Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Volusion Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store from Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Volusion

Migrating an established e-commerce store is a critical undertaking that demands precision and strategic planning. If you're considering moving your robust Oracle ATG Web Commerce platform to the streamlined, cloud-based environment of Volusion, you're looking to enhance scalability, simplify management, and potentially reduce operational overhead. Volusion offers a user-friendly interface, integrated marketing tools, and a reliable infrastructure, making it an attractive choice for merchants seeking a modern e-commerce solution.

Given the enterprise nature of Oracle ATG Web Commerce, direct API integration with automated migration tools is not typically feasible. Therefore, this guide outlines a comprehensive approach using a CSV file export method from Oracle ATG Web Commerce, followed by an automated data transfer to Volusion via Cart2Cart. This method ensures that your valuable product data, customer information, and order history are securely and efficiently moved to your new platform.

This detailed guide will walk you through the essential prerequisites, a step-by-step migration process, and crucial post-migration activities to ensure a successful and smooth transition, preserving your SEO rankings and customer experience.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, meticulous preparation of both your source Oracle ATG Web Commerce store and your target Volusion platform is paramount. This foundational work minimizes potential issues and ensures data integrity throughout the replatforming process.

• Oracle ATG Web Commerce (Source Store) Preparation:

  As Oracle ATG Web Commerce does not offer direct API connectivity for many third-party migration tools, the migration will leverage a CSV export. You must:

  • Export Your Data: Systematically export all necessary data entities from your Oracle ATG Web Commerce store into well-structured CSV files. This includes, but is not limited to, products (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images), product categories, customer records, order history, manufacturers, reviews, and CMS pages. Ensure your CSV files are clean and accurately reflect your current store data. For detailed guidance on this process, refer to our CSV.File Data Migration service.
  • Data Backup: Perform a comprehensive backup of your entire Oracle ATG Web Commerce database and file system. This serves as a critical safeguard in case any unforeseen issues arise during the data extraction or migration process.
• Volusion (Target Store) Preparation:
  • Establish Your Volusion Store: Set up your new Volusion account and complete the initial store configuration. This involves choosing your store's URL, setting up basic business information, and exploring available themes.
  • Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires a specific connection method via a migration bridge. To facilitate this, you'll need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module (or migration bridge connector) on your Volusion store. This plugin enables secure communication between Cart2Cart and your Volusion database.
  • Basic Configurations: Configure essential store settings such as currencies, tax rates, shipping methods, and payment gateways. While product and customer data will be migrated, these foundational settings need to be established on Volusion.
  • Review Target Store Readiness: Consult our How to prepare Target store for migration? guide for a detailed checklist.
• General Considerations:
  • Data Audit and Cleanup: Take this opportunity to review and clean your Oracle ATG Web Commerce data. Remove any outdated products, inactive customer accounts, or redundant information. Migrating clean data ensures a more efficient and effective new store.
  • SEO Strategy: Plan your SEO strategy post-migration. Identify key URLs, product pages, and category pages that require 301 redirects to preserve link equity and maintain your search engine rankings.
  • Downtime Planning: While Cart2Cart minimizes downtime, plan for a brief period during the final data transfer when your store might experience reduced functionality. Communicate this to your customers if necessary.
  • Access Credentials: Ensure you have all necessary administrative access details for your Oracle ATG Web Commerce system (for data export) and your Volusion store. For more on credentials, see The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparation complete, you're ready to embark on the data transfer journey. Cart2Cart's automated wizard simplifies the process, making it accessible even for those without extensive technical expertise.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration

Begin by creating or logging into your Cart2Cart account. From your dashboard, click on the "Start Your Migration" button to launch the migration wizard. This initial step sets the stage for defining your source and target platforms.

Step 2: Configure Your Source Store (Oracle ATG via CSV)

Connecting your Oracle ATG Web Commerce store is performed by uploading your pre-exported data files. In the migration wizard:

1. From the "Source Cart" dropdown menu, select "CSV File to Cart".
2. Follow the prompts to upload your prepared CSV files containing your products, categories, customers, orders, and other essential data from your Oracle ATG Web Commerce system. The wizard will guide you on the expected format for each data type.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Volusion Store

Next, you'll specify Volusion as your new e-commerce platform:

1. Choose "Volusion" from the "Target Cart" dropdown list.
2. Enter the full URL of your Volusion store (e.g., your store's `adminUrl` and `url`).
3. You will then be prompted to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module (the migration bridge) on your Volusion store. This is crucial as Volusion utilizes a "Bridge only" connection method for data transfer. The wizard will provide instructions for uploading this file to your Volusion store's `bridgeLocation`, typically in the root folder. Upon successful installation, the connection to your Volusion store will be established.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This critical step allows you to define exactly what data you wish to transfer from your Oracle ATG CSV files to your Volusion store. Cart2Cart supports a wide range of entities, ensuring a comprehensive data transfer.

Common entities you can select include:

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

You can choose to migrate "All entities" with a single click or selectively pick the specific data types relevant to your transition.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options & Map Data

This stage allows for customization and ensures that your data is not only moved but also correctly structured and optimized for your new Volusion store.

Additional Migration Options

Leverage the advanced settings to refine your migration:

• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure product images embedded in descriptions are transferred.
• Clear Target: Opt to Clear current data on Target store before migration if your Volusion store has existing placeholder data.
• Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Orders IDs, Preserve Customers IDs: Preserve IDs to maintain consistency with existing integrations or external systems.
• SEO URLs & Create 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for maintaining your SEO authority, these options help migrate existing SEO URLs and automatically create 301 redirects for old URLs to point to their new Volusion counterparts.
• Password Migration: Securely transfer customer passwords, ensuring a seamless login experience for your existing customer base.
• Migrate Invoices: Transfer your historical invoice data.
• Skip Custom Attributes: If certain custom attributes from Oracle ATG are not needed in Volusion, you can choose to skip them.

Data Mapping

Ensure consistency by mapping specific data fields:

• Customer Groups Mapping: Match customer groups from your Oracle ATG data (e.g., "Wholesale", "Retail") to their corresponding groups in Volusion.
• Order Statuses Mapping: Align order statuses (e.g., "Pending", "Processing", "Completed") from your source data to the equivalent statuses in Volusion.

Step 6: Perform Demo and Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, run a free demo migration. This transfers a limited number of entities, allowing you to:

• Verify Data Integrity: Check that products, customers, and orders appear correctly on Volusion.
• Test Functionality: Ensure images, descriptions, and other crucial elements are displaying as expected.

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full migration. This will transfer all your selected data from Oracle ATG Web Commerce to your new Volusion store. Consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations if needed. Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?.

Post-Migration Steps

The migration doesn't end when the data transfer is complete. A few crucial steps are needed to fully activate your new Volusion store and ensure ongoing success.

• Thorough Testing and Validation:
  • Storefront Review: Navigate through your new Volusion store as a customer. Verify all product pages, categories, images, and descriptions.
  • Customer Accounts: Test login for existing customer accounts (if passwords were migrated) and ensure order histories are accurate.
  • Checkout Process: Perform test purchases using various payment gateways and shipping options to confirm functionality.
  • Internal Processes: Verify that order management, inventory updates, and other backend processes work correctly.
• SEO Optimization and Redirects:
  • Verify 301 Redirects: Double-check that all critical 301 redirects from your old Oracle ATG URLs to new Volusion URLs are functioning. This is vital for preserving your SEO rankings and preventing broken links.
  • Update Sitemaps: Submit your new Volusion sitemap to Google Search Console and other search engines.
  • Monitor for Errors: Keep an eye on Google Search Console for any crawl errors or indexing issues.
• Update DNS Records:

  Once you are completely satisfied with your new Volusion store, update your domain's DNS records to point to your Volusion server. This will make your new store live to the public.

• Reconnect Third-Party Services:

  Re-establish connections with any third-party applications, plugins, or services you use (e.g., analytics tools, email marketing platforms, ERP systems).

• Decommission Oracle ATG:

  After ensuring your Volusion store is fully operational and stable, you can safely decommission your old Oracle ATG Web Commerce system. Always retain backups for historical data or compliance if required.

• Consider Recent Data Migration:

  If there was a period where new orders or customer registrations occurred on your old store after the initial data export, consider using the Recent Data Migration Service to transfer any newly accumulated data.

Migrating from Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Volusion is a significant strategic move that, when executed correctly, can unlock new growth opportunities for your business. By following this comprehensive guide and leveraging automated migration tools, you can achieve a successful transition with minimal disruption. Should you require expert assistance at any stage, do not hesitate to Contact Us for personalized support.