BigCommerce to Shopify Migration: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide in Australia

Highlights

• Migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify involves data transfer, store redesign, SEO redirection, and app replacement.
• Australian merchants must localize their payment, tax, and shipping settings.
• SmartOSC ensures a smooth transition with zero data loss, performance optimization, and 24/7 support.

Why Migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify in Australia?

Shopify’s Advantages Over BigCommerce

In the dynamic world of Australian eCommerce, many businesses are strategically choosing to make the BigCommerce to Shopify migration. This move is often fueled by Shopify’s reputation for delivering a more intuitive, flexible, and scalable platform, ideal for both emerging startups and expanding enterprises. Here’s why Shopify is frequently viewed as the superior option:

• User-Friendly Interface: Shopify’s dashboard is designed with simplicity in mind, enabling store owners to manage products, track orders, and update content without requiring deep technical expertise. This contrasts with BigCommerce, which can demand more developer intervention for routine customizations.
• Expansive App Ecosystem: Shopify boasts a marketplace of over 8,000 third-party apps, covering everything from advanced marketing automation to inventory sync, loyalty programs, and AI-based product recommendations. This broader app availability makes it easier to extend store functionality as the business scales.
• Mobile-Optimized Themes: Every Shopify theme is mobile-responsive by default, ensuring a seamless shopping experience across devices. This is crucial for Australian consumers, over 55% of whom prefer mobile shopping according to recent eCommerce data [Source: Australia Post eCommerce Industry Report 2024].
• Lower Total Cost of Ownership: For mid-size to large Australian businesses, Shopify often proves to be more cost-effective than BigCommerce due to predictable pricing plans, fewer maintenance requirements, and reduced need for third-party development support.
• Superior Multi-Channel Selling: Shopify makes it easier to sell across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, and eBay, through built-in channel integrations. These capabilities are particularly valuable for brands pursuing omnichannel expansion in Australia and overseas.

Local Benefits for Australian Brands

When considering a BigCommerce to Shopify migration, local relevance and market readiness are key. In Australia alone, Shopify hosts approximately 142,000 active online stores, accounting for 41.6% of all eCommerce sites in the region.

• Native GST and Local Tax Configuration: Shopify supports Australia’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) out-of-the-box, allowing for accurate tax handling and reporting. Businesses can set region-specific tax rules and include GST in product pricing automatically.
• Australian Payment Gateway Support: Shopify integrates effortlessly with popular local payment providers such as Afterpay, Zip, POLi, and PayPal AU, making it easier for Australian shoppers to pay in familiar ways, thereby improving checkout conversions.
• Seamless Shipping Integrations: Shopify connects with Australia Post, Sendle, and other domestic courier services for real-time shipping rates, label printing, and tracking updates. This ensures faster, more reliable fulfillment for local and interstate deliveries.
• Built-In Localization Features: Shopify enables merchants to localize the shopping experience for Australian audiences through currency control (AUD), localized content, and language preferences. This is particularly beneficial for brands targeting bilingual regions or offering regional variants.

By addressing the unique technical and consumer needs of the Australian eCommerce market, Shopify positions itself as a future-proof platform for businesses planning to grow online. When migrating from BigCommerce, choosing Shopify not only improves performance and ease of use but also unlocks greater long-term value for brands that want to scale nationally and globally.

See more: Everything You Need to Know About Shopify Migration in Australia

Step-by-Step BigCommerce to Shopify Migration Process

Step 1: Initial Planning and Audit

To kick off your BigCommerce to Shopify migration, start with a thorough audit of your current BigCommerce setup. Review your product catalog, customer data, order history, URL structure, and app integrations to identify what needs to be migrated, optimized, or reconfigured. This initial step lays the foundation for a smooth and successful transition.

• Analyze product categories, custom fields, URL structures, and integrations
• Identify Shopify themes and apps that replicate or improve current functions
• Back up all your data: products, customers, orders, reviews, blog posts

Step 2: Data Migration Setup

Use reliable tools such as Matrixify or LitExtension to:

• Import product data, categories, customers, historical orders, and blog content
• Map BigCommerce attributes to Shopify equivalents (e.g., tags, collections, metafields)
• Verify the formatting of images, SKUs, and variants

Step 3: Theme Development and Design Customization

Choose a Shopify theme that suits your brand and local market. Customize:

• Page layout, fonts, color scheme, and navigation
• Homepage design, promotional banners, and content blocks
• Optimize UX for Australian audiences using mobile-first principles

Step 4: App & Integration Replacement

As part of your BigCommerce to Shopify migration, it’s essential to evaluate your existing BigCommerce apps and identify Shopify-compatible alternatives. Not all tools will transfer seamlessly, so reviewing functionality, integration options, and performance will help ensure your new Shopify store operates smoothly without disrupting key workflows.

• Email marketing, review collection, loyalty programs, and shipping tools
• Reintegrate ERP, CRM, and POS systems
• Conduct app testing to ensure full compatibility and data sync

Step 5: SEO and Redirect Mapping

Preserve your SEO equity by:

• Recreating all meta titles, descriptions, image alt text, and structured data
• Setting up 301 redirects from old BigCommerce URLs to new Shopify URLs
• Generating a new XML sitemap and submitting it to Google Search Console

Step 6: Testing and Launch

Before going live:

• Test all key workflows: checkout, payment gateways, cart function, mobile UX, search
• Place trial orders and simulate customer journeys
• Launch during off-peak hours and monitor for issues for 48–72 hours

Common Challenges When Migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify

While the benefits of switching platforms are compelling, the BigCommerce to Shopify migration process is not without its challenges. A successful migration requires careful planning, technical validation, and a strategic approach to maintain business continuity. Below are three of the most common obstacles, and how to address them effectively.

1. Data Formatting and Import Issues

Transferring data between two different eCommerce systems can be complex, particularly when dealing with large catalogs and custom configurations. During migration, discrepancies often arise in:

• Product SKUs and variant structures (e.g., size, color, inventory rules)
• Image URLs and media attachments
• Custom fields and metafields used in BigCommerce for product descriptions, tags, or filters
• Customer records, including order history and addresses

If not managed correctly, a BigCommerce to Shopify migration can lead to critical issues such as missing products, broken images, inaccurate variants, or even loss of customer data. To avoid these pitfalls and ensure a smooth, error-free transition, it’s essential to follow a structured migration process:

• Validate CSV files for formatting errors, correct field mapping, and encoding issues before import.
• Use advanced tools like Matrixify or LitExtension, which are designed to handle complex bulk transfers between platforms.
• Partner with Shopify migration experts like SmartOSC, who bring proven methods for data extraction, cleanup, transformation, and verification to ensure 100% data integrity.

This step is especially critical for businesses with a high volume of SKUs, B2B pricing tiers, or detailed catalog logic that must be preserved post-migration.

2. SEO Drop-Off and Visibility Loss

One of the biggest risks of a poorly executed BigCommerce to Shopify migration is the potential loss of organic search visibility. This typically occurs when:

• URLs change without proper redirects
• Metadata (titles, descriptions, alt tags) is not transferred accurately
• Page structures (like product categories or blogs) are altered without SEO planning

A drop in rankings can lead to lost traffic, fewer sales, and reduced trust from customers. To protect your SEO equity:

• Maintain consistent URL slugs where possible. Shopify may use a slightly different structure (e.g., /products/ vs. BigCommerce’s /store/ paths), so plan mappings accordingly.
• Set up comprehensive 301 redirects for every legacy URL using Shopify’s native redirect manager or a migration tool with redirect support.
• Preserve metadata during content import, including product titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
• Track performance with tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs both pre- and post-launch to monitor keyword positions, crawl errors, and traffic drops.

SmartOSC specializes in SEO-safe migrations, ensuring your domain authority and ranking positions are retained or even improved after the move.

3. App and Integration Incompatibility

Every eCommerce store depends on apps and third-party tools, ranging from email marketing and product reviews to CRM integration, loyalty programs, and fulfillment. During a BigCommerce to Shopify migration, it’s important to note that not all BigCommerce apps have direct Shopify equivalents. Some may function differently or require reconfiguration, making it crucial to audit and plan app transitions carefully to maintain operational continuity.

To mitigate compatibility issues:

• Conduct a thorough audit of your current tech stack before beginning the migration. List every app, its function, and any data dependencies.
• Search for alternatives in the Shopify App Store, many tools such as Klaviyo, Yotpo, or Judge.me are widely supported on both platforms.
• Use custom development when no direct replacement exists. SmartOSC can rebuild essential functionality using Shopify APIs, Liquid templates, and custom app extensions to replicate your workflows.

Ensuring seamless functionality of all integrations, especially ERP, POS, and inventory sync systems, is vital to avoid post-launch disruption.

Watch more: The Ultimate Shopify Migration Checklist for a Smooth Store Transfer in Australia

How SmartOSC Supports BigCommerce to Shopify Migration in Australia

SmartOSC provides comprehensive, full-service support for Australian businesses undergoing a BigCommerce to Shopify migration. With deep expertise in enterprise eCommerce and local market requirements, SmartOSC ensures that every migration is not just technically successful, but also strategically optimized for long-term growth and customer experience.

From initial strategy through to post-launch refinement, SmartOSC handles every critical step in the migration journey:

• Migration Planning & Architecture Design: We start with a detailed audit of your existing BigCommerce store, catalog structure, integrations, apps, theme logic, and performance metrics. From there, we build a tailored Shopify architecture designed to enhance user experience, SEO, and conversion flow.
  
• End-to-End Data Migration & QA: Our team ensures accurate and secure migration of products, categories, customers, orders, blogs, and media. Using robust tools and manual QA processes, we validate every data set to prevent duplication, loss, or misalignment.
• Localization for the Australian Market: We configure Shopify for Australian operations, including GST settings, shipping zones, and seamless integration with payment methods like Afterpay, Zip, and POLi. We also tailor content and UX for regional preferences to ensure a strong local connection.
• CRO, Performance Optimization & Monitoring: Post-migration, SmartOSC applies performance enhancements such as theme optimization, mobile UX refinement, and custom conversion strategies. We continue monitoring site analytics, speed, and behavior to identify further growth opportunities.

One of SmartOSC’s notable Australian projects involved migrating a lifestyle and wellness brand from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus. The results included:

• 35% improvement in overall site speed, reducing bounce rates and improving user experience.
• 98% of existing SEO rankings retained, thanks to precise 301 redirect mapping, metadata migration, and structural consistency.
• Significant growth in mobile conversions within just 30 days of going live, driven by enhanced responsiveness and optimized checkout flow.

SmartOSC not only executes migrations, it transforms them into growth catalysts. Whether you’re a mid-market brand or scaling to enterprise, our Shopify experts ensure your move from BigCommerce is smooth, secure, and future-ready.

FAQs: BigCommerce to Shopify Migration

How long does it take to migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify?

Most migrations take between 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the size of your product catalog, the complexity of your store setup, third-party app dependencies, and the extent of custom development needed. Larger stores or those with complex ERP and CRM integrations may require a longer timeline, especially if deep testing and redesign are involved.

Can I keep my customer and order history?

Yes, it is absolutely possible to migrate customer profiles and historical order data from BigCommerce to Shopify. Using tools like Matrixify or through custom migration services provided by SmartOSC, all essential customer information, including purchase history, account credentials, and contact details, can be securely transferred without data loss.

What about app integrations and custom features?

Some BigCommerce apps may not have direct equivalents on Shopify. However, SmartOSC works closely with your team to audit existing integrations, identify suitable replacements from the Shopify App Store, or custom-build features using Shopify’s robust APIs. This ensures that your store retains or improves on all key functionalities post-migration.

Will my SEO rankings drop after migration?

Not necessarily. If you implement proper 301 redirects, preserve URL structures where possible, and ensure all SEO metadata and structured data are carried over, your site can maintain its SEO equity. SmartOSC also performs post-launch audits and submits updated XML sitemaps to search engines to safeguard your search visibility during and after the transition.

Conclusion

A BigCommerce to Shopify migration can be a game-changer for Australian merchants aiming for improved performance, greater flexibility, and sustainable growth. By following a careful, step-by-step approach, and partnering with experts like SmartOSC, you can ensure a seamless transition with zero data loss, no downtime, and measurable enhancements across your entire eCommerce operation. Contact us now!