Regardless of your reason for switching from BigCommerce to Shopify, transitioning between these platforms can be a significant project. It’s important to note that a simple copy-and-paste approach will not suffice. However, following our guide, you can successfully migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify.
Ways to Migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify
When migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify, there are three main approaches to consider. Your chosen method will depend on your available time, budget, and technical skills. You must rely on the manual method outlined below if you cannot hire a professional or invest in an automated tool.
Hire Professional Help
Hiring a web development agency or a professional to handle your migration is straightforward. They’ll assess your technical requirements, move your data from BigCommerce, and install it on your Shopify account. This method requires minimal effort, and the hired professional will resolve any technical issues. However, this approach can be costly, and the total amount will depend on the size of your store and the project’s urgency. Consider vtlabs.org if you wish to entrust this task to an expert, as they offer professional migration services for Shopify.
Use a Migration Tool
Several automated tools like Cart2Cart can help you migrate your store with minimal manual effort. The tool handles the entire process, including the option to set up 301 redirects from BigCommerce to Shopify for an additional fee. Other migration tools to consider include LitExtension and Matrixify App. While these options can be more cost-effective than hiring a professional, they may not be as customizable to your unique requirements.
Manual Migration
Manual migration is an option if you have the technical expertise or prefer to migrate yourself. This method requires a few hours of your time to download CSV files from BigCommerce and upload them to Shopify. The bulk of the time goes to reviewing the data after importing it to Shopify, ensuring that everything is in the correct format and placed in the correct location.
Step 1. Register for a Shopify account
To migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify, create a Shopify account with a 14-day free trial. You’ll need to provide billing information to remove password protection from your store and start selling. Provide basic information about your store and industry, add a billing address, and specify if it’s a registered business. Using the assigned subdomain is recommended during the transition to prevent any issues with your BigCommerce store.
Step 2. Retrieve your data from BigCommerce
Here’s how you can export your data:
Product Data
- From your BigCommerce dashboard, navigate to Products > Export.
- Select the Default Export Template and File Format options.
- A dialog box will pop up. Click on “Export my products to a CSV file,” and the file will download to your computer.
- Return to the Export Template and File Format Options and select Bulk Edit. Click Continue.
- Click on “Export My Products to a CSV file,” and another CSV file containing more product details and variant data will download.
Customer Data
- From your BigCommerce dashboard, go to Customers > Export.
- Select the Default Export Template and File Format options.
- A dialog box will appear. Click on “Export my customers to a CSV file,” and the file will download to your computer.
- Note: It is not possible to migrate customer passwords due to encryption. Customers will need to reset their passwords and activate their accounts. However, Shopify Plus users can utilize the Bulk Account Inviter tool to prompt customers to reset their password and create their accounts.
Order Data
- From your BigCommerce dashboard, navigate to Orders > Export.
- Select the Default Export Template and File Format options.
- A dialog box will appear. Click on “Export my orders to a CSV file,” and the file will download to your computer.
Step 3: Transfer BigCommerce Store Data to Shopify Store
To import BigCommerce data to your Shopify store, download CSV files from BigCommerce and use the Store Importer app on your Shopify Admin panel to upload the files. Choose BigCommerce from the drop-down menu, add the exported files, then click Import. Select BigCommerce from the platform drop-down menu at the bottom of the page if needed.
Step 4: Check Imported Data for Accuracy
After importing your data to Shopify, review it to ensure accuracy. Manually add any missing orders, customers, or products. Note that orders imported from other platforms are only for historical purposes and are set to Archived status in Shopify.
Step 5: Add Data Manually or Re-Import Data
If any information is missing after the import, you can add it manually. Click “Start new import” to re-import data and update the existing import. If the previous import includes customer data, the customers are updated. If new import data contains products already in your Shopify store, the new import skips them. To manually add products or customers, go to the respective dashboard pages, click “Add,” enter the information, and save. This process is similar to the Android and iPhone apps.
Step 6: Finalizing Design Elements
Choose a free or paid theme from the Shopify Theme Marketplace. If you can’t find one you like, consider paying for a custom theme.
Step 7: Connect Your Domain
You can do this by going to Settings > Domains in your Shopify admin panel and clicking “Connect Existing Domain.” Alternatively, transfer your domain to Shopify to manage it from within your Shopify admin. If you need to set up 301 redirects for old BigCommerce URLs, go to Online Store > Navigation and use URL Redirects or an app like Easy Redirects to save time.
Ready to migrate to Shopify?
With this guide, you can now migrate your store from BigCommerce to Shopify. If you need assistance, we recommend hiring Shopify developers from VT Labs, one of the top three Shopify development companies. This will ensure a smooth migration process with no loss of data or significant downtime, while also preserving your hard-earned SEO. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.
