Step-by-Step Process to Shift from WooCommerce to Shopify

As the e-commerce industry evolves, so do the needs of online businesses. Many store owners who initially launched on WooCommerce are now making the switch to Shopify for a more streamlined, powerful, and scalable e-commerce experience. Shopify’s all-in-one platform, user-friendly interface, and excellent customer support make it a preferred choice for growing brands.

If you’re planning to shift your online store from WooCommerce to Shopify, this blog will walk you through the entire step-by-step process—ensuring a smooth migration with minimal disruption to your sales and SEO.

Why Shift from WooCommerce to Shopify?

Before diving into the steps, let’s look at why many businesses are making the switch:

• Ease of Use: Shopify’s drag-and-drop builder is far more beginner-friendly than WordPress + WooCommerce.

• No Hosting Hassles: Shopify is fully hosted, so you don’t need to worry about server management or downtime.

• Better Security: Built-in SSL certificates and PCI compliance make Shopify more secure.

• Support: 24/7 customer support is a major advantage for non-technical users.

• App Ecosystem: Shopify has thousands of apps to improve your store’s performance and marketing.

Now, let’s break down the WooCommerce to Shopify migration into actionable steps.

Step 1: Backup Your WooCommerce Store

Before you start the migration, always create a full backup of your WooCommerce site. This includes:

• Product data

• Customer information

• Order history

• Blog content

• Media files

You can use backup plugins like UpdraftPlus or Jetpack to securely save your data. This step ensures you have a safety net in case anything goes wrong during migration.

Step 2: Set Up Your Shopify Store

Go to Shopify and create an account. Shopify offers a free trial, so you can explore the platform before committing. Once signed up:

• Choose a theme that suits your brand

• Customize the basic design

• Set up general store settings (currency, location, tax, and shipping)

• Connect your domain (or prepare to transfer it)

You don’t need to perfect the design now—you’ll finalize it after the data is migrated.

Step 3: Choose a Migration Method

There are two main ways to migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify:

1. Manual Migration (Using CSV Files)

• Export your WooCommerce data: Products, customers, and orders

• Format the data according to Shopify’s import requirements

• Use Shopify’s import tool to upload the CSV files

2. Automated Migration Tools

This is the most efficient and safe method, especially for non-tech users. Some trusted tools include:

• Cart2Cart

• LitExtension

• Matrixify (formerly Excelify)

These tools can transfer products, customers, orders, blogs, SEO URLs, and more. Most offer a free demo migration to test the process before committing.

Step 4: Migrate Your Data

After selecting your method:

• Migrate products, including images, prices, SKUs, and descriptions

• Transfer customer data with names, email addresses, and order history

• Migrate order details, categories, and blog posts

• Check that product variants, images, and custom attributes are carried over properly

With automated tools, this process is often completed in just a few hours.

Step 5: Review and Reorganize

Once your data is on Shopify, review everything carefully:

• Check all products are displaying correctly

• Reorganize collections (Shopify’s version of categories)

• Customize your menu navigation

• Configure product filters and tags for better UX

Also, check that customer and order data has been migrated accurately.

Step 6: Set Up 301 Redirects for SEO

To preserve your search engine rankings, it’s critical to set up 301 redirects from your old WooCommerce URLs to your new Shopify URLs. Without redirects, visitors clicking on old links may land on 404 pages, hurting your SEO and user experience.

You can use Shopify apps like:

• Easy Redirects

• SEO Manager

This step ensures smooth transitions for your customers and search engines.

Step 7: Optimize Design and Functionality

Now that your content is live:

• Finalize your theme customization

• Add essential apps for SEO, marketing, reviews, and email

• Optimize mobile experience and page speed

• Set up payment gateways and test checkout

Ensure your store offers a frictionless, secure, and engaging shopping experience across all devices.

Step 8: Test Before Launch

Before going live:

• Place test orders

• Check all payment methods and shipping options

• Ensure all pages load correctly and quickly

• Confirm that email notifications (order confirmation, shipping updates) work

Testing helps you catch any final bugs or glitches before customers encounter them.

Step 9: Launch Your New Store

Once everything is tested and ready:

• Connect your domain to Shopify

• Re-submit your sitemap to Google Search Console

• Announce your new store on social media, email, and ads

Monitor performance closely using Shopify Analytics and Google Analytics to identify early issues and opportunities.

Conclusion

Migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify may feel like a big change, but it opens the door to better performance, security, and scalability. By following this step-by-step guide, you can confidently make the switch while protecting your data, SEO, and sales.

Whether you handle the migration yourself or hire a professional, the shift to Shopify can set the stage for long-term growth and e-commerce success.

Need help with your migration?
Let the experts at eWebWorld handle it for you—error-free and SEO-friendly.