EC-CUBE to BigCommerce Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Transitioning Your Store: Migrating from EC-CUBE to BigCommerce

As your e-commerce business evolves, replatforming to a more robust and scalable solution often becomes a strategic imperative. Migrating from EC-CUBE to BigCommerce offers a significant upgrade in terms of features, performance, and flexibility. BigCommerce, a leading SaaS platform, provides powerful tools for growth, enhanced security, and a rich ecosystem for extensions, contrasting with EC-CUBE's self-hosted, open-source nature.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of transferring your valuable store data from EC-CUBE to BigCommerce, ensuring data integrity and a smooth transition. Due to EC-CUBE's specific architecture, the migration will primarily involve exporting your data into CSV files, which will then be imported into your new BigCommerce store.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, careful preparation of both your source (EC-CUBE) and target (BigCommerce) stores is crucial to minimize downtime and prevent data loss.

Preparing Your EC-CUBE (Source) Store

• Backup All Data: This is the most critical step. Create a complete backup of your EC-CUBE database and all associated files. This acts as a safety net in case of any unforeseen issues during the migration process.
• Data Cleanup: Review your existing EC-CUBE store for any outdated or unnecessary data. Removing inactive products, old customer accounts, or irrelevant orders can streamline the migration and improve the performance of your new BigCommerce store.
• Export Data to CSV: Since a direct API connection for EC-CUBE is not typically available through standard migration tools, you will need to export your EC-CUBE store data (products, categories, customer details, order history, etc.) into CSV files. Ensure that the exported CSVs are well-structured and contain all necessary information, including SKUs, product variants, and image URLs. For detailed guidance, consult our article on how to prepare your source store for migration.

Preparing Your BigCommerce (Target) Store

• Set Up Your BigCommerce Store: Ensure you have an active BigCommerce store, whether it's a trial or a paid plan. Familiarize yourself with its admin panel.
• Generate API Credentials: BigCommerce uses API access for secure data transfer. You will need to generate specific API credentials within your BigCommerce admin. This includes a Client ID (Username), an Access Token (API Token), and your store's API Path. These credentials require specific scopes to be granted for a custom app that facilitates the connection. Make sure HTTPS is enabled on your BigCommerce store. For more information on obtaining these, see The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.
• Review Target Store Settings: Consider any specific settings you might want to configure in BigCommerce prior to migration, such as basic currency, time zone, or initial tax settings. More details are available in our guide: How to prepare Target store for migration?

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your stores prepared, let's proceed with the step-by-step process of migrating your EC-CUBE data to BigCommerce using an automated migration wizard.

Step 1: Get Started with the Migration Wizard

Begin by navigating to the migration service platform. This is where you'll initiate and manage your entire data transfer. You can choose to start a self-service migration or explore assisted options.

Step 2: Configure Your Source EC-CUBE Store

In the migration wizard, you'll specify your source platform. Since EC-CUBE data will be migrated via CSV files, select 'CSV File to Cart' as your Source Cart. You will then upload the CSV files containing your EC-CUBE store's data.

This method supports the migration of essential entities such as: Products, Product Categories, Manufacturers, Product Reviews, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Taxes, Coupons, CMS Pages, Blogs, and Blog Posts. For more details on this process, refer to our CSV.File Data Migration service.

Step 3: Connect Your BigCommerce Target Store

Next, select 'BigCommerce' as your Target Cart. You will be prompted to enter your BigCommerce store URL and the API credentials you generated earlier:

• Client ID (Username)
• Access Token (API Token)
• API Path

These credentials allow the migration tool to securely access and transfer data to your BigCommerce store. Remember, BigCommerce connections require a custom app with specific scopes for full access and are subject to API rate limits.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

Now, choose exactly which data entities you wish to move from your EC-CUBE CSV files to BigCommerce. You can select all available entities or meticulously pick individual ones like:

• Products (including SKUs, product attributes, and variants)
• Product Categories
• Customers
• Orders
• Manufacturers
• Coupons
• Blogs Posts
• CMS Pages

This step provides granular control over the scope of your data transfer, ensuring only relevant information is moved.

Step 5: Choose Additional Migration Options

Enhance your migration with a range of additional options designed to optimize the data transfer and preserve your store's functionality:

• Preserve IDs: Options like "Preserve Orders IDs," "Preserve Product IDs," "Preserve Category IDs," and "Preserve Customers IDs" are highly recommended to maintain data consistency and simplify post-migration tasks. Learn more about how Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: This critical option helps maintain your existing SEO rankings and link equity by automatically setting up redirects from old EC-CUBE URLs to new BigCommerce ones.
• Clear Target Store Data: The "Clear Target" option allows you to remove any existing data in your BigCommerce store before the migration, ensuring a clean slate. Read about the Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Create Variants from Attributes: Essential for products with multiple options (e.g., size, color), this ensures product variants are correctly established in BigCommerce.
• Migrate Images in Description: Transfers product images embedded within product descriptions.
• Password Migration: Securely transfers customer passwords, maintaining a seamless user experience for returning customers.
• Migrate Groups to Tags: If your EC-CUBE store utilizes customer groups, this option can map them to BigCommerce tags for better customer segmentation.

Step 6: Configure Data Mapping

This step allows you to accurately map various data fields from your EC-CUBE structure to BigCommerce's framework. Pay close attention to mapping customer groups and order statuses to their corresponding equivalents in BigCommerce. This ensures data consistency and proper categorization in your new store.

Step 7: Run a Free Demo Migration (Highly Recommended)

Before committing to a full migration, conduct a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your BigCommerce store. The demo helps you:

• Verify the accuracy and integrity of the transferred data.
• Check the appearance of products, customer data, and order history in BigCommerce.
• Identify and resolve any potential issues before the full transfer.

This valuable step ensures peace of mind and allows for necessary adjustments.

Step 8: Initiate Full Data Transfer

Once you are satisfied with the demo results and have reviewed all your settings, you can proceed with the full data transfer. Review the total cost and consider adding Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations for a specified period, safeguarding your investment. You can learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

Click to start the full migration, and your EC-CUBE store data will begin its journey to BigCommerce.

Post-Migration Steps

After the data transfer is complete, there are several crucial steps to finalize your BigCommerce store and ensure a successful launch.

• Thoroughly Review Migrated Data: Log into your BigCommerce admin panel and meticulously check all migrated products (SKUs, pricing, images, descriptions, variants), customer accounts, and order history. Verify that all metadata has transferred correctly.
• Configure BigCommerce Store Settings: Adjust essential store settings such as shipping zones and rates, tax settings, payment gateways, and currency. Integrate any necessary apps from the BigCommerce App Marketplace to extend functionality, as BigCommerce often requires custom apps for certain features.
• Design and Theme Customization: Customize your BigCommerce theme to match your brand identity and ensure an optimal user experience. Explore the BigCommerce Theme Store for suitable options.
• Set Up 301 Redirects (If Not Already Done): If you didn't use the automated 301 URL redirect option during migration, it's vital to manually set up redirects for any changed URLs to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity.
• Update DNS and Go Live: Once satisfied with your new BigCommerce store, update your domain's DNS records to point to BigCommerce. This is when your new store officially goes live. Monitor traffic and performance closely.
• Test Everything: Conduct thorough testing of your new store. Place test orders, check customer registration, review product searches, and ensure all links and functionalities work as expected.
• Monitor and Optimize: Continuously monitor your BigCommerce store's performance, SEO rankings, and user experience. Leverage BigCommerce's analytics tools to identify areas for improvement and further optimization.
• Ongoing Data Sync: If new orders or customer data appeared on your old EC-CUBE store during the migration process, consider using a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer only the latest updates.

Migrating from EC-CUBE to BigCommerce is a significant undertaking, but by following these detailed steps, you can achieve a seamless transition. For complex requirements or personalized assistance, consider our Migration Customization Service.