Introduction: Why migrations fail (and how to avoid it)

Migrating an e-commerce platform is, in many ways, like performing open-heart surgery while the patient is still running a marathon. You can't afford to stop sales, lose customer data, or suffer a drop in organic traffic.

According to industry data, 60% of migrations experience delays or data loss . The main causes are not technological, but related to planning:

• Underestimating the complexity of "dirty" data on the legacy platform.
• Forgetting to map 301 redirects for "long tail" URLs.
• Trying to replicate the old logic instead of adapting to Shopify's native logic.

At Migraciones.io , we've perfected a 5-phase process designed to mitigate these risks to zero. Below, we break down each step of our methodology.

Phase 1: Data Discovery and Audit (Weeks 1-2)

Before writing a single line of code, we need to understand the anatomy of your current business. This phase is critical for defining the true scope of the project.

1.1. Legacy Platform Audit

We connect our analytics tools to your Magento, PrestaShop, or Salesforce Commerce Cloud to extract real metrics, not estimates:

• Data Volume: Exact number of SKUs (simple and configurable), active vs. inactive customers, and depth of order history (do you need orders from 2015?).
• Data Structure (Schema): We analyze how you store attributes. For example: Is your "Size" a global attribute or a free text field? This determines the complexity of mapping it to Shopify.
• Extensions and Customizations: We list each installed plugin. What business functionality does it provide? Is it native to Shopify Plus, or do we need a custom app/development?

1.2. Definition of Architecture in Shopify

It's not about "copy and paste". It's about optimization. We define:

• Catalog Structure: How we will map your Families/Categories to Shopify's "Collections" and "Tags".
• Internationalization: Will we use Shopify Markets (one store, multiple currencies) or Expansion Stores (separate stores by region)? This decision affects the entire project.
• Technology Stack: Selection of key Apps (Search, Reviews, Loyalty) and definition of ERP integrations (Middleware vs Direct Connector).

Phase 2: Design and User Experience (Weeks 3-6)

We don't migrate "old designs." We migrate brands into the future. We use Shopify's Online Store 2.0 architecture to ensure speed and flexibility.

2.1. Custom Theme or Premium Template?

For Enterprise clients, we typically develop a custom theme based on Shopify Dawn but fully tailored to their brand identity. This ensures:

• Extreme Speed ​​(WPO): No generic template junk code. Lighthouse scores >90.
• Modularity: We create custom "Sections" that your marketing team can reuse on any page without calling a developer.

2.2. Checkout Extensibility (Plus Only)

Forget the old `checkout.liquid`. In Shopify Plus, we customize the checkout process using Checkout UI Extensions to add:

• Real-time NIF/DNI validation.
• Delivery date selectors.
• Post-purchase Upsell offers (One-Click Upsell).
• Personalized trust messages by country.

Phase 3: Data Engineering (The Technical Core)

This is where our experience makes the difference. We use our own ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) scripts to move massive amounts of data via API.

3.1. Data Migration Matrix

3.2. Data Validation (QA)

We don't trust, we verify. We conduct random sampling, comparing customer records in Magento vs. Shopify to ensure that every phone number, address, and order history matches 100%.

Phase 4: "Zero Loss" SEO Strategy (Critical)

The goal is simple: To keep your domain authority and organic traffic intact from day one.

4.1. Crawl and Redirection Map

We perform a full crawl of your current site to identify ALL indexable URLs. Then, we generate a comprehensive 301 redirect map.

• 1-to-1 redirects: For main products and categories.
• Pattern Redirects (Regex): For bulk URL patterns (e.g., blog posts).
• 404s Management: We decide what to do with discontinued products (Redirect to parent category or 410 Gone).

4.2. SEO Content Migration

We don't just move products. We migrate your blog posts, About Us pages, and SEO landing pages, ensuring that H1 , Title Tags , Meta Descriptions , and image Alt text are preserved identically or improved.

Phase 5: Integrations and Ecosystem (ERP/CRM)

We connect Shopify to the brain of your business.

5.1. ERP and Logistics

We implement the connection with your ERP (SAP, Navision, Sage) to ensure:

• Inventory Synchronization (Bidirectional, near real-time).
• Order Drop to Warehouse.
• Uploading Tracking Numbers and status changes to Shopify.

5.2. Local Payment Gateways

We configured the optimal payment mix for the Spanish market:

• Shopify Payments: For Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay (higher conversion).
• Local Methods: Integration of Bizum (via Monei) and financing (SeQura, Scalapay, Klarna).

Phase 6: Launch and Hypercare

"Go Live" is a military procedure, not a party.

6.1. The Delta Migration (The final touch)

While we were working, your old store continued selling. Hours before the launch, we performed a "Delta Load" to bring in only the new customers and orders created in the last few weeks, ensuring nothing was lost.

6.2. Launch Checklist

• ✔ DNS change (low TTL for fast propagation).
• ✔ SSL verification.
• ✔ Live transaction trial purchase.
• ✔ Submission of new Sitemap.xml to Google Search Console.
• ✔ Activation of transactional emails.

6.3. Hypercare Period (30 days)

We won't leave you alone. During the first month, we'll monitor:

• 404 errors in Search Console (and immediate fix).
• ERP integration logs.
• Server loading speed and performance.