Migrating your online store from PrestaShop to Shopify could be the greatest decision that you’ll ever make. Get ready to say goodbye to PrestaShop’s complications and greet a more relaxed, friendly eCommerce solution with Shopify.
So, what is the buzz about PrestaShop and Shopify? PrestaShop is one of the widely used open-source eCommerce solutions with a huge number of features and possibilities for customization. But let’s be honest, it could feel somewhat overwhelming for us who are not tech-savvy or just like a straightforward interface.
Introduce Shopify – a user-friendly, all-in-one eCommerce platform. Shopify offers a smooth experience that is ideal for newbies and experienced eCommerce aficionados. Shopify with its exquisite themes, easy-to-use interface, and wide variety of applications makes it easier to run your online business.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself “How can I migrate PrestaShop to Shopify?” No worries because we have got that covered for you. This guide will help you move your valuable store from PrestaShop to Shopify, with minimal hiccups and a trouble-free transition.
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Why Should Migrate PrestaShop to Shopify?
Shopify is more approachable in the eCommerce market
According to BuiltWith, at the end of 2023, Shopify’s usage percentage is 27%. Meanwhile, PrestaShop’s settled at 4%. Shopify is almost always the first name remembered when it comes to a suitable business-oriented eCommerce platform.
Shopify is always simplified enough for small and medium businesses, startups, or newcomers to the eCommerce market with a main focus on these audiences. Its interface is very clean and simple to navigate, even for non-techies. Users can customize their online store’s functions and designs using provided tools and themes, and can virtually manage any aspect of the business through the Shopify admin dashboard.
All without the need for intensive knowledge of technology or coding. The outcome would be a user-friendly online store both for the owners and customers, offering a great opportunity to make business better in terms of performance.
PrestaShop, on the other hand, is not a piece of cake for its users. PrestaShop is an open-source designed ideally for tech-savvy people who want more leverage over their stores. This deficiency makes the free-download element of this platform less appealing – especially to merchants who want something more approachable, not just for themselves and their customers, but also for their scalability potential.
Shopify is scalable and mobile-responsive
Shopify’s biggest selling point is its ease of use. In this case, ease of use is relevant to scalability potential. Unlike PrestaShop which requires some basic coding or users to be tech savvy, Shopify works for everyone. It was built to be an all-in-one eCommerce platform that removes the difficulties faced by non-techies when they venture into online entrepreneurial endeavors. They also offer convenient built-in features and Shopify themes that face inconveniences if you rely solely on your web host provider to build your online store.
PrestaShop is an open-source platform that you can download at no cost. You will, however, need to install it, find a hosting provider, carry out maintenance and upgrades, and manage security yourself. And as is the case with all open-source platforms, PrestaShop has a steep learning curve. On the other hand, Shopify is a fully hosted eCommerce solution using a drag-and-drop website builder that is easy for novices.
Shopify offers an array of free and paid themes that users can use to customize their store. Their biggest win is that most of them are mobile-friendly and optimized to work on any screen size. Meanwhile, rebuilding or resizing your PrestaShop store can be a lot of work, especially for a user who is already struggling with the coding-dominant platform.
Choose a Method for Migrating PrestaShop to Shopify
#1. Manual migration
As the name implies, manual migration stands for moving your online store using what would be described as a copy-paste process. You would have to copy every product and all of its information from your old PrestaShop store into the newly configured Shopify site. While it is straightforward enough for non-techies knowledge, it poses the highest risk of data loss and is the most tedious technique.
If you are a small-scale business owner with just over a dozen products listed on your store, then you could try switching to a new platform yourself.
#2. Automated migration
On the other hand, automated migration is a cost-effective and user-friendly solution for most business owners. This method does not involve any web development or coding expertise, therefore it is available to the majority of people. The whole process varies from a couple of minutes to several hours, it depends on the amount of data that you transfer.
Unlike other methods, automated migration makes use of programmed software programs that aid in moving online stores from one platform to another. It runs on the back end virtually without interruptions or disruption of your online store’s operations.
#3. Assisted migration
Assisted migration is in many ways similar to manual techniques. The only difference, in this case, is that you get an expert with a Shopify migration service, namely BSS Commerce Shopify to handle it. Put simply, it is equivalent to giving power to a third party to migrate Prestshop to Shopify by transferring data. This is a good alternative for non-tech-savvy store owners, especially when you have a massive volume of data and a great deal of product catalogs that make it too burdensome to do it yourself.
Shopify Migration Services – BSS Commerce Shopify
The pros of assisted migration certainly outweigh the risks when compared to a manual process. Your spending on a charge will cover assistance from developers or experts, knowing one’s expertise and knowledge concerning the two platforms. They will provide accurate data transfer, but unlike before, it will take a short time, without trouble. Your mind can be fully at work and focused on doing your business.
PrestaShop to Shopify Migration: A Comprehensive Guide
Before PrestaShop to Shopify Migration
Back up your PrestaShop database
First, you’ll need to back up data from your old store. One way of getting a full dump of your database is through PHPMyAdmin, which many hosting providers make available.
- Navigate to your PhpMyAdmin interface and log in.
- You will now pick the database where PrestaShop is installed.
- Select the “Export” tab, and then click on the “Go” button to start exporting.
After the backup is done, you should then undertake a proper data audit. The data audit indicates reviewing the backed-up information – such as product name, product information, customer details, etc – and determining what to retain while transferring into your new Shopify store, and what to delete.
Prepare your Shopify store
If you don’t have a Shopify store yet, register one now and fill in all the required information. Choose a subscription plan that suits your business’s requirements and financial capabilities. Choose a high-rated and customizable theme such as Eurus Theme by BSS Commerce, and set up all payment and shipping methods. Carefully review the terms & services, as well as Shopify’s policies.
If you already have an account for your Shopify store, then carefully check your Shopify store information to ensure a perfect migration. Install additional necessary apps, if you plan to perform the PrestaShop to Shopify migration by automated migration using apps.
Step-by-step guide for PrestaShop to Shopify migration
Manual migration
Step 1: Export data from PrestaShop
- Access to your PrestaShop dashboard.
- Export your products, customers, and orders in CSV format by using PrestaShop’s built-in features or by using a third-party extension.
Step 2: Prepare CSV files
- Download and open the exported CSV files you have.
- Convert CSV files to follow the import formats that Shopify supports.
Step 3: Import the data into Shopify
- Go to your Shopify dashboard and log in.
- Import your formatted CSV files using Shopify’s import tools.
Automated migration
You need an app that supports migrating PrestaShop to Shopify that works well on Shopify. Here, we will take the Cart2Cart app as an example to have the most intuitive view.
Step 1: Connect your shopping carts
To connect your PrestaShop and Shopify shopping carts:
- Go to Source Cart Setup, there is a drop-down menu next to the Source Cart field.
- Choose PrestaShop from the list of eCommerce platforms.
- Download the Connection Bridge
- Once done with downloading, unzip the zipped file which is named connection_bridge.
- Extract folder bridge2cart
- Choose an FTP client to import the file to your PrestaShop store’s root catalog
- Double-check to be sure that it has created a connection between your Source cart.
To configure your Shopify cart:
- Go to Target Cart Setup, then click on the drop-down menu showing beside the Target Cart field.
- From the list of eCommerce platforms given, select Shopify
- Select “Install Plugin” to download the integration called “Migration for Shopify”.
- Go ahead and install the plugin.
Step 2: Select the data to migrate
This step involves the selection of data entities that you wish to migrate from PrestaShop to Shopify. Choose Select All to migrate everything. Alternatively, you can choose certain data entities to migrate. Some of the available options include:
- Product data
- Product visuals
- Price
- Integrations
- Purchased items list
- SEO configurations
- Page redirects
- Static site pages
Step 3: Map customer groups and order statuses
- Open the Mapping Window of Cart2Cart and choose those specific data classes to be mapped on the Shopify shop.
- Choose the same corresponding classes of your newly created Shopify website.
- For the necessary groups not available in the target cart, you can form them by clicking on the corresponding buttons.
Step 4: Run the PrestaShop to Shopify migration
You’ll begin the migration process of moving your data from PrestaShop to Shopify through the automated tool.
1. Begin with a demo: Start by trying out the Cart2Cart tool and running a free demo. This will give you an overview of what it’s like to migrate, but only a small number of entries will be displayed. This demo run will leave your entire PrestaShop online store untouched.
2. Upgrade for full migration: If you have received satisfactory outcomes from the demo and want to migrate in full, then you can consider upgrading your plan. This will allow you to move your site data into a new Shopify store.
3. Keep your browser open: Your web browser window must remain open throughout the migration process to make sure it runs smoothly.
4. Check your new Shopify store: When the migration process is completed, log in to your new Shopify store’s front end. Here you can check if all your data that has been migrated recently are viewable. This is an essential step so that you can confirm that your website has maintained its appearance and functionality.
PrestaShop to Shopify Migration – Conclusion
In conclusion, the migration of PrestaShop to Shopify can significantly support your eCommerce business. Shopify has a user-friendly interface, nice templates, and strong features that allow you to have the best shopping experience for your customers. Shopify allows you to manage your inventory smoothly, ensures secure payment gateways, and has advanced SEO features that may attract more traffic to our website.
Still, it is not easy to migrate from one platform to another as this procedure can be laborious and time-consuming. That’s where BSS Shopify Commerce steps in as a reliable PrestaShop to Shopify migration expert. Along with professional solutions, BSS Commerce Shopify can also offer support and assistance for long-term as well to make sure that your new Shopify store is inherently successful.
PrestaShop to Shopify – FAQs
1. Can I migrate all my data from PrestaShop to Shopify?
Yes, with the right tools and migration services, you can easily transfer your products, customer data, order history, categories, and other essential data from PrestaShop to Shopify. Tools like Cart2Cart offer automated migration solutions that ensure a smooth transition without the need for manual data entry.
2. Will my SEO rankings be affected during the migration?
While there might be slight fluctuations initially, a properly executed PrestaShop to Shopify migration should not significantly impact your SEO rankings. It is important to set up proper 301 redirects for your URLs to ensure that search engines can still find and index your new Shopify website. Additionally, optimizing your content and metadata on the new platform can help to maintain and even improve your SEO performance.
3. How long does it take to complete the PrestaShop to Shopify migration process?
The migration time can vary depending on the amount of data, the complexity of your PrestaShop store, and the migration method you choose. Automated migration can typically migrate your data within a few hours or even minutes, depending on the size of your store. However, keep in mind that additional time might be required to customize your new Shopify theme, set up payment gateways, and configure other settings to ensure a seamless transition.
Discover Shopify setups to help you manage your store and boost sales:
