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

Introduction: Navigating Your E-commerce Replatforming Journey

Stepping into a new e-commerce platform can be a game-changer for your online business, offering enhanced features, improved scalability, and a better user experience. If you're currently operating on VevoCart and considering a move to Volusion, this comprehensive guide is designed to walk you through every critical stage of the migration process. While VevoCart may have served its purpose, Volusion offers a robust, all-in-one solution that can elevate your online store.

As VevoCart does not offer a direct API connection for automated migration tools, this transition will primarily leverage the power of CSV file exports from your VevoCart store. We'll detail how to prepare your VevoCart data and seamlessly import it into a new Volusion environment, ensuring your products, customer data, orders, and other crucial information are transferred with integrity and precision.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, careful preparation of both your VevoCart source store and your new Volusion target store is paramount. This foundational work helps ensure a smooth, error-free transition and minimizes potential downtime.

Preparing Your VevoCart (Source) Store

• Data Backup: Always begin by performing a complete backup of your entire VevoCart store's database and files. This is your safety net, ensuring no data loss occurs during the export process.
• Data Export: You will need to export all relevant data from your VevoCart store into CSV files. This typically includes:
  • Products (including SKUs, variants, prices, images, descriptions)
  • Product Categories
  • Customer information (names, addresses, order history)
  • Orders (statuses, details, shipping information)
  • Manufacturer/Brand data
  • Reviews (if supported by VevoCart's export options)
  • CMS Pages (for static content)
  Ensure these CSV files are well-organized and contain all necessary fields for your Volusion store. For detailed guidance on preparing your source store, consult our FAQ on source store preparation.
• Data Clean-up: Take this opportunity to review and clean up your VevoCart data. Remove any outdated products, inactive customer accounts, or irrelevant information that you don't wish to transfer to your new Volusion store.

Preparing Your Volusion (Target) Store

• New Volusion Store Setup: Ensure you have a new Volusion store account actively set up and accessible. You should have administrative credentials for full control over the platform.
• Plugin Installation: To facilitate the migration, you will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module. Volusion requires a bridge connection for data transfer, and this module helps establish that secure link. You will typically upload this bridge file via FTP to your Volusion store's root directory. Understanding what a root folder is can be helpful here.
• FTP Access: Confirm you have full FTP access to your Volusion store's hosting environment. This is essential for uploading the Cart2Cart connection bridge.
• Initial Configuration: Perform basic configurations on your Volusion store, such as setting up currency, language, and initial tax settings, to prepare it to receive your migrated data. For more on preparing your target store, see our FAQ on target store preparation.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you're ready to initiate the data transfer from VevoCart (via CSV) to Volusion using an automated migration solution like Cart2Cart. Follow these steps carefully to ensure a smooth transition.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration Journey

Begin by navigating to the Cart2Cart migration wizard. This is where your replatforming process officially starts, guiding you through each configuration step.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (VevoCart via CSV)

Since VevoCart is not directly integrated, you will use the CSV file import method. Select 'CSV File to Cart' as your Source Shopping Cart and proceed to upload the CSV files you exported from VevoCart. This is how the system will access your VevoCart's product, customer, and order data.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Volusion)

Now, select 'Volusion' as your Target Shopping Cart. Enter the URL of your new Volusion store. The system will prompt you to ensure the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module (the bridge file) is correctly installed in your Volusion store's root directory via FTP. This bridge facilitates the secure transfer of data.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

At this stage, you'll choose precisely which data entities you want to transfer from your VevoCart CSVs to your Volusion store. Common choices include Products, Product Categories, Customers, Orders, Manufacturers, and Product Reviews. You can select all entities or pick them individually based on your specific requirements.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Data Mapping

This critical step allows for fine-tuning your data transfer. You'll find a range of additional migration options to ensure data integrity and optimize your new store:

• Preserve IDs: Options like "Preserve Product IDs", "Preserve Orders IDs", and "Preserve Customers IDs" can maintain the original identification numbers, which is beneficial for record-keeping and existing integrations. Read more on how Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Image Migration: Select "Migrate Images in Description" to ensure all product images embedded within descriptions are also transferred.
• SEO Preservation: "Create 301 SEO URLs" is crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity by automatically redirecting old VevoCart URLs to their new Volusion counterparts.
• Password Migration: If you wish to migrate customer passwords, select this option.
• Clear Target: The "Clear current data on Target store before migration" option (what does the option clear current data on target store before migration mean?) is useful if your Volusion store is brand new or if you want to remove any test data before the main transfer.

Following additional options, you will proceed to the Data Mapping interface. Here, you'll match your VevoCart (via CSV) customer groups and order statuses to their corresponding equivalents in Volusion. This ensures that your customer segments and order workflows translate correctly into the new platform.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to the full migration, it's highly recommended to perform a free demo migration. This transfers a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your Volusion store. This allows you to verify data accuracy, check for any potential issues, and ensure the process meets your expectations without affecting your entire dataset. It's an invaluable step for quality assurance.

Step 7: Launch Your Full Migration (and Consider Insurance)

Once you're satisfied with the demo results, you can proceed with the full data migration. This initiates the complete transfer of all selected entities from your VevoCart CSV files to your Volusion store. For added peace of mind during this critical process, consider selecting a Migration Insurance Plan. This service offers the ability to perform remigrations within a specified period, which can be invaluable for fixing unforeseen issues or transferring newly generated data post-migration. Learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

Post-Migration Steps: Ensuring a Flawless Launch

Completing the data transfer is a significant milestone, but your work isn't quite done. These post-migration steps are crucial for ensuring your new Volusion store is fully functional, optimized, and ready to serve your customers.

• Thorough Data Review: Systematically check all migrated data on your Volusion store. Verify product details (descriptions, images, SKUs, pricing, variants), customer accounts, order history, and CMS pages. Ensure everything looks as expected and is accurately rendered.
• Test Store Functionality: Conduct extensive testing of your new Volusion store's features. Place test orders, check the checkout process, verify payment gateway integrations, test search functionality, filters, customer login, and account management. Ensure a seamless user experience from browsing to purchase.
• Configure SEO & Redirects: If you opted for 301 redirects during migration, verify their functionality. If not, set up manual 301 redirects from your old VevoCart URLs to the new Volusion URLs to prevent broken links and preserve your SEO rankings. Update your sitemap in Volusion and submit it to Google Search Console. While Volusion offers strong SEO capabilities, note that SEO options might be excluded for blogs, so plan accordingly for any blog content migration.
• Update DNS Settings: Once you are completely satisfied with your new Volusion store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Volusion store. This makes your new store live to the public.
• Install Essential Apps and Plugins: Explore the Volusion App Store for any third-party integrations, marketing tools, analytics, or shipping solutions that enhance your store's functionality and your business operations.
• Decommission VevoCart: After confirming that your Volusion store is fully operational and all data has been successfully migrated, you can safely decommission your old VevoCart store.
• Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your Volusion store's performance, site speed, and user experience in the weeks following the launch. Address any issues promptly to maintain a positive customer experience.

By following this detailed guide, your transition from VevoCart to Volusion can be a smooth and rewarding experience, setting your business up for future growth and success on a powerful new platform. If you encounter any challenges or require specialized assistance, remember that expert support is available to guide you through complex scenarios, including migration customization.