Ecommerce Migration UK: Move Shop Platform Without Losing Data or Rankings

We have been moving shops for a long time

Ecommerce migration was part of dijitul's work from the start. We built migration tools for osCommerce to CubeCart, when CubeCart was our main shop platform, and later CubeCart to OpenCart, as stores outgrew it. Our OpenCart migrations were built to keep the old shop's URL structure, because the biggest risk in any migration is not the data, it is the search traffic attached to every product and category URL.

The platforms have changed since then. Today we typically move stores between WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, OpenCart, CubeCart, PrestaShop and custom systems. The method has stayed the same.

What actually needs to move

Migration apps handle the simple cases. We write migration scripts for the parts that do not fit: complex options, custom fields, trade pricing, bundles and data held in extensions. Everything is run first against a staging site and reconciled, with counts and totals checked against the source.

Protecting your search rankings

Each platform has its own URL patterns. Shopify, for example, uses /products/ and /collections/ paths, while WooCommerce, OpenCart and Magento allow different structures. Where the new platform allows it, we keep the existing URLs. Where it does not, we:

• Crawl the old site and export every indexed URL, including old URLs that already redirect.
• Map each one to the most relevant new page, never dumping everything on the home page.
• Carry across page titles, meta descriptions, headings, image alt text and product structured data.
• Test the full redirect map on staging before launch.
• Submit new sitemaps and watch Google Search Console coverage and 404 reports after go-live.

If you want specialist SEO support alongside the migration, our sister company Search Engine Tuning can help.

Customers, passwords, payments and GDPR

Some things cannot simply be copied. Platforms hash passwords differently, so customer passwords usually cannot be moved. We plan a clear message and a reset email so returning customers are not confused. Saved cards are held by your payment provider, not your shop, so moving them depends on the provider; with Stripe, for example, customer and payment method records stay in your Stripe account and can be linked to the new store.

Personal data is moved under UK GDPR: only what is needed, over encrypted connections, with staging data protected and deleted when it is no longer needed. Marketing consent flags travel with the customer record so you do not email people who opted out.

Should you migrate at all?

A migration is a big job, so it is worth checking it is the right one. Sometimes the real problem is an old PHP version, a slow theme or a broken integration, and fixing that on the current platform is cheaper and less risky. Other times the platform genuinely is the blocker: no longer maintained, missing features you need every day, or so customised that nobody can upgrade it.

We start every migration enquiry by looking at why you want to move and what the new platform must do better. If staying put and fixing a few things is the better answer, we will say so. If moving is right, we will recommend the destination based on your catalogue, team and integrations, not on which platform we prefer.

Integrations and cutover

The shop rarely stands alone. Links to accounts, stock systems, couriers and marketplaces need rebuilding on the new platform, and we scope those alongside the data move. See ecommerce ERP integration and data migration.

Cutover follows a rehearsed plan: a full migration to staging, testing, a final delta sync of new orders and customers, DNS switch at a quiet time, then close monitoring of orders, payments and search traffic. It starts with a free chat, then a fixed-price quote for the agreed scope. Tell us what you are moving from and to.

What we deliver

• A migration plan: data map, URL map, integration list and cutover schedule
• Scripts that move products, variants, categories, images, customers, orders and reviews
• A full URL redirect map with 301s, tested before launch
• SEO metadata carried across: titles, descriptions, alt text, structured data
• Rebuilt integrations with accounts, ERP, couriers and payment providers
• A reconciliation report and a post-launch Search Console check

How it works and what it costs

Every project gets a fixed-price quote after a free initial chat and a short scoping stage. You own the code and the data.

1. Free chat

   Tell us the problem in plain English: what you do now, what goes wrong and what "better" looks like. No charge, no obligation.

2. Scoping

   We map the processes, systems and data involved, agree what is in and out, and write it down so there are no surprises.

3. Fixed-price quote

   You get a fixed price for the agreed scope, or a phased plan for bigger builds, so you can start small and prove it works.

4. Build and test

   We build in short stages you can see and try, test against real data, then go live carefully with a rollback plan.

5. Hand over and look after

   You own the code and the data. We can host it, support it and keep improving it, or hand it to your own team.

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