Moving your shop: a step-by-step checklist.

Before you start

• Export your products (names, prices, descriptions, photos) from your current shop
• Export your customer list, and note who agreed to get emails
• Write down every page address that gets visits, so none of them break
• List your active subscriptions and when they renew
• Pick a quiet week. Avoid a sale or a launch

Build the new shop next to the old one

1. Start your new shop on its free address. Your old shop keeps running.
2. Add your products and photos, then check prices, shipping and taxes.
3. Connect your payment account and place a test order.
4. Copy your About, Contact, Shipping and Refund pages.
5. Import your customer list with each person's email consent as it was.

Switch over

1. Point your domain at the new shop. Visitors arrive there from that moment.
2. Send old page addresses to their new pages, so links and Google results keep working.
3. Tell your customers by email, and update the link in your social profiles.
4. Keep the old shop open (not selling) for a month in case you need anything from it.

Subscriptions

Existing subscribers usually have to sign up again on the new shop, because card details can't be copied from one payment setup to another. Give them a simple link and a reason to do it, like a first month at a lower price.