In this article, we will guide you through the process of migrating your Shopify site to WooCommerce.
Please note that the migration will work for the products and the other data that you have but not for the design. After the migration is completed you must redesign your site by recreating the design of your Shopify store or start over with a new WooCommerce template.
1. Why you should consider moving your site from Shopify to WooCommerce?
Let’s start with some of the main potential benefits:
Enhanced Flexibility and Customization
WooCommerce offers a higher degree of flexibility and customization compared to Shopify. This means that we can tailor the online store more precisely to your unique requirements and provide a truly personalized experience for your customers.
Total Ownership and Control
With WooCommerce, you gain complete ownership and control over your website. This level of control is especially valuable for businesses that want to have a hands-on approach to their online presence.
Integration with WordPress Ecosystem
WooCommerce seamlessly integrates with the WordPress ecosystem. This provides you access to a vast array of plugins and themes that can enhance the functionality and appearance of your online store. It allows for a more tailored and comprehensive approach to meeting your specific business needs.
Content Marketing Synergy
If content marketing plays a crucial role in your strategy, WooCommerce, being part of the WordPress platform, allows for a seamless integration of content and commerce. WordPress is renowned for its blogging capabilities, and combining this strength with your e-commerce site can result in a more integrated and effective marketing strategy.
Scalability for Future Growth
WooCommerce is known for its scalability. As your business grows, WooCommerce can easily adapt to increased demands and provide a scalable solution for expanding your online presence.
2. Backing up your Shopify store.
Always is a good idea to back up your whole data before making any big changes like moving your site from one platform to another. One of the great disadvantages of Shopify is that the platform doesn’t offer backup functionality.
Shopify enables you to export product data in CSV format. However, you can’t back up the rest of your store’s details and design using the platform’s built-in functions. If you want access to real backup functionality, you’ll need to turn to the Shopify App Store. Here, you’ll find tools that add basic backup functionality to Shopify, such as Rewind Backups (there you will have a 7-day free trial period).
Please keep in mind that even with apps such as Rewind Backups, you might not be able to create complete copies of your Shopify store. However, you shouldn’t lose any of your store’s data
3. How to migrate from Shopify to Woocommerce in a couple of steps?
Here we will guide you through the process of migrating your site from Shopify to WooCommerce by following a few steps.
Step 1: Set Up WordPress
Installing WordPress with us is very easy. Here at WPX Hosting, we have a fully automatic process.
Step 2: Install WooCommerce
Once you have WordPress installed on your site you need to install WooCommerce. To do so, go to Plugins > Add New and type “WooCommerce” in the search bar at the top of the screen. Once you see the WooCommerce plugin just click on the “Install Now” button:
This process of downloading and installing the WooCommerce plugin will happen in the background, so don’t leave the page until the Activate button appears next to WooCommerce. Once it does, click on it:
That’s it! Now WooCommerce is up and ready to go. That means you can start publishing and selling products. But first, let’s see how to export the products from Shopify.
Step 3: Export Products From Shopify
As we mentioned before, Shopify allows you to export your product catalogue in CSV format. This file includes titles, slugs, tags, variants, and prices for the products you migrate.
To export your Shopify product data, go to your account and navigate to Product > All Products. This page will show a complete list of all the products in your store. It also includes options to import and export data and should look like this:
You need to select the Export button at the top of the screen, and Shopify will ask which products you want to export. Click on All products and select the CSV for Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheet programs option under Export as:
Once you click on Export products, Shopify will compile a CSV file including all your product data and send it to you via email. It might take a while to arrive, depending on how large your inventory is and will include a link to download the CSV file that contains all of your product information:
Great job! Let’s move to step 4 where you’ll need to import the Shopify into WordPress.
Step 4: Import Your Shopify Products Into WordPress
There are two ways that you can import Shopify products into WooCommerce. One method is to use the built-in product importer that WooCommerce has, and the other is through a migration service.
In this article, we’ll check the first method using the WooCommerce Product Importer. It’s very important to know that if you select this method you’re only importing products. All of your store’s data, such as customers, order history, images, and reviews, will remain in Shopify. In essence, you’re starting over using WooCommerce with your existing inventory and a blank store slate.
However, if this is not a dealbreaker for you let’s check how to import that CSV file from the previous step.
First, you need to select Tools then Import settings, and choose WooCommerce products (CSV) Run the Importer button:
On the next page, WooCommerce will ask you to choose the file you want to import. There’s also an option for updating existing products using the data from a CSV file. You can leave that box unchecked.
Then you need to press the Choose File button, select the CSV file, and click on Continue:
The next screen includes a couple of options for matching product data from the CSV file to WooCommerce fields:
You can go through that list of options and decide which data you want to import in WooCommerce and which you’re comfortable leaving out.
Once you’re happy with your choices, click on Run the Importer. WooCommerce will take a minute (or more) to import your Shopify product data. When the process is over, you’ll see a success message.
Please remember that WooCommerce won’t import product images, so you must upload those manually. It’s highly recommended to check out each item entry to ensure it’s not missing any critical information.
If product data is missing, you can always rerun the importer and make sure you’re porting the correct fields to WooCommerce. Overall, using the manual importer is not complicated, but it requires some micromanagement on your end.
Of course, you can always use a Service to Import Shopify Data into WooCommerce. There are entire plugins and services devoted to simplifying the process. The advantage of using Shopify migration tools is that they automate the whole process and enable you to port data that you can’t with a simple CSV file. Such tools for example are Cart2Cart, Amasty etc.
Step 5: Point Your Domain to WooCommerce
You should already have a fully working WooCommerce store that includes all of your Shopify products. However, there are still a couple of things left to do, including updating your domain records since currently, your domain is still pointing to your Shopify store.
The process for changing which site a domain points to varies depending on which service you use to manage it. If you use a domain registrar, you’ll need to update your records there.
If you registered a domain directly through Shopify, you’d need to edit your DNS settings using the platform. Alternatively, some web hosts such as WPX enable you to update your domain records from your hosting control panel.
Of course, if you have any issues pointing the domain to WPX you can always contact our friendly support staff team and they will assist you with everything possible.
Step 6: Configure Your WordPress Permalinks
WordPress enables you to decide your URL structure, including for WooCommerce products. The default WordPress URL structure is usually not very user-friendly and also it’s not SEO-friendly.
To change your store’s URL Structure, go to Settings > Permalinks > Product permalinks and select the option that you prefer:
The option that is recommended is the Standard structure.
It’s important to note that you need to choose a permalink structure when starting your WooCommerce store. Changing link structures at a later point can impact your site’s SEO and cause errors within your website.
Step 7: Recreate Your Shopify Store’s Design
At this point, you’re still using one of the default WordPress Themes so basically you have two options for how to approach your new design:
- Recreating the style of your Shopify store
- Starting over with a new WooCommerce template
Both options are great so it’s really up to you and your decision on how you want your store to look.
Step 8: Configure Your WooCommerce Settings
Importing products into WooCommerce and customizing your store’s style is just the beginning. Before you can start selling products via WooCommerce, you still need to configure a variety of settings, such as:
- Payment and shipping options
- Security settings
- Email notification options
- Product settings
- Tax options
The official WooCommerce documentation includes a complete guide on how to configure its settings.
4. Summary
In conclusion, migrating your site from Shopify to WooCommerce can be a challenging process. By following the steps outlined in this guide and dedicating time to thorough planning and execution, you can successfully transition your online store to a new platform with minimal disruption.
With the transition from Shopify to WooCommerce you can leverage the flexibility and customization options of WooCommerce to create a tailored and powerful e-commerce solution for your business.
If you get stuck with anything discussed on this page, please get in touch with the WPX Support Team via live chat (use the bottom right-hand widget) and they will respond and help within 30 seconds or less.