Behind the Scenes: What I learned moving from Magento to Shopify

Matthew Mosse-Robinson

7th May 2024

If you are contemplating an e-commerce migration project I can spill the beans on our wild ride shifting our site from Magento to Shopify. Buckle up, because the last nine months have been a rollercoaster of lessons, and I’ve got three big ones to share:

1. Forget perfect, embrace “good enough”

Newsflash: a perfect website at launch is like finding a unicorn. It just doesn’t happen. The market keeps moving, and customers’ expectations are always evolving. So, instead of chasing perfection, I’ve learned to ask a simple question: “Is the customer experience better than what we had before?” That’s the green light to launch. Post-launch, we’ve got a handy list for tweaks and improvements without getting bogged down by the pursuit of perfection.

2. Integrations are the Sneaky Ninjas

Okay, so system integrations are like the ninjas of website moves. They sneak up on you, and boy, did I underestimate them. What went smoothly with Magento turned into a bit of a puzzle with Shopify. Lesson learned: start early. Like, really early. It’s not just a tech puzzle; it’s a team puzzle too. We’re live now, and sure, not everything’s 100 per cent, but we know what we need to fix and we are on it.

3. Patience is more than a virtue, it’s a necessity

Whoever said good things come to those who wait probably migrated their website. Everything takes three times as long as you think. Shoutout to the wizards who managed it in two to four weeks – I’m seriously impressed. For us, a three-month project turned into a nine-month odyssey. Expect the unexpected and multiply every timeline by three – especially when it involves rebuilding a massive product lineup.

That’s the short and sweet version of my migration saga. If you’re knee-deep in a similar adventure, I hope these nuggets help. If I can provide any more guidance reach out via LinkedIn and I will be happy to assist.

Finally, a big thanks to the rockstars who guided us through: Madeleine from Mintweb, Tahnee from Reload Media, and Nic from the Clever Dudes. You guys are the real MVPs!