HubSpot Commerce to Shopify Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from HubSpot Commerce to Shopify

Replatforming your e-commerce store is a significant undertaking, but a strategic move can unlock new growth opportunities and streamline your operations. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough for migrating your online store from HubSpot Commerce to Shopify. While HubSpot Commerce offers robust CRM and marketing tools, Shopify excels as a dedicated e-commerce platform, renowned for its user-friendly interface, extensive app ecosystem, and scalability.

Since HubSpot Commerce doesn't offer a direct API for third-party migration tools like a traditional shopping cart, this migration will leverage a robust CSV file export method from HubSpot Commerce, followed by an efficient import into your new Shopify store. This ensures a comprehensive transfer of your valuable business data, from products and customer information to orders and content.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before you begin the data transfer process, thorough preparation is key to a smooth and successful transition. Here's what you need to have in place:

• For Your HubSpot Commerce Store (Source):
  • Access to Data Export: Ensure you have administrative access to your HubSpot portal to export critical e-commerce data such as products, customers, and orders into CSV files. You will need to export separate CSV files for each data entity.
  • Data Review: Take this opportunity to clean up your data. Remove outdated products, redundant customer entries, or incomplete order information. This will result in a cleaner, more efficient Shopify store. For more details on preparing your source store, refer to our guide on How to prepare Source store for migration?
• For Your Shopify Store (Target):
  • Active Shopify Account: Set up your Shopify store with an appropriate plan (Basic Shopify, Shopify, Advanced Shopify, or Shopify Plus). Note that a 'Pause and Build' plan might temporarily block orders, so consider upgrading for active store operations.
  • Basic Setup: Complete the initial setup of your Shopify store, including essential settings like currency, shipping zones, and payment gateways.
  • App Readiness: Shopify reviews require a dedicated app, such as AirReviews, to be migrated effectively. Plan to install this or a similar app post-migration.
  • Disable Notifications: It's recommended to disable customer notifications during the migration process to avoid sending out confusing emails during data import.
  • Cart2Cart Store Migration App: The migration process to Shopify typically requires the installation of the Cart2Cart Store Migration App from the Shopify App Store for seamless data import. For more details on preparing your target store, refer to our guide on How to prepare Target store for migration?

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these detailed steps to transition your e-commerce presence from HubSpot Commerce to Shopify using a specialized migration wizard.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. This is where you'll start the process of moving your store data.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (HubSpot Commerce via CSV)

Since HubSpot Commerce doesn't integrate directly via an API like other traditional carts, you will use the 'CsvToCart' method. This involves exporting your data from HubSpot Commerce into CSV files and then uploading them to the migration wizard.

Select 'CsvToCart' as your Source Cart from the dropdown menu. You will then upload the CSV files containing your e-commerce data (products, customers, orders, etc.) that you exported from HubSpot Commerce.

Supported entities for migration via CSV include: Products, Product Categories, Product Manufacturers, Product Reviews, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, CMS Pages, Blogs, and Blog Posts. This robust support ensures that nearly all your essential e-commerce information can be moved.

For more detailed information on migrating via CSV, you can visit our CSV File Data Migration service page.

Step 3: Configure Your Target Store (Shopify)

Now, set up your new Shopify store as the target for your data. Select 'Shopify' from the list of supported carts.

The recommended connection method is to Install the Cart2Cart App from the Shopify Marketplace. This app facilitates a secure and streamlined connection between the migration tool and your Shopify store, handling the necessary API interactions. Alternatively, you can opt to provide API access credentials manually, but the app method is generally simpler and quicker.

Remember that Shopify requires the Cart2Cart Store Migration App. Additionally, be aware of Shopify's limitations: ensure your plan allows for order processing, and note that reviews require a dedicated app like AirReviews to be fully migrated and displayed.

Step 4: Select Entities for Data Transfer

In this crucial step, you choose exactly which data entities you want to transfer from your HubSpot Commerce CSV files to Shopify. The wizard will present a comprehensive list of items available for migration.

You can choose to migrate all entities with a single click or selectively pick specific data types such as:

• Products: Including SKUs, variants, images, and descriptions.
• Product Categories: Organizing your product catalog.
• Customers: Transferring customer data, addresses, and order history.
• Orders: Migrating historical transaction data.
• Reviews: Essential for social proof (note: may require a separate app on Shopify).
• CMS Pages & Blogs: For content and SEO.
• Coupons: Replicating your promotional strategies.

Step 5: Configure Data Mapping

Data mapping is vital for ensuring consistency and integrity during the migration. This step allows you to match corresponding data fields between your HubSpot Commerce (CSV) structure and Shopify's architecture. For instance, you will map customer groups, order statuses, and other custom fields from your source data to their equivalents in Shopify.

This ensures that your customer data, order statuses, and product attributes are correctly associated within your new Shopify store, preventing data discrepancies and maintaining a seamless user experience.

Step 6: Choose Additional Migration Options

Enhance your migration with a selection of powerful additional options. These features allow for a more customized data transfer:

• Preserve Order IDs: Maintain your existing order numbering system on Shopify. (How Preserve IDs options can be used?)
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity by redirecting old URLs to new ones, preventing broken links and preserving search engine visibility.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure all product and content images embedded in descriptions are transferred.
• Clear Target Store Data: Optionally remove all existing data from your Shopify store before migration, ensuring a fresh start. (Clear current data on Target store before migration option)
• Migrate Groups to Tags: Convert customer groups from your source to customer tags in Shopify.

Step 7: Perform Demo & Full Migration

Before committing to the full replatform, run a Free Demo Migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your Shopify store. It's an excellent way to preview the data transfer, test the process, and verify data integrity without any commitment.

Once satisfied with the demo, proceed with the Full Migration. You can also opt for a Migration Insurance Service, which provides a set number of remigrations within a specific period, offering peace of mind in case any adjustments are needed post-migration.

Post-Migration Steps

Once the data transfer is complete, there are several critical steps to ensure your new Shopify store is fully operational and optimized:

• Verify Data Integrity: Thoroughly check all migrated data – products, customer accounts, order history, and CMS pages. Ensure product variants, descriptions, images, and pricing are accurate. Check customer passwords if that option was selected.
• Configure SEO Redirects: If you opted for 301 redirects during migration, verify that they are functioning correctly. Test key old URLs to ensure they point to their new Shopify counterparts. This is essential for maintaining your search engine rankings and preserving link equity.
• Install Necessary Shopify Apps: Integrate any essential third-party apps for functionalities not native to Shopify, such as customer reviews (like AirReviews), advanced reporting, marketing automation, or loyalty programs.
• Update DNS Settings: Point your domain name to your new Shopify store. This is the final step in making your Shopify store live to the public.
• Thorough Testing: Conduct comprehensive testing of your entire store. This includes navigating the storefront, testing the checkout process, verifying payment gateways, checking shipping calculations, and ensuring all forms and links work correctly.
• Go Live: Once all checks are complete and you're confident in your new store's performance, launch your Shopify store and enjoy your upgraded e-commerce platform!