IXXO to Volusion Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from IXXO to Volusion

As your e-commerce business grows, the need for a more robust, scalable, or feature-rich platform often arises. If you're currently operating on IXXO and considering a move to Volusion, this guide will walk you through the entire replatforming process. Volusion offers a powerful, all-in-one e-commerce solution designed to streamline your operations and enhance your online presence. This transition, while significant, can be executed smoothly with the right approach and tools, ensuring the integrity of your valuable customer data, product listings (SKUs, variants), orders, and reviews.

This step-by-step guide will help you understand how to transfer your entire online store from IXXO to Volusion, focusing on minimizing downtime and preserving your critical SEO rankings.

Prerequisites for a Smooth Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, some preparatory steps are crucial to ensure a seamless process for both your current IXXO store and your new Volusion platform.

• For Your IXXO Store (Source):
  • Data Export: Since IXXO is not directly supported by automated migration tools, you will need to export all your vital data into CSV files. This includes products (with their attributes, descriptions, images), product categories, manufacturers, customer records, order history, invoices, taxes, coupons, and CMS pages. Ensure your CSV files are clean and well-structured to facilitate easy import. For more details on preparing your source store, refer to our guide on source store preparation.
  • Data Cleansing: Before exporting, take this opportunity to clean up any outdated or redundant data in your IXXO store. This will ensure you only transfer high-quality information to Volusion.
  • Backup Your Data: Always create a complete backup of your IXXO store's database and files. This is a critical safety measure before any major migration.
• For Your Volusion Store (Target):
  • Set Up Your Volusion Store: Ensure your new Volusion store is fully set up and accessible. This includes choosing your theme and configuring basic settings.
  • FTP Access: You will need FTP access to your Volusion store's root directory to install the necessary connection bridge. For more information on what a root folder is, see What is a root folder and where can I find it?.
  • Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires the installation of a specific migration module to establish a secure connection. This plugin facilitates the data transfer.
  • Disable Third-Party Plugins: Temporarily disable any unnecessary plugins or modules on your Volusion store that might interfere with the migration process to prevent potential conflicts.
  • Access Credentials: Have all necessary administrative access details for your Volusion store readily available. Learn more about The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Migrating your store's data from IXXO (via CSV) to Volusion can be achieved efficiently using a guided wizard. Follow these steps to ensure a comprehensive and accurate data transfer.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. This is your starting point for setting up and managing the entire replatforming process.

Step 2: Connect Your Source IXXO Store (via CSV)

Since IXXO data will be exported into CSV files, you will connect your source store by selecting the 'CSV File to Cart' option. You will then upload your carefully prepared CSV files containing all your store's entities.

Ensure all relevant CSV files for products, categories, customers, orders, and other data are uploaded correctly. This method allows for a detailed and controlled transfer of your IXXO data.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Volusion Store

Next, specify Volusion as your target e-commerce platform. Provide the full URL of your new Volusion store. You will then be prompted to install the 'Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module' on your Volusion store, typically requiring FTP access to upload the connection bridge files. This bridge acts as a secure gateway for data exchange between the migration tool and your Volusion site.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This critical step allows you to choose exactly which types of data you wish to move to your new Volusion store. You can select all available entities or pick specific ones based on your needs.

The following data entities are supported for migration from CSV to Volusion:

• Products
• Product Categories
• Product Manufacturers
• Product Reviews
• Customers
• Orders
• Invoices
• Taxes
• Stores
• Coupons
• CMS Pages

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

To further customize your migration, select from a range of additional options. These features are designed to enhance data accuracy and preserve your store's functionality and SEO.

• Preserve Product IDs, Order IDs, Customer IDs: Recommended to maintain consistency and simplify post-migration processes. Learn more about how these options can be used.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures that all product images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings and preventing broken links. This option automatically generates redirects from your old IXXO URLs to the new Volusion URLs.
• Password Migration: Allows existing customer passwords to be migrated securely.
• Clear Target Store Data: If your Volusion store already contains sample data, selecting this option will clear it before the migration, ensuring a clean transfer. Read more about the Clear current data on Target store before migration option.

Step 6: Map Data Fields

In this step, you will match specific data fields from your IXXO CSV files to their corresponding fields in Volusion. This typically involves mapping customer groups and order statuses to ensure data consistency and proper representation in your new store.

Step 7: Perform Demo & Full Migration

Before committing to a full data transfer, it's highly recommended to run a demo migration. This free trial moves a limited number of entities, allowing you to review the results and ensure everything is transferring as expected. Once you're satisfied with the demo, you can proceed with the full migration. You might also consider a Migration Insurance Service for peace of mind, offering remigrations if any issues arise later.

Post-Migration Steps

Once your data has been successfully transferred to Volusion, a few crucial post-migration steps are necessary to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

• Thorough Testing: Conduct extensive testing of your new Volusion store. Check product pages, add items to the cart, complete the checkout process, verify customer accounts, and test all navigation elements and search functionality. Ensure all SKUs, variants, prices, and images are correct.
• Update DNS Records: Point your domain name to your new Volusion store. This typically involves updating your DNS records with your domain registrar. Allow up to 48 hours for DNS propagation.
• Implement 301 Redirects: If not automatically handled during migration, manually set up 301 redirects for any URLs that may have changed. This is vital for preserving your SEO link equity and guiding visitors and search engines to the correct new pages.
• Configure Payment Gateways & Shipping: Set up and test all your preferred payment methods and shipping options within Volusion.
• Install Essential Apps/Plugins: Integrate any necessary third-party applications or plugins that enhance your Volusion store's functionality.
• Notify Customers: Inform your customers about the new store. Highlight any new features or improvements they can expect.
• Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your website's performance, traffic, and search engine rankings in the weeks following the migration. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can provide valuable insights.
• Consider Recent Data Migration: If you continued to receive orders or customer registrations on your IXXO store during the DNS propagation period, consider a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer any newly accrued data.

By following this detailed guide, your transition from IXXO to Volusion can be a smooth and successful venture, setting the stage for continued e-commerce growth and an enhanced user experience on your new platform.