So, you've decided to take the leap and create your own website through Shopify. Congratulations! This is a big step and kudos to you for taking control of your own e-commerce future!
If your Etsy products are fairly straightforward - that is, they have just one option (color, size, etc.) and no personalization - then the transfer of products should be simple.
However, if you're like most Etsy sellers, you might have unique items that have many different options, and you may also offer many items that can personalized.
This can create problems, because:
1.The Importer App (go to "Settings" then "Import") offered by Shopify does not read options and variants correctly if you have two or more options.
2. Shopify has a limit of 100 variants per product.
3. Shopify themes do not offer built-in personalization fields.
Solutions to #1: Your Etsy products with options and variants are not transferring properly
If you encounter this issue, you could just enter products into Shopify manually. This works well if you have less than 50 or so products. But what if you have hundreds of Etsy listings, and lots of images, too? That would get super tedious. The answer is to fix Etsy's CSV file and make it readable for Shopify.
To download your Etsy listings, follow these directions:
- Sign in to Etsy.com.
- Click the Your Account icon, then click Shop Manager.
- Click Settings.
- Click Options.
- Click Download Data.
- Click Download CSV to save the file to your computer.
Next, learn how to work with CSV data in Shopify and copy/paste data from your Etsy CSV file into Shopify's template.
If you're uncomfortable working with spreadsheets or just don't have the time or desire to learn, then it's probably best to hire a pro to do this. Depending on how many products and variants you have, this task could usually be accomplished in 1-5 days.
I've transferred Etsy listings with many options and variants to Shopify successfully. I keep my rates reasonable and really enjoy working with creative Etsy sellers of all types. Examples of my work are here and here. Checkout my rates for this service, or contact me to talk more.
Solutions to #2: Your Etsy products have more than 100 variants and won't transfer into Shopify
In this case, you're going to need an app to solve your problem. The best two out there are:
- Infinite Product Options by HulkApps
- Infinite Options by ShopPad
I've used ShopPad's app more and it seems easier to use. That said, it does have a small monthly fee, whereas HulkApps' product is currently free.
Both apps allow you add more than 100 variants to any Shopify product. If you need help installing and adding variants, drop me a line. I'd be happy to help out.
Solutions to #3: Your Etsy products have personalization fields that you need to add to Shopify
These personalization fields will not transfer properly to Shopify products. However, if you're comfortable with editing liquid code, you can add the personalization fields to shopify yourself. Here are the instructions.
If liquid code makes you cross-eyed, then hiring someone to do the custom coding is your best bet. Pricing should be reasonable - I offer personalization fields in Shopify for just $25.
If you have any other questions or issues with your Etsy to Shopify migration, please feel free to drop me a line. I love working with small makers on Etsy.