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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from Selldone to Volusion

Embarking on an e-commerce platform migration can feel like a monumental task, but with the right strategy and tools, transitioning your online store from Selldone to Volusion can be a smooth and rewarding experience. This guide is designed to provide Selldone merchants with clear, actionable steps for a successful data transfer, helping you unlock Volusion's robust features and scalable infrastructure.

As Selldone does not have a direct API connector for automated migration tools, our approach will involve exporting your valuable data from Selldone into CSV files and then importing it seamlessly into Volusion using a specialized migration service. This method ensures that your products, customer data, orders, and other critical e-commerce entities are moved efficiently and accurately.

By the end of this guide, you'll have a clear roadmap to replatforming, ensuring data integrity, preserving your SEO rankings, and maintaining a positive user experience throughout the entire process.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before you begin the migration process, it’s essential to prepare both your current Selldone store (source) and your new Volusion store (target). Proper preparation minimizes potential downtime and ensures a smoother data transfer.

For your Selldone Source Store

Since Selldone does not feature a direct integration with automated migration tools like Cart2Cart, the primary method for data extraction will be via CSV file export. This requires you to manually export your store’s data.

• Data Export: Identify and export all essential data from your Selldone store into CSV files. This typically includes:
  • Products: SKUs, product names, descriptions, pricing, inventory levels, images, product variants, and associated metadata.
  • Categories: Category names, descriptions, and hierarchical structure.
  • Customers: Customer names, email addresses, billing and shipping addresses, and order history.
  • Orders: Order IDs, purchase dates, product details, customer information, order statuses, and payment details.
  • Reviews: Product reviews and associated customer data.
  • CMS Pages: Static content pages.
  • Coupons: Coupon codes and rules.
  • Blogs and Blog Posts: If your Selldone store has a blog, export its content.
• Data Cleanliness: Review your exported CSV files for accuracy and consistency. Clean up any redundant or outdated information to ensure only high-quality data is transferred. For more details on this process, consider our CSV.File Data Migration service.

For your Volusion Target Store

Preparing your Volusion store is crucial for a successful data import and a swift transition.

• Set Up Your Volusion Store: Ensure your new Volusion store is fully set up and accessible. This includes choosing your store's theme and configuring basic settings. You can find more information on preparing your target store by visiting our How to prepare Target store for migration? FAQ.
• Access Credentials: You will need your Volusion admin login (email), password, and the full URL of your Volusion store. Keep these credentials readily available. For security, we also offer information on Is it safe to provide your company with my access details?
• Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion migrations require the installation of the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module. This module creates a secure bridge connection, enabling the automated data transfer. You will typically need FTP access to your Volusion store's root folder to upload this plugin. If you're unsure, check our guide on What is a root folder and where can I find it?.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your data exported from Selldone and your Volusion store prepared, you're ready to begin the migration process using the Cart2Cart migration wizard. Follow these steps carefully to ensure a seamless transition.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Navigate to the Cart2Cart migration wizard. Here, you can choose to begin a do-it-yourself migration, request expert assistance, or estimate your migration cost.

Step 2: Configure Source Store

In this step, you will specify your current Selldone store as the source. Since Selldone data is being imported via CSV, select "CSV File to Cart" from the dropdown menu.

You will then be prompted to upload your prepared Selldone CSV files containing your products, categories, customers, orders, reviews, and other data. Ensure all relevant files are uploaded correctly.

Step 3: Configure Target Store

Now, you'll set up your new Volusion store as the destination for your data. Select "Volusion" from the target cart dropdown list.

Provide your Volusion store's URL and the admin credentials (email and password). Crucially, ensure the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module is installed on your Volusion store, as this enables the secure bridge connection for data transfer. The wizard will verify this connection before allowing you to proceed.

Step 4: Select Data Entities

This stage allows you to specify exactly which data types, or entities, you wish to transfer from your Selldone CSV files to your Volusion store. You can choose to migrate all available entities or select them individually.

• Products: Including SKUs, product descriptions, images, and variants.
• Product Categories: To maintain your store's organization.
• Customers: All associated customer data.
• Orders: Detailed order information.
• Products Reviews: To retain social proof.
• CMS Pages: Static content pages.
• Manufacturers: If applicable.
• Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, Blogs, Blogs_Posts: And other entities supported by the CSV import.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options

Enhance your migration with a range of additional options designed to customize the data transfer and preserve critical store elements.

Commonly selected options include:

• Clear Target Store Data: If you want to remove any existing data from your Volusion store before migration. Learn more about the "Clear current data on Target store before migration" option.
• Preserve IDs: Options like Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Orders IDs, and Preserve Customers IDs are vital for maintaining consistency with external systems or for historical data lookup.
• SEO URLs & 301 Redirects: Crucial for preserving your search engine rankings and link equity. This option automatically creates 301 redirects for your old Selldone URLs to point to your new Volusion URLs, preventing broken links.
• Password Migration: To ensure existing customer accounts remain accessible.
• Migrate Images in Product Description: To ensure all visual content transfers correctly.
• Create Variants from Attributes: If your Selldone products use attributes to define variants, this option helps create them accurately in Volusion.

Step 6: Map Data

Data mapping is a critical step to ensure that fields and statuses from your Selldone source data correctly correspond to their equivalents in Volusion. This prevents data inconsistencies post-migration.

You will typically need to map:

• Customer Groups: Match Selldone customer groups (if exported) to Volusion customer groups.
• Order Statuses: Map your Selldone order statuses (e.g., "Processing," "Completed," "Pending payment") to the corresponding statuses in Volusion.

Careful data mapping ensures the integrity and usability of your transferred information.

Step 7: Perform Demo & Full Migration

Before committing to a full migration, Cart2Cart offers a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities to your Volusion store to review the process and data accuracy.

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, you can proceed with the full migration. At this stage, you may also consider selecting a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations and support for added peace of mind. During the full migration, all selected data will be transferred to your Volusion store. You'll receive notifications on the progress and completion of the transfer.

Post-Migration Steps

Completing the data transfer is a significant achievement, but the process doesn't end there. Several crucial post-migration steps are necessary to ensure your new Volusion store is fully operational, optimized, and ready for your customers.

• Thorough Data Verification: Immediately after the migration, meticulously check your Volusion store. Verify that all products (including SKUs, variants, images, and descriptions), product categories, customer accounts, order histories, and CMS pages have transferred correctly. Pay close attention to details like pricing, inventory levels, and customer groups.
• Test Store Functionality: Conduct comprehensive tests of all critical store functions. This includes:
  • Checkout Process: Place test orders using various payment gateways (e.g., credit card, PayPal) and shipping methods.
  • Customer Accounts: Log in as an existing customer, verify order history, and test password reset functionality.
  • Search and Filtering: Ensure products are easily discoverable.
  • Forms: Test contact forms and newsletter sign-ups.
• Update DNS and SEO: Point your domain name to your new Volusion store's servers. If you used the "Create 301 SEO URLs" option during migration, verify that your old Selldone URLs correctly redirect to their new Volusion counterparts. This is essential for preserving your search engine rankings and preventing loss of link equity.
• Configure Store Settings: Fine-tune your Volusion store's settings, including shipping zones, tax rules, payment gateways, email notifications, and any other region-specific configurations.
• Install Essential Apps and Plugins: Reintegrate any third-party applications, plugins, or extensions that were critical to your Selldone store's functionality (e.g., marketing tools, analytics, accounting software). While Volusion has its own app ecosystem, ensure you find comparable solutions if direct replacements aren't available.
• Review Design and User Experience: Customize your Volusion theme to match your brand identity and ensure an intuitive user experience. Check your store on various devices (desktop, mobile) for responsiveness and accessibility.
• Consider Recent Data Migration: If there was a period between your Selldone data export and the full migration, new orders or customer sign-ups might have occurred. Utilize a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer this new data, ensuring nothing is missed.
• Go Live: Once all checks are complete and you're confident in your new Volusion store, officially launch it to your customers!

Migrating from Selldone to Volusion is a strategic move that can propel your e-commerce business forward. By meticulously following these steps and leveraging expert tools, you can achieve a successful and stress-free transition, setting the stage for growth and enhanced online presence on your new platform.