Migrating an e-commerce store step by step

Not always, but almost always causes temporary fluctuations. If the 301 redirects are complete and correct, the meta data transferred, and the sitemap reported to GSC immediately after the switch - Google usually "rewrites" the history within 4-8 weeks without permanent loss of position. The problem arises when redirects are missing for a subset of URLs (e.g., old category URLs with parameters), when noindex is left in production for even 24 hours, or when the URL structure changes drastically without a sitemap. The most dangerous is a migration carried out without first crawling the old store - then you don't know what you haven't redirected.

For a store with about 500 products, a standard category structure and typical integrations (payments, couriers, basic ERP), a realistic schedule is 6-10 weeks: 2 weeks of planning and data preparation, 3-4 weeks of staging work (import, configuration, testing), 1-2 weeks of end-to-end testing and patches, 1 week of buffer before DNS switchover. Stores that "get done in a month" usually end up missing the deadline or skipping testing steps - these are the ones that lose SEO and have post-launch checkout errors.

Yes, but it requires planning. The standard approach is: the new store runs on staging until fully ready, the DNS switchover occurs during the window with the least traffic (typically Sunday-Monday night, 2:00-4:00), and the DNS propagation time is 1-4 hours. During this time, the old store continues to operate under the old IP - orders placed during the switching window require manual verification. For stores with very high traffic (more than a few hundred orders per day), consider a maintenance window with a message to customers rather than risk inconsistent order data.