WiziShop to Shopify Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store from WiziShop to Shopify

For merchants looking to expand their digital storefront's capabilities, a platform migration can unlock new opportunities. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough for migrating your existing e-commerce store from WiziShop to Shopify, ensuring a smooth and efficient data transfer. Shopify offers a robust ecosystem, and transitioning your store means leveraging its extensive app marketplace, powerful selling tools, and scalable infrastructure.

While WiziShop provides a solid foundation, moving to Shopify allows you to access a broader range of functionalities, enhanced themes, and a more globally recognized platform. This guide will walk you through the entire replatforming process, from preparation to post-migration checks, using the recommended Cart2Cart migration solution.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating your store transfer, careful preparation of both your WiziShop source store and your new Shopify target store is essential to minimize downtime and ensure data integrity.

• WiziShop (Source Store) Preparation:
  You will need full administrative access to your WiziShop backend. Given WiziShop's 'API only' connection method, you will need to gather specific API credentials: clientId, clientSecret, refreshToken, storeId, adminEmail, and adminPwd. Be aware of WiziShop's API rate limits, which might affect the speed of large data transfers. Ensure HTTPS is enabled, as it is required for API communication. Refer to The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart for detailed instructions on how to obtain these. It's always a good practice to back up your WiziShop data before starting the migration process.
• Shopify (Target Store) Preparation:
  Set up your new Shopify store. While a basic plan is sufficient for migration, be aware that the 'Pause and Build' plan may block orders. Ensure you have administrative access and are ready to install the Cart2Cart Store Migration App, which is required for connection. It's recommended to disable customer notifications during the migration process to avoid sending confusing messages. For reviews, note that Shopify requires an app like AirReviews to manage and display them post-migration. For more details, consult our How to prepare Target store for migration? guide.
• General Preparation:
  Inform your customers about the upcoming transition, especially if you anticipate any brief downtime. Audit your current WiziShop data to identify any irrelevant or outdated information that doesn't need to be transferred.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Migrating your WiziShop data to Shopify can be streamlined using a specialized migration wizard. Here's how to navigate the process:

Step 1: Start Your Migration Process

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. You'll typically find an interface that prompts you to begin a new migration, whether it's a DIY approach or a guided service.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (WiziShop)

The next step involves establishing a connection to your WiziShop store. Select 'WiziShop' as your source platform from the dropdown menu. As WiziShop uses an 'API only' connection method, you will be prompted to enter the API credentials you gathered during the preparation phase: clientId, clientSecret, refreshToken, storeId, adminEmail, and adminPwd. Ensure all details are accurate to establish a secure link for data extraction. While there isn't a specific WiziShop screenshot provided, the wizard will guide you through entering these details.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Shopify)

Now, select 'Shopify' as your target e-commerce platform. The recommended method for connecting to Shopify is by installing the Cart2Cart app directly from the Shopify App Store. Click the provided link, follow the on-screen instructions in your Shopify admin to install the app, and then return to the migration wizard to finalize the connection. Alternatively, for advanced users, you can choose to provide API access credentials, which requires creating a custom app in Shopify and configuring specific API scopes to generate the necessary Admin API access token.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This crucial step allows you to specify exactly which types of data you wish to transfer from WiziShop to Shopify. You can choose to migrate all available entities or select them individually. Common data entities include products, product categories, customer data, order history, customer reviews (which, as noted, require the AirReviews app on Shopify), CMS pages, gift cards, coupons, and blog posts. Carefully review this list to ensure all essential business data, including SKUs and product variants, are selected for migration.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Map Data

Before proceeding, customize your migration with a range of additional options and perform necessary data mapping.

• Additional Options: Consider enabling options like 'Preserve Order IDs' to maintain historical order numbers, 'Migrate Images in Description' to ensure visual content is transferred, and 'Create 301 SEO URLs' to safeguard your current SEO rankings and link equity by automatically redirecting old WiziShop URLs to their new Shopify counterparts. You can also opt to 'Clear Target' store data, which will remove any existing products, categories, or other entities from your Shopify store before the migration, ensuring a clean slate. Learn more about the Clear current data on Target store before migration option and How Preserve IDs options can be used?.
• Data Mapping: This step ensures that customer groups and order statuses from WiziShop are correctly matched to their equivalents in Shopify. For example, you'll map 'Pending' orders from WiziShop to 'Pending' or 'Unfulfilled' in Shopify, and 'Registered Customers' to 'Customers'. This mapping is critical for maintaining data consistency and proper store functionality post-migration.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration and Initiate Full Migration

It is highly recommended to run a free demo migration first. This allows you to transfer a limited set of data (e.g., a few products, customers, and orders) to your Shopify store, enabling you to review the transfer quality and identify any potential issues before committing to the full replatforming. Once satisfied with the demo, you can proceed with the full migration. At this stage, you may also consider selecting a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations in case you need to run the process again, as explained in How Migration Insurance works?.

Post-Migration Steps

After your WiziShop data has been successfully transferred to Shopify, several crucial post-migration tasks remain to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

1. Verify Data Integrity: Thoroughly check all migrated data, including product details (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images), customer accounts, order histories, and CMS pages, to ensure everything transferred accurately and is displayed correctly on Shopify.
2. Configure Theme and Design: Customize your Shopify theme to align with your brand identity. Ensure your store's design is responsive and provides an excellent user experience across all devices.
3. Install Essential Apps: Install and configure any necessary Shopify apps for functionalities like customer reviews (e.g., AirReviews), marketing, accounting, and shipping.
4. Set Up Payment & Shipping: Configure your payment gateways and shipping zones within Shopify to process transactions and fulfill orders effectively.
5. Update DNS Records: Point your domain name to your new Shopify store by updating your DNS records. This is a critical step to make your Shopify store live to the public.
6. Implement 301 Redirects: Even if you used the 301 SEO URLs option, manually check for any broken links or URLs that might have changed and set up additional 301 redirects to preserve your SEO value and user experience.
7. Monitor and Optimize: Continuously monitor your new Shopify store's performance, user behavior, and SEO rankings. Make necessary adjustments to optimize for conversions and search engine visibility.
8. Consider Recent Data Migration: If new orders or customer sign-ups occurred on your old WiziShop store during or immediately after the migration, consider using a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer this new information, ensuring no data is lost.

Migrating from WiziShop to Shopify is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right tools, you can achieve a seamless transition. Should you require expert assistance or encounter any challenges, our team is available via Contact Us for dedicated support and custom migration solutions.