BigCommerce to Shopify Migration: Your Complete Switch Guide

The decision to migrate from an existing e-commerce platform to a new solution is never easy.

A BigCommerce to Shopify migration in particular raises many questions: How do you securely transfer customer data, what happens to your SEO rankings, and how much effort is really involved? With proper preparation, the right tools, and a clear strategy, you can make the transition smooth and successful.

A migration is not just a technical transfer—it is also an opportunity to take your store to the next level. Many merchants use the switch to modernize their design, optimize processes, or integrate new features.

With its intuitive interface and extensive app ecosystem, Shopify provides ideal conditions for working efficiently and scaling your business long term. In this guide, you’ll receive practical tips, best practices, and real-world examples that will help you manage the transition step by step.

You also benefit from Shopify’s continuous rollout of new features that make online commerce simpler and more professional. Whether it’s marketing automation, seamless integrations with external systems, or international selling capabilities, all of these open up new growth opportunities.

The switch is therefore not just a migration, but an investment in the future of your business. Read on to discover which Shopify alternatives exist and what advantages they can offer you.

Why a BigCommerce to Shopify migration makes sense

Switching platforms is a major step. Both systems are among the leading e-commerce solutions, but they differ clearly in usability, flexibility, and scalability. You’ll find an overview of the most important differences below.

Differences between the two platforms

Bigcommerce and Shopify are among the world’s leading e-commerce platforms, but they differ in several key areas:

Area	Shopify	Bigcommerce
user-friendliness	Very intuitive interface, quick start even without technical knowledge.	Many features, but more complex operation and longer training required.
Design & Themes	Large selection of modern, responsive templates; easy customization via drag-and-drop or custom design.	Templates are available, but customizations are often more technical and less convenient.
Cost structure	Clear pricing plans that are easier to calculate.	Costs are partly based on sales volume, which can lead to unpredictable price fluctuations.
App ecosystem	A very large selection of Shopify Plus apps and integrations, suitable for almost every use case.	A smaller selection, often involving additional development effort.
Community & Support	International community, many partners & agencies, especially strongly represented in Europe.	Less widespread, therefore limited access to experts and resources.

If you’re planning to scale your business sustainably, Shopify is often the better choice. Making the switch opens up greater long-term growth opportunities and more flexibility for the continued development of your online store.

Benefits of a Shopify migration for your business

A well-planned migration can take your business to the next level.

The move comes with numerous advantages:

• Greater design flexibility: With Shopify, you can customize your online store more easily—whether through themes, Liquid templates, or apps. This makes it much easier to create a distinctive brand experience that stands out from competitors and increases conversion rates.
• Better scalability: The cloud-based platform grows alongside your business. Especially with Shopify Plus, you benefit from powerful enterprise features without the complexity that BigCommerce Enterprise often entails. You can find a detailed comparison here: BigCommerce Enterprise vs Shopify Plus.
• Simplified management: Thanks to the intuitive user interface, you save time in day-to-day operations. Product management, order processing, and marketing tasks can be handled quickly, allowing your team to work more efficiently.
• SEO optimization: With a well-structured data foundation, fast loading times, and optimized mobile performance, the platform provides excellent conditions for strong search rankings. More visibility means more organic traffic and, in the long run, higher revenue.
• Powerful app ecosystem: From marketing automation and loyalty programs to fulfillment solutions, almost every function can be integrated with just a few clicks. This allows you to expand your store flexibly without costly custom development.

Well-known real-world example: A prominent case is Gymshark, one of the world’s largest fitness and lifestyle brands. The company switched to the Plus version and was able to scale internationally, improve performance, and significantly accelerate growth.

Smaller merchants who make the switch also report quick wins—for example, through the easy integration of email automation apps that noticeably increase revenue within just a few weeks.

Risks and typical challenges during migration

Of course, switching platforms also comes with challenges.

Typical pitfalls include:

• Incomplete data transfer: If products, customers, or orders are not migrated cleanly, this can result in duplicate records or missing information. Especially for stores with many product variants or repeat customers, a precise migration is crucial to avoid disrupting business operations.
• Design adjustments: Your old layout can’t simply be copied over. Themes and structures need to be rebuilt. While this may sound like extra effort, it’s also an opportunity to modernize the design and improve the user experience.
• SEO losses: One of the biggest risk factors is incorrect or missing redirects. Without a well-thought-out redirect strategy, valuable pages can lose their visibility in search engines. Meta data, alt texts, and structured data must also be transferred carefully.
• Technical integrations: Connections to ERP, CRM, or logistics systems often need to be completely reconfigured. This is where solid technical expertise is especially important to prevent downtime or data inconsistencies.

The good news: With the right preparation, these risks can be significantly reduced. Specialized partners often handle critical steps such as data migration, redirects, and testing. This not only saves time but also minimizes the risk of key processes coming to a halt.

Many merchants also deliberately use this moment to optimize outdated structures, clean up unnecessary data, and start fresh with a more streamlined system.

As Shopify partners and experts, we support you through every phase of your migration.

We offer you:

• Shopify Plus setup & relaunch
• Custom features & app development
• Technical consulting & ongoing support

With our expertise, we don’t just make your switch secure—we also lay the foundation for sustainable growth.

4-step guide to switching platforms

A platform change can be challenging, but with a clear roadmap it becomes manageable. These four steps show you how to structure and successfully execute your migration.

1. Preparation: What to consider before the switch

A successful transition begins long before the first file is moved. The most important step is careful preparation.

You should clarify the following points in advance:

• Current-state analysis: Which products, categories, customers, orders, and content currently exist in your BigCommerce store? A detailed inventory makes planning much easier.
• SEO audit: Create a list of your most important URLs, keywords, and rankings. This ensures that no valuable SEO positions are lost during the migration.
• Backup: Create full backups of your BigCommerce store, including databases, product images, and configuration files.
• Timing planning: Choose a low-traffic period for the migration to avoid revenue losses.
• Budget & resources: Decide whether you want to carry out the migration yourself or whether a professional service makes sense. Larger stores in particular benefit from expert knowledge.

Thorough preparation is the foundation of a successful migration. By securing your existing data early, defining a clear timeline, and setting the right priorities, you significantly reduce risks.

This ensures that the switch not only runs smoothly from a technical perspective, but that your online store also benefits from the new possibilities in the long term.

2. Technical Implementation: Tools and Services for Migration

The actual migration can be carried out in different ways. Which method is best for you depends on the size of your store, your resources, and your desired outcomes.

• Manual migration: Suitable for smaller stores with only a few products and customers. You export data from your existing system as CSV files and import them into Shopify. This approach is cost-effective but requires careful work and time. It’s particularly well suited when only a manageable number of products, customers, and orders need to be transferred and no complex integrations are required.
• Automated migration tools: Tools such as LitExtension or Cart2Cart handle most of the data transfer automatically. The advantages are speed and reduced risk of errors—entire product catalogs can be migrated within a few hours. The downside is limited customization: individual fields or special logic cannot always be transferred precisely. For stores with a standardized setup, this is a fast and efficient solution.
• Professional migration services: Ideal for medium to large online stores. Agencies or specialized partners handle not only the data transfer itself, but also SEO, redirects, design adjustments, and custom integrations. This ensures that connections to ERP, CRM, or marketing tools run seamlessly in the new Shopify store. While this option is more expensive, it significantly reduces risks and saves resources in the long run.

If you decide to work with a professional partner, make sure they are a certified Shopify Partner. This ensures that the migration follows recognized best practices and that your online store is optimally positioned both technically and strategically.

3. Data migration: securely transferring products, customers & orders

A clean data migration is one of the most critical steps when switching platforms. It determines whether your new store runs smoothly from day one or whether issues arise after launch. That’s why you should carefully review which content needs to be migrated and how it will be structured in the new system.

The following elements must be transferred:

• Products & categories: Titles, descriptions, prices, variants, images, inventory levels.
• Customers & orders: Customer profiles, purchase history, payment information (where possible).
• Content & CMS pages: Blog posts, landing pages, FAQs.
• SEO data: Meta titles, meta descriptions, alt texts, and redirects.

Important tips:

• Test the data migration first in a staging environment.
• Check that all product images and variants have been migrated correctly.
• Set up redirects (301 redirects) from old to new URLs to avoid SEO losses.

Also make sure to avoid duplicate entries and adjust data formats such as currencies or units of measurement to Shopify standards. This ensures that your store launches with a clean technical setup and provides a smooth user experience for your customers.

4. Design, themes, and customizations for your new Shopify store

Design is a key aspect of any platform switch. Since BigCommerce themes cannot simply be transferred, your online store needs to be redesigned from scratch. However, this also gives you the opportunity to modernize the look and feel and improve the user experience.

Three common approaches are used:

• Standard themes: Shopify offers many free and paid themes. These are responsive and can be customized via drag & drop.
• Custom theme development: If you require a specific corporate design or custom functionality, a bespoke theme is worth considering.
• Shopify Plus for enterprise solutions: For large stores, Shopify Plus is ideal. You benefit from extended API access, custom checkout options, and enterprise-level support.

Tip: Compare the differences—for example, Shopify Advanced vs Shopify Plus—to find the right solution for your needs.

When redesigning, pay special attention to the following points:

• Mobile optimization (mobile-first is essential)
• User-friendly navigation
• Conversion optimization (clear CTAs, fast loading times)
• Integration of tracking and marketing tools

Conclusion: Design is not just about aesthetics—it is directly tied to your business success. An appealing, user-friendly, and high-performance layout increases conversion rates and improves the overall customer experience. Use the migration not only to transfer your store, but also to bring it up to date visually and functionally.

Tips & strategies for a successful migration

SEO is one of the most critical areas during a platform switch. Without careful planning, ranking losses and reduced traffic are a real risk.

Key considerations include:

• Set up 301 redirects: Every old URL must be redirected correctly.
• Transfer meta data: Fully migrate titles, descriptions, and alt texts.
• Check sitemaps & robots.txt: Update and resubmit them after launch.
• Use structured data: Enable rich snippets for products, prices, and reviews.

Equally important is quality assurance before going live: Check products, variants, checkout, customer accounts, and mobile display. A soft launch with selected customers helps eliminate last-minute issues. If you handle SEO, redirects, and testing carefully, you create a solid foundation for a smooth launch.

But migration is only the first step. What really matters is how you use and develop the new platform over the long term.

For sustainable success, these strategies will help:

• Apps & automation: Use tools for email marketing, inventory management, and logistics.
• Conversion optimization: Targeted testing and analysis continuously improve store performance. Even greater potential can be unlocked with specialized Shopify Plus CRO services that help systematically increase revenue.
• Internationalization: Multilingual setups and multi-currency support make it easier to enter new markets.

Shopify Plus is especially worthwhile for growing businesses. A look at the benefits of Shopify Plus highlights the additional opportunities available for scaling and growth.

With a clean setup, thorough testing, and a clear growth strategy, you don’t just use migration as a transition—you turn it into a springboard for long-term success.

Conclusion: BigCommerce to Shopify Migration

A migration is far more than a technical switch. It is a strategic opportunity to reposition your business and make it future-proof. With the right planning and a clear approach, you can reduce risks and lay the foundation for sustainable success.

What matters most is addressing all phases in a structured way—from inventory assessment and SEO analysis to choosing the right migration method and ensuring careful data transfer.

Especially when migrating products, customers, and orders, nothing should be left to chance. The design phase also offers the opportunity not just to transfer your store, but to actively modernize it and optimize it for higher conversion rates.

The work doesn’t stop after go-live. With clean redirects, thorough testing, and consistent ongoing optimization, you ensure that your store doesn’t just function—it grows.

Automation, conversion optimization, and internationalization are key levers in this process. Businesses looking for additional scaling potential benefit in particular from the advanced features of Shopify Plus, which offer high flexibility and enterprise-level capabilities.

By having the migration professionally managed, you save time, avoid mistakes, and can focus on your core business. This way, the migration becomes not an obstacle, but a springboard for long-term growth and greater success in e-commerce.