Why You Should Migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce

Are you tired of high fees and rigid templates? It might be time to migrate your Shopify store to WooCommerce. The latter powers over 4.6 million online stores and holds a 39% market share. You get full control over your shop with endless customization options that let you tailor every detail to match your brand.

WooCommerce is an open-source platform, so you only pay for your needs, saving money while boosting growth. With a huge library of plugins and themes, you can easily add new features as your business evolves.

Keep reading to learn why you should migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce and how to do it without affecting your store’s functionality.

Why You Should Migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce

Switching platforms gives you the freedom and flexibility you need. You should migrate a Shopify store to WooCommerce if you want:

1. More Control & Ownership: With WooCommerce, you own your data and design. No more platform restrictions holding you back. You decide every detail, making it easier to run your business your way.
2. Lower Costs: Say goodbye to high monthly fees and steep transaction charges. Shopify charges from $29 to $2,300 per month. Plus, you pay a 2.4% to 2.9% fee on card transactions. WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a free, open-source platform.
3. Better Customization: Enjoy endless design options and powerful features. You can easily convert your Shopify store to WooCommerce and tailor every aspect to match your brand.
4. Scalability & Integrations: WooCommerce grows with your business. It works seamlessly with third-party tools, ensuring smooth integration as your store expands.
5. Easy Maintenance: Managing your store is hassle-free with WooCommerce. With human-led proactive site management services like WP Autopilot, you can ensure regular updates, backups, and performance checks to keep your store running smoothly with minimal effort.
6. SEO Benefits: Advanced SEO controls help boost your search rankings. Optimize your site to attract more traffic and increase conversions.
7. Large Community & Support:WooCommerce has a massive community of developers, designers, and users worldwide. That means you get access to thousands of tutorials and forums.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: A Quick Comparison

Transaction Fees🌟 Limits may help control shipping costsLimits may be required to prevent excessive charges

Pro Tip: Many online stores want to start small and scale up as their business grows. If that’s what you are looking for, WooCommerce is the better choice.

How to Migrate a Shopify Store to WooCommerce

With the right support, you can migrate a Shopify store to WooCommerce stress-free. The time and skills required for migration may change depending on the size and complexity of your store. However, it typically involves the following steps:

Step 1: Set Up Your WooCommerce Store

The first step is to lay the groundwork for your Shopify to WooCommerce migration, which means you should: 

1. Choose a Domain & Hosting: Pick a domain name that reflects your brand and makes your store easy to find. Next, select a hosting provider that offers great speed, security, and WordPress support. This ensures your new WooCommerce store runs smoothly and is ready to grow.
2. Install WordPress & WooCommerce: Begin by installing WordPress on your hosting account, as it’s the backbone of WooCommerce. Next, add the WooCommerce plugin, which transforms your WordPress site into a fully functioning online store.
3. Configure Basic Store Settings: Once WooCommerce is installed, configure your store. Set your currency, payment options, shipping methods, and tax settings as needed. These basic configurations help you manage orders and customer data correctly right from the start.

Step 2: Export Your Shopify Data

The next step involves exporting your Shopify data:

1. Navigate to Shopify Admin → Export Products, Customers, and Orders.
   Log in to your Shopify Admin panel.Go to Settings > Apps and Sales Channels and search for “Store Exporter” or use Shopify’s built-in CSV Export tool.Export your products, customers, and orders as CSV files and head to the export section. Here, you’ll find options to export key data like products, customers, and orders all in one place.
2. Download CSV files for products, orders, and customer details.
   Once you trigger the export, Shopify will generate CSV files for each category of data. Download these files and save them securely on your computer. These CSV files contain vital information, like product specs, pricing, order history, and customer contacts, that you’ll later import into WooCommerce. Ensuring the files are complete and accurate makes your migration much smoother.

Step 3: Import Data to WooCommerce

After exporting your Shopify data, you’ll need to import it to WooCommerce: 

1. Use WooCommerce CSV Importer or a Migration Plugin
   WooCommerce provides a built-in CSV Importer that allows you to upload your Shopify data manually. If you prefer a more automated approach, use a migration plugin like Cart2Cart or WP All Import.It’ll simplify the process and map your product listings, orders, and customer details correctly. A plugin is especially helpful for larger sites, as it saves time and reduces errors when you migrate a Shopify store to WooCommerce.
2. Check Imported Data for Accuracy & Formatting
   Once the data is imported, review everything carefully. Check that product names, descriptions, prices, and images appear correctly. Verify customer data, including email addresses and order history. Formatting issues may occur, so fix missing fields or misaligned details before moving forward. A thorough review now will prevent problems later.

Step 4: Set Up Payment & Shipping

The next step in your Shopify to WooCommerce migration involves setting up payment and shipping:

1. Configure WooCommerce Payment Gateways
   WooCommerce supports multiple payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and direct bank transfers. Head to WooCommerce settings and integrate your preferred payment method by entering API keys. If you were using Shopify Payments, you’d need to switch to a new provider.
2. Adjust Shipping Zones & Tax Settings
   Define shipping zones based on where you ship products and configure available shipping methods (flat rate, free shipping, or real-time carrier rates). Set tax rates according to your business’s location and target markets.WooCommerce provides built-in tax management tools, but you can also use plugins for more advanced options. Proper shipping and tax setup helps streamline the checkout process and improve customer experience.

Step 5: Design & Customize Your Store

After setting up the payment, you should turn to designing and customizing your store:

1. Select a WooCommerce Theme
   WooCommerce offers many free and premium themes, such as Astra, GeneratePress, or Storefront. While these themes are optimized for speed and mobile-friendliness, it’s recommended to go with a fully customized theme.For one, it aligns with your brand perfectly. Secondly, it packs all the features your store needs, and it can be easily customized to meet your growing demands in the future. Of course, this means roping in seasoned WooCommerce website developers from a reliable agency like CoSpark.
2. Customize Pages with Elementor or Gutenberg
   Once your theme is in place, personalize your store’s layout with Elementor, a drag-and-drop builder. This tool helps you design homepages, product pages, and checkout experiences without coding.However, if you want a truly unique store, hire a WooCommerce agency for full-scale customization. This includes every aspect of your store, from fonts and colors to layouts and checkout.
3. Install Plugins for Performance & SEO
   When you migrate your Shopify store to WooCommerce, you’ll need to boost its performance and SEO with the right set of plugins. Yoast SEO or Rank Math, for instance, are perfect for optimizing your product pages for search engines.WP Rocket, on the other hand, helps with faster loading speeds. You might also want to install security plugins like Wordfence and UpdraftPlus for backups. These plugins will keep your store running smoothly after the migration.

Step 6: Test & Launch Your WooCommerce Store

Testing is the final step in your Shopify to WooCommerce migration, and it typically involves:

1. Perform a Complete Site Check
   Before launching, test every aspect of your WooCommerce store in a staging environment.
   • Check page loading speed.
   • Verify that products display correctly.
   • Ensure your checkout process works smoothly with multiple payment options. 
   • Test mobile responsiveness.

   These final checks help catch any issues before customers start shopping.

2. Redirect Shopify URLs to WooCommerce for SEO Continuity
   To maintain SEO rankings and avoid broken links, set up 301 redirects from old Shopify URLs to their corresponding WooCommerce pages. Use plugins like Redirection or manually adjust your .htaccess file to map Shopify URLs to the new structure. This step prevents loss of traffic and keeps your new WooCommerce store search engine friendly.
3. Announce the Migration
   Let your customers know about the move! Send an email blast to your subscribers explaining the benefits of the new site, including improved features and promotions.Post updates on social media, encouraging followers to explore the redesigned store. Consider running limited-time discounts or giveaways to attract visitors and boost engagement after your Shopify to WooCommerce migration.

If you want a scalable, customized, feature-rich, and cost-effective online store, it’s better to convert from Shopify to WooCommerce. Being a free, open-source platform, WooCommerce offers a perfect blend of endless customization without breaking the bank. However, since the process can be complex, it’s recommended to hire skilled WooCommerce developers, especially if you have a large store.

CoSpark can help you migrate your Shopify store to WooCommerce. We’re the go-to for all things WooCommerce, including migration, custom development, and maintenance. Contact us today to brainstorm your migration plan.