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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from ShopFactory to Volusion

Steering your e-commerce business through a platform migration can feel like a daunting task. However, moving from ShopFactory to Volusion can unlock new growth opportunities, enhanced functionality, and a more robust foundation for your online store. Volusion, known for its comprehensive features and scalability, offers a powerful environment for merchants looking to expand their digital presence. This guide will walk you through the entire process, ensuring a smooth and efficient data transfer, helping you maintain crucial data integrity and preserve your SEO rankings.

Because ShopFactory does not offer a direct API for automated migration tools, the transition will primarily involve exporting your data into CSV files from ShopFactory and then importing it into Volusion using a specialized migration service. This approach ensures all your vital store elements—from products to customer data—are securely transferred.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before embarking on your data transfer journey, it's essential to prepare both your current ShopFactory store and your new Volusion platform. Proper preparation minimizes downtime and ensures a successful migration.

For Your ShopFactory Store (Source)

• Data Export: Identify and export all critical data from your ShopFactory store into CSV files. This typically includes:
  • Products (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images, pricing, inventory)
  • Product Categories
  • Customer Information (names, addresses, order history)
  • Orders (statuses, details)
  • Manufacturers
  • Reviews
  • CMS Pages (if applicable)
  • Coupons and Taxes

  Ensure your CSV files are well-organized and include all relevant fields. For more detailed guidance on preparing your source store, you can refer to our guide on How to prepare Source store for migration?.

• Image Export: While product data will be in CSV, you will need to export product images separately if they are not linked directly within the CSV.
• Backup Your Store: Always perform a full backup of your ShopFactory store before starting any migration process. This safeguards your data against unforeseen issues.

For Your Volusion Store (Target)

• Set Up Your Volusion Store: Ensure you have a new Volusion account and a functional store environment. You don't need to add products or customers manually, as the migration process will handle that.
• Install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires a connection bridge for data transfer. You will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module on your Volusion store. This typically involves uploading a few files via FTP to your Volusion root directory. You will also need to provide your Volusion admin credentials (admin login, password, and URL) to the migration tool. For details on managing access credentials, see The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.
• FTP Access: Have your FTP access details ready for placing the connection bridge. For more information, check What is a root folder and where can I find it?.
• Review Target Store Preparation: For comprehensive advice on readying your new platform, consult our article on How to prepare Target store for migration?.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you're ready to initiate the data transfer from ShopFactory (via CSV) to Volusion. We'll use a guided migration wizard for this process.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by accessing your migration service. You'll typically be presented with options to start a do-it-yourself migration or request expert assistance. For this guide, we'll focus on the self-service wizard.

Step 2: Configure Your Source Store (ShopFactory via CSV)

This crucial step involves identifying where your data is coming from. Since ShopFactory lacks direct integration, we'll use the CSV file import method.

• From the list of available shopping carts, select 'CSV File to Cart' as your Source Store.
• Upload the CSV files you exported from your ShopFactory store, containing all your product, customer, and order data. The migration tool will then parse this information.

Step 3: Configure Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, specify your destination platform, Volusion.

• Choose 'Volusion' from the dropdown list of Target Carts.
• Provide your Volusion store's URL.
• The system will then prompt you to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module (bridge) to establish a secure connection. Follow the instructions to upload the necessary files to your Volusion FTP root folder and confirm the connection.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

At this stage, you choose exactly what data you want to move from ShopFactory (CSV) to Volusion. Most merchants opt to migrate all available entities to ensure a complete replica of their store.

• You can select specific entities like Products, Product Categories, Customers, Orders, Product Reviews, Manufacturers, Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, and CMS Pages.
• While your ShopFactory CSV might contain blog posts, please note that Volusion's native structure may have limitations regarding direct blog migration and associated SEO options for blogs. You may need to transfer blog content manually post-migration.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

This step allows you to fine-tune your migration with various advanced settings:

• Preserve IDs: Options like Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Orders IDs, and Preserve Customers IDs are highly recommended to maintain data consistency and simplify post-migration management.
• SEO URLs & 301 Redirects: Enable these options to generate SEO-friendly URLs and create 301 redirects. This is crucial for preserving your existing SEO rankings and link equity from ShopFactory to Volusion, preventing broken links, and ensuring a smooth user experience.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure product images embedded in descriptions are transferred.
• Password Migration: Migrate customer passwords for a seamless user login experience on your new Volusion store.
• Clear Target Store Data: You can choose to clear current data on the target store before migration, which is often recommended for a clean start.
• Consider other options such as migrating invoices, creating variants from attributes, or skipping custom attributes based on your specific needs.

Step 6: Map Your Data Fields

The data mapping step ensures that specific fields and statuses from your ShopFactory CSV files are correctly matched to their corresponding fields in Volusion. This includes mapping customer groups and order statuses to maintain logical consistency in your new store.

Step 7: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

It's always recommended to perform a free demo migration first. This allows you to see a subset of your data transferred to Volusion, verify its accuracy, and identify any potential issues before committing to the full migration. Once satisfied, proceed with the full migration.

• Demo Migration: Run a limited data transfer to test the process.
• Full Migration: After reviewing the demo, initiate the complete data transfer. During this step, you can also consider adding Migration Insurance, which provides a certain number of remigrations for a specified period, offering peace of mind. Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?.

Post-Migration Steps

Once your data has been successfully transferred to Volusion, a few critical post-migration steps are necessary to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

• Data Verification: Thoroughly check your Volusion store to ensure all data has been transferred accurately. Verify product details, inventory levels, customer accounts, order histories, and images. Pay special attention to SKUs and product variants.
• Configure Store Settings: Set up your new Volusion store's shipping options, payment gateways, tax rules, and general settings.
• Theme and Design: Customize your Volusion theme to match your brand identity and ensure an optimal user experience.
• Test Functionality: Conduct comprehensive tests of your store's functionality, including the checkout process, customer login, search features, and contact forms. Place a few test orders to ensure everything works as expected.
• Update DNS Records: Once you are confident that your Volusion store is ready, update your domain's DNS records to point to your new Volusion store. This is the moment your new store goes live.
• Review SEO and Redirects: Even if 301 redirects were created during migration, it's vital to verify them. Check your Google Search Console for any crawl errors and submit your new sitemap. Ensure your link equity is preserved.
• Notify Customers: Inform your customers about the transition and any new features or changes they can expect.

Migrating from ShopFactory to Volusion is a strategic move that can significantly enhance your e-commerce capabilities. By following this detailed guide, you can ensure a smooth, secure, and successful transition, setting your business up for future growth and success on your new platform. Should you encounter any challenges or require assistance with custom requirements, feel free to Contact Us for expert support.