Testimonial from Poppy Treffry
"Elliot worked with us to move from a Magento website to a Shopify store. As well as managing the transition Elliot also worked with us as a team to make sure we were confident using the new platform, visiting the workshop several times during the process including for going live. He was able to get to the bottom of the more tricky elements that required a more bespoke solution such as moving the blog as well as ensuring the integration with our existing accounting and inventory systems. It was certainly not something we could of done on our own! Having the new Shopify website has made a huge difference to the business, especially during lockdown when the bulk of our business moved to online. The platform is easy to use, we can create new products really easily and are even able to sell places for and host our online courses there. We have been able to easily run promotions, gather reviews and add gift messages to orders – all of which has kept our customers closer and more engaged. Elliot was great to work with, explained things very clearly with a refreshing absence of jargon and made a daunting task enjoyable!"
Project Summary
Magento to Shopify
The project brief was to migrate an existing Magento e-commerce store to the Shopify platform. This was a technically complex project with several key challenges. The Magento installation was running on an outdated version, and the data export function no longer worked, making the transfer of product and customer data far more manual and time-intensive.
Adding to the complexity, the company’s blog was hosted separately on a WordPress site, which meant content had to be carefully consolidated from two different platforms. Beyond this, the new Shopify store needed to be integrated with both a CRM system and an accounting software package. This required custom configuration to ensure compatibility, while also preserving historical data.
Search engine performance was another vital consideration, as a significant portion of the business’s revenue came through organic traffic. A key part of the project involved protecting existing Google rankings throughout the migration process.
Finally, the brief included the development of a separate, password-protected wholesale version of the new website. This effectively doubled the scope of the project, adding further layers of complexity in terms of design, structure, product visibility, pricing, and user access.
We held a number of planning meetings for this project at Poppy’s premises in Cornwall — a treasure trove of embroidery and fabric that perfectly reflects the character of her brand. Those early sessions were invaluable, as they allowed us to work closely together to scope out the schedule of work, understand how the existing site had been built, and eliminate potential surprises during the build process.
The timeline for the project was both tight and non-negotiable, with the new site needing to launch one week before a major exhibition in New York. By working closely with the team at Poppy Treffry, we successfully met the deadline.
The blog and e-commerce site were consolidated into a single, integrated Shopify solution, which not only improved search engine ranking but also significantly simplified day-to-day administration for her team.
Working with Poppy and her team is always a pleasure. Their passion for what they do — and the beautiful products they create — shines through in every detail. I was made to feel like part of the Poppy Treffry team throughout the project, and it was incredibly rewarding to see the new site deliver on all its goals.