Is It Time to Migrate to Shopify? How to Know & What to Do Next

We talk to brands every week who are trying to decide if it’s time to migrate to Shopify with the help of our Free Shopify Migration Assessment program. Many of them find themselves in the process of weighing the pros and cons of Shopify and Shopify Plus migration, while already running into the limitations of their current ecommerce platform, whether they're on BigCommerce, Magento, or others.

Many of these brands are growing quickly and find themselves on a plan or platform that isn’t scalable, dealing with a site that was designed and developed without taking into account their long-term growth. Or maybe they’re just tired of relying on developers for every little update.

If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. We’re here to help you decide if it's time to migrate to Shopify or Shopify Plus.

At Ecommerce Pro, we’ve helped businesses across industries—fashion, wellness and beauty, home goods, wellness, and more—migrate to Shopify and Shopify Plus from the usual competing ecommerce platforms. And we’ve seen it all, having handled dozens of seamless migrations to Shopify and Shopify Plus. And we’ve also seen what happens after the switch—faster sites, leaner teams, better performances overall.

This guide is for ecommerce business owners asking themselves the big question: “Is it time to migrate to Shopify?” Let’s break that down together.

Why More Brands Are Choosing to Migrate to Shopify

We’ve seen a big shift in brands that want to migrate to Shopify and Shopify Plus. Today, Shopify still dominates the ecommerce platform market share, especially in North America, where it holds 29% of the region's ecommerce market and approximately 10% of global shares. This market share is still growing, leaving behind competing platforms.

It’s no secret that Shopify has become the go-to choice for ecommerce replatforming in 2025. Why? Because it’s built for speed, scale, and simplicity:

Fully hosted and secure out of the box—they also take care of security updates for you.
Fast site speeds and mobile optimization are baked in with the fastest checkout of any ecommerce platform.
A robust app ecosystem that integrates with your favorite tools (over 8000 apps for added functionality to your store!)
Shopify Plus—the highest tier of Shopify plans for high-growth, enterprise brands that need power and flexibility.

However, when you’ve been on the same platform for a few years, it can be hard to decide to make the change and easy to overlook the friction. But here’s what we hear from clients before they migrate to Shopify and ask if it sounds familiar:

“We’re spending too much just to keep the lights on (high maintenance cost).”
“We need something easier for our team to manage.”
“We’re growing, but our platform isn’t keeping up.”
“We want a major, professional revamp and an overall better online store experience.”

If one or more of these sentiments ring true, you’re not alone. Many platforms today still require developer-heavy maintenance or custom workarounds for what should be basic features. Shopify flips that with its core focus on being user-friendly to its merchants and the teams behind the brand.

Shopify doesn’t just solve technical pain points—it changes the way your team works and for the better.

Compelling Signs It’s Time to Migrate to Shopify

Still on the fence? Migrating to a new ecommerce platform isn’t a decision you make overnight. It often starts with a quiet sense that something isn’t working anymore.

While there are some points of friction that some store owners feel are easier to let slide, there are some pretty solid reasons to migrate to Shopify and Shopify Plus—reasons that are far more compelling. Here are some common signs and ecommerce platform roadblocks we see when brands come to us ready for a Shopify migration:

You’ve outgrown your platform’s performance limits.
You want to scale internationally but don’t have the tools to support it.
Your total cost of ownership is creeping higher every year.
You’re relying too much on developers for every routine update.
Your current checkout experience is clunky or hard to customize, leading to dropoffs and lost sales.

These aren’t just sentiments; they are tangible roadblocks to your online business that are putting the brakes on your brand’s true potential. If you want unfettered growth, change is necessary. If any of these resonate, it might be time to consider ecommerce replatforming—especially if you’re planning for growth over the next 6 to 12 months, and in the following years to come.

Planning Your Shopify Migration the Right Way

Migrating to a new ecommerce platform isn’t just about moving data—it’s about making sure your new site is built to scale and that it's built right. That’s why we recommend treating it as a full-on, major project, with clear goals and a solid plan to ensure smooth migration with no downtime to your business.

Once you’ve decided that it’s time to move to Shopify, the next step is just as critical—planning your migration carefully and strategically. A poorly planned and executed migration can set you back, hurting hard-earned SEO and a broken customer experience that will have an impact on your brand.

But with the right plan in place, a Shopify migration can be seamless and fast, setting you up for your brand’s success. We break it down simply.

Here’s how to approach Shopify and Shopify Plus migration the right way:

Audit your current store. This is your chance to clean house and decide what to bring over to Shopify. Determine what’s working, what’s not, and what features or integrations are essential. Back up all essential data.
Clean your data. Don’t bring over old SKUs, outdated product info, or junk customer accounts.
Decide if a redesign makes sense. Migration is a great time to refresh your storefront and UX. Many brands opt for a design overhaul, going for a premium Shopify theme or bespoke theme.
Map out your third-party tools. Which ones can be replaced with Shopify Apps, of which there are over 8000? Which ones need custom integrations?
Build in time for testing. Rushing to launch creates risk. Plan for QA and optimization pre-launch. Set a realistic deadline; most Shopify and Shopify Plus migrations take at least 4 weeks, sometimes 12.

When done right, migrating to Shopify doesn’t have to be painful. With the right partner and plan, it’s often smoother—and faster—than most people expect.

SEO and Performance: What You Need to Know

One of the biggest concerns we are approached with when it comes to Shopify and Shopify Plus migration is SEO preservation, and we understand why. SEO rank is something that takes time to earn, and you don’t want to lose your searchability.

While your URL structure will change, that doesn’t mean you’ll lose your hard-earned rankings—as long as proper SEO practices and redirects are followed, customers and search engine crawlers will be able to find your site. Even if you have changed your URL structure, setting up redirects will have customers land on your new, live site. Shopify migration done right means no broken links, no dips in traffic, and no disrupted user journeys.

Here’s how we manage SEO during a Shopify migration:

Map and implement 301 redirects for all URLs
Check and update all internal links (menus, collections, product pages, blog content)
Migrate metadata (titles, descriptions, image alt text)
Rebuild or migrate structured data for schema markup
Set up and test GA4 and Google Search Console from Day One

On another note, Shopify and Shopify Plus migration is a great time to improve SEO and optimize your site for lightning speeds. For instance, you can use this time to optimize images and improve elements like on-page SEO. Migrating to Shopify and Shopify Plus is an opportunity to improve your rank and, with careful planning, we’ve seen clients retain—and even improve—their SEO performance after switching to Shopify.

Post-Migration: What Happens After You Go Live

A lot of people think the project ends once the new store launches, while we think that’s when it really starts.

Once your Shopify or Shopify Plus store is live, it’s time to shift your focus from migration to monitoring performance, ensuring everything is working just as you expected, and identifying areas for refinement. This is also the time to get your team on board, train them, and get them familiarized with Shopify’s admin, especially if you’re coming from a platform where every update required a developer. They’ll soon discover that Shopify was built to empower non-technical teams with its user-friendly interface.

We recommend focusing on:

Performance optimization. Shopify is fast, but post-launch audits are still key, and monitoring performance is a must.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). Heatmaps, user recordings, and testing can show you where users drop off and how to fix it before carrying on post-migration. This is a good time to tweak things to be more optimized.
Automations and email flows. Integrate tools like Klaviyo to set up welcome emails, abandoned cart sequences, and post-purchase flows. See Shopify’s App Store to explore automation tools.
Analytics and tracking. Confirm that all events and conversions are being tracked properly across platforms.
Team training. Make sure your team knows how to manage the new Shopify backend. Training is usually quick and easy to take up.

Remember: migrating to Shopify is the beginning of a new growth phase, not the end of a checklist. After post-launch audits and all of that, quarterly and bi-annual audits are important in ensuring everything is running smoothly and up to standard.

Should You Work With a Shopify Expert?

Not everyone needs to work with a Shopify Expert to migrate their store to Shopify. If your current store is simple, with a small product catalog and minimal customizations, you might be able to manage the Shopify migration on your own with the help of dedicated migration apps like Matrixify.

However, if you're dealing with any level of complexity, such as:

A large or complex product catalog
International or multi-currency operations
Third-party integrations or custom apps
A full redesign or UX overhaul
Concerns about SEO, redirects, and zero downtime to business

... then working with an experienced Shopify Plus migration expert is not just helpful—it’s essential to saving you time, effort, and money if you want to avoid costly mistakes.

Work with the Experts: Ecommerce Pro

At Ecommerce Pro, we’re certified Shopify Partners and Shopify Plus Migration Experts with a track record of delivering seamless, stress-free migrations for growing and enterprise-level brands.

We are a 5-star-rated agency with a full team of experts who specialize in handling everything from start to finish. All without downtime or disruption to your business.

We don’t just move your data; we help you launch a faster, better ecommerce business with a Shopify store that’s built for long-term growth. From planning and strategy to execution and post-launch support, we ensure every detail is covered, including SEO preservation and optimization post-launch.

Through our retainer services, we continue to support brands post-migration with ongoing development, optimization, and performance audits—ensuring your Shopify store is always up to date, fast, and optimized for conversions.

Final Thoughts: Your Next Move

If you’ve been asking yourself whether it’s time to migrate to Shopify, chances are the answer is yes.

Ecommerce is a fast-moving industry, and it’s important to stay on the cutting edge of speed and function. Go for the platform that gives you the tools to succeed, and with Shopify’s speed and ease of use to its powerful tools for selling across regions and channels, it’s no surprise that more brands are migrating to Shopify and Shopify Plus.

At Ecommerce Pro, we’ve helped brands replatform from Magento, BigCommerce, and more—and we’d be happy to guide you through your migration too.

Try our Free Shopify Migration Assessment program, or Get in Touch with us directly. Let’s talk about what’s possible for your store on Shopify.

FAQs: Shopify Migration

1. Will I lose my SEO rankings if I migrate to Shopify?
Not if the migration is done right. With proper 301 redirects, metadata preservation, and post-launch SEO audits, your rankings can be maintained—and in many cases, improved.

2. How long does a Shopify migration take?
It depends on the complexity of your store. Most migrations take between 4 to 12 weeks.

3. Can I keep my existing design when moving to Shopify?
You can either replicate your current design or take the opportunity to do a full UX and design overhaul with a Premium Shopify Theme or bespoke theme.

4. What happens to my customer and order data?
All essential data—products, customers, orders, pages—can be migrated securely after performing data backups. This is also the time to clean up and leave behind old data that no longer serves you.

5. Will there be any downtime during the migration?
Downtime can be prevented, and many migration experts can even guarantee zero downtime for your business, so your customers will never know a switch happened.

6. What if I use third-party tools or apps that aren’t available on Shopify?
We assess all your existing tools and map out replacements using Shopify’s app ecosystem. When needed, custom integrations can also be built.

7. Do you offer support after the migration is complete?
Yes! Through our retainer services, we continue to support you with performance optimization, development, SEO, and strategic guidance, so your Shopify store stays optimized for growth