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

Seamlessly Migrating Your E-commerce Store from GoECart to Volusion

Transitioning your online store to a new platform is a pivotal moment for any e-commerce business. If you're currently operating on GoECart and considering a move to Volusion, you're looking at an opportunity to enhance your store's performance, scalability, and user experience. Volusion offers a robust platform with advanced features for managing products, processing orders, and engaging with customers.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire replatforming process, from initial preparation to post-migration checks, ensuring a smooth and efficient data transfer from your GoECart store (via CSV export) to a dynamic Volusion environment. We’ll leverage the power of a specialized migration tool to simplify the journey, preserve your valuable data, and minimize downtime.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before embarking on your data transfer, thorough preparation is key to a smooth transition. Here’s what you need to have in place:

• For Your GoECart Store (Source):
  1. Data Export: Since GoECart is not directly integrated with automatic migration tools, you will need to export all your crucial store data (products, product categories, customers, orders, reviews, etc.) into CSV files. Ensure these files are well-organized and complete. We recommend reviewing your source store for migration readiness.
  2. Data Backup: Always create a full backup of your entire GoECart store and database before exporting any data. This ensures you have a recovery point in case of unforeseen issues.
• For Your Volusion Store (Target):
  1. New Volusion Account: Have a new, active Volusion store set up. While you can migrate to an existing store, clearing existing data (if any) before migration is often recommended for a cleaner transfer. You might want to refer to how to prepare your target store.
  2. Admin Access: Ensure you have full administrative access to your Volusion store.
  3. Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires a connection bridge (often referred to as a migration module or plugin) to facilitate the data transfer. You'll need to download and install this module into your Volusion store's root directory. The Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module is typically provided by the migration service.
  4. FTP/SFTP Access: You will need FTP or SFTP access credentials to upload the connection bridge to your Volusion server. For more details on accessing credentials, see The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials.
• General Prerequisites:
  1. Review Data: Conduct an audit of your GoECart data to identify and clean up any inconsistencies, duplicates, or outdated information. This is an opportune time to ensure data integrity.
  2. Migration Plan: Outline your migration timeline and budget. Understand what data entities you absolutely need to transfer.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, let's dive into the step-by-step process of moving your store data from GoECart (via CSV) to Volusion using a migration wizard.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration with the Wizard

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. This is your starting point for configuring the entire data transfer process.

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

The first critical step in the wizard is to tell the system where your current store's data is coming from. Since GoECart is not a direct API integration, you'll be using CSV files.

1. From the dropdown menu, select "CSV File to Cart" as your Source Cart.
2. Follow the instructions to upload your pre-exported GoECart CSV files containing your products, customer records, orders, and other essential data. For more on this process, consider our CSV.File Data Migration Service.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Volusion Store

Next, you’ll specify your new Volusion store as the destination for your data.

1. Choose "Volusion" from the Target Cart dropdown list.
2. Enter the full URL of your Volusion store.
3. The system will prompt you to download and install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module (bridge). This bridge is a small piece of software that enables secure communication between the migration tool and your Volusion store. You will need to upload this file to the root folder of your Volusion installation using FTP/SFTP access. If you're unsure about the root folder, consult What is a root folder and where can I find it?
4. Once uploaded, verify the connection.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This stage allows you to specify exactly which types of data you want to transfer from your GoECart CSV files to Volusion. You can select all entities or pick and choose based on your needs.

• Common entities for migration include: Products, Product Categories, Manufacturers, Product Reviews, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, and CMS Pages.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

This is where you fine-tune your migration. Several crucial options can significantly impact your store's functionality and SEO post-migration:

• Preserve IDs: Options like "Preserve Product IDs," "Preserve Orders IDs," and "Preserve Customers IDs" are highly recommended to maintain consistency and avoid breaking external links or integrations. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• Migrate Customer Passwords: This allows your existing customers to log into their new Volusion accounts with their current GoECart passwords, improving user experience.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Absolutely vital for preserving your search engine rankings and link equity. This option automatically creates redirects from your old GoECart URLs to the corresponding new Volusion URLs.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures that product images embedded within product descriptions are also transferred.
• Clear Target Data: If you're migrating to a Volusion store that already has some data, selecting "Clear Target" (What does the option 'Clear current data on Target store before migration' mean?) will erase it before the new data transfer begins, ensuring a clean slate.

Step 6: Map Your Data Fields

Data mapping ensures that information from your GoECart CSV files is correctly matched to the corresponding fields in your Volusion store. This is particularly important for customer groups and order statuses.

• Carefully map customer groups (e.g., "Wholesale Customer" in GoECart to "Wholesale" in Volusion) and order statuses (e.g., "Processing" to "In Progress"). This maintains data consistency and integrity across platforms.

Step 7: Run a Free Demo Migration and Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, perform a free demo migration. This will transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Volusion store, allowing you to:

• Preview the results: Check how your data appears on Volusion.
• Test functionality: Ensure products are displayed correctly, customer accounts are accessible, and order details are accurate.
• Identify any issues: Address any mapping or configuration problems before the full migration.

Once you are satisfied with the demo, you can proceed with the Full Migration. At this stage, you may also consider adding a Migration Insurance Plan (How Migration Insurance works?) for added peace of mind, offering remigrations if needed.

Post-Migration Steps

Completing the data transfer is a major milestone, but the journey doesn't end there. These crucial post-migration steps ensure your new Volusion store is fully operational and optimized:

1. Thorough Data Verification: Rigorously check your Volusion store. Verify products (SKUs, variants, images, descriptions), customer accounts, order histories, and reviews. Ensure all data entities are present and accurate.
2. Configure Store Settings: Set up essential Volusion features such as payment gateways, shipping methods, tax rules, and any third-party app integrations. Apply and customize your chosen theme to reflect your brand identity and ensure a compelling user experience.
3. Test All Functionality: Conduct extensive testing. Place test orders, create customer accounts, test search functionality, navigation, and all contact forms. Ensure all elements are working as expected.
4. Update DNS Records: Once you are completely confident in your new Volusion store, update your domain's DNS records to point to the new Volusion servers. This is the moment your new store goes live to the public.
5. Implement 301 Redirects: While the migration tool can handle many 301 redirects, it's wise to double-check that all critical old GoECart URLs (especially product and category pages) successfully redirect to their corresponding new Volusion pages. This prevents broken links and preserves your hard-earned SEO rankings and link equity.
6. SEO Audit: Monitor your search engine console for any crawl errors or indexing issues. Submit your new sitemap to search engines.
7. Staff Training: If your team is new to Volusion, provide adequate training to ensure they can efficiently manage the new platform.
8. Decommission Old Store: Once your Volusion store is fully operational and has been running smoothly for a period, you can safely decommission your old GoECart store.

Migrating from GoECart to Volusion is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right tools, it can be a smooth and rewarding process. By following this guide, you'll be well-equipped to make the transition successfully and unlock the full potential of your new Volusion e-commerce platform. If you encounter any challenges, remember that expert assistance is available through our Contact Us page or our Basic Data Migration Service and other customization services.