If you are seeking an ultimate way to migrate your store from Square to Shopify, you’ve come to the right place! In today's article, I’ll show you how to perform Square to Shopify migration seamlessly, with utmost security, by going through the following points:
- Possible reasons for moving to Shopify from Square;
- Methods for the Shopify migration;
- How to migrate from Square to Shopify step by step;
- Post-migration checklist to improve your Shopify store.
Let’s wait no more and get right into it!
Shopify Migration Made Easy With LitExtension
Our team of experts can safely transfer your business data, products, customers, and orders to unlock more growth in this promising eCommerce platform. Let us provide a customized migration for you!
Square Shopify Migration: Preparation
Before migrating from Square Online to Shopify, you need to make some necessary preparations for the migration. In general, you’ll need to back up existing data and create a new destination for your online business.
Back up Square data
First off, it’s crucial to back up your data, especially the files you’ll be migrating. In the worst-case scenario, if you encounter any problem during the migration, such as incomplete, corrupt, or missing files, you will have the ability to restore the data to its original state.
Follow the steps below to export data from Square Online:
- From your Square Online dashboard, navigate to Items & Orders > Items.
- Click Actions > Export.
- Choose to download an Excel or CSV file > Export. After that, an Excel sheet will be downloaded to your computer.
Create a Shopify store
Moving on, it’s time to create a Shopify store. If you have yet to pick a suitable Shopify plan for your business, you can go with Shopify’s free trial.
If you already have a running Shopify store, you can skip this step and go straight ahead to the next part of this Square to Shopify migration guide.
- From the Shopify Homepage, click on the Start free trial button.
- Next, choose your location from the dropdown menu and create your Shopify account.
- Once you’re logged into your Shopify account, provide some basic information about your online business.
Follow the setup instructions to finish setting up your Shopify store, or you can browse our comprehensive Shopify tutorial.
Square to Shopify: Possible Methods to Migrate From Square
Now that you’ve finished preparing for your Shopify migration, it’s time to look at the possible methods to transfer your data. All in all, you can transfer data manually, hire a professional, or go with a migration service.
Transfer data manually
To switch from Square to Shopify manually, there are two stages to the Shopify migration: export data from Square and import them all to your new Shopify store.
As you’ve backed up the necessary files in the previous step, it’s time to import your products to Shopify. Here are the steps to follow.
- From the Shopify Admin, go to Products > Import.
- Click Add file, and then select the CSV file that you want to import.
- Next, click Upload and continue.
- Review the details, then click Import products.
It’s worth noting that the differences between Square and Shopify CSV file formats can cause several CSV import problems and affect your manual migration. Plus, when manually migrating from Square to Shopify, you can only transfer item details. Hence, if you want a complete Square to Shopify migration, transferring data manually is not a good idea.
Hire a professional
Don’t want to encounter the above-mentioned issues on your own and consider hiring a professional to handle them on your behalf? Let’s see if this method works for you.
The cost of hiring Shopify professionals varies depending on the level of experience and the services they provide. Generally, you might have to spend around $50 – $150 per hour and $4,000 – $15,000 for a project.
While Shopify experts offer exceptional experience and expertise, hiring one can shoot up the cost of Square to Shopify migration. It’s not to mention that some of them are not familiar with Square’s exclusive database structure, which may result in possible data problems after the migration process.
Go with a migration service
All in all, the optimal way to migrate your store from Square to Shopify is to go with a reputed migration service like LitExtension. With 280,000+ successful migrations and 99% customer satisfaction, we have been listed as one of the reliable Shopify partners for migration service (read more in this article: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/intro-to-shopify/plus-launch-checklist#migrating-data).
Since each Square Online store has an exclusive database structure, moving it to Shopify requires a more complicated procedure. Worry not, as LitExtension’s All-in-One migration package can help you carry out the project with ease.
Save Time Import Store Data to Shopify
Trusted specialists streamline migrations that actualize ambitions.
- Personal Assistant
- Unlimited free demo
- Personalized migration
- Free additional options
During the Square Shopify migration, there will be a LitExtension Personal Assistant (PA) to take care of the entire process and make sure to deliver the most satisfying results. Our PA will also be attentive to every question and organized to provide tech support for free within 6 months.
LitExtension’s All-in-One Square to Shopify migration process will include the following steps:
- Meeting schedule;
- Technical consultation;
- Migration configuration;
- Demo migration;
- Demo migration review;
- Full migration;
- Migration result testing;
- Post-migration services.
How to Migrate from Square to Shopify with LitExtension
#Step 1. Meeting schedule
First off, get in touch with LitExtension for a one-on-one consultation. This is for us to go through your needs regarding the Square to Shopify migration needs and recommend the necessary steps. Therefore, remember to provide your contact details and choose a convenient time for the meeting.
Please make sure to schedule the call two hours in advance, so we can be fully prepared for it and address any concerns you may have.
#Step 2: Technical consultation
During the consultation, LitExtension experts will learn about your specific needs for the Square to Shopify migration. We will also shed light on the current state of your Square Online database and recommend the best solution. To our thinking, a successful migration project starts with both parties sharing the same vision.
If you agree with the discussed procedures, we’ll move forward with the payment process. Generally, LitExtension’s All-in-One Migration Package starts at $139 and can vary based on your specific needs.
#Step 3. Migration configuration
Once the payment is settled, LitExtension experts will go ahead to configure your Shopify store for the best environment when switching from Square to Shopify.
Simply let them know the entity you want to migrate, and specify the exact amount of data (products, customers, orders, or blog posts). In case you don’t know how to check the number of entities in your store, here's the detailed guideline for your reference.
In case you need further actions with your data, such as clearing current data on your Shopify store before migration, don't forget to inform your LitExtension PA. Currently, these services are charged, from $19 to $39, for the Basic Migration package. Nevertheless, they are completely free for All-in-One clients, so don’t miss your chance and seize the opportunity now!
What’s more, LitExtension also provides store customization services. However, because these modifications are restricted to Shopify’s unique requirements, make sure to consult LitExtension experts during the technical meeting.
#Step 4. Demo migration
Next, LitExtension experts will configure a free Demo Migration so you can have an idea of what our migration service will be like and assess the efficiency. We don't limit the number of entities, but the more you put into the demo, the longer you will have to wait for it.
#Step 5: Demo migration review
Once the demo migration is complete, your LitExtension PA will inform you to check the result. If you are satisfied with what you see, our expert will go ahead to perform the Full Migration to transfer your online business from Square to Shopify.
#Step 6: Full migration
Congratulations, you’re halfway through the process of migrating from Square to Shopify! At this stage, your whole online business will be officially moved to its new home.
Unlike the basic migration package, the whole process will be configured and performed by LitExtension specialists. Plus, the LitExtension Smart Controller will detect all unwanted issues, and one of our experts will fix them immediately.
#Step 7: Migration results checking
Once the full migration is finished, your LitExtesion PA will thoroughly examine the transferred data to ensure that the migration from Square to Shopify has been executed accurately. You can also have a look at the migration result and ask your PA if there is anything unclear or if you have further requirements.
LitExtension services come with secure and transparent policies. If your migrated data happens to encounter any severe issues, please send a ticket detailing your problem, and one of our experts will be in touch shortly.
#Step 8: Post-migration services
A notable advantage of LitExtension’s migration service is that your Square Online store still receives orders during the migration process. You will not miss any selling opportunities, yet there will be new data (orders, customers, etc.) that need to be transferred to your new store after migration.
That’s when the All-in-One’s post-migration services come into play. There are numerous services available at no additional charge to ensure a seamless shopping experience for your customers.
- Recent Data Migration ensures that your Shopify store receives all newly generated entities (orders and customers). Hence, you can concentrate on improving the new store experience without any interruption.
- Re-migration allows you to move all data from Square to Shopify all over again.
- With Smart Update, it’s possible to update edited data and migrate those that newly appear in your Square store during and after the Shopify migration.
What’s best, LitExtension offers free & unlimited post-migration services within 6 months after your full migration, providing that the number of entities accounts for up to 10%.
Square to Shopify Migration: Steps to Improve Your Shopify Store
You’ve successfully migrated your online business from Square to Shopify, but there are still a few things to do before launching your new store.
Configure payment & shipping methods
First, you’ll need to configure payment methods for your new store. Secure and diverse payment methods can increase your brand trust and improve customer experience, contributing greatly to converting sales at this final stage of the customer journey.
Similarly, setting up shipping methods also affects customer satisfaction. If you don’t account for shipping charges when setting prices for your products, you may have to surcharge your customers or, worse, issue partial refunds. Neither of these is good for your business.
Install themes & apps
While Shopify comes packed with various features that a merchant would need, you can always enhance your store capabilities with Shopify themes or extensions. You can choose from 170+ free and premium professionally designed templates at the Shopify Theme Store and make your store stand out from millions of eCommerce sites around the globe.
Over and above that, Shopify features an epic variety of 8000+ apps. These ensure great possibilities to meet any need for store customization.
Change DNS & switch domain
Domain name system (DNS) controls which server your customers reach when typing your domain name into their web browser. Hence, it’s crucial to update the DNS of your newly created store once you finish migrating from Square to Shopify.
Adding to that, you might encounter one of three domain-related issues post-migration:
- Both Square and Shopify stores are hosted by the same hosting company and use the same URL. However, your new Shopify store is located in the subdirectory.
- You are using the same hosting service, but the URLs of your Square and Shopify stores do not match.
- And lastly, the two stores have different domain names and hosting providers.
If you happen to encounter any of the above-mentioned issues, please feel free to consult your LitExtension PA for more information.
Place test orders
Last but not least, don’t forget to place a test order before officially launching your Shopify store. By that, you can go over the checkout process and check if your settings for order processing, inventory, shipping, and taxes are all correct.
Why Should You Migrate Square to Shopify?
Square Online is an amazing website builder solution for small businesses, yet it provides limited selections of website templates, payment processors, and features for medium to large companies. Can Shopify solve these issues? You’ll find the answer in the following paragraphs.
A wide range of payment options
Unlike Square Online, Shopify offers integrations with a wide range of 100+ payment options. Besides the popular payment providers such as Stripe, Paypal, etc., Shopify also accepts payment via e-wallets and features powerful built-in payment methods such as Shopify Payments and Shop Pay.
Diversified apps store
Of all the hosted eCommerce solutions on the market, Shopify comes with an impressive collection of 8,000+ plugins. No matter what ability you want to enhance for your business, from store design and management to marketing and conversion, you can always find it at the Shopify Apps Store.
Multichannel selling ability
While Square Online limits your multichannel selling capabilities to online stores and social media platforms, Shopify allows you to sell wherever you want to. Shopify’s Point of Sales and Buy Buttons come packed in every Shopify paid plan. Adding to that, the platform allows easy integrations to several multichannel selling apps, which means you can make specific integrations to your preferred online marketplaces.
In case you need a detailed comparison between the two platforms, this Square vs Shopify comparison is for you.
Square to Shopify: FAQs
Can you transfer a Square website to Shopify?
Yes, of course! There are numerous ways to switch from Square to Shopify, which can be listed as follows:
- Transfer data manually;
- Hire a professional;
- Go with a migration service.
Each method has its own pros and cons. Have a look at our analysis and choose what best fits your needs.
Should I switch from Square to Shopify?
Whether you should switch from Square to Shopify depends greatly on your business requirements. If you want to build an eCommerce store with great scalability and flexibility, Shopify might be a better choice. On the other hand, Square makes an ideal solution if you are currently selling in person and looking for an eCommerce solution with strong POS abilities.
How do I switch from Square to Shopify?
As mentioned above, there are three methods to switch from Square to Shopify. Nevertheless, the most optimal solution is to go with a reputed migration service like LitExtension.
Can I migrate options and attributes to Shopify?
Shopify doesn’t allow the creation of product options and attributes. Hence, you can not migrate these data to your new store if you manually transfer from Square to Shopify.
It’s no longer a problem if you run the migration using the LitExtension service. During the process, we will generate product variants out of your existing product options on the Shopify store. As for product attributes, our migration tool will automatically import them to meta fields on Shopify.
Final Words
All in all, Shopify is a great alternative if you’re about to migrate from Square. The platform offers a user-friendly interface for tech-novice users, plus a plethora of themes and extensions.
By keeping up at this length, we hope that our article clears your doubts on how to switch from Square to Shopify and helps you successfully migrate to a more robust place. With over 10 years of experience in dealing with various platform structures and special data types, LitExtension is proud to be the #1 Shopping Cart Migration Expert for your needs.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for any questions regarding Square to Shopify migration. Or else, you can browse LitExtension Blog or join our Facebook Community for updated eCommerce tips and tricks.
