Shopify Essentials; Things You Need To Consider Before Migrating To Shopify

Migrating To Shopify

If you’re a business owner or an online seller who’s been thinking about migrating to Shopify, then this blog post is for you. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the essential things you need to consider when it comes to Shopify Audiences before making the switch. So if you’re ready to take your business to the next level, keep reading!

#	Factors To Consider
1	Back-office Integration: Back-office integrations are the crux of online stores, therefore it is vital that the Shopify theme is compatible with the necessary back-office systems. The most productive way to do this is by hiring a Web Development Company experienced in integrating Shopify ecommerce websites
2	Blog Posts And Articles: Migrating to Shopify means your previously published blog posts and articles are one of the biggest challenges when it comes shifting to the new platform. Therefore, extra care should be applied to ensure the SEO ranking of the content is not affected by the shift. This can be done by either hosting media files externally, using an app from the Shopify store, or hiring an SEO Service Agency.
3	Customer Passwords: You can easily migrate your customer records, including sensitive or encrypted information like customer passwords by using the Bulk Account Inviter feature in the Shopify Plus plan. It will instantly send customers and activated accounts an email to remind them to reset the passwords of their accounts on your newly migrated website.
5	Shopify Plugins: Plugins that can assist in migrating data from your old ecommerce website to your new Shopify store.
6	Shopify Support: User experience is key for boosting customer satisfaction and inducing customer loyalty. Therefore, the support needs to be impeccable for optimum user experience. Thankfully, Shopify offers just that to its clients.
7	Pricing & Plans Models Of Shopify: Shopify has a total of four main pricing models that charge on a monthly basis. The Basic Shopify model, Shopify model, Advanced Shopify model, and Shopify Plus model. Each has varying features available according to the prices and charges up to $29, $79, $299, and $2000 USD, respectively.
8	Protocol-Independent Assets: Some assets from the previous platform can be protocol-dependent and thus will not be accessible when importing them to Shopify. To rectify this, they need to be converted to protocol-independent assets which is accomplished by removing specific protocols such as http: and https: from their URLs.
9	URL Redirects: The risk of losing potential and previous customers is at an all-time high when migrating to a new platform, so to make sure that does not happen, URL redirects can be used to improve the user experience. You can easily manage your redirects by importing and exporting them using the URL Redirects feature available to Shopify users.

What To Consider Before Migrating Your Online Business To Shopify?

If you’re like most business owners, you’ve probably considered migrating to Shopify at some point. But making the switch can be intimidating – it’s a big decision, and there’s a lot to consider. What does that involve exactly? In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the platform and Shopify Audiences before making the move. So read on to learn more about Shopify migration and see if it’s right for your business.

 

Also Read:  10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Website 

• Back-office Integrations:

You’ll need to ensure that your new theme is compatible with the necessary back-office systems and find out if developers can work through Shopify’s API. There are 1000+ apps in their app store designed for integrating 3rd party software, but this may not apply depending on what kind of integration you’re looking at!

An efficient way for you to do just that is by hiring the services of a Web Development Company with a great portfolio of Shopify business migration under its belt.

• Blog Posts And Articles:

The Shopify platform includes many tools that make it easy to migrate your blog posts and articles. However, you must use a relative path when replacing embedded images in these files as they may no longer exist on the hosting server where they originated from.

Hosting media files externally or using an app from the Shopify store will save you time and hassle when migrating your website. You can even enlist the help of an SEO Service Agency to help you ease into the migration process of your blog posts and articles to Spotify.

• Customer Passwords:

When you migrate your account from another platform to Shopify, only customer records are imported. This makes it easy for the business owner who is already managing multiple accounts in their management tool of choice – but things get more difficult when they need to transfer sensitive or encrypted information like customer passwords.

However, this issue can be resolved for Spotify Plus users. The Bulk Account Inviter is a Shopify Plus feature that sends customers and activated accounts an email to remind them to reset the passwords of their accounts.

• Shopify Plugins:

If you are looking for the best plugins that will assist your ecommerce business in data migration, then Shopify offers the perfect Plugins for all your migration needs in their app store. All these Plugins can help bulk transfer all of the customer and product information from your old store onto Shopify without any hassle or complexity–and they’re equally efficient!

Some of the most popular and easy-to-use plugins for Shopify are the Matrixify App, which can be used to migrate data in bulk from your old website; the Cart2Shop Store Migration App that helps you move all products at once with just one click; the Transporter App is perfect if there’s a lot stored on another site, it’ll help transfer it quickly, while the Store Importer App allows you to import everything in your already present e-commerce store to Shopify’s platform!

If you are still iffy about how to transfer your store data, you can employ the help of an expert that specializes in bulk data import in the ecommerce world.

• Shopify Support:

Shopify offers 24/7 support for optimum user experience with the platform, including phone calls and email inquiries. You can also get live help through chat to resolve specific problems or ask questions about how things work; this is completely free!

In addition, if you purchase a theme from their store then they typically offer several months’ worth of free telephone technical assistance but be aware that not all designers within our industry are based out of the US–so do some research before choosing which provider will best serve what you need.

• Pricing & Plans Models Of Shopify:

Shopify has four main monthly pricing models, but they have a fifth option in Shopify Lite for Facebook sellers. Shopify makes it easy to trade online by providing its own ‘Shopify payments’ system. You don’t need any lengthy applications with Internet Merchant & Online Payment Providers because you just have your legitimate bank account and card details available, so the barriers of entry are extremely low when compared against other more traditional routes for trading online!

Going with the Shopify Payments model will give you access to low, competitive transaction fees without any additional scaling costs. You can however use other third-party payment providers that charge lower rates but beware: they may come at a cost of their own!

You can use other third-party payment providers for lower transaction fees but you’ll still get charged additional per purchase scaling rates at 2%, 1%, and 0.5%. This might be worthwhile if your store has a high number of sales per month because it’s more cost-effective than moving onto the Shopify Payments model with its own setup costs as well as monthly fee which can range anywhere between $0 -$1500 depending on what features are enabled/needed in addition to varying international exchange rates throughout each year.

Yes, you will pay more per transaction but when considering all of the business benefits mentioned above it’s worth every penny. You will find that your ecommerce store is much more than just a website. You can run it on autopilot with 24/7 support and never worry about bandwidth or hosting costs again!

• Basic Shopify-$29:

It is perfect for people who want to start their businesses. You get the vast majority of features and functionality except for Gift Cards, Professional Reports, Advanced Report Builder, or Third-party Calculated Shipping rates which all show calculated rates with your account at checkout! However, transaction fees are a little higher when making transactions in supermarkets due to 2%.

• Shopify-$79:

If you’re an established e-commerce business with a lot of traffic, this plan might be perfect for your needs. Of course, you won’t have access to all the features and functionality that come with our most expensive plans. Still, if Google Analytics is what’s already helping drive revenue through organic channels – then we’ve got something special just waiting on top! In addition, transaction fees will remain low at only 1%.

• Advanced Shopify-$299:

This plan is a great choice for e-commerce businesses with high transaction numbers. The fees are slightly lower per transaction, costing 1% + 20c less than the $79 package, but you get all its features and functionality too!

• Shopify Plus-$2000:

This plan is perfect for global e-commerce businesses. It offers 100% of the features and functionality plus additional level support, some server side-scripts that will allow you to customize your checkout just slightly more than others without affecting performance or experience in any way. However, this does come for 1% + 20c extra per purchase, which means it can add up quickly if running multiple stores with high traffic levels!

Also Read: When is it worth to upgrade to Shopify Plus

• Protocol-Independent Assets:

By removing specific protocols such as http: and https: from their URLs, you can ensure that all store assets are always accessible on your Shopify store. These assets may include your theme files, stylesheets, or product images.

• URL Redirects:

Minimizing the risk of losing customers who return to a page and find it unavailable after you’ve migrated is important. Create URL redirects so they can always get back on track with their browsing experience!

The URL Redirects page lets you manage redirects easily by importing and exporting them. This is especially useful if your site needs a large number of management options! Here is a step-by-step run-through of how you can do just that:

• Step#1: To start your migration process, you will need to log in and navigate over the same platform that you were using before.

• Step#2: You can find the URL Redirects section in your account settings. The placement can often vary by platform, but if you’re unable to find where it is on a specific site or app then search for help through their Help Center instead!

• Step#3: You will need to type in or paste your old URL in from the field and enter a new Shopify URL in the to field in order to complete this process.
• To complete migration, repeat the process for each URL you want to redirect

Also Read: How to improve your website experience

Pros And Cons Of Migrating To Shopify:

Shopify is a popular ecommerce platform that many businesses use to sell online. It has many features and benefits that can be helpful for digital marketers and online sellers. However, it’s not perfect and there are some potential drawbacks to consider before making the switch. Let’s explore the pros and cons of migrating to Shopify so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not it’s right for your business.

Pros:

When compared to other online stores, Shopify offers the following advantages to the ecommerce businesses hosted on their platform:

Easy To Manage Your Ecommerce Store:

Shopify is a powerful platform to host your online shop. The platform’s simple design, combined with powerful features like the shopping cart that can be set up easily and drag-and-drop builder customizable elements make it easy for you to manage on daily basis, allowing you the freedom of movement that best suits your specific demands!

Integrate With Amazon Effortlessly:

Shopify sellers in the United States can now use Amazon as a selling channel on your Shopify store. This integration will allow you to take advantage of all that they have going for it—from their vast customer base and easy payment options, down even including marketing tools like PPC campaigns!

Create Amazon listings from existing products and fulfill orders within the Shopify admin panel. You can sync your available inventory across all active sales channels with this simple integration!

Comprehensive App Store With Variety Of Plugins:

Shopify’s app store is a one-stop-shop for any business looking to automate its tasks. Whether you’re interested in accounting, customer service, importing your data, shipping, or inventory management – there are apps that will help get the job done!

Countless Themes And Templates:

The free storefront templates that are available on this site will help you to retain customers and give your business an aesthetically pleasing look. There are also paid options for those who need more than just the basic designs, with colors and designs galore!

Marketing Tools For Best Performance:

The platform provides a wide range of marketing tools that will be sure to help you grow your business. From automation, discounts, and social media selling capabilities – it has something for everyone!

Shopify’s SEO Is Superior:

Shopify is a great platform to build your e-commerce business on because of its SEO friendliness. You can optimize the products in your store for search engines, even if you’re not an expert!

The organization features organized categories that will help improve results when people do searches online using keywords related specifically to your products–and there are plenty more free integrations available as well while some require extra payments.

Easy To Use Payment Gateways:

Shopify’s payment options are some of the most extensive around. With 100+ different gateways to choose from, you can find one that fits your business needs best: major, international, and additional ones by the country for extra security on transactions made online with Shopify’s platform as it handles them directly in the user dashboard!

Cons:

As an eCommerce solution, Shopify has many benefits but also some drawbacks. Before settling on this platform be aware of these limitations so you can decide which ones are worth it for your business!

Monthly Subscription Model For Add-On/Plugin Payments:

Shopify’s add-ons are not for everyone. You might want to think about whether or not you can afford them before installing anything in your store because most of these add-ons require a monthly payment!

Retrained Content:

Shopify is the perfect solution for online retailers who want to optimize their ecommerce store and sell their products. However, it doesn’t allow customers or shoppers anything else but product listings, so if you’re looking into adding videos and carousels onto your site this isn’t what will work best with them!

Difficult To Customize Without Tech Skills:

Shopify is a little more difficult to work with than other e-commerce platforms because of their own coding language called Liquid. If you want any changes made, then some level of tech skills will be necessary and it might take hiring an expert for the job!

Is Shopify The Right Choice For Your Ecommerce Business?

Making the decision to migrate your already existent online store is a big one. You’re choosing to transfer a business that is  entirely digital from one host to another, which comes with both advantages and disadvantages, as aforementioned. By weighing the abovementioned pros and cons, you can easily make the decision whether or not Shopify is the best place to migrate your business. If you are still indecisive, you can take a look at the undermentioned case studies we have provided to help you make up your mind:

Case Study No. 1:

When the team at Bluegg finished their second ecommerce project ever by Migrating Character.com from Magento to Shopify, they experienced a 40% rise in their conversion rate only three months into the relaunch. The main concern of this team was taking a new approach to design and UX which paid off unexpectedly well post-migration.

Case Study No. 2:

Createur is a digital agency that specializes in creating user-friendly websites with exceptional attention to detail. To migrate to Shopify, the team at Createur had to transfer almost 200,000 URLs—each one rich in data and mapping it perfectly over the platform.

They were confident that Shopify’s company culture would be compatible with their own internal ethos as they made this migration which will help them continue growing internally. Since migrating to Shopify, Createur has seen an 18% rise in its average order value and saved up to $300,000 a year in IT maintenance costs.

Case Study No. 4:

When Pixel Union first started building themes for Tumblr in 2008, they saw how ecommerce was growing and made their move to introduce themes into Shopify’s marketplace.

Pixel Union is now an established theme developer with eight themes in the Shopify Store and more on their way. They provide custom services to hundreds of merchants, employ 35 staff members across two offices, have already accumulated over 2k app downloads within two months of launching- all without any marketing spend!

Case Study No. 5:

With the growing competition in this industry, it was crucial that they upgraded their website technology. The team at Dr. Clark Store faced many problems with BigCommerce’s current framework and an evaluation showed how dangerous losing data would be for such a well-established business like theirs.

The need to change rushed them into action before anything else happened which could drastically hinder their business in the e-commerce world. The website is an online store and at the time of migration had more than 300 types of products, divided into 108 categories. The site also hosted 50 blog posts linked to different pages of the website.

The migration was performed manually by Out Origin’s team of Shopify migration experts and yielded a successful result of high user acquisition by a 99.7% increase and a 98.1% increase in page views within the three months of migration.

For your ease of comparison, here is the audience overview three months prior to the migration to Shopify:

Here is the audience overview three months after the migration to Shopify:

Conclusion:

If you are considering migrating to Shopify, there are several things you need to take into account. We’ve outlined the key considerations in this blog post, from back-office integrations to customer passwords. Make sure to read through each point and decide which ones are most important to you and your business. Once you have a good understanding of what is required, reach out to a Shopify Website Development Company for more help and guidance.