Changing platforms can always seem like a daunting process, but if you want to migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce you’ll be pleased to know it’s a lot simpler than you may have expected.
If you know why you want to make the switch, such as wanting open source flexibility, then the Shopify to WooCommerce migration is something worth considering.
This guide details how to migrate to WooCommerce efficiently and preserve crucial data to maintain your store’s functionality throughout the transition.
Connect your WooCommerce store with Omnisend and send automated emails with ease
Before making any changes to an online store, it’s important to back up all data carefully to prevent bugs, glitches, or data loss. In the event of an unforeseen problem, you’ll be able to undo the damage and recover the important data your business relies on.
Unfortunately, Shopify doesn’t offer a backup functionality. Nonetheless, you can choose to export your data through a CSV file, which you can import to your new WooCommerce store later. Shopify allows you to export products, customers, orders, gift cards, discount codes, and financial data.
To export CSV files from your Shopify website, follow these steps:
From your Shopify admin, go to Products > All products
Click Export
From the dialog box, choose the products you want to export and the type of CSV file you want to export
2. Create a WooCommerce store
To import to WooCommerce, you need to set up a website first. To do this, you’ll need to install WordPress since WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress. Once installed, you can proceed to set up WooCommerce.
To get WooCommerce, go to Plugins in your WordPress admin and click Add New. Search for WooCommerce and then click Install Now. Once the installation is complete, click Activate Now to launch the WooCommerce Wizard.
Now WooCommerce is up and ready for you to start publishing and selling products.
How to migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce in 3 steps
While you can use the WooCommerce Product Importer to import product data from Shopify to WooCommerce, this method requires a lot of manual uploading and might be time-consuming. Instead, you can use a tool to handle your migration!
LitExtension automates the entire process of transferring data from Shopify to WooCommerce for merchants, and enables you to import data that you can’t with a simple CSV file.
To start your migration, simply create a new account on the LitExtension site. Once registered, you can immediately start your migration by clicking the Create new migration button.
1. Set up source cart and target cart
To start the Shopify to WooCommerce migration process, you’ll first need to provide information about your current Shopify store in the Source Cart Setup section.
Choose Shopify from the drop-down list under Source Cart Type, and enter your website URL and Shopify API password.
Next, you’ll need to provide information about your target WooCommerce store. Choose WooCommerce as your Target Cart Type, and enter the URL linked to your website.
You’ll also need to download and install the LitExtension Connector, a virtual bridge connecting the WooCommerce database with the LitExtension app. Extract the zip file and upload the Connector folder to your store’s root folder.
Once the Connector is installed, you’ll see a notification on your screen that says “Connection was successfully installed.“
With everything set up, you can now configure your migration. Click Next: Configure your Migration to proceed and follow the prompts to complete your migration.
2. Choose migration entities
To migrate your data to WooCommerce, you need to select the entities you want to move over. You can choose to migrate specific items, such as Products or Customers, or you can select everything by ticking the Select All box.
If you have complex data, such as customer passwords or product SEO URLs, you can use Additional Options to further enhance your migration capabilities.
For example, if your order IDs on Shopify and WooCommerce are mixed up, you can use the Preserve Order IDs on Target Store option to ensure that your order IDs are accurately transferred to your new website.
Finally, make sure to map your order status and language to ensure they’re displayed correctly on your WooCommerce site.
If you’d prefer to save time and effort during your migration process, you can use the LitExtensionAll-in-One Migration Package, which includes a personal assistant to handle your entire project.
3. Run full migration from Shopify to WooCommerce
To get started, click the Start free demo migration button to see how the process works. Alternatively, you can skip the demo and migrate your store right away.
The migration service is cloud-based, which means that you don’t need to keep your computer on during the process. You’ll receive an email notification when the migration is complete.
Once the migration is finished, check both the front end and back end of your Shopify store for errors. If you encounter any issues, contact LitExtension’s technical support team to resolve them.
Perform post-migration activities
After migrating from Shopify to WooCommerce, post-migration activities like recreating your website design ensure a smooth transition and optimize your experience with the new platform.
Integrate automated workflows into your marketing strategy with Omnisend’s plugin for WooCommerce
Upon visiting your WooCommerce store, you may have noticed that its pages look nothing like their Shopify counterparts. This is because you are still using one of the default WordPress themes.
At this point, you have two options for how to approach designing your new store:
Recreate the style of your Shopify store
Start over with a new WooCommerce template
Both approaches are valid and involve searching for the perfect WooCommerce theme for your shop.
On the one hand, recreating your Shopify store’s design can make the transition more seamless for existing customers.
On the other hand, WordPress offers significantly more customization options than Shopify does. With the CMS, you can access multiple plugins that work with WooCommerce and allow you to customize your store in any way you see fit.
To ensure that your customers can still find your products after the migration, you’ll need to redirect your Shopify URLs to your new WooCommerce URLs. This step is crucial to maintaining your search engine ranking and ensuring a smooth customer experience. With that being said, if you have chosen our “301 Redirect” additional option, you won’t need to worry about this matter after the migration.
The steps for changing which site a domain points to vary depending on which service you use to manage it. If you registered a domain directly through Shopify, you would need to edit your DNS settings using the platform.
If you use a domain registrar, you would need to update your records there. The process differs from registrar to registrar.
Run recent data migration
LitExtension ensures that your Shopify store will continue to function normally during the migration process to WooCommerce. This means that your existing store will still receive new orders and customers while you focus on configuring and setting up your new one.
Additionally, you don’t have to worry about newly generated data during the migration process. LitExtension offers a Recent Data Migration service that allows you to migrate recent data for free within three months after the initial migration.
Last check: Test your website
Test your website to help you identify any issues before launching your new store to the public. Check that all your products, payment, shipping options, and any plugins are working correctly.
Top reasons to migrate Shopify to WooCommerce
Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform providing an all-in-one package for your ecommerce store. That setup works for some businesses, but if you want complete control over customization, hosting, and pricing, the open-source WooCommerce is a much better fit.
Here are the top reasons to migrate:
WooCommerce gives you complete control over your store’s source code SEO, allowing you to edit every aspect without limitations
You can integrate with various payment gateways, including niche providers crucial for international businesses
WooCommerce offers free, comprehensive backup solutions, like Jetpack Backup, that can save your entire site and order information in real-time
With over 54,000 free WordPress plugins and 3,800+ WooCommerce-specific extensions, you can add virtually any functionality to your store
WooCommerce allows for complex product configurations like deposits, payment plans, and mix-and-match offerings
Unlike Shopify’s limit of 100 variations per product, WooCommerce lets you create unlimited product variations
WooCommerce’s core platform is free, with costs limited to hosting, domain, and any premium extensions you choose
You’ll avoid Shopify’s monthly fees, which range from $29.99 to $299 annually, depending on the plan
Conclusion
The transition from Shopify to WooCommerce is more than just a platform switch – it’s an opportunity for business evolution, opening doors to enhanced customization, cost-effectiveness, and scalability that can propel your store to new heights.
LitExtension makes the migration easy in three steps:
Set up source cart and target cart
Choose migration entities
Run full migration from Shopify to WooCommerce
You can then recreate your site in WooCommerce (on WordPress) to ensure it performs like before. This is also an excellent opportunity to improve the design of your store and integrate new features to enhance your customer experience.
Get 30% OFF for 3 months + FREE $1000 value migration deal
OFFER
