The Enterprise Playbook: Migrating from Magento (Adobe Commerce) to Shopify Plus

Migrating from Magento (Adobe Commerce) to Shopify Plus is more than a technical upgrade — it’s a strategic reset. For enterprise brands, this move eliminates infrastructure headaches, speeds up innovation, and creates room for marketing and growth instead of DevOps.

While many articles explain why Shopify Plus is a smarter long-term choice than Magento, this playbook goes further: it outlines the exact steps, frameworks, and KPIs you need to ensure a successful replatforming.

Why Enterprise Brands Are Replatforming

Magento (Adobe Commerce) comes with:

• High hosting and patching costs.
• A complex EAV data model that slows down development.
• Customizations that often break with upgrades.
• Fragile SEO handling that requires constant monitoring.

Shopify Plus solves these challenges with:

• Fully managed SaaS hosting (no DevOps burden).
• A flat, scalable data model.
• Conversion-optimized checkout.
• Built-in 301 redirects, APIs, and extensibility via Shopify Functions.
• A global ecosystem of 13,000+ apps to accelerate growth.

👉 For many enterprises, the decision to migrate isn’t if, but when.

The Absolute Web 4-Phase Migration Framework

Migrating platforms at scale requires structure. Absolute Web follows a proven four-phase methodology that minimizes risks and maximizes ROI:

1. Discovery

• Technical audit and system mapping.
• UX analysis and data review.
• Output: Migration requirements report.

2. Planning

• Feature mapping and compliance checks.
• Data strategy and UI/UX designs.
• Cost and timeline alignment.
• Output: Migration blueprint with roadmap.

3. Execution

• Custom app development and integrations.
• Data migration with SEO safeguards.
• Functional and cross-device QA testing.
• Output: Staging store with validated integrations.

4. Launch & Optimization

• Go-live strategy with password reset workflows.
• Post-launch monitoring and optimization roadmap.
• Output: Continuous growth plan.

Pre-Migration Strategy: Setting the Stage

A successful migration starts before code is touched:

• Build the business case — quantify infrastructure savings and expected conversion lift.
• Secure executive sponsorship early.
• Involve every department (IT, marketing, merchandising, ops).
• Train teams on Shopify workflows using sandboxes.

Special Considerations When Migrating from Magento

Replatforming comes with technical hurdles that need expert handling:

• Data Integrity — clean out duplicate SKUs, obsolete attributes, and outdated promotions.
• Product Mapping — translate grouped/bundled products and custom options into Shopify variants or metafields.
• SEO Migration — manage redirects carefully, preserve meta data, and handle Shopify’s reserved URL paths.
• Parallel Validation — run a test migration on a subset of data before full cutover.

Migration Timeline: What to Expect

For enterprise ecommerce sites, a Magento to Shopify migration typically spans 6–7 months (24–28 weeks).
Phases include:

• Kickoff & UI/UX design
• Data preparation
• Alpha & beta development
• QA testing
• Go-live

This transparency ensures teams can prepare resources and align expectations.

Post-Migration KPIs to Track ROI

Measuring success after replatforming is as important as the migration itself. Focus on:

• Performance – load times, uptime, TTFB.
• Conversion Rates – checkout completion, cart abandonment.
• Operational Efficiency – hours saved from DevOps.
• SEO Health – rankings, crawl errors, organic traffic.
• Time-to-Market – speed of new campaign or feature launches.

Best Practices for a Smooth Migration

• Clean before migrating — don’t carry over technical debt.
• Plan integrations early — ERP/OMS/CRM drive timelines.
• Prioritize QA — functional, SEO, stress, and cross-device testing.
• Adopt lean setups — minimize app bloat to protect performance.
• Train internal teams — ensure adoption across marketing, merchandising, and operations.

Why Work with Absolute Web

At Absolute Web, we’ve been guiding enterprise brands through Magento to Shopify Plus migrations for over two decades. Our approach combines:

• Proven migration frameworks.
• Deep expertise with Shopify Plus and integrations.
• Dedicated focus on SEO preservation and conversion optimization.
• Transparent timelines and measurable post-launch ROI.

Migrating isn’t just about moving platforms — it’s about unlocking growth potential.

Ready to Migrate?

Migrating from Magento to Shopify Plus is one of the most impactful moves your brand can make in the next 12 months. With the right strategy and execution, you’ll reduce costs, accelerate innovation, and future-proof your ecommerce.

Learn more about our Magento to Shopify Plus migration services, download the free migration guide, or contact our team to get started.