WooCommerce Migration Guide: Migrate to WooCommerce From Any eCommerce Platform

Every year numerous online businesses choose WooCommerce to start the eCommerce journey. However, not everyone starts like this. Many online businesses make the mistake of rushing too fast into eCommerce that they either go for the cheapest or the easiest eCommerce platform to set up their online business.

But later on, they realize that their existing eCommerce platform is not scalable enough or flexible enough, and so on. And then, they start the research to find the ideal eCommerce platform for the online business. In most cases, this search leads them to WooCommerce.

If you are reading this article now, then the chances are that you also had a similar experience and are now considering WooCommerce migration services. Here we discuss the answer to every question you may have about WooCommerce migration and how you can execute it effectively.

Methods to Migrate Your eCommerce Business to WooCommerce

There are three ways you can migrate your website to the WooCommerce platform. But no matter which method you choose, you have to be extra careful because any mistake in the process could cost you your priceless business data. 

Hence, it is essential that you follow the best practices and back up your data before beginning the migration process. Ensure that you carefully follow each step, so you don’t accidentally jeopardize your business data.

The three methods you can migrate your website to the WooCommerce platform include the following.

Migrating Your Data Manually

One of the options you can consider if you are thinking of migrating your website to a WooCommerce platform is to do it manually. It is the least expensive way to migrate your website to the WooCommerce platform. 

Although it is not an easy task to migrate a website by yourself, there is a silver lining. WooCoommerce offers a CSV product importer straight out of the box. The importer feature alone makes migrating to WooCommerce significantly easier for you.

You would still need to ensure that your data is properly mapped. In theory, the WooCommerce migration process is pretty simple. It may even fool you into thinking that you can do it yourself. However, the reality of the situation could be a lot different. 

You can also find the documentation for migrating products from your existing website to WooCommerce. But here is a quick rundown of the steps you must take to migrate your website to the WooCommerce platform.

Step 1
Select the products you want to migrate to the WooCommerce site from your existing site and create a CSV file.

Step 2
Import the products to WooCommerce after setting up the WordPress website and installing WooCommerce in it.

WooCommerce Importer Tool

You can access the WooCommerce Importer tool for importing all your products from the WordPress admin panel. You can find a section called Tools in the WordPress admin panel. Under the tool menu, you can find the Import option, which you must click on. 

Now, you must click on the Run Importer button that you can find below the WooCommerce products option (CSV). To reiterate the steps, you need to take for importing products to WooCommerce, follow the steps given below.

Tools → Import → Run Importer (Under WooCommerce Products (CSV))

At this point, you can select the necessary CSV file and run the WooCommerce Importer Tool and finish the process. And just like that, you can import all your products to your new WooCommerce website. 

You can use the same process for importing the following details from your existing website.

As we stated above, it may be simple enough on paper, but the actual process could be much more different. If you are not careful with the migration, you are likely to run into some roadblocks. Therefore, we would not advise you to attempt the WooCommerce migration alone if you have no previous or technical experience with the WooCommerce platform.

WooCommerce Migration Using a Migration Tool

A better way to accomplish successful WooCommerce migration is to use a migration tool. The good news is that several tools are available in the market that lets you migrate your business to a WooCommerce site. Most of these tools come with a default migration protocol. Some of the major advantages of using such tools include the following.

Below are some of the more popular WooCommerce migration tools you can use.

LitExtension

LitExtension is one of the best tools you can use for migrating your eCommerce store to the WooCommerce platform. Moreover, it only takes three simple steps to migrate your website to WooCommerce if you use LitExtension’s migration tool, which is as follows.

Step 1
Download the LitExtension software and fill in the details of your eCommerce website.

Step 2
Choose the data or information you want to migrate to the WooCommerce website.

Step 3
Execute a free demo migration and immediately transfer all your site data.

Cart2Cart

Another excellent plugin or tool of choice for migrating to the WooCommerce platform is Cart2Cart. With zero downtime, you can use it to transfer all the data from your existing website to your new website on WooCommerce. The steps to move eCommerce data to the new WooCommerce platform is as follows.

Step 1
Choose the migration source and pick WooCommerce as your target platform.

Step 2
Choose the data or information you want to transfer, including the 301 redirects.

Step 3
Run a free migration or directly proceed to full migration.

WP All Import

Many consider WP All Import the best tool for WooCommerce migration. Part of the reason why people feel this way about WP All Import is its drag-and-drop interface. It makes the migration process easier to use and understand. Listed below are some of the other functionalities of the WP All Import tool.

Hiring a WooCommerce Expert Developer for Migration

The safest and most effective way to migrate your eCommerce website to the WooCommerce platform is by hiring a WooCommerce developer. There are always risks associated with eCommerce migration, whether you do it manually by yourself or with the help of the advanced tools we discussed above.

Hence, the safer approach is to seek the help of an expert like Virtina. We can help you execute even complicated migration processes without compromising the safety of your precious data. Moreover, a WooCommerce migration presents the perfect opportunity for you to revamp your website and equip it with new features and capabilities. 

Virtina can help you build an entirely new WooCommerce store where you have complete control over your eCommerce business. Here are some of the major benefits you can get by hiring an expert like Virtina

In short, an eCommerce expert like Virtina can help you migrate your website to the WooCommerce platform and improve it. There is no point in migrating your store to the WooCommerce platform if you don’t use the platform’s full potential.

A WooCommerce expert like Virtina can help you realize the full potential of the WooCommerce platform. You can customize your store to align with your brand logo and colors. On top of that, you can implement complex integrations and set up additional features that were not possible on your previous website.

The only downside of hiring a WooCommerce expert is that it can cost you a few extra bucks. But you can make up for it by completely revamping your eCommerce store and saving valuable time. 

Moreover, suppose you try to execute WooCommerce migration yourself, and something goes wrong. In that case, you may spend even more money fixing it. Hence, we recommend you always hire a WooCommerce expert for your migration project if you do not have a strong knowledge of the WooCommerce platform.

Migrating From Your Current eCommerce Platform to WooCommerce

Typically a WooCommerce migration happens from an existing eCommerce platform to WooCommerce. There are several reasons why businesses may want to migrate their eCommerce website from their present eCommerce platform to WooCommerce. 

One of the most common reasons begins migrations from the current eCommerce platform to WooCommerce is the need for flexibility. An open-source eCommerce platform like WooCommerce is significantly easier to manage and offers superior flexibility.

We could go on and on about the various benefits of WooCommerce over other eCommerce platforms. So, here are the basic steps you need to know to migrate your website from some of the popular eCommerce platforms. 

Magento to WooCommerce Migration

Magento is one of the most powerful eCommerce platforms out there. However, managing your business on Magento requires technical knowledge, which is not always flexible like WooCommerce. The basic steps involved in migrating a website from Magento to WooCommerce using a tool like LifeExtension is as follows. 

Step 1

Download the connector to your store’s root folder, choose Magento as your “Source Cart,” and enter your store’s URL.

Step 2

Choose WooCommerce as the “Target Cart” and enter the URL for your WooCommerce store.

Step 3

Choose the eCommerce data or entities you want to migrate, such as products, orders, customers, etc.

Step 4

Execute the migration process using LiteExtension. (Run a demo migration first if necessary)

BigCommerce to WooCommerce Migration

BigCommerce is another popular eCommerce platform from where businesses migrate to WooCommerce. It is an easy-to-use and robust eCommerce platform with superior security features. However, it tends to run on the pricier side compared to WooCommerce. The steps you must follow for manual BigCommerce to WooCommerce migration are as follows.

Step 1

Backup your eCommerce data

The manual backup process for BigCommerce to WooCommerce migration is slightly complex and takes place in parts.

Products and Product Images

Go to your admin panel to migrate your product and images from BigCommerce to WooCommerce. Once you reach the admin panel, follow the steps listed below.

Products → Export → [set bulk export settings] → Continue → Confirm → Export my products to a CSV File → Download Product File

You must connect your eCommerce website to WebDAV to download the product images. After that, you can download the images via a drag-and-drop option.

Customer Trace

BigCommerce PCI compliance does not allow you to export a customer’s password. You can take the following steps to export your customer data from your eCommerce website. 

Customers → Export → [Set Bulk Edit template] → Continue → Export my customers to a CSV file → Download my Customers file

Orders

Follow the steps below to export your order data from your Big Commerce website. 

Orders → Export → [Set Default Template] → Continue → Export my orders to a CSV file → Download My Orders

Step 2

Create a WooCommerce Storefront

After backing up all the necessary data from the BiigCommerce store, you can proceed to create a WooCommerce storefront. Start by creating a WordPress-powered website with its hosting and domain name. Follows these steps after finishing the initial setup of the WooCommerce store. 

Create new database → WordPress package upload → Edit config-sample.php and run installation script → WooCommerce plugin installation and configuration

Step 3

Data Migration

The final step in the BigCommerce to WooCommerce migration process is importing all the data to the new platform. You can import the data through a manual approach or use an importer tool, as discussed above. Follow the same steps we discussed in the case of Magento to WooCommerce migration to import data using an import tool.

Shopify to WooCommerce Migration

You can find several similar functionalities in the Shopify to WooCommerce eCommerce platforms. Hence, it is relatively easier to implement migration from Shopify to WooCommerce. Here also, you can take a manual approach or use a tool.

Step 1

Shopify Apps Migration

You can not directly migrate information from third-party plugins and applications from Shopify to WooCommerce. 

However, you can tackle this limitation by analyzing your existing Shopify apps and finding the WooCommerce plugins having the same or similar functionalities. 

It is best to seek the help of a WooCommerce expert like Virtina to accomplish this if you are not familiar with the WooCommerce platform.

Step 2

Themes and Designs

Unfortunately, your WooCommerce store can not use Shopify themes. Hence, you must design your new WooCommerce site from scratch if you migrate from Shopify. The good news is that WooCommerce’s open=-source platform offers you unlimited customization capability. With the help of an eCommerce expert like Virtina, you can make your website exactly how you envisioned it. 

OpenCart to WooCommerce Migration

The three standard migration methods apply to OpenCart to WooCommerce migration. You can do it manually or using a migration tool like LitExtension. The steps for OpenCart to WooCommerce migration are the same as the ones discussed above. Below, we reiterate the steps you must follow for WooCommerce migration using a tool like LitExtension.

Step 1
Register/login to the migration tool (Example: LitExtension).

Step 2
Input the Source and Target Cart information.

Step 3
Choose your migration settings or preference.

Step 4
Execute the migration process.

Step 5
Check the results of your migration.

You can easily conduct a simple migration from OpenCart to the WooCommerce platform using a migration tool LitExtension. However, 

SquareSpace to WooCommerce Migration

SquareSpace is a relatively new eCommerce platform. It offers built-in tools that help the design process simple for business organizations. However, it lacks the flexibility you get from WooCommerce and could be the number one reason for SquareSpace to WooCommerce migration.

Step 1

Export Your SquareSpace Content

To export your eCommerce information from your SquareSpace online store, follow the steps below. 

Settings → Advances → [Set your import/export option] → Export → [Select the WordPress logo from the pop-up window] → Download

You can’t export some elements in your website, such as product/album pages, product blocks, templates, Etc. However, you may download them separately in CSV format.

Step 2

Import Your Content to WordPress

To import the content you downloaded to your new WordPress website, follow the steps below after logging in to the WordPress Admin Panel.

Tools → Import → [choose relevant platforms] → Install → [run the importer] 

WordPress will automatically upload your exported file from SquareSpace and give you access to its import settings page.

PrestaShop to WooCommerce Migration

PrestaShop offers you an open-source CMS platform similar to WooCommerce. With PrestaShop, you can facilitate high traffic. But, it lacks the scalability level you get from the WooCommerce platform and access to out-of-the-box features.

We do not recommend manually executing the PrestaShop to WooCommerce migration, as it can often lead to complications. Using a WooCommerce plugin like FG PrestaShop could significantly simplify the migration process. The eCommerce data you can migrate using the plugin include products (including product images), categories, tags, and CMS.

Below are the simplified steps to migrate your website from PrestaShop to WooCommerce.

Step 1
Back up the data from your PrestaShop website.

Step 2
Build a website on WordPress.

Step 3
Install WooCommerce and configure your desired settings.

Step 4
Install the importer tool (FG PrestaShop) to the WooCommerce plugin.

Step 5
Choose the data types you need and import them from PrestaShop to WooCommerce.

Other eCommerce Platform to WooCommerce Migration

The basic premise of migrating from any eCommerce platform remains the same. You have three methods of migrating your eCommerce store, which includes

However, the migration process can change depending on the complexities of migration, such as the incompatible nature between platforms. In most cases, it is best to seek the services of a certified WooCommerce expert like Virtna for your migration process.  

Although the basic principle behind every migration process is the same, they are also unique in their ways. For example, online businesses could use different third-party applications or plugins to streamline their business operations.

In many cases, custom or third-party solutions are not easy to migrate to new platforms. Sometimes, you may have to create customized solutions to meet your specific eCommerce needs, depending on your existing eCommerce CMS. Hence, it is always best to let an expert like Virtina take over your WooCommerce migration project.

How to Migrate Your Existing WooCommerce Website

In some cases, businesses may have to migrate their eCommerce store already on WooCommerce to a different WooCommerce website. There are mainly two reasons why an online business may want to do this, and they are as follows. 

The simplified steps for a WooCommerce to WooCommerce migration involve the following steps. 

Tools → Export → [select entities/data you want to migrate] → Download Export → [obtain an XML file]

You can always simplify the migration process by using a migration tool or plugin like WP Migrate for easy and convenient WooCommerce to WooCommerce migration.

Checklist for WooCommerce Migration

A WooCommerce migration checklist can help you ensure a smooth migration of your eCommerce store to the WooCommerce platform. Here, we discuss the basic pre and post-migration checklist to ensure a seamless WooCommerce integration process for your business organization.

WooCommerce Pre-migration Checklist

The WooCommerce pre-migration checklist involves everything you need to note before starting your migration process.

Analyze and Choose the Appropriate Migration Approach 

You must thoroughly analyze your eCommerce website before selecting a migration approach. Check what plugins, apps, and third-party solutions you currently use and if you can easily migrate them. 

If you are unsure about migration, seek the help of an expert like Virtina. Use a process with manual or tool-based migration if you are sure you can execute it and have sufficient knowledge of the platform. 

Choose the Appropriate Tools for Migration

If you opt for WooCommerce migration using a migration tool, ensure it can import/export all eCommerce data you need. Additionally, ensure that it offers zero downtime and allows your customers to access the store during the migration process.

Build and Setup up a WordPress Website

Make sure you build and set up your WordPress site before starting your migration process. You don’t want to put off building your WordPress site and then run into some problems at the last moment.

Acquire the FTP Credentials

It's essential to have your FTP credentials with you before migrating to WooCommerce. The necessary FTP credentials for the migration include the following.

Backup Your eCommerce Data

The worst thing that could happen in a WooCommerce migration process is losing all your precious eCommerce data. Always ensure to back up your eCommerce data to avoid this from happening.

WooCommerce Post-migration Checklist

Pre-migration checklist deals with the measures you need to take before the WooCommerce migration. In contrast, the post-migration checklist includes everything you need to do after the migration.

DNS Entry Update

Make sure to update the DNS entry soon after the migration process. If you don’t, your customers may get redirected to your old store.

Test The New Store

After the DNS update, you must check whether your new website or online store is working as it should. Check all the pages and functionalities before going live.

Test External Links

Ensure that all your old URLs point to the new one. Use the search and replace operation to redirect internal links and direct them to new ones to avoid server overload.  

SEO Optimization

The final item of the post-migration checklist is to optimize your SEO for the Google search engine. It also includes submitting your new site and ensuring that the search engine bots can easily crawl it.

What are the Challenges in WooCommerce Migration?

WooCommerce migration can often be a complex project with numerous associated challenges. Although we can’t list out all the potential challenges you may encounter, here are some common risks or challenges associated with WooCommerce migration, and they are.

You can bypass all the challenges stated above if you hand over the migration process to an expert like Virtina. We can ensure a seamless WooCommerce migration for your online store without compromising your customer data and features or functionalities. Moreover, Virtina helps you enhance your existing eCommerce capabilities and makes them even better. 

When do you Need WooCommerce Migration?

WooCommerce offers an advanced eCommerce platform that can fit the needs of practically any online business. There are only a few limitations to what WooCommerce’s platform can do for your online business. But with the right expert like Virtina, you can easily overcome these challenges. Below, we discuss the ideal time for an online business to conduct WooCommerce migration.

WooCommerce Migration Project - Final Thoughts

Every WooCommerce migration project has its unique aspects and complications. The more advanced or feature-rich your eCommerce website, the more complex will be its migration process. 

Hence, using a certified WooCommerce expert like Virtina for your eCommerce migration project is highly recommended. Suppose yours is a relatively simple eCommerce website, and you are low-key familiar with the WooCommerce platform. Using professional help can still benefit you.

WooCommerce migration facilitates a good chance for your business to optimize and enhance your eCommerce capabilities. Virtina can help you build a significantly better WooCommerce store with advanced features and functionalities for your business.

You can use this article as a guide to migrate your online store to WooCommerce. However, there are still several risks associated with migration, even with the proper guidelines. Therefore, seeking professional help for your WooCommerce migration project is always in your best interest.

WooCommerce Migration Guide - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)