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

A Comprehensive Guide to Migrating Your E-commerce Store from BorderFree to Shopify

Transitioning your e-commerce platform is a significant strategic move that can unlock new growth opportunities for your business. If you're currently operating on BorderFree and contemplating a replatform to Shopify, you're on the path to embracing a more scalable, feature-rich, and user-friendly ecosystem. Shopify offers a robust platform known for its extensive app store, customizable themes, and strong support for merchants of all sizes, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to enhance their online presence and streamline operations.

This guide will walk you through the entire process of migrating your store data from BorderFree to Shopify. Since BorderFree primarily functions as an international e-commerce solution often integrated with other platforms or relying on data exports, we will outline a migration strategy using CSV files as the conduit for your valuable store information. This ensures a comprehensive and accurate transfer of your products, customer data, orders, and more, preserving data integrity throughout the transition.

Prerequisites for a Smooth Migration

Before initiating your data transfer, careful preparation of both your source (BorderFree) and target (Shopify) platforms is crucial to ensure a seamless process. A well-prepared migration minimizes downtime and potential data inconsistencies.

• For Your BorderFree Store (Source):
  1. Data Export: As BorderFree often relies on data exports, your primary task is to export all essential store data into CSV files. This includes:
     • Product data (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images, prices)
     • Customer records
     • Order history
     • Product categories
     • Reviews (if BorderFree facilitated them)
     • CMS pages and blog posts (if applicable)
     • Coupon codes
     Make sure your CSV files are well-organized and include all relevant fields. For more detailed preparation guidelines, refer to How to prepare Source store for migration?
  2. Data Review: Thoroughly review your exported CSV files for accuracy, completeness, and consistency. Clean up any outdated or redundant information to ensure only high-quality data is transferred.
• For Your Shopify Store (Target):
  1. Shopify Store Setup: Ensure you have an active Shopify store account. If you're on a "Pause and Build" plan, be aware that it blocks orders, so consider upgrading your plan before going live.
  2. Install Cart2Cart App: For a successful migration, the Cart2Cart Store Migration App is required on your Shopify store. This app facilitates the connection and data transfer.
  3. Disable Notifications: It is highly recommended to disable all store notifications (customer, order, shipping) on your Shopify store during the migration process to prevent customers from receiving premature or incorrect updates.
  4. Theme Selection & Basic Configuration: Have a Shopify theme ready and perform basic configurations such as currency, tax settings (Shopify allows multi-tax), and shipping zones. You can find more tips on target store preparation at How to prepare Target store for migration?

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you are ready to use the Cart2Cart migration wizard to transfer your BorderFree data to Shopify. The process is streamlined into several easy steps.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by logging into your Cart2Cart account. If you don't have one, you'll need to create one. Once logged in, you'll be directed to the migration wizard, which guides you through the process.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (BorderFree via CSV)

Since BorderFree is not a directly supported platform for API connections, you will connect it as a "CSV File to Cart" source. This involves uploading the CSV files you exported from BorderFree.

1. From the dropdown menu, select "CSV File to Cart" as your Source Cart Type.
2. Upload your prepared CSV files containing your products, customers, orders, and other data. The system will then parse and validate your data.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Shopify)

Next, configure your Shopify store as the destination for your data.

1. Choose "Shopify" from the Target Cart Type dropdown menu.
2. The recommended connection method is to "Install App from Marketplace". Click the provided link, install the Cart2Cart Store Migration App on your Shopify store, and then return to the migration wizard to establish the connection.
3. Alternatively, you can choose to provide API Access Credentials. This involves creating a custom app in your Shopify admin, configuring necessary API scopes, and obtaining an Admin API access token. For detailed instructions, refer to The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This critical step allows you to choose exactly which types of data you want to transfer from your BorderFree CSV files to Shopify. Cart2Cart supports a wide range of entities for migration.

• You can select all entities with a single click or choose specific items like:
  • Products: Including SKUs, variants, product images, and descriptions.
  • Product Categories: To maintain your store's organizational structure.
  • Customers: With their contact information and order history.
  • Orders: Preserving crucial transactional data.
  • Products Reviews: Note that for Shopify, reviews generally require a third-party app like AirReviews due to platform limitations.
  • CMS Pages & Blogs: To transfer your content strategy.
  • Coupons: To retain your promotional offers.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options & Data Mapping

This stage allows for fine-tuning your migration to meet specific business requirements.

• Additional Options: Select from various options to enhance your data transfer. Highly recommended options include:
  • "Clear Target Store Data": If your Shopify store contains demo data you wish to remove before migration. Read more about Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
  • "Preserve Order IDs", "Preserve Product IDs", "Preserve Customers IDs": To maintain unique identifiers from your source store. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?
  • "Create 301 Redirects": Essential for preserving SEO rankings and link equity by automatically redirecting old URLs to new ones on Shopify.
  • "Migrate Images in Description": To ensure all product and content images are transferred.
  • "Password Migration": To move customer passwords securely (if supported by your BorderFree data export).

• Data Mapping: Accurately map your customer groups and order statuses from your BorderFree data to their corresponding equivalents in Shopify. This ensures consistency and proper categorization of your migrated data.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, run a free demo migration to check the accuracy and integrity of your data transfer.

1. Demo Migration: The demo migration transfers a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) in a short period. This allows you to inspect the migrated data on your Shopify store and confirm that everything looks as expected.
2. Full Migration: Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full migration. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the volume of your data. Consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations if needed. You can learn more about How Migration Insurance works? here.

Post-Migration Steps

The migration doesn't end once the data transfer is complete. Several crucial post-migration steps are essential to ensure your new Shopify store is fully functional, optimized, and ready for customers.

• Thorough Data Review: Begin by meticulously reviewing all migrated data on your Shopify store. Check product listings (SKUs, variants, images, descriptions), customer accounts, order history, CMS pages, and blog posts. Verify that all metadata is intact and correctly displayed.
• Configure Your Shopify Storefront: Customize your Shopify theme to match your brand identity. Set up your navigation menus, payment gateways, shipping zones, and tax settings to ensure smooth operations.
• Install Essential Apps: Leverage the Shopify App Store to enhance your store's functionality. Install apps for product reviews (e.g., AirReviews as noted in Shopify limitations), SEO, marketing, customer service, and analytics.
• Verify 301 Redirects: If you used the "Create 301 Redirects" option, verify that old BorderFree URLs correctly redirect to their new Shopify counterparts. This is vital for maintaining your SEO rankings and preserving link equity.
• Perform Comprehensive Testing: Conduct end-to-end testing of your new store. Place test orders, create customer accounts, test discount codes, and verify all functionalities to ensure a flawless user experience.
• Update DNS Settings: Once you are confident with your new Shopify store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to Shopify. Plan this step carefully to minimize downtime and inform your customers if a brief interruption is expected.
• Monitor and Optimize: After launch, continuously monitor your store's performance, traffic, and sales. Use Shopify's analytics and other tools to identify areas for optimization and ensure your new platform delivers the expected results.

By following these steps, your transition from BorderFree to Shopify will be a strategic success, paving the way for enhanced e-commerce capabilities and future growth. If you encounter any challenges or require assistance, consider utilizing Cart2Cart's contact us options for expert support.