Oxatis to BigCommerce Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store from Oxatis to BigCommerce

Are you running an online store on Oxatis and contemplating a move to a more scalable and feature-rich platform? Migrating your e-commerce business to BigCommerce can open up new avenues for growth, offering advanced capabilities in design, marketing, and sales management. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of transferring your store data from Oxatis to BigCommerce, ensuring a smooth and successful transition for your business.

BigCommerce stands out as a robust solution for businesses looking to expand, providing a powerful API, extensive customization options, and a comprehensive app marketplace. While Oxatis has served many merchants well, the decision to replatform often comes from a need for greater flexibility, performance, and international reach. Let's explore how you can make this vital switch.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before you begin the data transfer process, thorough preparation is key to ensuring data integrity and minimizing downtime. Here's what you need to have in place:

• Oxatis Data Export: Since Oxatis does not offer a direct API for third-party migration tools, you will need to export all your vital store data—including products, categories, customer information, and order history—into CSV files. Ensure these files are well-organized and contain all necessary information, such as product SKUs, variants, descriptions, customer addresses, and order statuses.
• BigCommerce Store Setup: You'll need an active BigCommerce store. If you don't have one yet, sign up and complete the initial setup. This includes setting up your store's basic information and choosing a theme.
• BigCommerce API Credentials: To connect your BigCommerce store as the target platform, you must generate API credentials. This involves creating a custom API account within your BigCommerce admin panel. You will need the following for connection:
  • Client ID (Username)
  • Access Token (API Token)
  • API Path

  Remember that BigCommerce requires HTTPS for API connections. For a detailed guide on obtaining these, consult our article: The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

• Data Backup: Always perform a complete backup of your Oxatis store data before initiating any migration. This is a crucial step to safeguard your information in case of unforeseen issues.
• Review Your Data: Take this opportunity to clean up old or redundant data. Delete outdated products, customers, or unused categories from your Oxatis store to ensure a clean migration.
• Consider Downtime: While most migrations are performed with minimal impact, plan for a small window of potential downtime, especially during the final DNS switch.
• Plugin Requirements for BigCommerce: BigCommerce requires a custom app with specific scopes for API access. This custom app development is typically handled by the migration service to ensure all necessary permissions are granted for data transfer.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

The migration process from Oxatis (via CSV) to BigCommerce can be streamlined using an automated migration wizard. Follow these steps to move your store's assets:

Step 1: Get Started with the Migration Wizard

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. You will typically be presented with options to start a new migration.

Step 2: Configure Your Source Cart (Oxatis via CSV)

In this step, you will specify your current platform, Oxatis, by selecting the 'CSV File to Cart' option as your source cart. This acknowledges that you will be uploading your Oxatis data via CSV files.

• From the dropdown menu, select 'CSV File to Cart' as your Source Cart.
• Upload the CSV files you exported from your Oxatis store. Ensure that all relevant files for products, customers, and orders are included. The system will then process these files to prepare your data for transfer.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Cart (BigCommerce)

Now, it's time to connect your new BigCommerce store where your data will reside.

• Select 'BigCommerce' as your Target Cart from the dropdown list.
• Enter your BigCommerce store's URL.
• Provide the API credentials you generated: the Client ID, Access Token, and API Path. This allows the migration tool to securely access your BigCommerce store.

Remember, BigCommerce enforces API rate limits, and an HTTPS connection is mandatory for all API interactions. Also, be aware that custom app development might be needed to fulfill the required API scopes, which is handled by the migration service.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

Choose the specific types of data (entities) you wish to transfer from your Oxatis CSV files to BigCommerce. You can typically select all entities or pick them individually based on your needs.

BigCommerce supports the migration of various entities, including:

• Products, Product Categories, Product Manufacturers, Product Attributes, Product Attribute Options
• Customers, Orders
• Coupons
• Blogs Posts, CMS Pages

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

Enhance your migration by selecting additional options that cater to your specific business requirements. These options can significantly impact the SEO rankings and overall user experience of your new BigCommerce store.

• Clear Target Store Data: Opt to clear current data on the target store before migration to ensure a fresh start.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: This crucial option helps preserve your search engine rankings by automatically creating redirects from your old Oxatis URLs to the new BigCommerce URLs. This prevents broken links and maintains link equity.
• Preserve IDs: Options like 'Preserve Product IDs', 'Preserve Category IDs', 'Preserve Customers IDs', and 'Preserve Orders IDs' can be vital for maintaining consistency with external systems or for internal record-keeping. Learn more about how Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Create Variants from Attributes: If your Oxatis products have attributes that define variations (e.g., size, color), this option will convert them into BigCommerce product variants.
• Migrate Groups to Tags: This option helps transfer customer groups or similar categorizations from Oxatis and represent them as tags in BigCommerce.

Step 6: Map Data Fields

This step involves matching corresponding data fields between your Oxatis CSV data and BigCommerce. You'll need to map customer groups, order statuses, and potentially product attributes to ensure data consistency.

• Match your Oxatis customer groups (e.g., 'Wholesale', 'Retail') to appropriate customer groups or tags in BigCommerce.
• Map your Oxatis order statuses (e.g., 'Pending', 'Processing', 'Completed') to the equivalent statuses in BigCommerce.
• Ensure any custom fields or attributes from Oxatis are correctly mapped to BigCommerce's data structure.

Step 7: Run the Free Demo Migration

Before committing to the full migration, perform a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your BigCommerce store. Review the migrated data to ensure everything is transferred correctly and appears as expected. This step is crucial for verifying data integrity and identifying any potential issues.

Step 8: Perform the Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo migration results, proceed with the full data transfer. This will move all your selected Oxatis store data to BigCommerce. You can also consider purchasing a Migration Insurance Plan, which provides a set number of remigrations for a specified duration, offering peace of mind if any adjustments are needed post-migration. Learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

Post-Migration Steps

After your data has been successfully moved to BigCommerce, there are several crucial steps to complete to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized:

• Review All Migrated Data: Thoroughly check your BigCommerce store to confirm that all products, categories, customer accounts, orders, and other data entities have been transferred accurately. Verify product images, descriptions, prices, and inventory levels.
• Configure Store Settings: Set up essential store configurations in BigCommerce, including payment gateways, shipping zones and rates, taxes, and currency settings.
• Install Apps and Integrations: Explore the BigCommerce App Marketplace to find apps that replicate or enhance the functionalities you had on Oxatis, such as marketing tools, accounting integrations, or customer service solutions.
• Set Up 301 Redirects: Even if you used the 'Create 301 SEO URLs' option during migration, it's wise to double-check that all critical old Oxatis URLs redirect correctly to their new BigCommerce counterparts. This is vital for maintaining your SEO rankings and preserving link equity.
• Update DNS Settings: Point your domain name to your new BigCommerce store. This is the final step to make your BigCommerce store live to the public. Be sure to schedule this carefully to minimize downtime.
• Perform Comprehensive Testing: Conduct extensive testing of your BigCommerce store. Place test orders, check product pages, test contact forms, verify checkout processes, and ensure mobile responsiveness. Solicit feedback from a small group of users before a full launch.
• SEO Optimization: Re-evaluate and optimize your new store's SEO. Update meta titles and descriptions, ensure your sitemap is submitted to search engines, and work on building new backlinks.
• Inform Customers: Announce the move to your customers. Share the benefits of your new store and provide any new account login instructions if necessary.

Migrating from Oxatis to BigCommerce is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and execution, you can successfully transition your business to a powerful and scalable platform. If you encounter any challenges, consider our Ultimate Data Migration Service or Contact Us for expert assistance.