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Migrating from Zoho to HubSpot: Unlocking the Full Potential of Your Shopify Integration

Written by uspeh | Aug 13, 2025 10:10:22 AM

If you’re running your e-commerce store on Shopify, you already know it’s one of the most powerful platforms available for selling online. But the real magic happens when Shopify connects seamlessly with your CRM — and that’s where HubSpot shines.

For many businesses still using Zoho, the leap to HubSpot opens up opportunities for smarter automation, richer insights, and a truly unified customer journey. In this guide, we’ll explore:

  • Why Shopify + HubSpot is such a powerful combination

  • Common issues and limitations with Zoho

  • Key reasons to migrate

  • What to watch out for during migration

  • How to handle data mapping

  • What to include in your migration scope

  • How long the process typically takes

Why Shopify + HubSpot is a Winning Combination

Integrating Shopify with HubSpot gives you a single source of truth for all your sales, marketing, and customer service data.

Benefits include:

  • Automatic data sync: Customers, products, and orders from Shopify appear in HubSpot.

  • Smarter segmentation: Create lists based on purchase history, abandoned carts, or browsing behaviour.

  • Personalised marketing: Use behaviour-based tokens in emails and ads to show the right products to the right customers.

  • Out-of-the-box workflows: Recover abandoned carts, re-engage lapsed customers, welcome new buyers.

  • E-commerce dashboards: Pre-built and custom reports for CLV, revenue trends, and sales performance.

  • Two-way sync options: Keep customer details up to date in both platforms.

The Zoho Problem: Common Issues and Limitations

While Zoho is a capable CRM, Shopify merchants often face roadblocks:

  • No native Shopify integration — requires middleware or complex API work.

  • Fragmented reporting — sales, marketing, and service data are siloed.

  • Limited e-commerce automation — few native tools for abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase flows, or re-engagement campaigns.

  • Rigid data structures — extra effort needed to map Shopify-specific fields.

  • App marketplace gaps — fewer robust, reliable apps for deep Shopify integration.

Why Businesses Migrate from Zoho to HubSpot

  • Native Shopify integration in just a few clicks.

  • Unified reporting for marketing, sales, and service.

  • Flexible automation to handle complex e-commerce journeys.

  • Easier customisation without relying heavily on developers.

  • Scalable platform — add capabilities as you grow (Operations Hub, Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub).

What to Look Out For in the Migration Process

Migrating from Zoho to HubSpot with Shopify in the mix isn’t just “plug and play.” You need to plan carefully to avoid disrupting your operations:

  • Orders vs Deals: HubSpot’s Shopify integration stores orders in a dedicated “Orders” object — not Deals. If your reporting or automation relies on Deals, you’ll need workflows to bridge the gap.

  • Data quality: Clean duplicates, fix inconsistent fields, and standardise formats before importing.

  • Historical data: Decide how much history to bring over — all time, or from a specific cut-off date.

  • Custom field coverage: Ensure Shopify-specific attributes (e.g., subscription plans, loyalty tiers) have matching HubSpot properties.

  • Test before full migration: Run a sandbox or partial import first to confirm mappings.

Data Mapping Best Practices

  • Customers → Contacts

  • Products → Products (for quotes, cross-sells, and analytics)

  • Orders → Orders object (with optional Deal creation for pipeline tracking)

  • Custom fields for any data unique to your store (e.g., size preferences, gift notes)

  • Multi-currency handling if selling internationally

  • Address data standardisation to ensure location-based segmentation works correctly

What to Include in Your Migration Scope

A clear scope will save time and budget. At a minimum, include:

  • Full data inventory (contacts, orders, products, companies, custom fields)

  • Automation recreation (abandoned cart, welcome, re-engagement)

  • Reporting setup (dashboards for revenue, CLV, churn, acquisition channels)

  • Integration checks (Shopify, payment gateways, shipping apps)

  • Training & handover so your team can hit the ground running

Typical Migration Timeline

  • Scoping & audit: 3–5 days

  • Data mapping & setup: 2–4 days

  • Test migration: 2–3 days

  • Full migration & QA: 3–5 days

  • Automation & workflow recreation: 3–7 days

  • Training & go-live support: 1–2 days

Total: Around 2–3 weeks for a straightforward migration. Larger, customised setups may take longer.

Final Thoughts

Migrating from Zoho to HubSpot while integrating Shopify is more than a technical project — it’s a chance to redesign your customer journey, boost revenue, and get the insights you need to grow. With the right planning, clean data, and an experienced HubSpot partner, your e-commerce and CRM will finally work in harmony.

Thinking about making the switch?
We’ve helped e-commerce businesses streamline their Shopify + HubSpot setups and migrate from Zoho without losing valuable data. Get in touch to start your migration plan.