SAP Commerce Cloud to Volusion Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your Online Store from SAP Commerce Cloud to Volusion

Replatforming your e-commerce store is a significant undertaking that, when executed correctly, can unlock new growth opportunities and streamline your operations. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough for merchants looking to migrate their valuable store data from SAP Commerce Cloud to the intuitive Volusion platform. While SAP Commerce Cloud is a robust enterprise solution, moving to Volusion can offer enhanced ease of use, flexible scaling, and a focused e-commerce environment.

Given that a direct API connection for SAP Commerce Cloud isn't typically available for automated migration tools, we'll leverage the powerful CSV.File Data Migration method to export your data from SAP Commerce Cloud and import it into Volusion. This ensures a comprehensive transfer of your products, customer information, order history, and more, maintaining data integrity throughout the transition.

Follow this guide to ensure a smooth and efficient data transfer, minimizing downtime and preserving your critical SEO rankings and customer experience.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before you begin the migration process, it's crucial to prepare both your existing SAP Commerce Cloud store and your new Volusion store. Proper preparation will significantly reduce potential issues and ensure a successful data transfer.

For Your SAP Commerce Cloud Store (Source - via CSV Export):

• Admin Access: Ensure you have full administrative access to your SAP Commerce Cloud instance to export all necessary data.
• Data Export Capability: You will need to export your store data into CSV files. This includes:
  • Products (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images, prices)
  • Product Categories & Manufacturers
  • Customer Information (names, addresses, order history)
  • Order Data (statuses, details, invoices)
  • Product Reviews
  • Taxes, Coupons, and CMS Pages
  • Blog Posts (note: Volusion has limitations on native blog migration; plan for manual transfer or a separate solution for blog content)
• Data Audit & Cleanup: Review your current SAP Commerce Cloud data for any inconsistencies, outdated products, or redundant customer entries. Cleaning up your data prior to export will lead to a cleaner Volusion store.
• Backup Your Data: Always perform a complete backup of your SAP Commerce Cloud data before initiating any major changes or exports. This is a critical step for data security.

For Your Volusion Store (Target):

• Active Volusion Account: You must have an active and accessible Volusion store.
• Admin Credentials: Gather your Volusion admin login, password, and URL. You will need these to establish the connection for migration.
• FTP Access: Volusion migrations require FTP access to install a connection bridge. Ensure you have your FTP hostname, username, and password ready. Refer to The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart for more details.
• Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires a specific migration module (plugin) to be installed for the migration bridge to function correctly. This module facilitates the secure data transfer.
• Optional: Clear Target Data: If your Volusion store already contains dummy or test data, consider using the 'Clear Target' option during migration. For more information, see Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Prepare for Design: While data migration focuses on your content, be ready to configure your new store's design, themes, and extensions post-migration to optimize user experience.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Migrating your store data with Cart2Cart is a streamlined process. Follow these steps to transfer your e-commerce assets from SAP Commerce Cloud (via CSV) to Volusion.

Step 1: Get Started with Cart2Cart

Begin by navigating to the Cart2Cart website and signing up for an account, or logging in if you already have one. Once logged in, you'll be directed to the migration wizard to start your transfer.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Platform (SAP Commerce Cloud via CSV)

Since SAP Commerce Cloud data will be imported via CSV files, you'll need to select "CSV File to Cart" as your source shopping cart. You will then upload the CSV files you've exported from your SAP Commerce Cloud instance.

Ensure your exported CSV files contain all the entities you wish to transfer, such as products, categories, customers, and orders. The quality of your CSV data will directly impact the success of your migration.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Platform (Volusion)

Next, select "Volusion" from the dropdown list of target carts. You'll then need to provide the URL of your new Volusion store.

Cart2Cart will prompt you to download and install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module and set up the connection bridge. This typically involves uploading the bridge file via FTP to your Volusion store's root directory. The bridge acts as a secure conduit for data exchange between your CSV files and your Volusion store. Input your Volusion admin credentials and FTP details to complete this step.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This is where you choose precisely which data types you want to move from your SAP Commerce Cloud CSV files to your Volusion store. You can select all available entities or pick specific ones like products, categories, customers, orders, reviews, and coupons. Remember that while your CSV might contain blog data, Volusion's native support for blog migration as a direct entity is limited, and you might need alternative solutions for this content.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Data Mapping

This critical step allows for further customization of your data transfer:

• Additional Options: Select from a range of features to enhance your migration. Popular options include:
  • Migrate Images in Description: Ensures product and category images embedded in descriptions are transferred.
  • Clear Target: Deletes all existing data on your Volusion store before migration. Use with caution.
  • Preserve Product/Orders/Customers IDs: Maintain original IDs to simplify post-migration operations and integrations. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?
  • SEO URLs & 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity. This option helps create redirects from your old SAP Commerce Cloud URLs to your new Volusion URLs.
  • Password Migration: Allows customers to log in with their existing credentials on your new Volusion store.
• Data Mapping: Configure how different data fields from your source CSVs map to corresponding fields in Volusion. This is essential for ensuring consistency, especially for customer groups and order statuses. For instance, map 'Pending Payment' from SAP Commerce Cloud to 'Pending' in Volusion. Carefully review and adjust these mappings to prevent data inconsistencies.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to a full migration, Cart2Cart offers 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. It's an excellent opportunity to:

• Verify the connection between your CSV files and Volusion.
• Check the accuracy of data transfer.
• Review product descriptions, images, customer details, and order history.
• Test the functionality of your new Volusion store with migrated data.

The demo migration helps identify and resolve any potential issues before the full transfer, ensuring data integrity.

Step 7: Initiate Full Migration

Once you're satisfied with the demo results, proceed to the full migration. This will transfer all your selected data from SAP Commerce Cloud via CSV to your Volusion store. During this step, you can also consider adding Migration Insurance, which provides a set number of re-migrations and extended support.

Monitor the progress of your migration. Cart2Cart will notify you upon completion. Your store can remain operational during the migration, minimizing any impact on your customers.

Post-Migration Steps

Completing the data transfer is a major milestone, but a few crucial steps remain to finalize your Volusion store and ensure a smooth launch:

• Verify Data Accuracy: Thoroughly check your new Volusion store. Review products, categories, customer accounts, orders, images, and SEO metadata. Ensure everything appears as expected and that data integrity is maintained.
• Configure Store Settings: Set up your payment gateways, shipping methods, tax rules, and other essential store configurations specific to Volusion.
• Install Apps & Plugins: Explore the Volusion App Store for any necessary integrations or functionality enhancements that were previously available on SAP Commerce Cloud.
• Theme & Design Adjustments: Customize your Volusion theme to match your brand's aesthetic and provide an optimal user experience.
• Update DNS Settings: Point your domain name to your new Volusion store. This typically involves changing your A record and CNAME records with your domain registrar.
• Implement 301 Redirects: Even if you used the 301 redirect option during migration, double-check that all critical URLs from your old SAP Commerce Cloud store redirect correctly to their new Volusion counterparts. This is vital for preserving your SEO rankings and preventing broken links.
• Test Functionality: Perform comprehensive tests on your new store, including the checkout process, search functionality, customer account logins, product filtering, and contact forms.
• Update Integrations: Reconfigure any third-party tools, ERP systems, marketing automation platforms, or analytics services to connect with your new Volusion store.
• Inform Customers: Announce your new platform to your customers. Highlight any new features or improvements they can expect.
• Monitor & Optimize: Keep a close eye on your store's performance, user behavior, and SEO after launch. Make continuous adjustments to optimize for sales and customer satisfaction.

By diligently following these steps, you can confidently transition your e-commerce business from SAP Commerce Cloud to Volusion, setting the stage for future growth and success. If you encounter any challenges or require custom solutions, don't hesitate to contact our support team for assistance.