One of our clients was facing an issue with the existing Wix-based website and wanted to migrate it to Shopify. This migration was needed as her business grew and she required more advanced features and customization options with better SEO capabilities and improved user experience. So, our developers geared up and started the process of migration from Wix to Shopify. So, did we succeed? And what were the challenges and learnings were. Let’s guide you through our case study on the move from Wix to Shopify.
Why Did Our Client Wished for the Wix to Shopify Migration?
One of our clients, A by Anubha which runs an e-commerce platform for her design pieces in San Francisco had an issue with the Wix website. She has been with us for a year now and our services always pleased her. However, as her business grew, she wanted more advanced features and customization options for her website.
So, what are the added features in Shopify that Wix did not have? First of all, if you are an e-commerce business, Shopify is the website builder platform you should opt for. Shopify stores generally have faster loading speeds, enhances user experiences and allows you to sell across multiple platforms to expand your sales reach.
So, how did we manage the move from Wix to Shopify? Continue reading to find out in the next section.
How Did We Managed to do the Migration- The Steps Followed
Before migrating the website from Wix to Shopify, we made sure to ask our client as to what data and content she wanted to move. The data included- customers, products, historical orders and reviews. Now there are two ways to transfer or migrate the content, one is manual data copy paste, and the other is CSV import. Now, let’s simplify the further steps for you:
Step 1: We started off by migrating all the content from Wix to Shopify, some were done through exporting data into CSV files and importing them to the new Shopify store. While some data required manual data copy paste for our developers.
Step 2: After data migration, we focused on the server, domain and hosting for the website. So, we connected the domain name to Shopify and updated the DNS settings. The DNS setup required us to configure the A record to point to Shopify’s IP address and set the CNAME record for the www domain to point to shops.myshopify.com. Transferring the domain to Shopify took about 4 hours.
Step 3: Our aim was to make our client’s website look great. In that regard, we decided the theme as ‘Dawn’ which is a flexible theme suitable for all stores irrespective of inventory size. It is a free, flexible and mobile-first theme from Shopify that features adaptable layout, cross-selling sections and media-optimized product pages.
Step 4: As we noticed that the users were getting directed to the old Wix website, they were faced with the 404-page error. To fix this issue, we fixed the URLs through the 301 redirections.
What Challenges Were Faced During the Move from Wix to Shopify?
The Wix to Shopify Migration was not a tough process for us, but we did face some challenges like manual contented products import, rebuilding SEO, and higher costs.
Manual Content and Products import: For the migration of data, we started by using the CSV files for bulk uploading but faced with formatting issues. To combat the issue, we had to manual product import which was adding individual products to Shopify manually. As Shopify handles product variants and inventory differently, some adjustments were also made.
Rebuilding SEO: Our team had to manually re-enter the SEO meta titles and descriptions in Shopify which was time-consuming. We also made sure that our SEO efforts from Wix carried on successfully by using the 301 redirects to avoid losing rankings.
Higher Costs: The Shopify website builder costs more than Wix, but it was worth the money for our client as she has extensive features. Shopify has a user-friendly interface for new e-commerce users and offers advanced customization options. It also has extensive marketing features and supports over 100+ payment gateways.
The Top Benefits of Shopify for Your E-commerce Business
Of course, Shopify serves some of the top benefits which made our client choose it over Wix. Here are the top benefits of Shopify for your E-commerce business:
You Get Advance Features and Customization Options
With Shopify, you get unmatched flexibility to choose from a variety of advanced features and customization options. The platform provides well-designed themes and the option to use custom code with HTML, CSS and liquid that offers mire design and functionality. Not only paid themes, but you also get over 70 free themes to choose from.
Enhanced Control Over SEO
Shopify provides analytics tools so that you can easily track your store’s performance such as traffic, tracking sales etc. It offers enhanced control over SEO meta tags, URL’s and redirects so that you can boost you search engine rankings even after domain transfer.
Provides You with Built-In Payment Gateway
Shopify payments offer you seamless transactions and supports multiple payment options. The platform supports 100+ payment gateways, including options like PayPal and credit card payments allowing you to cater to a global audience.
Support for Multi-Channel Selling
Shopify allows you to sell across multiple platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Amazon and others. This way you get to expand your sales reach over various platforms, that helps you increase your visibility and engage with a broader audience.
Offers Capable Customer Support
Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email and live chat that also includes extensive documentation and community support. Even when there are any technical difficulties or general questions, the platform offers capable customer support for your customers and business.
Let’s Wrap Up
In this blog, we went through our journey of Wix to Shopify migration. What were the steps we followed, what our client wanted, the challenges we faced and the benefits of using Shopify for your e-commerce business. If you are inspired and are looking for any assistance, our web development services will assist you the best. At Knotsync, our team of developers understand deeply what your business lacks and assist you in achieving success!
