15-step e-commerce website migration checklist for SEO success (free download)

Are you noticing:

1. High bounce rates on Google Analytics? 
2. Visitors leaving the site after viewing only one page? 
3. Decrease in average time spent on site?
4. Fewer completed purchases or sign-ups?
5. Drop in conversion rates? 
6. A sharp hike in negative feedback and reviews regarding the website’s functionality, appearance, or navigation? 

All of the above indicates: 

1. Users need help finding what they expect or are put off by the website’s design or usability.
2. The content or user experience is not engaging enough to keep visitors browsing.
3. outdated interface that frustrates users or makes navigation difficult.
4. The site is not meeting user expectations and needs an update.

To sum it up – your e-commerce website is outdated, and you need to fix it to stop driving existing users and potential customers away. 

You want a site with the latest features and a sleek design, but you hesitate because you’re concerned about how an e-commerce website migration might affect your rankings. It’s a common fear, but here’s the reality: you’re likely losing more customers to an outdated website than you ever would by migrating to a new one.

Did you know? E-commerce sites with outdated designs and features can lose up to 40% of their visitors, while a well-executed migration often results in minimal disruption to your search rankings.

Sticking with an outdated site is a bad idea. It makes your online store look unprofessional. And it can significantly hurt your user experience, leading to higher bounce rates, abandoned shopping carts, and lower conversions. But here’s the good news: with the right approach, you can migrate your store seamlessly and maintain your SEO rankings.

This blog, and our exclusive checklist (used by countless clients to migrate seamlessly!), will be your secret weapon. We’ll equip you with the knowledge to navigate the process and ensure your store emerges stronger after the switch. 

Let’s transform your e-commerce website while retaining the traffic and customers you’ve worked hard to attract with the E-commerce Website Migration Checklist!

Why Migrate Your E-commerce Site

Your e-commerce store is your online storefront, and just like a physical store, it needs occasional renovations to stay competitive. Here are some signs it might be time to consider a website migration:

• Outgrown Your Platform: Is your current platform limiting your ability to add new features or functionalities essential for your growing business?
• Scalability Issues: Can your website handle increasing traffic and product volume without experiencing slowdowns or crashes?
• Security Concerns: Is your platform outdated and vulnerable to security breaches?
• Limited Design Flexibility: Does your current platform restrict you from creating a modern, user-friendly design that reflects your brand image?
• Poor User Experience: Is your website clunky, slow, or difficult to navigate, leading to frustrated customers and lost sales?

If you agree with any of these, the SEO checklist for E-commerce migration might be the key to unlocking your store’s full potential. A new platform can offer the scalability, security, and design flexibility you need to thrive in today’s competitive online marketplace.

Download your FREE 15-Step E-commerce Website Migration Checklist for SEO Success! This checklist provides a handy reference guide for each step of the migration process, ensuring you get everything. Click here to download!

Pre-Migration: How to prepare for an e-commerce website migration

Before the migration process begins, there are crucial pre-migration steps to ensure your SEO remains strong throughout the transition. If you are wondering How to migrate an e-commerce website without losing SEO, think of it as building a solid foundation for your new website. Here’s why these steps are essential:

• SEO Audit: An SEO audit identifies strengths and weaknesses in your current website’s SEO. This knowledge empowers you to address any issues and ensure a smooth SEO transfer during migration.
• Goal Setting and Timeline: Every successful move requires a plan. Setting clear SEO goals (maintain ranking, improve mobile traffic) and a realistic timeline keeps everyone focused and minimizes disruptions.
• Resource Allocation: Will you handle the migration internally or enlist the help of SEO professionals? Deciding on resources upfront ensures clear communication and avoids last-minute scrambling.

These preliminary steps from the  E-commerce Website Migration Checklist will equip you to navigate the migration process and guide you on how to migrate an e-commerce website without losing SEO. In the next section, we’ll explore the technical aspects of the migration process itself and ensure your website remains search-engine friendly throughout the move.

Keeping Your SEO  Rankings Intact During Migration

The pre-migration prep is complete. We’ve prepped your SEO foundation, and now it’s all about moving to your new website. Here are the things to consider to ensure your SEO ranking stays strong.

• How to handle 301 redirects during migration: 301 redirects act like a “moved permanently” sign for search engines, ensuring they understand your content has a new home and its SEO value is transferred smoothly.
  
• Technical SEO Checks: This ensures it’s lightning-fast, mobile-friendly, and easily crawlable by search engine bots – all crucial factors for ranking success.
  
• Content Migration and Optimization: Content has to be treated with care during migrations. Ensure you meticulously transfer all your product descriptions, category pages, and blog posts, ensuring consistency and value for users and search engines. Plus, leverage this opportunity to optimize your content with relevant keywords and internal linking for a potential SEO boost.
  
• User Experience Testing: A seamless user experience is a ranking booster in disguise. Through user testing, identify and address potential pain points on your new platform before they impact real customers. Fast loading times and intuitive navigation are key to keeping users happy and search engines satisfied.

These steps ensure your website’s technical SEO remains strong during migration. The next section of the  E-commerce website migration checklist will explore the importance of ongoing monitoring and optimization, the final component for long-term SEO success after the move.

Post-Migration: Monitoring and Optimization for Long-Term SEO Success

The migration is complete, your new website is live. But the journey doesn’t end there! The post-migration phase is crucial for ensuring your SEO dominance in the long run.

Here’s how to keep your SEO soaring after the migration:

• Monitoring SEO Performance: Closely monitor your website’s SEO performance using powerful tools like Google Search Console and analytics platforms. Tracking organic traffic, keyword rankings, and user behavior allows us to identify potential issues early on and take corrective action if needed.
• Ongoing Optimization: SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Continuously refine your SEO strategy based on post-migration data and ongoing monitoring. This might involve optimizing product titles for better search visibility, creating targeted landing pages for high-value keywords, or improving internal linking structures for a more user-friendly and search engine-friendly website.
• Celebrating and Refining: Once you have navigated the migration and ensured your SEO performance remains strong, it’s time to celebrate! But remember, SEO is an ongoing process. Further refine your SEO strategy, ensuring your website continues to attract organic traffic and convert visitors into customers for years to come.

Unique E-commerce SEO Migration Challenges

While a well-defined strategy tackles the core aspects of SEO migration, e-commerce websites present some additional hurdles to navigate. Here’s how to conquer these challenges and minimize their impact on your SEO performance with the E-commerce website migration checklist:

Product Page Variations:

• Challenge: E-commerce sites often have product page variations (color, size, etc.). These variations can create multiple URLs for the same product, potentially confusing search engines and diluting SEO value.
• Tip: Utilize canonical tags to specify the primary product page and consolidate SEO value. Implement proper URL parameter handling to prevent duplicate content issues.

Managing Dynamic Content:

• Challenge: Dynamic content generated by filters, sorting options, and faceted navigation can create temporary URLs. These can get indexed by search engines, leading to thin content and a wasted crawl budget.
• Tip: Utilize nofollow tags for dynamic URLs to prevent search engines from indexing them. Consider creating static versions optimized with relevant keywords and meta descriptions.

Handling Faceted Navigation:

• Challenge: Faceted navigation filters can be challenging. While enhancing user experience, they can generate unnecessary URLs with minimal content.
• Tip: Consolidate filter options to reduce the number of potential URLs. Create dedicated landing pages with important filter combinations, optimized for relevant long-tail keywords.

By acknowledging these challenges and implementing these practical tips, you can ensure your e-commerce website migration goes smoothly, with minimal disruption to your SEO performance. Remember, a proactive approach is key to conquering these hurdles and maintaining your search engine visibility.

Congratulations! You’re Now Ready to Nail Your E-commerce Migration

Migrating your e-commerce website can feel daunting but with careful planning and the right approach, it can be a smooth and successful journey. This E-commerce website migration checklist, equips you with the knowledge and strategies to navigate the process, ensuring your SEO rankings remain intact.

But remember, you don’t have to go it alone!

TogetherWeShip offers comprehensive website migration services designed specifically for e-commerce businesses. Our SEO experts will handle the heavy lifting, meticulously managing the entire migration process while keeping your SEO performance at the forefront. We’ll ensure a seamless transition that minimizes disruption to your website traffic and ranking, allowing you to focus on what matters most – running your business.

Here’s what sets TogetherWeShip apart:

• Dedicated SEO Expertise: Our team understands the unique SEO challenges of e-commerce migrations. We’ll ensure your website maintains its search engine visibility throughout the process.
• Seamless Content Transfer: We’ll meticulously migrate all your product descriptions, category pages, and blog posts, maintaining consistency and value for users and search engines.
• Technical SEO Optimization: We’ll perform comprehensive technical SEO checks on your new platform, ensuring it’s fast, mobile-friendly, and easily crawlable by search engines.
• Ongoing Support: We stay with you throughout the migration process and beyond. We’ll continue to monitor your SEO performance and provide ongoing optimization recommendations.

Ready to experience a stress-free migration and maintain your hard-earned SEO ranking? Contact TogetherWeShip today and let our team of experts guide you through a successful migration journey!