✓100+ platform migrations · zero rankings lost
Platform Migration to Shopify
We migrate ecommerce stores from any platform to Shopify — products, customers, orders, reviews, blog posts and SEO redirects intact. South Africa’s most experienced migration team. Done properly: zero ranking loss, faster store, better conversion.
100+migrations done
0rankings lost
4-6wkaverage timeline
Every migration includes
✓Full product catalogue migration
✓Customer accounts + history
✓Complete order history
✓Reviews & ratings preserved
✓Blog posts + URL structure
✓301 redirects for every old URL
✓SA payment gateways re-wired
✓Custom design rebuild on Shopify
The migration playbook
01 / EXTRACT
Extract everything, nothing lost.
Products, customers, orders, reviews, blog posts, URLs — all pulled cleanly from the old platform. Validated, deduped, ready to migrate.
02 / MAP
URL-by-URL redirect map.
Every old URL gets a 301 to its new Shopify equivalent. Google reindexes within weeks. Zero ranking loss, zero broken links.
03 / RELAUNCH
Faster, prettier, converting better.
Mobile load 3.2s → 0.9s. Conversion +47%. Same SEO, better store. Most clients see lift within 30 days of migration.
Extracting from old platform…
Products
→
staging
1,247
→
staging
1,247
Customers
→
staging
8,432
→
staging
8,432
Orders
→
staging
24,108
→
staging
24,108
Reviews
→
staging
3,142
→
staging
3,142
Blog posts
→
staging
187
→
staging
187
Total records extracted
37,116
37,116
301 redirect map · live
/product/123
→
/products/hand-cream
301 ✓
→
/products/hand-cream
301 ✓
/category/skin
→
/collections/skin
301 ✓
→
/collections/skin
301 ✓
/cart
→
/cart
301 ✓
→
/cart
301 ✓
/?p=4218
→
/blogs/news/seo
301 ✓
→
/blogs/news/seo
301 ✓
/checkout
→
/checkout
301 ✓
→
/checkout
301 ✓
URLs mapped & live
1,247
1,247
30 days after relaunch
3.2s load
→
0.9s load
−72%
→
0.9s load
−72%
1.8% conv
→
2.6% conv
+47%
→
2.6% conv
+47%
old rankings
→
held in 11d
0 lost
→
held in 11d
0 lost
monthly maint
→
R600/hr only
↓ saved
→
R600/hr only
↓ saved
organic traffic
→
+42% growth
↑
→
+42% growth
↑
Outcome
Better · Faster · Cheaper
Better · Faster · Cheaper
Platforms we migrate from
We've migrated from every major platform in SA
Over 100 successful migrations across every ecommerce CMS used in South Africa. Whatever you're on now, we've moved it to Shopify before — and we know exactly what to watch for.
WooCommerce → Shopify
Our most common migration. 40+ done. Products, customers, orders, reviews, WordPress blog posts, full URL redirect map. The WP→Shopify pipeline is well-paved and predictable.
Magento → Shopify
Heavy lift, big wins. 20+ Magento migrations. Customers escape brittle Magento hosting, expensive maintenance, and complex upgrades. Configurable products mapped to Shopify variants cleanly.
Joomla / VirtueMart → Shopify
Legacy SA stores. We extract products, customer accounts and content from Joomla/VirtueMart and rebuild on Shopify. Often paired with a full design refresh.
PrestaShop → Shopify
Popular with some SA agencies in the early 2010s. We've moved 10+ PrestaShop stores. Categories, products, customer data, orders, and CMS pages all migrated cleanly.
OpenCart → Shopify
Common with self-built SA stores. We export the OpenCart database, transform the schema and import to Shopify. Product attributes mapped to options and tags properly.
Wix → Shopify
Wix is great for sites but limited for serious ecommerce. We've moved dozens of Wix stores hitting the platform's ceiling. Manual extraction (Wix has no clean export) but we've systemised it.
Squarespace → Shopify
Beautiful templates, weak ecommerce. Stores outgrow Squarespace's product limits and checkout limitations. We migrate everything to Shopify while preserving the design aesthetic.
BigCommerce → Shopify
Less common in SA but we've done several. The platforms are similar in structure but Shopify wins on app ecosystem and SA payment gateway support.
Bidorbuy / Custom → Shopify
Marketplace sellers building their own brand store. Custom-built PHP stores. Old Drupal Commerce sites. WordPress sites with shopping cart plugins. If it has products and customers, we can move it.
Not sure your platform is on this list? WhatsApp us with the details — we've almost certainly seen it.
Why migrate to Shopify
The reasons clients keep making the move
After 100+ migrations we hear the same reasons over and over. Some technical, some operational, some financial.
Faster store, no maintenance
Shopify hosting is faster than 95% of self-hosted setups, with zero maintenance burden. No more plugin updates, security patches, or hosting drama. Your team focuses on selling.
SA payment gateways out the box
PayFast, Ozow, Peach Payments, PayGate, Yoco — all certified Shopify integrations. No more wrestling with broken payment plugins or expired SSL certificates.
PCI compliance built in
Shopify is Level 1 PCI DSS compliant — same as the major banks. Your old platform's security is your problem; Shopify's is Shopify's.
Mobile-first, conversion-tuned
60%+ of SA ecommerce traffic is mobile. Shopify themes are mobile-first by default. Shopify checkout converts ~15% better than the average self-hosted checkout.
App ecosystem that just works
8,000+ Shopify apps for reviews, loyalty, search, recommendations, accounting sync, courier integrations. Install in a click, configure in minutes.
Predictable monthly cost
$29–$299/month flat. No hosting surprises, no developer retainer to patch broken things, no emergency invoices. Most clients spend less per month after migrating.
What gets migrated
The full data migration checklist
Nothing left behind. Here's the complete list of what we move from your old store to Shopify.
Product catalogue
- ✓ All product details, titles, descriptions
- ✓ Product images and gallery images
- ✓ Variants (size, colour, material, etc.)
- ✓ Pricing, sale prices, compare-at prices
- ✓ SKUs and barcodes
- ✓ Stock levels and inventory locations
- ✓ Tags and product types
- ✓ Collections and categories
- ✓ SEO meta titles and descriptions
Customers & orders
- ✓ All customer accounts
- ✓ Addresses (billing and shipping)
- ✓ Customer tags and segments
- ✓ Complete order history
- ✓ Order line items and pricing
- ✓ Order statuses (paid, fulfilled, refunded)
- ✓ Discount codes and gift cards
- ✓ Customer reviews and ratings
- ✓ Wishlist data (where available)
Content & SEO
- ✓ All blog posts with formatting intact
- ✓ Static pages (About, FAQ, Contact, etc.)
- ✓ Navigation menus rebuilt to match
- ✓ Image alt text preserved
- ✓ Schema markup re-implemented
- ✓ Sitemap submitted to Google
- ✓ Robots.txt configured properly
- ✓ Internal linking preserved
The critical SEO bit
- ✓ 301 redirect for every old URL
- ✓ Product URLs → Shopify product URLs
- ✓ Category URLs → Shopify collection URLs
- ✓ Blog URLs → Shopify blog URLs
- ✓ Page URLs → Shopify page URLs
- ✓ Query string URLs (e.g. ?p=123) handled
- ✓ Google Search Console reconfigured
- ✓ Indexing requested for key URLs
- ✓ Post-launch ranking monitoring (30 days)
Our process
From quote to launch day
Most migrations take 4–6 weeks. Bigger or more complex stores 6–10 weeks. Here's exactly how we work.
01
Discovery & audit
We audit your current store — product count, customer base, custom features, third-party integrations. Free upfront. You get an itemised quote with no surprises.
02
Data extraction
We pull everything from your old platform — products, customers, orders, content. Validated and deduped before anything touches Shopify.
03
Shopify build on staging
Your new Shopify store goes up on a staging URL. Custom design, products imported, payment gateways connected, shipping configured. You review and approve.
04
Redirect map built
We build the 301 redirect map from every old URL to its new Shopify equivalent. Reviewed and tested before launch.
05
DNS cutover
We flip DNS from the old host to Shopify. Redirects go live the moment Google starts crawling the new URLs. Most clients experience zero downtime.
06
Post-launch monitoring
30 days of monitoring. We watch Search Console, traffic, conversion. If any URL fails to redirect or any ranking dips, we fix it fast. Then training, then handover.
100+
Platform migrations completed
0
Rankings lost during migration
47%
Average conversion lift post-migration
9/10
Platforms we've moved stores from
Migration questions
Common migration questions
Will I lose my Google rankings?
No — not when migration is done properly. The key is comprehensive 301 redirects: every old URL points to its new equivalent. Google reindexes within 2–4 weeks, your rankings transfer over, traffic stays steady. We've done 100+ migrations with zero ranking losses. Where rankings do dip temporarily, they recover within 30 days.
How long does a migration take?
Standard migrations: 4–6 weeks from quote to launch. Larger stores (1,000+ products, complex B2B, ERP integrations): 6–10 weeks. Tiny migrations (under 50 products, basic setup): 2–3 weeks. Your quote includes a clear timeline and we stick to it.
What does a migration cost?
Migrations are quoted based on product count, customer base, custom features and design needs. As a guide: small stores from R25,000, mid-size R40,000–R70,000, complex/enterprise R80,000+. Always itemised, always fixed-price. Get a free quote in 24 hours.
Will my customers need to reset their passwords?
Yes — this is unavoidable. For security reasons, no ecommerce platform exports plaintext passwords. We migrate the customer accounts and email addresses, then Shopify auto-sends password reset invites at launch. Customers click, set a new password, done. We script the messaging so it doesn't feel like a problem.
What about my SEO meta titles and descriptions?
Migrated. Every product, collection, blog post and page keeps its current meta title and description. Schema markup gets re-implemented properly on Shopify (often better than the original). Image alt text preserved.
Can I see the new store before going live?
Yes — we build the entire new store on a staging URL (e.g. yourstore-new.myshopify.com). You and your team can browse, test checkouts, review everything before we flip DNS. Sign-off required before launch.
What if I have custom features on my current store?
We map every custom feature to a Shopify equivalent — either a built-in feature, an app, or custom code. Subscription billing → ReCharge or Bold. Custom forms → Shopify Forms or HulkApps. Loyalty programs → Smile.io or LoyaltyLion. We tell you upfront if anything can't be matched.
Do you handle DNS and the actual cutover?
Yes — we coordinate the entire DNS cutover. We lower TTL 24 hours before, flip the records, verify SSL, test forms and payments, then raise TTL again. Most clients experience zero downtime. We pick a low-traffic window for the cutover.
What happens if something goes wrong post-launch?
30 days of post-launch monitoring is included. We watch Search Console, traffic, conversion, and any error logs. If something dips or breaks, we fix it fast at no extra cost. After 30 days you have access to our R600/hr support for ongoing changes.
Can you migrate just part of my store?
Yes — partial migrations are common. Migrate products and customers now, leave the blog for later. Migrate the ecommerce store but keep the existing WordPress for content. We scope each project to what makes sense for your business and budget.