WP Online Store to Ecwid Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Migrate WP Online Store to Ecwid: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Embarking on an e-commerce platform migration can be a pivotal moment for your online business. If you're looking to transition your store from WP Online Store to Ecwid, you're making a move towards a platform known for its flexibility and ease of use. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process, focusing on a seamless data transfer from your WP Online Store (via CSV export) to your new Ecwid store, ensuring your products, customers, and orders are accurately moved.

We understand that replatforming can seem daunting, but by following these detailed steps, you can ensure data integrity, preserve your valuable SEO rankings, and set your new Ecwid store up for success. Our goal is to simplify this complex process into actionable steps, minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before you begin the data transfer process, a little preparation goes a long way to ensure a smooth transition. Gathering necessary information and configuring your environments are crucial steps.

For Your WP Online Store (Source)

• Data Export: Since WP Online Store is not directly supported by automated migration tools, you will need to export your store data into CSV files. Focus on extracting essential entities such as products (including SKUs, variants, prices), product categories, customer data, and order information.
• Data Cleaning: Review your exported CSV files for any inconsistencies or redundant information. Cleaning your data beforehand will prevent errors and improve the quality of data on your new Ecwid store.
• Backup Your Store: Always create a full backup of your WP Online Store data and files before initiating any migration process. This safeguards your information against unforeseen issues.

For more detailed guidance, consider reading our guide on How to prepare Source store for migration?

For Your Ecwid Store (Target)

• Active Ecwid Store: Ensure you have an active Ecwid account and store set up.
• Install Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App: Ecwid migration requires a specific application. You will need to install the Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App directly from the Ecwid App Market. This application handles the API connection and facilitates the data transfer.
• HTTPS Requirement: Note that Ecwid requires HTTPS for its API connection. Ensure your Ecwid store is configured to use HTTPS.
• Review API Access: While the Cart2Cart app will manage most of the connection, it's beneficial to understand how Ecwid's API access works, in case you need to provide specific credentials like Store ID and Access Token within the app. Ecwid uses an API only connection method.

To prepare your target store, you can also refer to our How to prepare Target store for migration? FAQ.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, let's dive into the step-by-step process of moving your e-commerce data to Ecwid.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration wizard interface. This is where you'll initiate the data transfer process.

Step 2: Set Up Your Source Store (WP Online Store via CSV)

In the migration wizard, you'll be prompted to specify your source platform. Since WP Online Store data will be provided via CSV, select "CSV File to Cart" as your Source Shopping Cart. You will then upload your prepared CSV files containing your products, categories, customers, and orders.

As a source-only platform for CSV imports, this method allows for a flexible and comprehensive data upload, including entities like products, product categories, customer accounts, and order history.

Step 3: Configure Your Target Store (Ecwid)

Next, select "Ecwid" as your Target Shopping Cart from the dropdown list. As mentioned in the prerequisites, Ecwid requires the Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App for connection. The migration wizard will guide you to connect via this app, likely prompting for your Ecwid Store ID and an API Access Token. Remember that Ecwid's connection method is API only, and it has API rate limits.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This critical step allows you to choose exactly which types of data you want to transfer from your WP Online Store to Ecwid. You can select all available entities or pick specific ones like products, product categories, customer records, orders, and even reviews. The system will display the count of each entity ready for migration.

Supported entities for transfer to Ecwid include: Products, Product Categories, Product Reviews, Customers, Orders, CMS Pages, Gift Cards, Coupons, and Blog Posts. This ensures a comprehensive move of your store's essential content and operational data.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Data Mapping

This stage offers powerful tools to fine-tune your migration for optimal data integrity and SEO preservation.

Additional Migration Options

Select from a range of additional options to customize your data transfer. Highly recommended options include:

• Clear Target: This option clears current data on your Ecwid store before migration, ensuring a fresh start.
• Preserve Order IDs: This helps maintain historical consistency by preserving original order IDs, crucial for accounting and customer service.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Essential for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity. This option automatically creates 301 redirects from your old WP Online Store URLs to the new Ecwid URLs, preventing broken links and preserving your search engine visibility.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures all product images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Migrate All Categories: Ensures your category hierarchy is fully moved.

Data Mapping

The data mapping step allows you to align customer groups and order statuses from your WP Online Store (CSV data) to their corresponding equivalents in Ecwid. This ensures that your customer segmentation and order workflow remain consistent post-migration.

Step 6: Run Free Demo and Full Migration

Before committing to a full migration, we highly recommend running a Free Demo Migration. This transfers a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Ecwid store, allowing you to:

• Verify Data: Check that products, customer data, and orders have transferred correctly.
• Test Functionality: Ensure core functionalities like checkout, search, and product pages work as expected.
• Assess User Experience: Get a feel for your new store.

Once satisfied with the demo results, you can proceed with the Full Migration. This will transfer all your selected data. Consider adding a Migration Insurance Plan, which offers additional remigrations and support, ensuring peace of mind during your transition. You can learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

Post-Migration Steps

After your data has successfully been transferred to Ecwid, there are a few crucial steps to finalize your store and ensure a smooth operational launch.

1. Thorough Data Verification: Rigorously check all migrated entities. Confirm that product SKUs, descriptions, images, variants, customer accounts, order histories, and reviews are all present and accurate.
2. Test All Store Functions: Perform comprehensive testing of your new Ecwid store. This includes placing test orders, checking payment gateways, verifying shipping calculations, testing search functionality, and ensuring all navigation links work correctly.
3. Update DNS and Implement 301 Redirects: Once you are confident in your new Ecwid store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to Ecwid. If you used the "Create 301 SEO URLs" option during migration, your old URLs will automatically redirect, preserving your SEO rankings and link equity. If not, manually implement 301 redirects for critical pages to prevent broken links and maintain your search engine visibility.
4. Install Essential Apps & Integrations: Explore the Ecwid App Market for any apps or integrations vital to your business operations, such as marketing tools, accounting software, or customer support platforms.
5. Notify Your Customers: Inform your customers about your new store and any changes they might experience. This is also a great opportunity to re-engage them.
6. Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your new store's performance. Monitor site speed, user experience, and search engine rankings to quickly identify and address any potential issues.

Migrating from WP Online Store to Ecwid is a significant upgrade for many businesses. By following this detailed guide, you can ensure a successful and efficient data transfer, allowing you to focus on growing your business on your new, robust Ecwid platform.

Should you require further assistance or have specific customization needs, feel free to Contact Us or explore our Frequently Asked Questions.