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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from Ecwid to Shopify

Switching e-commerce platforms can seem daunting, but migrating your store from Ecwid to Shopify offers a world of expanded possibilities, from enhanced scalability to a vast app ecosystem and powerful sales tools. This detailed guide will walk you through every step of transitioning your valuable store data – including products, customer information, orders, and more – from Ecwid to Shopify, ensuring a smooth and secure replatforming process. We'll utilize an automated migration solution to simplify the data transfer, minimizing downtime and preserving your critical SEO rankings and link equity.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before you begin the data transfer, a few essential preparations will ensure a seamless experience and safeguard your online store's integrity:

1. Backup Your Ecwid Store Data: Always create a complete backup of your Ecwid store's database, files, and images. While the migration process is secure, having a backup provides an extra layer of protection.
2. Set Up Your Shopify Store: Ensure your new Shopify store is created and accessible. You don't need to populate it with products or customers yet, as the migration tool will handle that. However, familiarize yourself with the Shopify admin panel.
3. Review Ecwid API Access: As Ecwid utilizes an API-only connection method, you will need to generate or locate your Store ID and an Access Token. Ecwid's API has rate limits, which the migration tool will manage. Custom app development might be required for highly specific data, though for standard entities, the Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App handles most needs.
4. Understand Shopify's Requirements:
   • Install the Cart2Cart Shopify Migration App: Shopify migration typically requires the Cart2Cart Store Migration App.
   • Disable Notifications: It's recommended to disable customer notifications on your Shopify store during the migration to avoid sending premature or duplicate emails.
   • Consider Shopify Plan: Be aware that Shopify's "Pause and Build" plan might block orders, so ensure your plan supports your operational needs post-migration.
   • Reviews App: Shopify reviews migration often requires a dedicated app (like AirReviews) post-migration to display them correctly.
5. Familiarize Yourself with Supported Entities: The migration will cover key entities like products, product categories, customers, orders, coupons, CMS pages, gift cards, and blog posts. Product reviews are also supported, though may require the AirReviews app on Shopify.
6. Plan for SEO: Think about your existing SEO URLs on Ecwid. The migration tool can help you create 301 redirects to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity on Shopify.

For more detailed information on preparing your stores, refer to our How to prepare Source store for migration? and How to prepare Target store for migration? guides.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once your preparations are complete, you can begin the automated data transfer from Ecwid to Shopify. Follow these steps using the migration wizard:

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Navigate to the migration service provider's website. Here, you'll typically find options to start a new migration, get a price estimate, or request assisted service.

Step 2: Connect Your Ecwid Source Store

Select Ecwid as your Source Cart from the dropdown menu. You will then be prompted to provide your store's URL and the necessary API access credentials. For Ecwid, this typically involves providing your Store ID and an Access Token (sometimes derived from Client ID/Secret/Refresh Token). Detailed instructions on how to obtain these will usually be provided on the page.

Remember, Ecwid utilizes an API-only connection method, ensuring a secure and efficient data exchange.

Step 3: Configure Your Shopify Target Store

Next, select Shopify as your Target Cart. The recommended connection method is to install the Cart2Cart Store Migration App directly from the Shopify App Marketplace. Follow the on-screen link, install the app in your Shopify admin, and then return to the migration wizard. Alternatively, you may choose to provide API access credentials, including your Shopify Admin API access token, if preferred.

Step 4: Choose Data Entities for Transfer

This critical step allows you to specify exactly which types of data you want to move from Ecwid to Shopify. You can select all available entities or handpick specific ones. Common entities include:

• Products (including SKUs, variants, images, descriptions)
• Products Categories
• Products Reviews
• Customers (with addresses)
• Orders (with order statuses and details)
• CMS Pages
• Gift Cards
• Coupons
• Blogs Posts

Ensure you select all the data points essential for your new store's operation and user experience.

Step 5: Configure Data Mapping and Additional Options

Here, you'll fine-tune how your data transfers. Data mapping involves matching customer groups and order statuses from Ecwid to their corresponding equivalents in Shopify. This ensures data integrity and consistency post-migration.

Additionally, you'll find a range of additional options to customize your migration. These can include:

• Preserve Order IDs: Maintain your original order numbers for continuity (How Preserve IDs options can be used?).
• Create 301 Redirects: Automatically set up redirects to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity for product and category URLs.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure all product and category images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Clear Target Store Data: An option to remove any existing data from your Shopify store before migration (Clear current data on Target store before migration option).
• Migrate Customer Passwords: Securely transfer customer passwords (if supported by both platforms and your chosen method).

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration (Highly Recommended)

Before committing to the full migration, run a free demo. 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 opportunity to review the data transfer quality, check how products appear, verify customer accounts, and test the overall functionality of your new store with migrated data. This step helps identify and resolve any potential issues before the complete transfer.

Step 7: Initiate Full Migration and Consider Insurance

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full migration. This will transfer all selected data from your Ecwid store to Shopify. During this stage, you might also be offered a Migration Insurance Plan. This service provides additional remigrations, offering peace of mind in case you need to adjust or re-run parts of your data transfer (How Migration Insurance works?).

The duration of the full migration depends on the volume of your data. The service will typically provide a progress tracker.

Post-Migration Steps: Activating Your New Shopify Store

The data transfer is only one part of the replatforming journey. After your data has successfully moved from Ecwid to Shopify, several crucial steps remain to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

1. Thorough Data Verification:
   • Products: Check product details, SKUs, variants, pricing, images, and descriptions.
   • Customers: Verify customer accounts, order history, and contact information.
   • Orders: Confirm that order statuses, details, and associated customer data are correct.
   • URLs & SEO: Ensure your 301 redirects are working correctly to maintain your search engine rankings. Test product, category, and CMS page URLs.
2. Install Essential Apps: Explore the Shopify App Store for apps that extend functionality, such as review apps (like AirReviews if reviews were migrated), SEO tools, marketing integrations, and more.
3. Configure Store Settings:
   • Payment Gateways: Set up and test your preferred payment providers.
   • Shipping Settings: Define your shipping zones, rates, and methods.
   • Taxes: Configure your tax settings according to your location and products.
   • Notifications: Re-enable customer notifications once you're ready to go live.
4. Design and Theme Customization: Customize your Shopify theme to match your brand's aesthetic and ensure a consistent user experience. Test responsiveness across different devices.
5. Domain Name Configuration: Update your DNS settings to point your existing domain name to your new Shopify store. Plan this step carefully to minimize downtime.
6. Test Order Placement: Place a few test orders (and refund them) to ensure the entire checkout process, from cart to payment confirmation, works flawlessly.
7. Launch and Monitor: Once everything is verified and configured, officially launch your Shopify store. Closely monitor website performance, sales, and customer feedback during the initial period.
8. Ongoing SEO Monitoring: Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor for any crawl errors or changes in search ranking, especially regarding your 301 redirects.

By diligently following these post-migration steps, you'll ensure a smooth transition and a successful launch for your new Shopify store, ready to leverage its powerful features for growth.