Website migration: Magento to Shopify
Choosing CMS for your eCommerce website
Shopify and Magento are both eCommerce platforms used by thousands of vendors around the world, as a solution to selling online. Shopify is a subscription based commercial product that is hosted by Shopify itself whilst Magento is a free, open-source software that requires the user to own hosting, install, set-up and configure everything before creating the store.
Can’t choose between Magento or Shopify? Or considering your options for the future of your website migration? You’re not alone.
In fact, thousands of eCommerce business owners have admitted finding it difficult to make a decision between the two eCommerce platforms. As a digital agency that specialises in eCommerce web development and design, we feel confident in helping those on the fence reach a conclusion.
Why bother with website migration?
While initially, website migration may seem a monumental task to take on, it can reap incredible rewards for any brand willing to put in the effort.
When considering whether you are content with your current CMS, brands must consider:
- Ease of use
- Themes
- Sales tools
- Marketing features
- Apps and add-ons
- SEO
- Pricing
- Security
Particularly in eCommerce, where the usability and capabilities of a website can impact sales, this is a key decision worth investing in.
Why migrate from Magento to Shopify?
There are several reasons why an eCommerce business would want to migrate from Magento to Shopify:
User-friendliness
Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use, which may be more appealing to businesses that do not have technical expertise or dedicated IT staff. While Shopify offers HTML and CSS editing, you won’t need to know how to code to use the platform.
Cost
Transaction fees for payment gateways are lower and the need for web development work is greatly reduced with Shopify. Shopify also includes web hosting, a subdomain, free themes, free dropshipping options, and more. While Magento doesn’t charge for a monthly subscription, the cost to get a site up and running is greater.
Support
Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat, which means brands can be confident in Shopify’s ability to assist in a timely fashion. Shopify also offers detailed sales reports, allowing store owners to gain real insight into their businesses’ performance.
App Store
Shopify offers over 6,000 apps on the Shopify App Store. When comparing Shopify to Magento, Magento only offers just under 4,000 extensions. Additionally, Shopify offers a mobile app for store owners to access information on-the-go.
Platform stability
Some businesses may find that Shopify is more stable and reliable than Magento, as it is a hosted platform with a dedicated team handling updates and security.
If you are interested in learning more about Shopify’s capabilities compared to Magento, take a look at this article.
Will I lose data through website migration?
Website migration can be likened to moving house. It’s always daunting. What do you move first? How do you transport things without breaking them or losing them forever?
Data is vital for eCommerce brands to understand and track their performance. Moving to Shopify doesn’t mean you will have to start from scratch. And if you take the added measure of hiring professionals to arrange your migration, then everything you want will remain with you.
Shopify have even created their own checklist to ensure migration from Magento to Shopify will go according to plan, including:
- Prioritisation according to business requirements
- In-depth data migration
- Transfer of features based on value
- Theme and design customization
- Precise Shopify settings configuration
- Testing and performance review
As Shopify Plus Partners, Propeller are proficient in handling these requests. Our web development and design teams can ensure a swift transferral process. Enjoy the endless possibilities of theme customisation across your brand’s websites with Shopify’s plethora of options.
Summary
At Propeller, we pride ourselves on being masters of web development, it’s where our story began. If you want to see the potential of migrating to Shopify, take a look at some of our incredible case studies:
Creative digital experiences that flourish online
From the planning and mapping to testing and delivery, to create a fantastic website that delivers results we can help you with:
- Analysis & Planning
- Data maps & User flows
- Digital design & Web builds
- Wireframe planning & Mapping
- Mobile & Desktop
- Web development & Testing
Depending on what you need, our development team builds websites on WordPress, Drupal and Shopify. From brand landing pages to bespoke ecommerce themes, we’ll also ensure that everything is on brand and any third party apps are integrated seamlessly.