Switching from PrestaShop to Shopify can make managing your online store easier and more efficient. Shopify offers a user-friendly platform with built-in security, automatic updates, and 24/7 support. Here’s a quick overview of the process and benefits:
Why Shopify?
- Reliability: 99.98% uptime ensures your store stays online.
- Support: 24/7 assistance whenever you need it.
- Predictable Costs: Starting at AUD 29/month, with no hidden hosting or add-on fees.
- Features: SEO tools, automated backups, and Australian-specific settings like GST and shipping zones.
Steps to Migrate:
- Back up your PrestaShop data (products, orders, and customer info).
- Set up your Shopify store with Australian preferences (AUD, GST, etc.).
- Transfer data (products, customers, orders) using migration tools.
- Verify everything – products, images, and URLs – to ensure accuracy.
- Set up 301 redirects to maintain your SEO rankings.
Post-Migration Essentials:
- Test payment methods, shipping, and site functionality.
- Monitor SEO rankings and fix any broken links.
- Ensure all third-party apps and integrations are working properly.
Migrating to Shopify is straightforward, and with careful planning, you can minimise downtime and maintain your store’s performance.
Before You Start
Create Prestashop Backups
Make sure to back up all store data – both files and the database – before starting the migration.
| Backup Type | Components | Recommended Method |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Products, orders, customers | Use PhpMyAdmin export with LOCK TABLES |
| Files | Images, themes, configurations | Create a compressed archive via FTP/SSH |
| Custom Content | Modules, themes, translations | Manually save to local storage |
In March 2023, ‘Gadget Universe‘ avoided losing AUD 50,000 by restoring operations within just 4 hours, thanks to their weekly backup routine.
Once your backups are secured, you can move on to setting up your Shopify store with the appropriate local configurations.
Configure Shopify Store
Set up your new Shopify store with Australian preferences:
- Create a Shopify account and choose the Basic plan (AUD 39/month).
- Adjust settings to match local requirements:
- Currency: AUD
- Time zone: Australian Eastern Standard Time
- GST: 10%
- Set up Australian shipping zones and rates.
Review Data Requirements
Prepare your store data for migration:
| Data Category | Migration Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Products | High | Includes images, variants, descriptions |
| Customer Data | Medium | Ensure privacy compliance and accurate contact details |
| Order History | Low | Focus on the past 12 months for relevance |
“It is strongly recommended not to leave your backups at the root of your store or in another place that could be publicly exposed.” – PrestaShop Developer Documentation
Make sure to clean up your data: remove protocols (like http: and https:) from asset URLs and strip HTML tags from product descriptions. This will help prevent display issues in your new Shopify store.
Data Transfer Steps
Link Your Stores
To connect your Prestashop and Shopify stores, you’ll need the following:
- Store URLs: The domain names for both your Prestashop and Shopify stores.
- API Access: Shopify Admin API credentials to enable a secure transfer.
- Connector File: A migration tool connector to link Prestashop with the migration service.
Download the connector file and upload it to the root directory of your Prestashop store using FTP.
Set Up Data Fields
Accurate mapping of data fields is key to ensuring the information transfers correctly between platforms. Here’s an example of how fields align:
| Data Type | PrestaShop Field | Shopify Field |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Product Reference | SKU |
| Categories | Category Tree | Collections |
| Customers | Customer Groups | Customer Tags |
| Orders | Order Status | Fulfillment Status |
Your Prestashop store will remain operational during the migration, so order processing won’t be interrupted. Once your fields are mapped, you can move forward with transferring and verifying the data.
Complete Data Transfer
Keep an eye on the transfer process to ensure everything migrates correctly:
- Initial Migration: Start with a small batch of 10–20 products to confirm field mappings are accurate, including variants, images, and descriptions.
- Full Transfer: Migrate the following data in its entirety:
- Product catalogue, including images and variants
- Customer profiles and order history
- Category structures and relationships
- Any custom fields and metadata
- Verification Process:
| Element | Verification Method | Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Compare product counts | Match within 1% variance |
| Images | Visual inspection | All primary images loaded |
| Orders | Sample audit | Order totals match exactly |
| URLs | Automated checking | No broken product links |
You can also customise language mapping and order status mapping to ensure your data displays correctly on the new platform.
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After Migration Tasks
Once your data transfer is complete, the next step is to confirm everything is accurate and ensure your new store operates without issues.
Check Data Accuracy
Carefully review the transferred data to confirm everything is correct. Focus on these key areas:
| Element | Success Criteria |
|---|---|
| Products | Ensure product counts match within 1%, including variants and metadata |
| Pricing | Verify AUD symbols and decimal formatting are correct |
| Images | Confirm all product images load properly and include alt text |
| Inventory | Check stock levels and ensure all variants are complete |
If you spot any problems, such as unpublished items, missing variants, or incomplete details, address them immediately.
Set Up URL Redirects
To protect your SEO rankings, set up 301 redirects for your old URLs:
- Go to Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects in Shopify.
- Match each PrestaShop URL to its corresponding Shopify URL.
- Test every redirect to ensure it works as expected.
“When you change eCommerce platforms, URL’s for products, pages and categories will often change… When you have a page that ranks high in search engines like Google you will want to preserve your SEO rankings when you move your site by creating 301 redirects for all of your current pages.” – Pinehurst Websites
Use Google Search Console to identify any 404 errors. Fix these by creating specific redirects instead of sending users to your homepage.
Test Store Functions
After setting up your redirects, test all key store functions to ensure a smooth experience for your customers.
Payment Processing
- Test all available payment methods.
- Check that order confirmation emails are sent correctly.
- Confirm inventory updates after purchases.
Mobile and Performance
- Ensure your site looks and works well on different devices.
- Test the checkout process thoroughly.
- Check site speed and search functionality.
- Verify navigation and filtering options.
Run test orders with different scenarios to confirm shipping costs, tax calculations, and discount codes are working as they should.
Fixing Common Problems
Once you’ve completed your initial migration and function tests, it’s time to tackle typical challenges to ensure everything runs smoothly over the long term.
Protect Store Data
Set up multiple backup points to keep your data safe. Here’s a quick guide:
| Backup Type | Timing | What to Include |
|---|---|---|
| Full Database | Before migration starts | Products, customers, orders |
| Incremental | Every 24 hours during migration | New orders, inventory changes |
| Final Snapshot | After migration completion | Complete store configuration |
Double-check these backups after the migration is complete. Keeping your data secure is crucial for maintaining search rankings and ensuring app integrations work properly.
Keep Search Rankings
Maintaining your SEO rankings is essential for keeping your store visible online. Did you know that 31% of shoppers find products through search engines? To avoid losing traffic, handle URL changes with care.
“If managed correctly, your migration will not result in any traffic loss. That involves informing search bots of the new URL of every page and making as few changes as possible to both the content and the structure of your site.”
– Carla Wright, Merchant Engagement Lead at Shopify
To protect your rankings:
- Map URLs accurately to match old pages with new ones.
- Submit the new XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
- Use canonical tags to handle duplicate content.
- Monitor rankings closely during the first month after migration.
Once SEO is sorted, move on to verifying your third-party integrations.
Check App Connections
Ensure all third-party tools, like payment gateways and inventory systems, are functioning correctly. Here’s how to verify:
| Integration Type | Verification Steps | Common Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Payment Gateways | Test transactions with all methods | Currency symbol (AUD), decimal formatting |
| Inventory Systems | Check stock sync frequency | Real-time updates, variant mapping |
| Marketing Tools | Verify tracking codes | Event tracking, customer segments |
For more complex integrations, you may want to use specialised migration services to handle custom requirements. After you’ve confirmed your data and SEO are in order, run tests on all automated processes and scheduled tasks. Use sample data to make sure everything works before handling live customer information.
Wrapping Up
Moving your store to Shopify demands thorough preparation to ensure everything goes smoothly. A well-executed migration safeguards your data, keeps your store running efficiently, and maintains a positive experience for your customers. Here’s a summary of the key steps covered earlier.
Migration Checklist
Use this guide to double-check you’ve handled each step:
| Phase | Key Actions | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Migration | Back up your database, Set up Shopify | Backup confirmed, Store configuration done |
| Data Transfer | Map data fields, Test with demo migration | Accurate product and customer data |
| Post-Migration | Set up redirects, Check data accuracy | No 404 errors, Search rankings intact |
Following these steps ensures you’re applying the best practices at every stage.
“You should expect a dip in SEO performance after Google consumes your redirects, identifies the new site, crawls every page, and transfers its authority, affecting your SEO keyword rankings. My takeaway is that if there is a dip of about 20% for less than six weeks, you can consider that a successful migration.” – David Rubie, Co-founder and CEO of Sticker it
Take inspiration from BackJoy, an orthotics company that successfully migrated to Shopify. By prioritising search engine indexing and careful migration practices, they achieved a 101% boost in sales from organic traffic in the first month and saw a 22% increase in conversions over six months.
To keep your store thriving after the migration:
- Monitor analytics daily: Watch traffic and conversion trends closely.
- Listen to customer feedback: Address any concerns quickly.
- Test store functionality: Ensure payment, inventory, and order systems work flawlessly.
- Check app integrations: Confirm all third-party tools are set up correctly.
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