How to Migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify Without Losing Data or SEO

Migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify can be one of the best decisions for long-term growth. Shopify offers greater flexibility, an expansive app ecosystem, and a modern user experience. But a poor migration can cost you valuable data, loyal customers, and hard-earned search engine rankings.

This step-by-step guide shows you how to make the switch smoothly, while safeguarding your business every step of the way.

Phase 1: Pre-Migration Preparation

Every successful migration starts with planning. Before touching a single setting, make sure you know what you’re moving and what must be replaced.

1. Assess and Plan

• Choose your migration method:
  • Manual CSV export/import
  • Automated tool (LitExtension, Cart2Cart, Matrixify)
  • Hiring a professional agency like Ventura Web Design & Marketing
• List critical BigCommerce features you rely on (e.g., bulk pricing, custom fields).
• Document all installed apps so you can identify Shopify equivalents.

2. Back Up Your Store

• Export product, customer, and order data.
• Save SEO metadata (titles, descriptions, URLs).
• Download images and media files.
• Archive your BigCommerce theme and content for reference.

Phase 2: Store Migration

With preparation complete, it’s time to set up your new home on Shopify.

3. Set Up Your Shopify Store

• Create your Shopify account and choose a plan.
• Select a theme (free or premium) that aligns with your brand.
• Configure key settings such as currency, taxes, shipping, and payment gateways.

4. Import Your Data

• Use a migration tool (recommended) to move products, customers, and orders.
• Or, import manually using CSVs through Shopify Admin.

5. Verify Imported Data

• Check that products display correctly with descriptions, variants, and images.
• Confirm customer emails and addresses.
• Reconcile pricing, inventory, and stock levels.

Phase 3: SEO & URL Management

One of the biggest risks in migration is losing search traffic. Protecting SEO must be a top priority.

6. Set Up 301 Redirects

• Shopify uses a different URL structure.
• Map old BigCommerce URLs to new Shopify URLs. Example:
  • Old: /product/sample-product
  • New: /products/sample-product
• Add redirects in Shopify Admin → Navigation → URL Redirects.
• Submit your updated sitemap in Google Search Console.

7. Preserve and Enhance SEO

• Ensure all meta titles, descriptions, alt text, and structured data transfer properly.
• Check robots.txt to confirm search engines can crawl your site.
• Monitor traffic and keyword rankings in Google Analytics and Search Console.

Phase 4: Design & Customization

Your new Shopify site should feel familiar to customers while taking advantage of modern features.

8. Recreate Branding

• Customize your Shopify theme to match your logo, fonts, and color palette.
• Rebuild homepage banners and content blocks.
• Recreate navigation menus and collections for smooth browsing.

9. Install Shopify Apps
Replace BigCommerce features with Shopify apps, such as:

• Wholesale/Bulk Pricing → Bold Custom Pricing, Wholesale Club
• Advanced Search → Smart Search & Instant Search
• Reviews → Judge.me, Loox
• Product Bundling → Bundler – Product Bundles
• Abandoned Cart Recovery → Built-in Shopify feature
• Marketing Integrations → Google Shopping, Facebook Ads apps

Phase 5: Testing & Pre-Launch

Before going live, test as though you are your own customer.

10. Quality Assurance

• Test your store on desktop, mobile, and tablet.
• Place test orders using multiple payment methods.
• Check shipping rates and taxes for accuracy.
• Verify email notifications for orders, accounts, and password resets.

Phase 6: Launch & Post-Migration

When everything is ready, it’s time to make the switch.

11. Launch the Store

• Put your BigCommerce store into maintenance mode.
• Point your domain to Shopify.
• Announce the transition via email, social media, and banners.
• Ask customers to reset their passwords (encrypted passwords cannot be migrated).

12. Monitor and Optimize

• Track traffic, conversions, and bounce rates.
• Use Google Search Console to find broken links or missing pages.
• Continue refining site speed, mobile usability, and SEO.
• Collect customer feedback to improve the experience.

Quick Migration Checklist

• Back up your BigCommerce data and theme
• Configure Shopify store and theme
• Import products, customers, and orders
• Set up 301 redirects and submit sitemap
• Customize design and branding
• Install Shopify apps to replace missing features
• Test checkout, payments, and notifications
• Launch domain and announce migration
• Monitor performance and optimize

Final Thoughts

Migrating to Shopify is more than a technical move—it’s an opportunity to modernize your brand and enhance your customers’ experience. By following a structured process, you can protect your SEO, keep your customers happy, and set up a store that scales with your business.

If you’d like expert support, we can completely manage your BigCommerce to Shopify migration from start to finish, ensuring a seamless, worry-free transition.