Proper preparation for migration is a guarantee of a fast and successful transition to a new platform. As a first step, you should consider what store features you want to keep or improve, and what you want to get rid of that didn’t work in the previous solution. Here are some key aspects to look out for when planning integration with Shopify Plus:
Examine the site architecture – migrating to a new platform is a good time to analyze issues such as how users use the navigation, which subpages provide the most traffic, generating the most customers. Preparing a list with the entire site architecture and downloading data from Google Analytics before the migration will allow you to compare the results after time, checking whether the switch to Shopify Plus was a good choice.
Create a list of all links – a list of urls will allow you to create a map of redirects to the new site. Moving the platform may change the link target structure. In the case of Shopify, products are divided into collections, which makes the target link have one of two possible forms: domain/product type/product name
or
domain/collection/type of product/product/name of product.
Determine the look of your store – using Shopify Plus, you gain access to an extensive library of templates. You can also map the look of the store 1:1. Shopify is based on its own language for front-end programming – Liquid. You also have the option to build a template from scratch, but in this case it will be necessary to perform a site usability study.
Create a list of plugins and apps you use – migration is a good time to consider what functionality you need to run and further develop your store. Shopify Plus provides extensive integration capabilities by providing more than 13 000 apps to install in eCommerce.
Prepare content for the migration – product descriptions, metadata, blog articles, homepage content, “about us” description, content on other subpages, images, etc., i.e. everything that affects the positioning of the site.
Shopify Plus integration in 7 steps
Once you’re ready to migrate, it’s time to move on. Here’s how to migrate to Shopify Plus in 7 steps:
Development of the project backlog – at this stage the scope of the store migration is defined, a list of tasks to be performed is created and a work schedule is prepared.
Setup configuration – during this step, a Shopify development environment is created, which is then linked to a repository on GitHub to back up the store. The Shopify Plus account is then prepared for further development work. The main design styles (colors, fonts, buttons, spacing) are adjusted just during this step. Payment and delivery methods are also adjusted.
Template selection and customization – the next step is to select and upload a template and verify that the store navigation is complete. Important at this stage is the creation of a 404 error page displayed when the old site address is entered.
Installing applications and plugins – it’s time to integrate with applications and tools for automating sales, store operations or marketing.
Data transfer – it’s time to import key information into Shopify Plus: product database, customer and order lists, and content from the existing store (blog and individual pages). Choosing the right tools for migration depends on the complexity and scope of the data to be replatformed.
Platform testing – this is an essential step to check that the migration was successful and everything works properly. During this stage, you should check the design, the operation of installed applications and the correctness of processes taking place inside the store.
Launching the store – at this point you should analyze the checklist of implementation work prepared at the very beginning. If everything has been implemented and the platform works as expected – the store on Shopify is already visible to customers!
Thinking about switching to a Shopify Plus plan, but want to make sure it’s the right solution for you? As an official partner of Shopify and Shopify Plus, we would be happy to advise you on a tailor-made solution for your eCommerce business – contact us.
