If you're running an ecommerce business on Salesforce Commerce Cloud (formerly Demandware), you've likely experienced both its powerful enterprise features and its significant complexity. Many businesses find themselves at a crossroads: the platform that once seemed like the perfect fit now feels overly complicated, expensive, and difficult to manage without a dedicated development team. That's where the decision to migrate to Shopify from Salesforce becomes not just attractive, but strategically essential.
Shopify has evolved from a simple online store builder into a robust ecommerce platform that serves everyone from startups to enterprise brands like Gymshark, Allbirds, and Fashion Nova. With lower total cost of ownership, faster time-to-market for new features, and an intuitive interface that empowers your team, Shopify offers a compelling alternative to Salesforce Commerce Cloud—especially for businesses with annual revenues under $100 million.
This comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know about migrating to Shopify from Salesforce, from initial planning to post-launch optimization. Whether you're a marketing manager researching options or a business owner ready to make the switch, you'll find actionable insights to make your migration smooth and successful.
Before diving into the how, let's understand the why. The decision to migrate platforms isn't taken lightly, and understanding your motivations will help guide your migration strategy.
Salesforce Commerce Cloud operates on a revenue-based pricing model, typically charging 1-3% of your gross merchandise value (GMV) plus implementation and maintenance fees. For a business doing $10 million in annual sales, this could mean $100,000-$300,000 in platform fees alone, not including development costs, hosting, or third-party integrations.
Shopify's pricing structure is dramatically different. Even Shopify Plus, their enterprise solution, starts at around $2,000 per month with predictable pricing that doesn't scale with your revenue. This transparent pricing model can save mid-market businesses $50,000-$200,000 annually in platform costs alone.
Salesforce Commerce Cloud requires specialized developers familiar with its proprietary scripting language and architecture. Finding and retaining these developers is challenging and expensive. Simple updates that your marketing team could handle on Shopify often require developer resources on Salesforce.
When you migrate to Shopify from Salesforce, you're moving to a platform designed for merchant empowerment. Your marketing team can create landing pages, launch promotions, and update product information without opening a support ticket or waiting for developer bandwidth. This agility translates directly into faster execution and competitive advantage.
While Salesforce Commerce Cloud was built for enterprise scale, it brings enterprise complexity even when you don't need it. Shopify proves that you can scale to massive volumes—the platform processes over $200 billion in GMV annually—without the operational overhead that Salesforce requires.
Shopify's infrastructure automatically handles traffic spikes, manages security updates, and scales resources as needed. You focus on growing your business rather than managing infrastructure.
A successful migration starts with a comprehensive audit of your current Salesforce Commerce Cloud implementation. You need to understand exactly what you're moving before you can plan how to move it.
Your Salesforce store contains several critical data types that need careful consideration:
Product Data: This includes your product catalog, variants, SKUs, pricing, inventory levels, images, descriptions, and metadata. Document how many products you have, how many variants per product, and any complex product relationships or bundling logic.
Customer Data: Customer accounts, contact information, order history, saved addresses, and customer groups all need to transfer to maintain continuity. Understanding your customer segmentation strategy will help you recreate it effectively in Shopify.
Order History: Historical order data provides valuable insights and supports customer service. Decide how much history you need to migrate—most businesses focus on the past 2-3 years of orders while archiving older data.
Content and Media: Your pages, blog posts, images, videos, and other media assets need to move to Shopify. Audit your content management system to identify what's actively used versus what can be archived.
Salesforce Commerce Cloud implementations typically include extensive customizations. Before you migrate to Shopify from Salesforce, catalog every custom feature, integration, and workflow. Ask yourself:
This exercise often reveals that 30-40% of custom features are rarely used and don't need to be rebuilt, significantly simplifying your migration.
Your Salesforce Commerce Cloud store likely connects to numerous systems: ERP, warehouse management, email marketing, analytics, customer service, and more. Create a comprehensive integration map showing:
Good news: Shopify's extensive app ecosystem and robust API mean that most integrations can be re-established more easily than they were originally built on Salesforce.
With your assessment complete, you're ready to develop your migration strategy. This phase determines your timeline, budget, and approach.
You have three primary approaches when you migrate to Shopify from Salesforce:
Big Bang Migration: Switch everything at once during a planned maintenance window. This approach works for smaller catalogs (under 1,000 products) with straightforward requirements. The advantage is speed—you're done in one weekend. The risk is that any issues affect your entire business immediately.
Phased Migration: Move different aspects of your business gradually, perhaps starting with a subset of products or a specific market. This reduces risk and allows you to learn from each phase, but it's more complex to manage two platforms simultaneously.
Parallel Running: Build your complete Shopify store while keeping Salesforce live, then switch traffic over when ready. This is the lowest-risk approach for high-volume stores, though it requires maintaining two platforms temporarily.
Most mid-market businesses choose the parallel running approach, building and testing thoroughly on Shopify before making the final switch.
Successful migrations require a cross-functional team with clear roles:
Project Manager: Owns the timeline, coordinates workstreams, and manages stakeholder communication. This person keeps everyone aligned and the project on track.
Ecommerce Manager: Provides business requirements, makes decisions about features and functionality, and ensures the new store meets business objectives.
Technical Lead: Handles Shopify setup, theme customization, app integration, and data migration. This could be an internal developer, a Shopify Expert agency, or a combination.
Content Manager: Oversees content migration, ensures SEO preservation, and manages the transition of marketing materials.
QA/Testing Lead: Develops test plans, coordinates testing activities, and ensures quality before launch.
A typical migration to Shopify from Salesforce takes 8-16 weeks, depending on complexity. Here's a realistic timeline:
Weeks 1-2: Planning and Assessment - Complete your audit, finalize requirements, and select your Shopify plan and theme.
Weeks 3-6: Build and Configure - Set up your Shopify store, configure settings, customize your theme, and install necessary apps.
Weeks 7-10: Data Migration and Integration - Migrate data, establish integrations, and begin thorough testing.
Weeks 11-14: Testing and Refinement - Conduct comprehensive testing, fix issues, and train your team.
Weeks 15-16: Launch Preparation and Go-Live - Final checks, DNS updates, and launch monitoring.
Now let's get into the specifics of executing your migration. This is where planning transforms into action.
Start by selecting the right Shopify plan. If you're migrating from Salesforce Commerce Cloud, you'll likely need Shopify Plus, which offers:
However, some businesses find that standard Shopify plans meet their needs perfectly well, especially if they're simplifying operations. Evaluate your requirements honestly rather than assuming you need the enterprise tier.
Your store's design significantly impacts conversion rates and brand perception. You have three options:
Premium Themes: Shopify's theme store offers sophisticated, mobile-optimized themes starting at $180-$350. Many businesses find these provide 80% of what they need with minimal customization.
Custom Development: For unique brand requirements, hire a Shopify Expert to build a custom theme. Budget $15,000-$50,000 depending on complexity.
Hybrid Approach: Start with a premium theme and customize specific elements. This balances cost, time, and uniqueness effectively.
Remember: simpler is often better. Your Salesforce store might have accumulated complex features over years, but not all of them contribute to sales. Use migration as an opportunity to streamline.
When you migrate to Shopify from Salesforce, data migration is your highest-risk activity. Approach it methodically:
Step 1: Export Data from Salesforce - Use Salesforce's data export tools or API to extract your data. You'll need separate exports for products, customers, orders, and other entities.
Step 2: Transform Data - Salesforce and Shopify structure data differently. You'll need to map fields, transform formats, and potentially consolidate or split data. For example, Salesforce's product option model differs from Shopify's variant structure.
Step 3: Import to Shopify - Use Shopify's CSV import functionality for straightforward data, or leverage the API for complex scenarios. Several migration apps can automate this process, though they may require customization for your specific setup.
Step 4: Validate - This is critical. Don't assume your migration worked perfectly. Randomly sample products, customers, and orders to verify data accuracy. Check that images loaded correctly, variants are properly configured, and customer data is complete.
Pro tip: Do a test migration first. Import a subset of your data, validate it thoroughly, identify issues, refine your process, then do the full migration. This trial run catches problems before they affect your entire catalog.
Not everything from Salesforce needs custom development on Shopify. The platform's app ecosystem likely has solutions for most of your needs:
Search and Merchandising: Apps like Searchspring or Boost Commerce provide advanced search, filtering, and merchandising capabilities that rival Salesforce's built-in features.
Personalization: Tools like LimeSpot or Nosto deliver product recommendations and personalized experiences without custom development.
B2B Functionality: Shopify Plus includes native B2B features, supplemented by apps like Wholesale Gorilla or SparkLayer for advanced wholesale requirements.
Subscriptions: Recharge or Bold Subscriptions handle recurring orders more elegantly than most custom Salesforce implementations.
For truly unique requirements, Shopify's flexibility allows custom development using Liquid (the templating language), JavaScript, and API integrations. However, exhaust app-based solutions first—they're faster to implement, easier to maintain, and regularly updated.
One of the biggest concerns when you migrate to Shopify from Salesforce is maintaining your hard-earned search rankings. A poorly executed migration can devastate organic traffic. Here's how to protect your SEO:
Ideally, maintain your existing URL structure on Shopify. If your product URLs are currently /products/product-name, configure Shopify to match. If your Salesforce URLs don't follow best practices, migration is your opportunity to improve them—but you'll need comprehensive redirects.
Shopify's URL structure is relatively flexible, though it has some constraints. Products must include /products/ in the path, collections include /collections/, and pages include /pages/. Plan accordingly.
For any URL that changes, implement 301 redirects from the old URL to the new one. Shopify allows you to create redirects in the admin panel or bulk import them via CSV. For large catalogs, use a spreadsheet to map old URLs to new ones, then import them all at once.
Don't forget about:
Check your Google Analytics and Search Console for your most-visited pages and ensure every one has a redirect plan.
Transfer all your meta titles, meta descriptions, and alt text from Salesforce to Shopify. This metadata represents years of SEO optimization—don't lose it.
Shopify makes this easy with fields for page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text built into every product, collection, and page. Include this data in your CSV imports or set it manually for your most important pages.
Before launching your Shopify store, verify these technical SEO elements:
Your ecommerce platform doesn't operate in isolation. It connects to numerous systems that keep your business running.
When you migrate to Shopify from Salesforce, prioritize these integration categories:
Email Marketing: Shopify integrates seamlessly with Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend, and other email platforms. These integrations sync customer data, order history, and behavioral triggers for sophisticated email automation.
Fulfillment and Logistics: Connect your 3PL, warehouse management system, or fulfillment partners. Shopify has native integrations with ShipStation, ShipBob, Flexport, and major carriers. Most 3PLs offer Shopify-specific integration options.
Accounting and ERP: Sync orders, inventory, and financial data with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, or your ERP system. Apps like A2X or Webgility facilitate these connections.
Customer Service: Integrate Gorgias, Zendesk, or Freshdesk to give your support team access to order information and customer history within their helpdesk interface.
Analytics and Reporting: Beyond Shopify's built-in analytics, connect Google Analytics 4, Facebook Pixel, and any business intelligence tools you use.
For custom integrations, Shopify's REST and GraphQL APIs provide robust access to store data. If you built custom integrations on Salesforce, you'll likely find Shopify's APIs more developer-friendly and better documented.
Many businesses use integration platforms like Zapier, Integromat (Make), or Workato to connect Shopify with other systems without custom development. These tools can handle most integration needs at a fraction of the cost of custom API development.
Thorough testing separates successful migrations from disasters. Don't skip this phase or rush through it.
Test every customer-facing function systematically:
Product Browsing: Navigate categories, use search, apply filters. Verify products display correctly with accurate images, descriptions, and pricing.
Cart and Checkout: Add products to cart, apply discount codes, test shipping calculations, and complete purchases using various payment methods. Test both guest and account checkout flows.
Account Management: Create accounts, log in, update information, view order history, and test password reset functionality.
Mobile Experience: Test everything on actual mobile devices, not just desktop browser emulation. Mobile accounts for 60-70% of ecommerce traffic—your mobile experience must be flawless.
Page speed directly impacts conversion rates. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or WebPageTest to measure performance. Shopify's infrastructure is fast, but poor theme choices or excessive apps can slow things down.
Load test your checkout process to ensure it handles your typical traffic volumes plus peak spikes. Shopify's infrastructure scales automatically, but verify that your apps and integrations can handle the load.
Place test orders and verify that data flows correctly to all integrated systems:
Test edge cases too: partial refunds, order cancellations, out-of-stock scenarios, and high-value orders.
You've built, migrated, and tested. Now it's time to launch your new Shopify store.
Before you flip the switch, verify:
The final technical step when you migrate to Shopify from Salesforce is updating your DNS records to point your domain to Shopify's servers. This process varies depending on where your domain is registered:
Option 1: Transfer Domain to Shopify - Simplest option if your domain registrar allows transfers. Shopify manages everything once the transfer completes.
Option 2: Point Existing Domain - Keep your domain at the current registrar but update A records and CNAME records to point to Shopify. Shopify provides specific DNS settings in your admin.
DNS changes can take 24-48 hours to propagate fully, though they often happen faster. Plan your launch timing accordingly, and avoid launching during your peak sales hours.
Launch day isn't the finish line—it's the starting line. Monitor closely for the first 48-72 hours:
Have your technical team available to address any issues quickly. Most launch problems are minor and easily fixed, but quick response time prevents them from impacting sales significantly.
Your migration is complete, but your work isn't finished. The weeks following launch are crucial for optimization.
Compare your new Shopify store's performance to your Salesforce baseline:
Some metrics may dip temporarily during transition as customers adjust to the new experience. Track trends over 30-60 days rather than panicking over day-to-day fluctuations.
One advantage of Shopify over Salesforce is the ease of iteration. Take advantage of this:
A/B Testing: Test different product page layouts, checkout flows, and promotional strategies. Apps like Google Optimize integrate easily with Shopify.
Feature Additions: Add new capabilities gradually. You don't need to rebuild every Salesforce feature immediately. Prioritize based on impact and add functionality over time.
App Optimization: Review your installed apps quarterly. Remove unused apps that add page weight or cost. Consolidate overlapping functionality.
Invest in training your team on Shopify's capabilities. The platform's ease of use is only valuable if your team knows how to leverage it. Create documentation for common tasks, establish workflows for content updates and promotions, and encourage experimentation.
A typical migration takes 8-16 weeks depending on your store's complexity, catalog size, and customization requirements. Smaller stores with straightforward needs can complete migration in 6-8 weeks, while large enterprises with extensive customizations may need 16-20 weeks. The timeline includes planning, development, data migration, testing, and launch. Rushing the process increases risk, while thorough planning and testing ensure a smooth transition.
Not if you plan properly. Maintain your URL structure where possible, implement comprehensive 301 redirects for any URLs that change, transfer all metadata (titles, descriptions, alt text), and ensure technical SEO elements are properly configured. Most businesses see minimal SEO impact with proper planning, and some actually improve rankings due to Shopify's faster page speeds and mobile optimization. The key is treating SEO preservation as a priority throughout the migration process rather than an afterthought.
Migration costs vary widely based on complexity. Budget $20,000-$50,000 for a straightforward migration with minimal customization, $50,000-$150,000 for mid-market businesses with moderate custom requirements, and $150,000+ for complex enterprise migrations with extensive custom development. These costs include theme customization, data migration, app setup, integration development, and testing. However, remember that Shopify's lower ongoing costs typically provide ROI within 6-12 months compared to Salesforce Commerce Cloud's pricing structure.
Yes. Shopify processes over $200 billion in gross merchandise value annually and powers stores doing millions in daily sales. Shopify Plus specifically serves high-volume merchants and handles flash sales, product drops, and traffic spikes automatically. The platform's infrastructure scales elastically, so you don't need to worry about capacity planning or performance optimization. Many businesses find Shopify actually performs better than Salesforce Commerce Cloud, particularly for mobile traffic and international customers.
You have three options for custom features: replace them with Shopify apps (often the best choice), rebuild them using Shopify's customization capabilities, or eliminate them if they're not providing value. Many businesses discover that 30-40% of their Salesforce customizations can be replaced with standard Shopify apps, another 30-40% aren't actually necessary, and only 20-30% need custom development. This simplification often improves rather than limits functionality, as app-based solutions receive regular updates and improvements without your development effort.
Not necessarily. Focus on migrating data that provides ongoing value: active products, current customers, and recent order history (typically 2-3 years). Older orders can be archived or kept in Salesforce for reference if needed. Product data that's no longer sold doesn't need to migrate. Customer accounts that haven't ordered in years can be selectively migrated or excluded. Strategic data migration reduces complexity, speeds up the process, and starts your Shopify store with a clean, relevant dataset rather than years of accumulated legacy data.
Yes, and this is often the recommended approach for high-volume stores. Running both platforms in parallel allows you to build and test your Shopify store thoroughly without impacting your live business. You can even run a soft launch by directing a small percentage of traffic to Shopify while keeping most customers on Salesforce, allowing you to identify and fix issues before full migration. However, running parallel systems requires careful inventory management and order tracking to prevent overselling or duplicate orders.
Most will, though they may need reconfiguration. Shopify has native integrations or apps available for virtually all major ecommerce tools: email marketing platforms, fulfillment systems, accounting software, customer service platforms, and analytics tools. For custom integrations, Shopify's API is well-documented and often easier to work with than Salesforce's. Some businesses find their integration setup actually simplifies during migration, as Shopify's app ecosystem provides pre-built connections that replace custom Salesforce integrations. Evaluate each integration during planning to understand the migration path.
The decision to migrate to Shopify from Salesforce represents more than a platform change—it's a strategic shift toward agility, cost-efficiency, and merchant empowerment. While Salesforce Commerce Cloud serves large enterprises with complex needs well, many mid-market businesses find themselves over-served and under-supported by its enterprise-focused approach.
Shopify offers a compelling alternative: dramatically lower costs, faster time-to-market for new features, an intuitive interface that empowers your team, and scalability that grows with your business. The migration process, while requiring careful planning and execution, is straightforward when approached methodically.
Remember these key principles as you plan your migration: Start with thorough assessment and planning. Prioritize data quality over data quantity. Leverage Shopify's app ecosystem before building custom solutions. Protect your SEO with proper redirects and metadata migration. Test comprehensively before launch. Monitor closely after launch and iterate based on data.
Thousands of businesses have successfully made this transition, and with proper planning, yours can too. The result is a platform that doesn't just match your current capabilities but enables your team to move faster, test more ideas, and grow more efficiently.
Ready to start your migration journey? Begin with a comprehensive audit of your current Salesforce implementation, connect with Shopify Plus experts who specialize in enterprise migrations, and develop a detailed migration plan that addresses your specific needs. Your future ecommerce platform is waiting—one that works with your team rather than against them.
Need help with your Shopify migration? ReferralCandy integrates seamlessly with Shopify to help you maintain and grow customer loyalty throughout your platform transition. Our referral marketing platform ensures your best customers keep spreading the word, even as you upgrade your ecommerce foundation.
Raúl Galera is the Growth Lead at ReferralCandy, where they’ve helped 30,000+ eCommerce brands drive sales through referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. Over the past 8+ years, Raúl has worked hands-on with DTC merchants of all sizes (from scrappy Shopify startups to household names) helping them turn happy customers into revenue-driving advocates. Raúl’s been featured on dozens of top eCommerce podcasts, contributed to leading industry publications, and regularly speaks about customer acquisition, retention, and brand growth at industry events.
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