GSI Commerce to Volusion Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from GSI Commerce to Volusion

Migrating an e-commerce store is a significant undertaking, and choosing the right platform for your business's future is paramount. This guide provides a clear, actionable roadmap for merchants looking to move their online store from GSI Commerce to Volusion. While GSI Commerce offered robust enterprise solutions, transitioning to Volusion can unlock new functionalities, streamline operations, and enhance your store's scalability and user experience.

Given that GSI Commerce typically involves custom or complex data structures, this migration will leverage a CSV File Data Migration approach. This ensures a thorough and organized transfer of your valuable e-commerce data, from product listings and customer information to order history, to your new Volusion platform.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before you begin the migration process, it’s essential to prepare both your current GSI Commerce store and your new Volusion environment. Proper preparation minimizes potential downtime and ensures a smooth data transfer.

Preparing Your GSI Commerce (Source) Store:

• Data Export: Since GSI Commerce is not directly integrated with automated migration tools, you will need to export your store data into CSV files. This includes critical entities such as:
  • Products (including SKUs, variants, descriptions, images)
  • Product Categories
  • Customer records (names, addresses, order history)
  • Orders (statuses, details)
  • Manufacturers
  • Product Reviews
  • Invoices, Taxes, Coupons, and CMS Pages (where applicable)
  Ensure your exports are as comprehensive as possible to capture all relevant information. For detailed guidance on preparing your source data, refer to our FAQ on preparing your source store.
• Data Backup: Always perform a complete backup of your GSI Commerce store data before initiating any export or migration process. This provides a safety net in case any issues arise.

Preparing Your Volusion (Target) Store:

• Volusion Store Setup: Ensure you have a fully set up and accessible Volusion store. This includes purchasing a plan and having administrative access.
• Admin Credentials: You'll need your Volusion admin login URL, username, and password.
• FTP Access: Volusion migrations require FTP access to install a connection bridge. Make sure you have your FTP host, username, and password readily available. This is crucial for the automated migration tool to establish a secure connection and transfer data directly to your database.
• Plugin Installation: The migration to Volusion specifically requires the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module to be installed on your target store.
• Clear Existing Data (Optional but Recommended): If your Volusion store is brand new or you wish to start fresh, you may consider clearing any sample data. This can be done via the migration wizard's additional options. For more information, see Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Review Target Store Prep: Consult our guide on preparing your target store for additional best practices.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

This section will walk you through the entire process using a migration wizard, detailing each step from initial setup to launching your new Volusion store.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration

Begin your migration journey by navigating to the migration service platform. This initial screen presents options to start a self-service migration, request expert assistance, or estimate costs.

Select the option to start a migration, which will lead you into the step-by-step wizard.

Step 2: Configure Your Source Store (GSI Commerce via CSV)

Here, you will specify your current GSI Commerce store as the source. Since GSI Commerce is not a direct API integration for automated tools, you will select "CSV File to Cart" as your source platform.

You will then be prompted to upload the CSV files containing your GSI Commerce data that you prepared earlier. The system will analyze these files to identify the data entities available for transfer.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Store (Volusion)

Now, it's time to connect your new Volusion store. From the dropdown list, select Volusion as your target shopping cart.

Enter the full URL of your Volusion store in the designated field. To establish a secure connection, you will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module. This typically involves uploading a connection bridge file via FTP to your Volusion store's root directory. The system will provide clear instructions and often a quick wizard to guide you through this process, verifying the connection once completed. For more on securely providing access details, refer to The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This crucial step allows you to define exactly which data entities you want to transfer from your GSI Commerce CSV files to Volusion.

You can choose to migrate all available data or selectively pick specific entities, such as:

• Products: This includes product details, SKUs, images, descriptions, and variants.
• Product Categories: Your store's organizational structure.
• Customers: Customer accounts, contact information, and potentially their order history.
• Orders: All historical order data, including statuses and details.
• Products Reviews: Valuable social proof for your new store.
• CMS Pages: Important informational pages.

Select the checkboxes for all the data you wish to move.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Data Mapping

This step offers powerful customization to ensure your new Volusion store functions exactly as intended, maintaining data integrity and SEO.

Additional Migration Options:

Review and select from various additional options:

• Migrate Images in Description: Essential for rich product content.
• Clear Target Store Data: If you want to erase any existing data on Volusion before migration.
• Preserve IDs: Options like Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Orders IDs, and Preserve Customers IDs are vital for maintaining consistency with existing systems or records.
• SEO URLs & 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity. This option automatically creates 301 redirects from your old GSI Commerce URLs to the new Volusion URLs, preventing broken links and preserving search engine visibility.
• Password Migration: Allows customers to log in with their existing credentials on Volusion.

Data Mapping Setup:

In this section, you will map your GSI Commerce customer groups and order statuses to their corresponding equivalents in Volusion. This ensures that customer roles (e.g., "Wholesale Customer") and order states (e.g., "Processing," "Shipped") are correctly translated and displayed in your new store.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, it's highly recommended to perform a free Demo Migration. This allows you to migrate a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Volusion store to inspect the results, check data integrity, and ensure everything looks correct. It's a risk-free way to preview the outcome.

After a successful demo, you can proceed with the Full Migration. Review the summary of your selected entities and estimated cost. You may also consider adding Migration Insurance Service, which allows for additional remigrations if needed. For more details on this, refer to How Migration Insurance works?.

Once you initiate the full migration, the process will run automatically, and you will be notified upon completion.

Post-Migration Steps

Successfully completing the data transfer is a major milestone, but the work isn't over yet. These post-migration steps are crucial for a seamless launch and optimal performance of your new Volusion store.

1. Thorough Data Verification:
   • Products: Check product details, images, prices, stock levels, and variants. Ensure all SKUs are present and correct.
   • Customers: Verify customer accounts, addresses, and if applicable, ensure password migration was successful.
   • Orders: Confirm that historical orders have migrated with correct statuses and details.
   • Categories: Check your category structure and product assignments.
   • CMS Pages: Review your static content and ensure formatting is correct.
2. Test Store Functionality:
   • Checkout Process: Perform test purchases from product selection to payment gateway integration.
   • Shipping Options: Verify all shipping methods and calculations.
   • Payment Gateways: Ensure all payment methods are working correctly.
   • User Accounts: Test customer registration, login, and account management.
   • Search Functionality: Ensure products and content are easily discoverable.
3. Configure SEO & Redirects:
   • 301 Redirects: If you opted for them during migration, verify that your old GSI Commerce URLs now correctly redirect to their new Volusion counterparts. This is vital for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity.
   • Google Search Console & Analytics: Update your website's address in Google Search Console and ensure your Google Analytics tracking code is correctly implemented on Volusion. Submit your new sitemap.
4. Update DNS Settings: Once you are completely satisfied with your new Volusion store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your Volusion store. This makes your new store live to the public.
5. Review & Refine Design and UX: Take time to customize your Volusion theme, optimize images, and ensure a seamless user experience across all devices.
6. Ongoing Maintenance: Establish a routine for regular backups, security checks, and keeping your Volusion platform updated.
7. Consider Recent Data Migration: If there was a period between your GSI Commerce data export and the Volusion migration, consider a Recent Data Migration to transfer any new orders or customers that occurred during that time.
8. Seek Expert Assistance: If you encounter any challenges or prefer a hands-off approach, don't hesitate to contact our support team for assistance or explore our Ultimate Data Migration Service for a fully managed solution.