Reports	Basic	Professional	Custom
Shipping Discount	Up to 77%	Up to 88%	Up to 88%

Follow these steps to ensure a smooth migration and get your Shopify store ready for Australian customers.

How to Migrate to Shopify In ⌛ 5 Minutes (2024⚡ | Non-Techie …

Pre-Migration Planning

Careful preparation is key when moving your store to Shopify. Here’s how to get your store ready for a seamless transition.

Store Data Backup

Shopify doesn’t offer automatic backups, so you’ll need to manually export and secure your store data.

• Key Store Data: Save CSV files for:
  • Product catalogue and inventory
  • Customer database
  • Order history
  • Gift card codes
  • Discount codes
  • Financial records
• Store Theme and Assets: Download files like:
  • Theme templates
  • Stylesheets
  • Custom images
  • Brand assets

Shopify Plan Selection

Picking the right Shopify plan is important for Australian businesses. Each plan has features tailored to different needs.

Plan Feature	Basic	Shopify	Advanced
Monthly Cost (AUD)	$39	$105	$399
Staff Accounts	2	5	15
Inventory Locations	Up to 4	Up to 5	Up to 8
Reports	Basic	Professional	Custom
Shipping Discount	Up to 77%	Up to 88%	Up to 88%

Start with a free trial to explore what each plan offers and figure out which one fits your business best. Plans can be upgraded as your store grows.

Shopify Account Setup

Setting up your Shopify account correctly from the beginning will make the migration process easier. Here’s what to do:

• Initial Setup: Create your Shopify account and configure the basics. Make sure to remove protocols (http: and https:) from asset URLs to keep them accessible.
• Content Review: Go through your content and make updates. Archive old products, refresh descriptions, adjust pricing, and fine-tune your inventory.
• Migration Strategy: Decide how to transfer your content based on the size and complexity of your store. Options include:
  • Importing CSV files
  • Using third-party migration apps
  • Manual data transfer
  • Hiring professional migration services

With these steps, you’ll be ready to export your data and proceed with confidence.

Data Export Steps

Exporting your store data is a crucial step for a smooth migration to Shopify.

Product and Inventory Export

Start by exporting your product data as a UTF-8 CSV file.

When handling product exports, keep these points in mind:

• Image Links: Product images aren’t embedded in CSV files. Keep your current store live during the migration to ensure image URLs remain accessible.
• CSV Structure: Avoid reordering entries in the file, as it can disrupt product variant associations.
• Relevance: Only export active and relevant products.

Your product export file should include the following:

Data Type	Required Fields	Format Requirements
Basic Info	Title, Description, SKU	UTF-8 encoded text
Pricing	Regular Price, Sale Price	AUD currency values
Inventory	Stock Level, Weight	Metric units (kg)
Categories	Product Type, Tags	Comma-separated values

After completing the product export, move on to your customer and order data.

Customer and Order Export

Once product data is exported, focus on customer and order data. Handle this information carefully to avoid any loss.

Key customer data to include:

• Contact Details: Email, phone number, and address.
• Purchase History: Past orders and transactions.
• Account Preferences: Saved settings and preferences.
• Store Credits: Any available customer credits.

“Your data is completely protected with several security policies throughout the eCommerce migration, namely GDPR Compliance and Non-Disclosure Agreement.” – LitExtension

For larger stores, migration tools are available starting at AUD 79.

Export your data in this sequence:

1. Export product data first.
2. Follow with customer information.
3. Finish with historical order details.

Some data types need extra attention:

• Gift Cards and Store Credits: These require specific API access.
• Content Pages: Export blog posts and custom pages (e.g., shipping policy or about pages) separately.
• Passwords: Customer passwords cannot be transferred due to security protocols.

Keep your original store active until you confirm that all data has been successfully transferred.

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Data Import to Shopify

Bring your data into your Shopify store while keeping everything accurate and intact.

Shopify Import Tools

Shopify supports importing data using UTF-8 CSV files for products, customers, and inventory.

• Product Import: Use a CSV file formatted to include details like the product title, description, SKU, pricing in AUD, weight in kilograms, and stock levels.
• Customer Import: Upload customer information using Shopify’s CSV template, which includes contact details, purchase history, preferences, and shipping addresses.

For larger or more complex data sets, migration apps can make the process much easier.

Migration Apps

If you’re dealing with large catalogues or customised data, migration apps provide extra tools to simplify the job:

Feature	Advantage	Things to Note
Automated Syncing	Cuts down manual work	Requires occasional checks
Data Mapping	Keeps data relationships intact	May need set-up adjustments
Real-time Transfer	Reduces downtime	Relies on your bandwidth

When using these apps, turn off new order notifications to avoid sending unnecessary emails during historical order imports.

Manual Data Import

If automated tools don’t meet all your needs, manual data imports allow for more precise adjustments. Be sure to:

• Check Product Details: Verify pricing, weights, and stock levels after the import.
• Review Categories: Ensure category and subcategory structures are correct.

For bulk inventory updates:

1. Export an inventory CSV file as a template.
2. Update the quantities.
3. Re-import the updated CSV.

Keep in mind that new inventory imports replace existing data, so pause any other updates during this process.

Double-check all imported data before moving on to designing your store. Once everything looks good, you’re ready to start creating a store layout tailored for Australian shoppers.

Store Design Setup

Once your data is imported, it’s time to set up your store’s visual and functional elements to meet Australian requirements.

Theme Setup

Pick a theme that reflects your brand and suits your business goals. Shopify’s paid themes range from AUD 180 to AUD 350 and include tools for customisation.

Here are some tips:

• Make sure the theme is mobile-friendly.
• Use clear and intuitive navigation menus.
• Match your theme to your brand with complementary fonts, a consistent colour scheme, and uniform design elements.

Australian Store Settings

After selecting your theme, adjust your store’s settings to align with Australian standards.

Setting	Configuration	Purpose
Currency Display	AUD with $ symbol	Ensures clear pricing for Australian customers
Tax Settings	10% GST	Complies with Australian tax regulations
Date Format	DD/MM/YYYY	Matches Australian date formatting
Measurement Units	Metric (kg, cm)	Uses standard Australian measurement units

Don’t forget to include key business policies specific to Australia:

• GST registration details
• Consumer guarantees
• Returns and refunds policy that complies with Australian Consumer Law

Payment and Shipping Setup

With your design and local settings in place, the final step is to configure payment and shipping options tailored for Australian operations.

• Payment Gateways: Set up secure and trusted payment methods.
• Australia Post Integration: Use the Australia Post app to show real-time shipping rates, print labels, and enable tracking.

For your shipping profile:

• Domestic Shipping: Offer both Standard and Express delivery options.
• International Shipping: Add HS Tariff Codes, Country of Manufacture, and precise weights in kilograms.
• Address Validation: Use Shopify’s built-in tool to reduce delivery errors.

Testing and Optimisation

Store Testing

Thorough testing is key to ensuring your customers have a smooth shopping experience. Here’s what to focus on:

• Product Pages and Variants: Check that variant prices update correctly, ‘Add to cart’ is disabled for sold-out items, and product media and descriptions display properly.
• Checkout Process: Run test orders to verify payment processing and order confirmations.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Testing on mobile is a must. For instance, one business saw a 15% boost in mobile conversion rates after making CSS adjustments.

Here are some tools to streamline your testing process:

Testing Tool	Purpose	Key Features to Check
Google Lighthouse	Performance testing	Page load times, Core Web Vitals
BrowserStack	Cross-browser testing	Consistency across Chrome, Safari, Firefox
Chrome DevTools	Mobile emulation	Responsiveness on various screen sizes
Accessibility Insights	Accessibility audit	Screen reader compatibility, WCAG compliance

Once everything is tested and functional, set up URL redirects to retain your SEO rankings.

URL Redirect Setup

Shopify’s redirect tool helps you maintain SEO rankings when URLs change. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Use Google Search Console to locate and export any 404 errors.
2. In the Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects.
3. Create 301 redirects, which preserve 90–99% of the ranking power for new pages.

Shopify Redirect Limitations:

• Standard plans allow up to 100,000 redirects.
• URLs starting with “/apps”, “/cart”, or “/shop” cannot be redirected.
• Fixed paths like “/products” and “/collections” are also non-editable.

After setting up redirects, focus on preparing your team for the live environment.

Staff Training

Training your staff in a sandbox environment can help avoid operational hiccups during launch.

“There was no downtime when we made the switch to Shopify POS. We were able to train in a sandbox environment for a month and a half prior to the launch to allow our team to get used to the system.”

Consider these training modules to get your team up to speed:

Training Module	Content Focus	Duration
Store Navigation	Admin panel basics, product management	2–3 hours
Order Processing	Payment handling, shipping setup	2–3 hours
Customer Service	Returns, refunds, account management	2–3 hours
Inventory Management	Stock updates, variant tracking	2–3 hours

Final Steps

With your data imported and store tested, it’s time to tackle the final steps before launching your Shopify store.

Migration Summary

Double-check every key migration detail:

Review product information, customer accounts, order histories, and settings specific to Australia, like GST compliance, shipping zones, and payment methods. Pay extra attention to variant products to avoid any import issues.

Once you’ve verified these elements, move on to the pre-launch tasks outlined below.

Pre-Launch Checklist

These last checks ensure everything is ready for your store to go live.

Category	Critical Checks	Action Required
Content	Review essential pages	Check the homepage, About page, FAQ, and shipping policy for errors or updates
Technical	Payment processing and integrations	Set payment gateways to production mode
Analytics	Tracking setup	Set up Google Analytics and Search Console
Operations	Customer service readiness	Remove test data and ensure your support team is prepared

Final Technical Preparations:

• Turn on maintenance mode during the last migration steps
• Switch all payment methods to production mode
• Delete any test orders or sample data
• Confirm your Google Tag Manager container is published

SEO Essentials:

Before launching, verify that meta descriptions are accurate for all pages. Ensure your sitemap is accessible, and check that third-party integrations and customer feedback tools are fully functional.

Are you thinking about transitioning to Shopify? Alinga makes transferring effortless, safe, and easy. We manage every aspect, from data and product transfers to design copy and SEO maintenance, so your store operates seamlessly. Don’t allow your fear of technology to restrict you. You can have confidence in Alinga to offer an effortless transition to Shopify and to prepare your business for significant growth. To start the transformation, contact us right away!