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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from ViArt to Volusion

Migrating your e-commerce store is a pivotal decision that can significantly impact your online business's future. If you're currently operating on ViArt and considering a powerful, feature-rich platform like Volusion, you're looking at an upgrade that promises enhanced scalability, robust marketing tools, and a streamlined user experience. This guide will walk you through the entire process of moving your valuable store data from ViArt to Volusion, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal downtime and preserving your critical SEO rankings.

Given that ViArt typically operates with file-based data structures or custom database access, a direct API migration isn't always feasible. Therefore, this migration will leverage the CSV.File Data Migration method for your ViArt store, combined with a robust bridge connection for Volusion. This approach ensures comprehensive data transfer, including products, customer details, orders, and more, all while maintaining data integrity.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before embarking on your migration journey, it's essential to prepare both your current ViArt store and your new Volusion platform. Careful preparation minimizes potential issues and ensures a successful transition.

• Backup Your ViArt Data: Always perform a complete backup of your ViArt store's database and files. This is your safety net in case any unforeseen issues arise during the data export process.
• Prepare ViArt Data for CSV Export: Since ViArt does not typically offer a direct API for migration tools, you will need to export your store's data (products, categories, customers, orders, etc.) into CSV files. Ensure these files are well-organized and include all relevant fields. For guidance on preparing your source store, consult our How to prepare Source store for migration? FAQ.
• Set Up Your Volusion Store: Have your new Volusion store fully set up and ready to receive data. This includes choosing your plan and having basic administrative access. For details on preparing your target store, refer to our How to prepare Target store for migration? FAQ.
• Obtain Volusion Access Credentials: You will need your Volusion admin login, password, and the full URL of your Volusion store. The migration process will also require the installation of a specific module to establish a secure bridge connection. More on access credentials can be found in The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.
• Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires the installation of the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module to facilitate the secure data transfer. This module helps establish a bridge connection between the migration tool and your new Volusion store, which often involves FTP access to place the bridge files in the root directory.
• Review Volusion Limitations: Be aware that Volusion has certain limitations, such as multi-store constraints for BigCommerce variants (though not directly relevant to ViArt migration, it's a general platform notice) and SEO options often excluded for blogs. Plan your content migration strategy accordingly.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

This section outlines the detailed steps to migrate your store data using a specialized migration service, ensuring a secure and efficient transfer.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration Journey

Begin by navigating to the migration service's website and clicking the "Start Your Migration" button. This will launch the intuitive migration wizard, guiding you through each stage of the process.

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

Since ViArt is not natively supported with a direct API connection by many migration tools, you will select "CSV File to Cart" as your source platform. This method requires you to upload your exported ViArt data in CSV format. Prepare separate CSV files for your products, product categories, customers, and orders. The migration tool will then process these files to transfer your data accurately.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, choose "Volusion" from the dropdown list of target platforms. You will need to provide the full URL of your new Volusion store. To establish a secure connection, you must install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module on your Volusion store. This typically involves uploading bridge files via FTP to your store's root directory. Once installed, provide your Volusion admin login, password, and the bridge location as requested by the migration wizard to complete the connection.

Step 4: Select Entities for Data Transfer

At this stage, you'll specify which data entities you want to move from your ViArt CSV files to your Volusion store. Common entities supported include:

• Products
• Product Categories
• Product Manufacturers
• Product Reviews
• Customers
• Orders
• Invoices
• Taxes
• Stores (if applicable for multi-store setup)
• Coupons
• CMS Pages

You can choose to migrate all entities or select them individually based on your business needs.

Step 5: Define Additional Migration Options

Customize your migration by selecting various additional options. These features are designed to enhance your data transfer and preserve critical store functionalities and SEO value. Recommended options often include:

• Clear Target: This option allows you to remove any existing data on your Volusion store before migration, ensuring a clean transfer. Read more about Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Orders IDs, Preserve Customers IDs: These options help maintain the original IDs for your products, orders, and customer accounts, which can be crucial for inventory management, customer service, and third-party integrations. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?.
• Create Variants from Attributes: Essential for products with multiple options (e.g., size, color).
• SEO URLs & 301 SEO URLs: Migrate your existing SEO URLs and create 301 redirects to preserve your search engine rankings and link equity from your old ViArt store.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures that product images embedded within descriptions are transferred correctly.
• Password Migration: Securely migrate customer passwords, allowing your existing customers to log in to your new Volusion store without needing to reset their passwords.
• Migrate Invoices: Transfer existing invoice data.

Step 6: Map Your Data Fields

Data mapping is a crucial step to ensure consistency between your ViArt (CSV) data and Volusion's structure. You will typically map customer groups (e.g., "Wholesale" to "Customer") and order statuses (e.g., "Pending" to "New Order"). This process ensures that your transferred data aligns perfectly with Volusion's categories and statuses, maintaining data integrity.

Step 7: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to a full migration, always run a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, and orders) to your Volusion store. Review the demo results carefully to ensure all data is transferred correctly and appears as expected. This step helps identify and resolve any potential issues before the full data transfer.

Step 8: Initiate Full Data Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full migration. Review the summary of the migration, confirm the entities selected, and consider adding Migration Insurance Service for added peace of mind, which often includes remigrations within a certain period. Click the button to start the complete data transfer to your new Volusion store.

Post-Migration Steps

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

• Thoroughly Verify Data: After the full migration, meticulously check your Volusion store. Verify product listings, categories, customer accounts, order histories, and all other transferred data to ensure accuracy and completeness. Pay close attention to pricing, images, descriptions, and variant options.
• Configure Store Settings: Set up essential Volusion store configurations, including payment gateways, shipping methods, tax settings (Volusion allows for multi-tax options), and regional settings.
• Update DNS Settings: Once you're confident your new Volusion store is fully functional, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Volusion store. Plan this step carefully to minimize any potential downtime.
• Implement 301 Redirects: Even if you opted for automatic 301 redirects during migration, it's wise to manually check and ensure all critical old ViArt URLs redirect correctly to their new Volusion counterparts. This is vital for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity.
• Review SEO and Analytics: Reconfigure your SEO settings within Volusion, submit your new sitemap to search engines, and set up your analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Search Console) to monitor performance.
• Test All Functionality: Conduct extensive testing of your new store. This includes placing test orders, checking customer account logins, verifying payment processing, and ensuring all contact forms and interactive elements work as expected.
• Inform Your Customers: Send out an announcement to your customer base about the new store and any improvements they can expect.
• Deprecate Old ViArt Store: Once you are entirely satisfied with your Volusion store's performance and data integrity, you can safely decommission your old ViArt store, ensuring you maintain a backup for archival purposes.

By following these steps, you can confidently transition your e-commerce business from ViArt to Volusion, unlocking new opportunities for growth and providing a superior shopping experience for your customers. If you encounter any challenges or require expert assistance, remember that professional migration services are available to guide you through every step.