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Why e-commerce migration requires extra attention

An e-commerce migration differs in several ways from a regular website move. While an hour of downtime might be annoying for a standard site, for a webshop it directly translates into lost orders, frustrated customers, and revenue loss.

More complex database structure

Webshops often have dozens of database tables with interdependent data. Products are linked to categories, stock levels, pricing rules, discount codes, and customer groups. An error in this structure can lead to missing products, incorrect prices, or non-functioning discounts.

Customer data and privacy

You manage sensitive customer information such as addresses, order history, and possibly stored payment details. During migration, you must comply with GDPR regulations and ensure that no customer loses access to their account data.

Continuous availability

Every minute your webshop is offline, you potentially lose revenue. Studies show that 88% of online shoppers don't return to a webshop that had technical problems.

Payment integration complexity

Payment gateways like Mollie, Stripe, and PayPal have specific configurations, webhooks, and API keys that must be carefully transferred during migration. One error can cause payments to fail or not be recorded.

Preparation: what to inventory

Thorough preparation largely determines the success of your webshop migration. Create this checklist at least two weeks before the planned move:

Products and catalog

Total number of products – including variations (sizes, colors, options)
Product images – quantity, total file size, server location
Category structure – main categories, subcategories, and filters
Stock levels – current stock per product and per variant
Pricing structure – regular prices, discounts, tiered pricing, B2B prices
Product descriptions – texts, specifications, SEO content
Reviews and ratings – customer reviews you want to keep

Customer data

Total customer accounts – active and inactive customers
Customer groups – wholesale, retail, VIP categories, B2B customers
Order history – number of orders, average order value per customer
Loyalty points – if you have a loyalty or rewards program
Shopping cart data – open carts for abandoned cart campaigns
Wishlists – saved customer wishlists

Technical components

E-commerce platform and version – WooCommerce 8.x, Magento 2.4, PrestaShop 8.x, etc.
PHP version – check compatibility with new hosting
Plugins and extensions – complete list with version numbers and licenses
Payment gateways – Mollie, Stripe, PayPal, MultiSafepay configurations
Shipping methods – PostNL, DHL, DPD, shipping cost calculation, shipping rules
Database size – exact MB/GB for planning upload time
Cron jobs – scheduled tasks for inventory, prices, shipping

Integrations and connections

ERP systems – Exact, AFAS, SAP connection
Accounting packages – e-Boekhouden, Moneybird, Twinfield
Fulfilment partners – warehouse connections, dropshipping feeds
Marketing tools – Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Google Ads conversion tracking
Marketplaces – Bol.com, Amazon, eBay feeds

WooCommerce migration

WooCommerce is by far the most popular e-commerce platform in the Netherlands with a market share of over 40%. There are several methods to migrate a WooCommerce webshop:

Method 1: All-in-One WP Migration (easiest)

This plugin method works excellently for small to medium-sized webshops (up to approximately 512MB):

Install the "All-in-One WP Migration" plugin on your current site
Go to WP Admin > All-in-One WP Migration > Export
Choose "Export To > File" and download the .wpress file
Install WordPress on your new hosting with the same plugin
Upload the .wpress file via Import
Restore permalinks via Settings > Permalinks > Save

Method 2: Duplicator Pro (for larger shops)

Duplicator Pro is optimized for large databases and offers more control:

Install Duplicator Pro and go to Packages
Create a new package with all files and database
Download the installer.php file and archive
Upload to new hosting via FTP
Walk through the installation wizard

Method 3: Manual database migration (most complete)

For large webshops with thousands of products and complex configurations:

Export database via phpMyAdmin as SQL file (with compression)
Copy all files via FTP or SSH (/wp-content/ folder)
Import database on new hosting via phpMyAdmin or command line
Adjust wp-config.php with new database credentials
Update URLs in database via WP-CLI or Search Replace DB script
Restore permalinks and test all functionality

WooCommerce specific considerations

Transactional emails – verify confirmation emails are sent correctly
Payment providers – update webhook URLs in Mollie/Stripe dashboards
Product images – regenerate thumbnails via Regenerate Thumbnails plugin
Object cache – flush cache after migration (Redis, Memcached)

Magento 2 migration

Magento 2 is the most powerful open-source e-commerce platform, but also the most complex to migrate:

Preparation specific to Magento

Check PHP version compatibility (minimum PHP 8.1 for Magento 2.4.6+)
Inventory all custom modules and extensions
Check Elasticsearch/OpenSearch requirements
Note RabbitMQ/Redis configurations if used

Migration process

Put webshop in maintenance mode: php bin/magento maintenance:enable
Export database with mysqldump: mysqldump -u user -p database > backup.sql
Copy all files including media folder
Import database and update app/etc/env.php with new credentials
Run setup upgrade: php bin/magento setup:upgrade
Compile DI: php bin/magento setup:di:compile
Deploy static content: php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy -f
Flush cache: php bin/magento cache:flush
Check indexer status and reindex if needed

Magento specific pitfalls

File permissions – correctly set var/, pub/static/, generated/ folders
Elasticsearch – reindex after migration
Varnish cache – configure VCL for new server
Admin URL – update if needed in env.php

PrestaShop migration

PrestaShop is popular with medium-sized webshops. The migration process:

Automatic migration with 1-Click Upgrade module

For same PrestaShop version to new hosting:

Make complete backup via PrestaShop Backup module
Download all files and database
Upload to new hosting
Update config/parameters.php with new database info
Clear the var/cache/ folder

Manual migration

Export database via phpMyAdmin
Copy all files via FTP
Adjust parameters.php
Update _shop_url and _shop_domain in database
Regenerate .htaccess via back-office

Shopify or Lightspeed to self-hosted

When migrating from hosted platforms to self-hosted, a complete data export is needed:

From Shopify to WooCommerce

Export products as CSV via Shopify Admin
Export customers and orders as CSV
Install WooCommerce on your new hosting
Use WooCommerce CSV Importer or Cart2Cart migration service
Check all product data, prices, and images
Reconfigure payment methods
Set up redirects from old Shopify URLs to new structure

Important considerations for platform switch

URL structure – Shopify uses /products/, WooCommerce uses /product/
Passwords – customers must set new password
Order history – not all order data can be transferred
SEO impact – ensure correct 301 redirects

Reconfiguring payment methods

Payment gateways are the nerve center of your webshop – without working payment methods, no revenue.

Reconfiguring Mollie

Log in to Mollie Dashboard > Developers > API keys
Copy "Live API key" and "Test API key"
Configure in your e-commerce platform (WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > Mollie)
Update Webhook URL in Mollie Dashboard to new domain
Update Return URL if needed
Test with iDEAL in test mode before going live
Verify all payment methods (iDEAL, credit card, Bancontact, etc.) work

Stripe configuration

Stripe Dashboard > Developers > API keys
Copy Publishable key and Secret key
Configure webhooks for new domain (stripe.com/webhooks)
Add all relevant events (payment_intent.succeeded, etc.)
Test with test credit card numbers (4242 4242 4242 4242)
Verify 3D Secure flow

PayPal settings

PayPal Business account > Settings > Website payments
Update IPN notification URL to new domain
Configure Return URL and Cancel URL
Test in sandbox mode

MultiSafepay migration

Log in to MultiSafepay Merchant Panel
Go to Settings > Website
Update webhook notification URL
Copy API key to new installation

SSL and checkout security

SSL is not optional for webshops – it's an absolute requirement for secure payments and customer trust.

Why SSL is crucial

Browser warnings – Without SSL, every browser shows a "Not secure" warning
Payment provider requirement – Mollie, Stripe, and PayPal require HTTPS
GDPR compliance – Unencrypted personal data is a violation
SEO advantage – Google gives HTTPS sites a ranking boost
Customer trust – Visitors expect the green padlock at checkout
PCI-DSS – Payment card data requires encrypted connection

Installing and configuring SSL

Most hosting providers offer free Let's Encrypt certificates via cPanel or DirectAdmin:

Go to SSL/TLS in your control panel
Choose Let's Encrypt certificate
Select your domain and www subdomain
Wait for certificate installation (few minutes)
Force HTTPS via .htaccess or plugin

Solving mixed content problems

After SSL installation, mixed content warnings may occur. Solutions:

Use Really Simple SSL plugin for WordPress
Update all hardcoded HTTP URLs in database
Check image URLs in content
Update external script and font URLs

Minimizing downtime

Strategy 1: Migration outside peak times

Analyze your traffic patterns in Google Analytics and plan migration at the lowest moment. This is often:

Sunday or Monday morning early (02:00 - 06:00)
Middle of the night
Not during Black Friday, holidays, or other peak periods

Strategy 2: Lower DNS TTL

Lower your DNS TTL from 86400 (24h) to 300 (5 min) at least one week before migration. This way changes propagate faster after the switch.

Strategy 3: Staging site method (zero-downtime)

Build complete webshop on subdomain (staging.yourshop.com)
Test all functionality thoroughly, including orders
Synchronize latest orders and customers on migration day
Switch DNS from staging to production
Downtime: only 5-15 minutes

Strategy 4: Database sync with replication

For large webshops with continuous orders:

Set up MySQL replication between old and new server
Keep data synchronized during migration
Switch application to new database as primary
Near zero-downtime possible

Post-migration checks

Complete test order (mandatory)

Do at least 5 test orders with different payment methods and scenarios. Check:

Order status updates correctly (pending → processing → completed)
Confirmation email is sent to customer
Admin receives new order notification
Webhooks are correctly received
Inventory is updated
Refund process works
Invoicing works correctly

Checkout flow tests

Guest checkout works
Customer account creation works
Login with existing account works
Discount codes function
Shipping cost calculation is correct
Tax calculation is correct

Technical checks

Site speed comparable to old site (PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix)
Google Analytics and conversion tracking works
Google Tag Manager events fire correctly
XML sitemap correctly generated and submitted
Structured data (Product schema) works - test with Rich Results Test
All product pages are indexable
Canonical URLs are correct

Integration checks

ERP connection synchronizes correctly
Accounting receives orders
Email marketing tool receives subscribers
Fulfillment partner receives orders
Marketplace feeds are up-to-date

Frequently asked questions

How long does a webshop migration take?

Small webshop (<100 products): 2-4 hours active work, 1-2 days total including DNS. Medium webshop (100-1000 products): 4-8 hours, 2-3 days total. Large webshop (1000+ products): 1-3 days active work, a week for complete transition.

Will I lose my Google rankings?

Not if done correctly. With hosting change keeping same domain, risk is minimal. Ensure correct 301 redirects for URL changes and update Google Search Console with address change if needed.

What about pending orders?

Process all "processing" orders at least 24 hours before migration. Put shop in maintenance mode during migration so no new orders come in. Communicate with customers about planned downtime.

Do customers need to reset their password?

With full database migration (WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop): no, passwords keep working. With platform switch (e.g. Shopify to WooCommerce): yes, passwords use different hashing methods.

How do I test payment methods?

Every serious payment provider offers test mode. Mollie has test API keys, Stripe has test credit card numbers (4242...). Always test the complete checkout flow including refunds before going live.

What if my webshop has high traffic?

Consider a zero-downtime migration strategy with database replication or load balancer. Engage a specialist for complex migrations with high availability requirements.

Will discount codes still work?

Yes, discount codes are migrated with the database. Do test all active discount codes after migration to ensure they function correctly.

What about product reviews?

Reviews are migrated by default with database migration. With platform switch, you need to export and import reviews, which isn't always 100% possible.

How long should I keep old hosting?

Keep old hosting active for at least 2 weeks after successful migration. This gives you a fallback if unexpected problems occur. Make a final backup before canceling.

What about my email marketing integration?

Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and other tools connect via API. After migration, you must reconfigure API credentials in your new installation. Test that new subscribers sync correctly.

E-commerce migration: complete guide for webshop migration