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Migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify: A Complete Guide

by Jay
shopifymigrationbigcommerce

Why Migrate?

Many merchants outgrow BigCommerce or find that Shopify offers better app ecosystems, themes, and developer support. A well-planned migration minimizes downtime and preserves your SEO rankings.

Pre-Migration Checklist

  1. Export your data — Products, customers, orders from BigCommerce
  2. Map your URLs — Plan 301 redirects for every product and category URL
  3. Audit your apps — Identify Shopify equivalents for any BigCommerce apps
  4. Schedule the cutover — Choose a low-traffic period

Step 1: Export from BigCommerce

Use BigCommerce's built-in export or their API to pull:

  • Products (with variants, images, metafields)
  • Customer data (emails, addresses)
  • Order history (for records; orders typically stay on the old platform)

Step 2: Set Up Shopify

  • Create your Shopify store
  • Choose and customize your theme
  • Install necessary apps
  • Configure payment and shipping

Step 3: Import Data

Use tools like Matrixify or custom scripts to import products and customers. Pay special attention to:

  • SKU mapping
  • Image URLs
  • SEO metadata (meta titles, descriptions)

Step 4: Redirects

Implement 301 redirects in Shopify (or via your hosting) so that old BigCommerce URLs point to the new Shopify URLs. This preserves your SEO value.

Step 5: Go Live

  • Final data sync
  • DNS cutover
  • Monitor for errors
  • Submit updated sitemap to Google Search Console

Need Help?

Stronger eCommerce has migrated dozens of stores from BigCommerce to Shopify. Get in touch for a free consultation.