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

Charting Your Course: Migrating from MarketPress to Volusion

The decision to move your e-commerce store is a strategic one, often driven by the need for enhanced functionality, improved scalability, or a more streamlined management experience. If you're currently operating on MarketPress, a popular WordPress e-commerce solution, and considering a transition to Volusion, a robust, dedicated SaaS platform, you're embarking on a journey to unlock new possibilities for your online business.

This comprehensive guide is designed to provide you with a clear, actionable roadmap for migrating your valuable store data from MarketPress to Volusion. Since MarketPress isn't directly supported by an automated connection method in many migration tools, we'll leverage a highly effective and widely supported approach: exporting your MarketPress data into CSV files and then importing it into the migration wizard. This method, combined with Cart2Cart's automated bridge for Volusion, ensures that your products, customer data, orders, and other essential information are transferred accurately and efficiently, maintaining data integrity throughout the transition. Let's get started on ensuring your new Volusion store is ready to thrive.

Prerequisites for a Successful MarketPress to Volusion Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, a solid foundation of preparation will dramatically smooth your replatforming process. Here’s what you need to have in place:

• Backup Your MarketPress Store: This is paramount. Always create a complete backup of your MarketPress database and files. While the migration process is secure, having a recent backup offers peace of mind. Consult our How to prepare Source store for migration? guide for best practices.
• Set Up Your Volusion Store: Ensure your new Volusion store is fully configured and ready to receive data. This includes selecting your theme, configuring basic settings, and familiarizing yourself with the Volusion admin panel. For detailed guidance, refer to our How to prepare Target store for migration? FAQ.
• Export MarketPress Data to CSV Files: Since MarketPress isn't a direct connection method, you'll need to export your data into well-structured CSV files. This typically includes:
  • Products (with SKUs, variants, descriptions, images, prices)
  • Product Categories
  • Product Manufacturers
  • Customer information
  • Order history
  • Product Reviews
  • Invoices
  • CMS Pages (if supported by your MarketPress export tools)
  • Coupons
  Make sure your CSV files are clean and correctly formatted.
• Cart2Cart Account: Create or log into your Cart2Cart account to access the migration wizard.
• Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires a specific migration module (bridge) to establish a secure connection. This module must be installed on your Volusion store. You'll typically upload a 'bridge.php' file to the root directory of your Volusion store via FTP. This allows Cart2Cart to securely access and inject data into your new platform. For more on access credentials, see The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart and What is a root folder and where can I find it?
• Gather Volusion Admin Credentials: Have your Volusion admin URL, username, and password readily available for the connection process.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, let's navigate the Cart2Cart migration wizard to transfer your MarketPress store data to Volusion.

Step 1: Get Started with Cart2Cart

Begin by logging into your Cart2Cart account. From your dashboard, click on 'Create New Migration' or 'Start Free Demo' to launch the migration wizard.

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

This crucial step involves pointing Cart2Cart to your MarketPress data. Given MarketPress's nature, we'll use the CSV method.

1. From the 'Source Cart' dropdown, select 'CSV File to Cart'.
2. Follow the prompts to upload your prepared CSV files containing your MarketPress data. You'll upload separate files for products, customers, orders, categories, etc.
3. Cart2Cart will analyze your uploaded files to recognize the data structure.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Volusion)

Now, it's time to link your new Volusion store as the destination for your data.

1. In the 'Target Cart' dropdown, choose 'Volusion'.
2. Enter the full URL of your Volusion store in the designated field.
3. Upload the Cart2Cart migration bridge file to your Volusion store's root directory via FTP. The wizard will provide a link to download this file and detailed instructions for its placement. This bridge, combined with the required Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module, enables a secure and efficient connection.
4. Provide your Volusion admin login credentials (adminLogin, adminPwd, adminUrl, url) to allow Cart2Cart to validate the connection.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This step allows you to specify exactly which types of data you want to transfer from your MarketPress CSV files to Volusion.

You can choose to migrate all available data entities or select them individually. For a comprehensive store transition, it's generally recommended to migrate all data relevant to your business operations. Supported entities for this migration include:

• Products
• Product Categories
• Product Manufacturers
• Product Reviews
• Customers
• Orders
• Invoices
• Taxes
• Stores
• Coupons
• CMS Pages
• Blogs (if included in your CSV export)
• Blogs Posts (if included in your CSV export)

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Map Data

This stage offers powerful customization to ensure your data is transferred precisely as you intend.

Configure Additional Options

Review the list of additional migration options for Volusion. These are crucial for optimizing SEO, preserving customer data, and maintaining the structural integrity of your store:

• Migrate Images in Description: Essential for products and CMS pages.
• Clear Target: This option will delete all existing data in your Volusion store before the migration. Use with caution, especially if you have manually added content. Learn more: Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Preserve Product IDs, Orders IDs, Customers IDs: Highly recommended for maintaining SEO rankings and internal data consistency. Refer to How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• SEO URLs / Create 301 SEO URLs: Critical for preserving your existing search engine rankings. This option generates 301 redirects from your old MarketPress URLs to your new Volusion URLs, preventing broken links and lost link equity.
• Migrate Invoices: Transfer existing invoice records.
• Password Migration: Allows customers to log in to the new Volusion store with their existing MarketPress passwords.
• Skip Custom Attributes: If you have specific custom attributes in your CSV that are not needed or compatible with Volusion, you can choose to skip them.

Map Data

Data mapping ensures that specific fields from your MarketPress CSV files correctly correspond to the equivalent fields in Volusion. Pay close attention to:

• Customer Groups Mapping: Match MarketPress customer roles or groups to Volusion customer groups.
• Order Statuses Mapping: Ensure order statuses (e.g., 'Pending,' 'Processing,' 'Completed') from your CSV align with Volusion's statuses.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration & Initiate Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, run a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Volusion store. This demo is invaluable for:

• Testing the connection.
• Reviewing data accuracy and formatting.
• Identifying any potential issues before a full transfer.

Once you're satisfied with the demo results, proceed to the full migration. This will transfer all selected data entities from your MarketPress CSV files to your Volusion store. Consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations if you need to perform subsequent transfers or adjustments. Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?.

Post-Migration Steps for Your Volusion Store

The migration isn't truly complete until you've performed essential post-transfer tasks to ensure your new Volusion store is fully operational and optimized.

• Thorough Testing: Dedicate time to meticulously test every aspect of your new Volusion store.
  • Product pages: Check descriptions, images, SKUs, variants, pricing, and stock levels.
  • Customer accounts: Verify login functionality (especially if passwords were migrated), order history, and address details.
  • Checkout process: Conduct test purchases to ensure payment gateways and shipping calculations work correctly.
  • Order management: Confirm new orders are received and processed properly in the Volusion admin.
  • Site navigation: Ensure all categories, CMS pages, and internal links function as expected.
• Set Up 301 Redirects: Even if you used the 'Create 301 SEO URLs' option during migration, it's crucial to double-check and implement any additional 301 redirects for URLs that might have changed or were not automatically handled. This is vital for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity.
• Update DNS Records: Once you're confident in your Volusion store's functionality, update your domain's DNS records to point to your new Volusion store. Plan for minimal downtime by doing this during off-peak hours.
• Configure Payment Gateways & Shipping: Re-establish and test all your payment processors and shipping methods within Volusion.
• SEO Optimization: While data is transferred, review and optimize your meta titles, meta descriptions, image alt tags, and site content for Volusion's structure. Ensure your Google Analytics and Search Console are updated with your new site's details.
• Customer Notification: Inform your customers about the new store. Highlight any new features or improved user experience.
• Launch Marketing Campaigns: Plan your re-launch marketing to drive traffic and engagement to your new Volusion platform.
• Consider Recent Data Migration: If your MarketPress store remained active during the migration, you might have new orders or customers. A Recent Data Migration Service can help transfer these late-arriving entities to Volusion without disrupting your new store.

Migrating from MarketPress to Volusion is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right tools, it can be a smooth and rewarding process. If you encounter any challenges or require specialized assistance, don't hesitate to Contact Us for expert support.