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With the rise of eCommerce in the past decade, we’ve also seen the need for a unique, personal online brand increase.
A website is a great way to cut above the electronic noise.
Whether you’re an individual selling a service, a business hoping to connect with customers or a team aiming to get your content out, a great website is crucial.
And, there are a lot of website builders to choose from, especially if you want to build an online store.
Wix and Shopify are two established platforms that have garnered a lot of attention and loyal followers.
Shopify is primarily an eCommerce platform, with diverse marketing templates, SEO applications and great tools for scaling store growth into large, full-featured shops.
Wix is a jack-of-all-trades website builder, customizable for all site needs with specialized eCommerce tools.
If you initially built your store with Wix and are experiencing rapid growth or increased sales, you may be running into a few issues.
While Wix is a great tool for beginners, it is not built to withstand large-scale eCommerce projects.
The functionality is simply not there yet.
On the other hand, Shopify has more than proven its worth; the platform boasts of helping over 1,000,000 businesses generate combined revenues of over $200 billion.
So, if you’re looking for increased functionality and a larger bandwidth to run your store seamlessly, it may be time to transfer your store over to the Shopify platform.
Some owners shy from switching platforms, as it can seem scary to move a sizeable amount of data and hope for the little-to-no interruption in site operations.
But,
moving from Wix to Shopify is incredibly easy, and it promises great results with almost no intrusion in site functionality.
There are certain factors you should take into account when you decide to make the jump from Wix to Shopify.
Make sure you have all usernames and passwords ready and be prepared to transfer your domain name, all hosting features, content, and links.
This should ensure a seamless transition so your store continues running effectively.
Migrate Wix To Shopify Summary
How many ways to migrate do you go over | Will cover 3 different ways |
Is there a service to help? | yes there is and will go over 2 |
Is it costly? | Price can vary |
Can I transfer it over on a Shopify free trial? | yes you can |
Should I move my website from Wix to Shopify?
Before getting into the actual step-by-step process, first, take a moment to consider if switching platforms is right for you.
How is your business currently performing? Where do you see your business going in the future?
Do you want to reach a new audience segment or market?
Are you ready to launch a new product or expect an increase of sales?
These are all great questions to ask yourself as you weigh the pros and cons of moving to Shopify from Wix.
Here are some scenarios that others have encountered, causing them to make them jump.
- More and more people are coming to your site looking to buy more products
- You need a site template more specialized to a specific store and industry needs
- Wix doesn’t have the necessary eCommerce tools to scale business operations
Whatever your reasoning, be confident that Shopify will meet all your eCommerce needs.
The platform has been the established leader in eCommerce websites for its diverse offerings and all-in-one platform tools.
Aside from its simplicity and enhanced user experience features, Shopify has adapted to meet customer preferences.
For example, Shopify’s social media features and tools allow sellers to interact and offer products to buyers directly on the platform, cutting through a loud marketplace.
There are also possibilities for creating discount codes, generating a customer profile, and making returns and exchanges easy.
Lastly,
Shopify also offers an enhanced POS system that isn’t offered by Wix or many other market platforms.
You can manage both your offline operations with your online store, and even make payments if the POS is connected to PayPal.
And, Shopify offers 24/7 support across several channels, knowing that, because your business never stops, support shouldn’t either.
Though Wix offers live chat, phone service isn’t available without a VIP plan, which can be difficult for beginners just starting out.
With Shopify, it feels like you have around-the-clock support.
The possibilities for your eCommerce store are endless!
A Quick Note On Migrating from Wix to Shopify
Migrating an entire store to a new platform is a two-fold process – you must transfer the site itself (including all the content) and your domain name, which allows customers to find you.
It would not be ideal for a customer to search your domain name, only to find a broken or outdated link because your content is no longer there.
Luckily, there are several ways to complete this process.
This guide will cover transferring from Wix to Shopify directly in the Shopify platform, using Cart2Cart Software, and using LitExtension (a Shopify app).
Each of these tools provides a way to transfer your site from Wix to Shopify but varies in time, migration, price, and ease of use.
Make sure before you start any process that you adjust all your website and SEO settings so your content doesn’t lose its place in the search engine results.
Using Shopify Directly (Let’s Check This Out)
If you want to go without third-party migration platforms (like Cart2Cart and LitExtension, which will be discussed later), or a pricey team of development experts, you can transfer your site from Wix to Shopify directly.
A fair warning, however: this method of migration is more time-consuming and requires a bit more effort.
But, if thoroughness is your goal, follow the below steps to ensure none of your data is lost in the move.
1. Register with Shopify, if you haven’t already, and create an eCommerce store.
Give yourself a second to explore the site and the features it has to offer.
2. Import your Wix web store data to Shopify.
Go back to Wix and access your dashboard.
Here, you should see an option to export your store products, contacts, and other entities into CSV files.
Export each entity into its own file.
3. Go back to your Shopify dashboard.
Select the section that allows you to import CVS files.
You can only import one CVS file at a time.
For example, you will first have to upload the list of all your products. Then, you can repeat the same process with the lists of customers and so on.
4. Check back with your Shopify store and check that your entities have exported properly.
It’s extremely important that everything is displayed in the way you want customers to see it when they first arrive at your site.
Once you’re satisfied with how everything appears, go back to your dashboard and begin the manual process of entering more detailed descriptions.
If you take the time to fill out all the fields accurately (product names, features, prices, meta descriptions, etc.), the more precise they will appear.
Shopify may also have missed some descriptions, which you should fill out as well.
Shopify offers a multitude of product inventory widgets to help you keep track of the products you have in rotation and how far you are from selling out of a certain item.
5. Make your new Shopify website yours!
From highly-customizable templates to niche applications made for your specific store offerings and industry, your site will benefit from all the design options available.
Before moving on to discussing how other transfer options work, you should also understand how to transfer your domain name over to Shopify if you have purchased it with Wix.
Transferring your Wix Domain to Shopify
1. Login with Wix and access the “My Domains” page.
2. Select the domain you want to move, click the “Advanced” tab, and then the “Transfer away from Wix” tab.
3. When prompted, pick the correct EPP code to send to your email. If it’s been less than 60 days since you purchased the domain, you WILL NOT be able to transfer it due to ICANN rules.
4. Next, choose the Shopify domain transfer route you want to take. The entire migration process should not take more than 3-5 days.
5. Update all your required settings in your Shopify dashboard to ensure that your tax, payment, and service options remain consistent.
Using Cart2Cart Software To Move From Wix To Shopify
If you don’t want to move your data manually and would rather use an external platform, there are several options you can choose from.
This guide will discuss two of them. Cart2Cart is one such platform and it certainly has a great reputation.
With more than 100,000 successful migrations on its site to date, you can trust your data will be in good hands. And, there are no manual processes involved.
In a matter of several hours,
Cart2Cart will move your eCommerce data from Wix to Shopify seamlessly.
Cart2Cart also supports most transferrable entities, so you’ll find that all your products, product descriptions, customer lists, etc., should have no issue migrating over.
Lastly, as you migrate your store with Cart2Cart, your Wix site will still remain fully operational, so you shouldn’t experience any blips in selling or service during the migration process.
Another great feature of Cart2Cart is that the service offers 24/7 support and free demo migrations if you’re not ready to make the final jump just yet and move over your entire site.
Continue reading to find out how you can migrate your site from Wix to Shopify using Cart2Cart.
1. Register for a Cart2Cart account
You can sign up manually with your email or register with your Facebook or Google account.
2. Go to the “Supported Carts” section and select Wix as the source cart.
You should see Wix listed as a shopping cart from the drop-down list.
Next, fill in your Wix store URL and admin username and password to give Cart2Cart access. Don’t worry; Cart2Cart is extremely safe and will not store your personal data.
3. Select Shopify as the Target cart
Choose Shopify in the drop-down list. You’ll be asked to provide your Shopify store URL, admin URL, and password, so make sure you’ve already created a Shopify account and have this information on hand.
4. Choose the entities you want to export from Wix
Cart2Cart lets you choose which data entities you want to move over to your new site. And, you don’t even need to move all your data when you’re completing the free demo migration.
5. Begin the Free Demo migration from Wix to Shopify.
This should take no longer than 30 minutes, and you can track migration status in real-time with the status bar.
6. Check your Shopify store and see if everything is displayed properly.
If you’re happy with the initial transfer, you can execute a full data migration that will transfer all data entities from your Wix site.
To do so, go back to Cart2Cart and click the “Start migration” button. Because more data is being transferred, this transfer may take a bit more time.
You’re done! Using Cart2Cart is an extremely streamlined, fully-automated process that doesn’t take any technical knowledge or effort.
And, the software is completely free.
Using LitExtension To Migrate
Shopify is so user-friendly that there is even a re-platforming plugin for transferring Wix to Shopify right in the Shopify app marketplace.
LitExtension also offers a free demo migration (like Cart2Cart) if you want to try it out before completing a full migration.
When you’re ready, below are the steps using LitExtension.
1. Register with Shopify, if you haven’t done so already, and create an online Shopify store.
Take a look around the platform and familiarize yourself with its functionality.
2. Head over to the Shopify app store page.
You will be prompted to log in using the Shopify store’s URL, your email, and your password.
3. Search for “LitExtension Wix Import” on the search bar.
Click on the first result and “add app” to complete the installation.
4. Once the app is fully installed, go back to your Shopify dashboard.
You should see a button called “New Migration.”
5. Click on “New Migration.”
Shopify will prompt you to provide your Wix store URL, email, and password. After you do so, click “Next: Configure your migration” to begin the process.
6. Make sure you take your time on this step and check all the entities, like customers, orders, etc., that you want to migrate over.
For each demo migration, LitExtension allows you to migrate 20 entities for free.
After that, each entity may incur an extra cost. Once you’ve determined which entities you want, click “Next: Start Free Migration.”
7. Begin your full migration. This step may take a few minutes. Once the transfer is completed, head back over to your Shopify site and check out the results. If you are happy with the result, return to the migration stage and click on “Full Migration,” which will complete the entire process.
And you’re done! LitExtension is both an extremely popular option and also very simple to use.
As you can see, the process is completed in three easy steps and is fully automated.
There is no external, manual data uploading on your part and you do not need any background technical knowledge.
FAQ On Migrating To Shopify From Wix
Should I change from Wix to Shopify?
I'll never truly know your eCommerce needs but Shopify is a platform that is better than Wix. Also, over time as you scale Shopify gives you a ton of features, unlike Wix. I'd say the best way to look at it is you are being proactive for your eCommerce growth.
Why do people choose Shopify over Wix?
Shopify is an ecosystem only for eCommerce. Wix falls under a website builder for many and is still a good choice. So with this, everything Shopify does is for eCommerce. As well, Shopify is there for scale regardless of how large you grow your eCommerce store.
Can I transfer wix store images to Shopify?
You totally can do that.
Will the migration effect my customers experience?
In general, you might run into a small downtime period. But in general, it should seamlessly keep running.
Just some final thoughts on migrating
Both Wix and Shopify are two great platforms for the beginning store owner who isn’t quite as proficient in web development but still wants to make a digital splash.
While Wix is an incredible site-building platform for the new store owner, there’s a reason why Shopify is as popular as it is.
If you’re hoping to up your eCommerce game to the next level, take advantage of a whole host of personalized, technically-diverse web features and applications, and connect with more people on a daily basis, moving from Wix to Shopify is your best bet.
And, with so many options for transferring, you’ll be happy to know your data will stay safe, protected, and accurate as it moves, allowing your store to continue running smoothly.