Shopify Migration Guide for Indian SMEs

June 26, 2025

Seamless Transition Strategies to Boost Your eCommerce Potential

Businesses are seeing the need for dependable, scalable, and adaptable systems in India’s quickly expanding eCommerce market. Making the switch to Shopify might be the game-changer you’ve been waiting for if your online store is powered by custom-coded websites or legacy systems like Magento or WooCommerce.

This thorough guide will assist Indian SMEs in comprehending the advantages, difficulties, and tried-and-true methods for a seamless Shopify transfer.

Why Indian SMEs are Migrating to Shopify

India’s eCommerce boom demands more than just an online presence — it requires a powerful, hassle-free, and mobile-first platform. Shopify offers exactly that.

Key Reasons for Migration:

Zero server management: Shopify is fully hosted.
Faster loading speeds: Crucial for Indian customers browsing on mobile networks.
Scalability: Handle festive spikes like Diwali, Holi, or End-of-Season Sales with ease.
Local payment gateway integration: Razorpay, Paytm, PhonePe, and more.
Logistics integrations: Shiprocket, Delhivery, Bluedart, and India Post.
Mobile-first themes: Optimized for India’s mobile-driven shoppers.
24/7 support: With global uptime reliability.

Step 1: Assess Your Current Store

Things to Evaluate:

Current product data structure
Order and customer history
SEO settings and URLs
Third-party apps and plugins
Payment gateways and shipping providers
UI/UX responsiveness on mobile

Why This Matters:

This step ensures no data is left behind, avoids SEO losses, and sets the foundation for a seamless migration.

Design & Theme Setup

Why Design Matters for Indian Audiences:

Mobile-friendly layouts (80% of traffic is mobile-first in India)
Regional trust signals (COD badges, GST billing icons, Paytm/Razorpay trust icons)
Culturally resonant banners during Indian festivals

Shopify Themes to Explore:

Impulse (Premium, high-conversion)
Dawn (Free, minimalist)
Craft (Free, ideal for Indian handmade or artisanal stores)

Customize with:

Regional language support (via translation apps)
INR currency display
WhatsApp Chat integrations (essential for Indian customers)

Step 4: Payment & Shipping Integrations for India

Local Payment Gateways:

Shipping Integrations:

Cash on Delivery (COD):

Set up Shopify’s COD settings easily.
Add COD fees if needed (common in India).
Use fraud protection apps for COD orders.

Step 5: SEO and URL Redirects (Critical for India’s Competitive Market)

Must-Do SEO Steps:

Setup 301 redirects to preserve Google rankings.
Check meta titles, descriptions, and ALT tags.
Verify your Shopify store with Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools India.
Submit updated sitemaps.

Keep Rankings Intact:

Failure to redirect old URLs can cause SEO drops. Shopify’s URL structure differs from platforms like Magento or WooCommerce — plan accordingly.

Step 6: Go Live – Testing Before Launch

Pre-launch Checklist:

Test payment gateways in sandbox mode.
Simulate orders, returns, and refunds.
Check email notifications (order confirmation, shipping updates).
Mobile responsiveness test.

Speed test via Google PageSpeed Insights (critical for Indian 4G/5G users).

After Launch:

Monitor orders.
Check error logs.
Address customer queries rapidly (WhatsApp, phone, email).

Benefits After Migration to Shopify for Indian SMEs

No downtime during traffic surges.
Lower total cost of ownership (TCO) — no hosting, no security maintenance.
Quick app integration: Loyalty programs, WhatsApp chats, GST invoicing.
Faster checkout: Razorpay’s one-click checkout improves conversions.
Improved SEO and Google Shopping readiness.

Conclusion

Migrating to Shopify isn’t just a platform change — it’s a growth decision. For Indian SMEs, Shopify offers scalability, mobile-first design, smooth payments, and powerful logistics integrations tailored to India’s unique eCommerce needs.

Partnering with experienced Shopify migration experts like Intertoons India ensures a seamless transition without losing your data, customers, or SEO rankings.

intertoons

Interoons aim at providing electronically intelligent and comprehensive range of digital marketing solutions that exceed customer expectations. We implement revolutionary digital marketing ideas to achieve a common as well as the aggregate growth of the organization. Long-term customer relations and extended support are maintained.