Migrating OpenCart Store to Shopify
Seamless Transition from OpenCart to Shopify for EV Charging Solutions Store
Challenges of Migrating EV Solutions Store built on OpenCart to Shopify
The Shopify project involved migrating an OpenCart shop to Shopify, presenting numerous challenges, the most significant being the need for an in-depth understanding of the industry.
EM2GO, a manufacturer of charging applications for both private and commercial use, specializes in wallboxes and EV accessories. Their original webshop was hosted on OpenCart, necessitating a complete transition to Shopify, including all its features.
A marketing agency from Frankfurt, Germany, enlisted the expertise of SoftSolutions4U to develop this intricate Shopify store, leveraging our extensive industry knowledge and proficiency in Shopify.
Technology Stack
The new Technology Stack consisted of Shopify CMS, MySQL and JavaScript
Shopify – CMS
MYSQL – Backend
JavaScript
Optimizing EM2GO: Innovative Solutions and Tailored Customizations
Custom email messages for 'Paying in Advance'
To enhance the order confirmation experience for customers opting for the "Pay in Advance" method, we meticulously customized the email message to ensure clarity and provide detailed instructions.
This enhancement guaranteed that customers were thoroughly informed about the payment process and the subsequent steps, thereby significantly improving the overall customer experience.
We upgraded the email communication for customers selecting the "Pay in Advance" option.
The revised email offered precise instructions regarding the payment process and outlined what to expect next.
This improvement not only helped customers better understand the procedure but also enhanced their overall experience.
Creating a Declaration Page with over 400 downloadable PDFs
The EM2GO OpenCart site featured an extensive article page with over 400 downloadable articles presented in a table format.
Recreating a similar page on Shopify posed a significant challenge due to Shopify's block limitations.
Our team devised an innovative solution using dynamic blocks, creating 10 sub-blocks within each main block to accommodate the 400+ articles.
This approach effectively circumvented Shopify's restriction of 50 blocks per page.
Overcoming Filter Limits Using Third-Party Apps
EM2GO's extensive product range necessitates around 30-33 filters, but Shopify's built-in filter app supports only up to 25 filters.
To address this limitation, we integrated a third-party plugin, AI Search & Product Filter, and utilized meta fields to import and manage the additional filters.
This workaround ensured that all necessary filters were available, enhancing the product search experience for customers.
Fixing CSS Issues in Third-Party Shopify Theme
The ‘Xclusive’ theme used by the EM2GO store frequently encountered CSS conflicts when integrating third-party plugins.
To resolve these issues, our team undertook a comprehensive troubleshooting process and collaborated closely with the support teams of each plugin.Here’s how we addressed the CSS issues:
- Identifying CSS Conflicts: We began by analyzing the CSS conflicts between the Xclusive theme and the third-party plugins. This involved examining the stylesheets and pinpointing areas where the theme’s CSS was interfering with the plugins’ functionality.
- Collaborating with Plugin Support: We communicated directly with the support teams of the third-party plugins to report the issues and seek their guidance. This collaboration helped us understand the plugin-specific requirements and constraints.
- Implementing CSS Fixes: Based on the insights gained, we applied targeted CSS fixes to resolve conflicts. This included overriding default styles, ensuring compatibility with the theme, and testing the changes to confirm that they did not affect other elements of the site.
- Verifying Integration: After implementing the fixes, we conducted thorough testing to ensure the plugins functioned seamlessly within the Xclusive theme, providing a smooth user experience without visual or functional disruptions.
Enhancing Shopify Basic for Superior Performance and User Experience
Our team played a pivotal role in enhancing various functionalities of Shopify Basic while addressing both specific requirements and implementing general improvements.
We optimised several Shopify Basic features, so that the overall performance and user experience of the Em2Go online store improved greatly:
- Displaying Metafields on the Product Details Page: We integrated custom metafields into the product details page by modifying the code to display additional product information. This improved the visibility of critical details, enhancing the shopping experience.
- Checkbox for Accepted Terms and Conditions: To ensure compliance and convenience, we added a checkbox for customers to agree to terms and conditions before completing their purchase. The checkbox was enhanced to record the acceptance with date and time, ensuring legal assurance.
Sending Bulk Email for Account Invites in Shopify Basic
Shopify provided two types of customer accounts:
- New Customer Account: Customers logged in with a one-time code sent to their email (no passwords required).
- Classic Customer Account: To ensure compliance and convenience, we added a checkbox for customers to agree to terms and conditions before completing their purchase. The checkbox was enhanced to record the acceptance with date and time, ensuring legal assurance.
The built-in bulk account invite function was only available to Shopify Plus. By default, Shopify Basic did not offer an option to send account invites for New Customer Accounts.
To address this, we used segments Shopify Basic. We created a condition (customer_tags CONTAINS ‘New Customer’) and developed a mail template with account invite information. This allowed us to send up to 10,000 bulk account invites per month using Shopify Emails. All customers had to be subscribed to “Email Subscription” and tagged as New Customer.
Ensuring Responsive View in a Third Party Theme:
When we added new features/functions in a Third party theme, maintaining responsiveness was a big challenge, since our new edits affected the CSS.
We ensured the EM2GO store is fully responsive by testing across various devices and browsers. This ensured a
seamless user experience on smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops.
Using innovative solutions and custom coding, we successfully integrated these functions into the Shopify Basic platform, enhancing the shopping experience for our client’s global customer base.
The cooperation with SS4U is extraordinary. I want to emphasize the constant communication, fast response times and adequate implementation of the project briefings.
We have been working with SS4U for several years now. We are very enthusiastic about the collaboration. Thank you very much!
FOUNDER, HELLO PERFORMANCE 
Working with SS4U on the development of a Shopify store has been an absolute pleasure. From the outset, their professionalism, attention to detail, and dedication to excellence were evident.
The communication throughout the entire process was exceptional. They kept me informed at every stage, promptly addressing any queries or concerns I had. This level of transparency and responsiveness made me feel valued as a client and assured me that my project was in capable hands. I highly recommend SS4U.
CTO, HELLO PERFORMANCE 
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The cooperation with SS4U is extraordinary. I want to emphasize the constant communication, fast response times and adequate implementation of the project briefings.
We have been working with SS4U for several years now. We are very enthusiastic about the collaboration. Thank you very much!
FOUNDER, HELLO PERFORMANCE Working with SS4U on the development of a Shopify store has been an absolute pleasure. From the outset, their professionalism, attention to detail, and dedication to excellence were evident.
The communication throughout the entire process was exceptional. They kept me informed at every stage, promptly addressing any queries or concerns I had. This level of transparency and responsiveness made me feel valued as a client and assured me that my project was in capable hands. I highly recommend SS4U.
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