So, you’ve decided that you want to take your e-commerce game up a notch by switching from Squarespace to Shopify. Good move! However, one crucial thing you must do is make sure that your domain gets transferred over smoothly. Don’t worry – it’s not as scary as it sounds.
In this guide, we’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how to transfer domain from squarespace to shopify without losing your online identity.
1. Why switch from Squarespace to Shopify?
Before we get into the details of transferring domains, let’s quickly recap why you might want to make the switch in the first place. While Squarespace is great for certain types of businesses, when it comes to e-commerce platforms, Shopify reigns supreme.
With features such as unparalleled flexibility and customization options for online stores and plenty of marketing integrations, any serious business person looking for growth will tell you that Shopify is where you should put your money.
2. Preparing Your Domain For Transfer
Before beginning the process of transferring your domain, there are a few things that need to be done within your Squarespace account:
2.1 Unlocking Your Domain
Log into Squarespace, go to Settings, and then click on Domains. You’ll see a list of all domains connected to your account, so choose the one that you wish to transfer to Shopify.
After choosing the domain, visit its settings page, then look for the Lock Domain option, which shows whether a domain is locked or not by displaying a tick if it is closed.
To unlock it, simply tap on this option, but make sure that the status changes before proceeding because unlocked domains are required during transfers.
2.2 Obtaining Authorization Code
When you’re through unlocking your domain, Squarespace will prompt you to request a transfer authentication code, otherwise known as an authorization code, which acts as security because only someone who has permission to move the domain should be able to request it.
Squarespace will automatically generate a unique authentication code for each domain and send it to you via email, so check your inbox. The email from Squarespace will contain more information on what to do with the code.
2.3 Copying Transfer Key
After receiving the transfer authentication code in your email, simply open that email and then look for a section of text that contains the code. You can highlight this code and copy it using whichever method is convenient for you, but ensure it is copied onto your clipboard.
This transfer key is very important, and you’ll need it later in the Shopify transfer process because it’s used as one of the verification steps, which confirms that you have all the necessary rights to transfer the domain successfully.
By now, you will have finished preparing your domain for transfer from Squarespace into Shopify. Now that you have a copy-pasted authorization code, head over to your Shopify admin panel, where we’ll begin transferring domains on this platform.
3. Initiating The Transfer On Shopify
Now that your Squarespace domain has been prepared for transfer, let’s dive into how things work within your Shopify admin panel:
Access Domain Settings: In your Shopify admin, navigate to Settings -> Domains.
3.1. Begin Transfer Process: Select the option to transfer a domain and enter your domain name (e.g., mydomain.com) without the “www.” prefix.
3.2. Verify Domain: If everything goes well, then when you go through the verification stage by clicking the verify settings button automatically generated by the system after entering the name of the chosen domain, Shopify should indicate the readiness of the domains.
If not yet ready or if a message stating “We can’t verify ownership” appears instead, go back to Squarespace, then click on the lock option again before trying once more.
3.3. Enter Authentication Code: When you get to the verification stage, make sure to type in the authentication code you received from Squarespace’s email.
Finalize Transfer: After that, move on and buy and transfer the domain with Shopify.
4. Confirmation and Completion
When you’ve finally started the transfer process on Shopify, there are just a few things left to do before it’s done:
4.1. Approval from Squarespace
Now, all you have to do is wait for Squarespace’s approval. To avoid any confusion or hiccups along the way, keep an eye on your email because this is where all notifications regarding the transfer will be sent.
Once they get Shopify’s request for approval, Squarespace will likely send out a confirmation email or approval request email. They’ll include a link or button that must be clicked to authorize the domain transfer.
Do yourself a favor and respond quickly! Without your authorization, they can’t proceed with transferring the domain, so don’t forget to follow through with the instructions provided in their response email.
4.2. Confirmation from Shopify
When everything goes smoothly, and there haven’t been any issues thus far, Shopify will send you a confirmation email once Squarespace approves the domain transfer. This is when your domain officially joins Shopify’s platform.
The confirmation email should contain details about what happened during the second half of the process, confirming that it was indeed successfully transferred over and fully integrated into its new home.
If all goes well, those who receive this confirmation email can now confidently put more time into managing other aspects of their e-commerce business within Shopify’s platform without worrying about what might go wrong with their website or online store itself.
Following these steps ensures that nothing gets overlooked during this transition between platforms, so everything can be processed seamlessly and without a hitch.
5. Post-Transfer Considerations
After successfully transferring your old domain from Squarespace to Shopify, here are a few other things you might have forgotten about that we didn’t:
5.1. Website Design and Customization
Now that the transfer is over, you can work on designing and customizing your new online store! While both platforms offer similar services, some features and tools might differ.
Don’t worry, though — having two stores in one means double the design options. Spend some time testing out all the possible layouts for your website to look as visually appealing and well-organized as possible.
Don’t forget to make sure everything still works properly on mobile! Convenience is key when shopping online these days, so take advantage of Shopify’s platform to ensure that your customers will never run into any issues moving through your site on their phones.
5.2. Content Migration
If you haven’t started migrating information from your Squarespace account yet, now would be a good time to do so! This includes transferring over essential data such as product listings, customer information, and order history.
The sooner this data is migrated between platforms correctly and efficiently, the sooner you’ll be able to completely disassociate with Squarespace if you were hoping to part ways with them soon after buying from Shopify.
Take the time to review and verify all of this new information to make sure you’re as accurate and complete as possible. Double-check any product descriptions, pricing details, and inventory levels that you can find.
5.3 SEO and Marketing Integration
Now that your domain’s up and running on Shopify, it’s time to start leveraging some of the platform’s more complex features. That means building up your online presence with search engine optimization (SEO) tools and using integrated marketing options to get the word out about your brand.
Start by optimizing the way you describe your products, as well as your website itself, for search engines. With better rankings from Google et al., you’ll be able to drive more organic traffic to your store in no time.
Meanwhile, ensure you’re also taking full advantage of Shopify’s built-in marketing features. Use those tools to launch targeted ad campaigns through email or social media, and do anything else you can think of to get potential customers excited about what you’ve got going on.
Closing Thoughts
Transferring a domain always feels like a significant risk. And while it certainly can be – if something goes wrong, it could mean losing thousands of dollars in sales – being afraid won’t help anyone. Instead, forget about that fear and follow our step-by-step guide so we can take your business into the future together!
By using Shopify’s advanced tech options, getting creative with customization choices, and making good use of all their marketing integrations, we should be able to scale up plenty far enough for success in such a competitive market.
So don’t hesitate! Your chance at becoming an online giant starts right now!
Last Updated on by shubham
