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

Seamlessly Transitioning from MemberPress to Volusion

Migrating your e-commerce store is a strategic move that can unlock new growth opportunities and enhance your operational efficiency. If you're currently leveraging MemberPress, a powerful WordPress membership and content protection plugin, and are looking to transition to a dedicated e-commerce platform like Volusion, this comprehensive guide is for you. While MemberPress excels at managing subscriptions and protected content within a WordPress ecosystem, moving to Volusion offers a robust, all-in-one solution for product sales, inventory management, and marketing.

This article will walk you through the entire replatforming process, emphasizing data integrity, minimizing downtime, and ensuring a smooth transition of your valuable business assets. Since MemberPress operates as a plugin within WordPress and is not a standalone e-commerce cart, the migration will primarily involve exporting your MemberPress-related data (such as products, customers, and orders facilitated by its e-commerce integrations) into CSV files, and then importing these files into your new Volusion store.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, careful preparation of both your source (MemberPress/WordPress) and target (Volusion) environments is crucial. This proactive approach helps mitigate risks and ensures a more efficient migration.

For Your MemberPress (Source) Store:

• Data Export: You will need to export your relevant e-commerce data from MemberPress and its integrated e-commerce solutions (e.g., WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads) into CSV files. This includes critical entities such as products (SKUs, variants, descriptions), customer details, historical order data, and potentially reviews.
• Data Cleanup: Take this opportunity to clean up any redundant, outdated, or incomplete data within your MemberPress setup. A clean dataset will result in a more streamlined migration and a cleaner new store.
• Full Backup: Always perform a complete backup of your entire WordPress site, including databases and files, before attempting any major data export or system changes. This provides a safety net in case of unforeseen issues. Read our guide on How to prepare Source store for migration? for more details.

For Your Volusion (Target) Store:

• Volusion Store Setup: Ensure your new Volusion store is already set up and accessible. You'll need administrative access to its backend.
• Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires a specific migration module to facilitate the data transfer. This module establishes a secure bridge connection between your CSV files (via the migration tool) and your Volusion database. Ensure this module is installed on your Volusion store.
• FTP Access: You may need FTP access to your Volusion store's root folder to upload the connection bridge, though the migration tool often automates this. Understand what a root folder is.
• Review Volusion Settings: Familiarize yourself with Volusion's product attributes, categories, and customer group structures to prepare for data mapping. Consult How to prepare Target store for migration? for additional target store preparation tips.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Utilizing an automated migration tool can significantly simplify the process of moving your e-commerce data. Here’s a detailed walkthrough:

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. This is typically the starting point where you select your migration path.

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

Since MemberPress data is not directly migratable as a standalone e-commerce platform, you will select 'CSV File to Cart' as your source. Upload the CSV files you exported from your MemberPress/WordPress setup containing your products, customer records, and orders. This method is effective for transitioning your core e-commerce data.

For more details on preparing and uploading your CSV files, refer to our CSV.File Data Migration service page.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, select 'Volusion' as your target shopping cart. You will need to provide your Volusion store's URL and administrative access credentials. The migration tool will then guide you through establishing a secure bridge connection. This bridge, often facilitated by the required Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module, allows the tool to interact directly with your Volusion database.

For information on access credentials and security, please read The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart and Is it safe to provide your company with my access details?

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This crucial step allows you to choose exactly which types of data you want to transfer from your CSV files to Volusion. Common entities include:

• Products (including SKUs, descriptions, images, variants, attributes)
• Product Categories
• Product Manufacturers
• Product Reviews
• Customers
• Orders (including order statuses, invoices)
• Taxes
• Coupons
• CMS Pages

You can select all entities or pick and choose based on your specific needs.

Step 5: Configure Data Mapping

Data mapping is vital for ensuring consistency between your source CSV data and Volusion's structure. You'll match customer groups, order statuses, and other custom fields from your CSVs to their appropriate counterparts in Volusion. This ensures that all customer data and order history transition accurately, preserving data integrity.

Step 6: Choose Additional Migration Options

Enhance your migration with a variety of optional features:

• Preserve Product, Order, and Customer IDs: Maintain your existing IDs for easier record-keeping and historical data reconciliation. Learn How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• Create 301 Redirects: Automatically set up 301 redirects for product and category URLs to maintain your SEO rankings and link equity.
• Migrate Customer Passwords: Ensure customers can log in to their new Volusion accounts with their existing credentials.
• Migrate Images in Description: Transfer images embedded within product or category descriptions.
• Clear Target Store Data: Optionally clear existing data in your Volusion store before migration to ensure a fresh start. Understand what 'Clear current data on Target store before migration' means.

Step 7: Perform a Demo Migration & Full Migration

Before committing to the full migration, run a free demo migration. This allows you to review a limited set of your data transferred to Volusion and verify its accuracy and format. It's a critical step to identify and resolve any potential issues early. Once you're satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full data transfer.

Consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations within a specified period, providing peace of mind. Read How Migration Insurance works? for details.

Post-Migration Steps

The migration doesn't end when the data transfer is complete. These crucial post-migration steps ensure your new Volusion store is fully functional and optimized:

• Thorough Data Verification: Rigorously check all migrated data. Verify product details, images, prices, customer accounts, order histories, and reviews. Ensure all SKUs and variants are correctly represented.
• Configure SEO and Redirects: Double-check that all 301 redirects are functioning correctly to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity. Volusion offers built-in SEO tools; optimize your metadata, product descriptions, and category pages. While Volusion has some limitations regarding SEO options for blogs, ensure your main e-commerce pages are well-optimized.
• Extensive Store Testing: Conduct comprehensive testing of your new Volusion store. This includes testing the checkout process, payment gateways, shipping options, customer login, product filters, and search functionality. Simulate various user scenarios to ensure a seamless user experience.
• Adjust Design and Theme: Customize your Volusion theme to match your brand's aesthetic and ensure responsive design across all devices.
• Reconnect Integrations: Re-establish connections with any third-party apps or services you rely on, such as email marketing platforms, analytics tools, or accounting software.
• Update DNS Settings: Once satisfied with your new Volusion store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Volusion storefront. Plan this for a time with minimal expected traffic to reduce downtime.
• Go Live and Monitor: Announce your new store and closely monitor traffic, sales, and user behavior. Address any immediate issues that arise.

Migrating from MemberPress to Volusion is a significant undertaking, but by following this detailed guide, you can achieve a successful and efficient replatforming. For further assistance or to discuss custom migration requirements, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. You can also find answers to common questions in our Frequently Asked Questions section.