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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning Your E-commerce Store from Usablenet to Volusion

Replatforming your e-commerce store is a strategic decision that can unlock new growth opportunities and enhance your operational efficiency. If you're currently running your online business on Usablenet and are considering a move to Volusion, this guide will walk you through the entire data transfer process, ensuring a smooth and successful transition.

While Usablenet offers robust solutions, merchants often seek new platforms like Volusion for enhanced features, improved scalability, or a more streamlined user experience. Volusion, with its all-in-one e-commerce platform, provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing products, processing orders, and marketing your store. This article focuses on utilizing a reliable migration service, such as Cart2Cart, to facilitate your data move, specifically by exporting your Usablenet data to CSV files for import into Volusion.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before embarking on your migration journey, proper preparation is key to ensuring data integrity and minimizing downtime. Here’s what you need to have in place:

• For Your Usablenet Store (Source):

  Since Usablenet does not directly integrate with automated migration tools via an API or bridge, the most effective method for data extraction is through CSV file export. You will need to export all relevant data entities from your Usablenet store into well-structured CSV files. This typically includes:

  • Products (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images, prices)
  • Product Categories
  • Customer data (names, emails, addresses, order history)
  • Order details (statuses, items, pricing)
  • Product Reviews
  • Invoices
  • Taxes
  • Coupons
  • CMS Pages

  Ensure your CSV files are clean, accurate, and organized. For more details on preparing your source data, refer to our guide on How to prepare Source store for migration? and explore our CSV.File Data Migration service.

• For Your Volusion Store (Target):

  Before initiating the data transfer, you should have your new Volusion store fully set up and ready to receive data. This includes:

  • Volusion Account: Create and configure your Volusion store.
  • Admin Access: Ensure you have full administrative access (adminLogin, adminPwd) to your Volusion store and its URL (adminUrl, url).
  • Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion migrations require the installation of the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module. This plugin facilitates the secure connection via a bridge file that needs to be uploaded to your Volusion store's root directory. Instructions for installing this module will be provided during the migration setup process.
  • Basic Store Configuration: While the migration will bring over your core data, you might want to finalize your store's theme, payment gateways, and shipping options post-migration.

  For more information on preparing your target store, please see How to prepare Target store for migration? and The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your Usablenet data exported to CSV and your Volusion store prepared, you're ready to begin the migration process using a dedicated migration service like Cart2Cart. Here’s a detailed walkthrough:

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration service platform. You will typically find an option to start a new migration.

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

In this step, you will specify Usablenet as your source platform by selecting the 'CSV File' option. You will then be prompted to upload the CSV files you prepared from your Usablenet store. This method allows the migration tool to read and understand your Usablenet data.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, select 'Volusion' as your target e-commerce platform from the dropdown menu. You will then need to provide your Volusion store's URL and upload the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module (bridge file) to your Volusion store's root directory. This bridge file enables secure data transfer between the migration service and your new Volusion store.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This crucial step allows you to choose exactly which types of data you want to transfer from your Usablenet CSV files to your Volusion store. You can select individual entities or choose to migrate all available data. Supported entities include:

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

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

The migration service offers a range of additional options to customize your data transfer. These can significantly impact the outcome, particularly for SEO and user experience. Consider selecting options such as:

• Preserve Product IDs, Order IDs, and Customer IDs: Essential for maintaining historical data and integrations. (How Preserve IDs options can be used?)
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures all product images embedded in descriptions are transferred.
• Clear Target Store Data: Useful if you're performing a test migration or want to ensure a clean slate. (Clear current data on Target store before migration option)
• SEO URLs and Create 301 SEO URLs: Absolutely critical for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity by redirecting old Usablenet URLs to their new Volusion counterparts.
• Password Migration: Allows customers to log into their new Volusion accounts with their existing Usablenet passwords.
• Create Variants from Attributes: If your products have attributes that need to be converted into Volusion variants.

Step 6: Data Mapping

In this step, you will map your Usablenet customer groups and order statuses to their corresponding equivalents in Volusion. This ensures that your customer segmentation and order workflow remain consistent on the new platform.

Step 7: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to a full migration, it is highly recommended to perform a free demo migration. This transfers a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-15 products, customers, and orders) to your Volusion store. The demo allows you to:

• Preview how your data will appear on Volusion.
• Check for any potential issues or discrepancies.
• Familiarize yourself with the migration process.

Consider this a critical quality assurance step. For more details, explore our Migration Preview Service.

Step 8: Initiate Full Data Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results and have reviewed all your settings, you can proceed with the full data migration. At this stage, you'll also have the option to add Migration Insurance Service for added peace of mind, which allows for re-migrations within a specified period.

Post-Migration Steps

Completing the data transfer is a significant milestone, but your work isn't quite finished. These post-migration steps are crucial for ensuring your new Volusion store operates flawlessly and retains its online visibility:

• Verify Data Integrity: Thoroughly check your Volusion store. Confirm that all products, categories, customer accounts, orders, images, and other migrated data appear correctly and are functional. Pay close attention to product variants, pricing, and customer order histories.
• Configure Design & Functionality: Customize your Volusion theme to align with your brand's aesthetic. Set up payment gateways, shipping methods, and any third-party integrations or apps you plan to use.
• Update DNS Settings: Once you are fully satisfied with your Volusion store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Volusion platform. This will officially switch your live store to Volusion.
• Test Everything: Conduct comprehensive testing of your new store. Place test orders, create customer accounts, test contact forms, and ensure all links and functionalities work as expected. Confirm the checkout process is seamless.
• Implement 301 Redirects: Although you likely enabled 301 SEO URLs during migration, it's vital to double-check that all old Usablenet URLs correctly redirect to their new Volusion counterparts. This is paramount for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity.
• Inform Customers: Communicate the transition to your customer base. Let them know about the new and improved shopping experience.
• Monitor SEO Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your store's performance post-migration. Keep an eye on traffic, rankings, and crawl errors to address any issues promptly.

If you discover any missing data or need to transfer new data that appeared on your Usablenet store during the migration period, consider using a Recent Data Migration Service. For any further assistance or specialized requirements, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.