Usablenet to Squarespace Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from Usablenet to Squarespace

As your e-commerce business evolves, you might find your current platform, like Usablenet, no longer meets your growing needs for features, flexibility, or user experience. Squarespace, known for its intuitive design tools and integrated e-commerce functionalities, offers an attractive alternative for merchants looking to modernize their online presence.

This guide will walk you through the entire process of moving your store data from Usablenet to Squarespace, leveraging a robust migration solution to ensure a smooth, secure, and complete data transfer. Given that Usablenet is a highly customized platform, the migration process will involve exporting your data into CSV files, which will then serve as the source for your transfer to Squarespace.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, a few preparatory steps are crucial to ensure a seamless transition and minimize potential downtime for your online store.

For Your Usablenet (Source) Store:

• Data Export: Since Usablenet typically involves custom implementations, you will need to export all your essential store data into CSV files. This includes products (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images), product categories, customer records, order history, product reviews, and any CMS pages or blog posts you wish to carry over. Ensure these CSV files are clean, well-organized, and accurately reflect your current store data. For detailed guidance, read our CSV File Data Migration service overview.
• Data Audit: Take this opportunity to clean up any outdated or redundant data. A streamlined dataset will make the migration process faster and more efficient.
• Backup: Always perform a full backup of your Usablenet store data before starting any migration. This is a critical step for data security.

For more insights on preparing your source store, refer to our How to prepare Source store for migration? FAQ.

For Your Squarespace (Target) Store:

• Create a Squarespace Account: If you don't have one already, set up your new Squarespace account and choose a suitable subscription plan.
• Select a Template: Choose a Squarespace template that aligns with your brand and functional requirements. While design can be customized post-migration, a good starting point is beneficial.
• Install the Cart2Cart Squarespace Migration App: Squarespace requires a dedicated app for API integration to facilitate data imports. Ensure this app is installed to allow the migration tool to connect securely.
• HTTPS Configuration: Squarespace natively supports HTTPS, which is required for secure API connections. Ensure your Squarespace site is configured for HTTPS.

For further details on setting up your target store, consult 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 migrating your e-commerce data to Squarespace using a migration wizard.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. This is where you'll initiate your data transfer process. You can choose to start a do-it-yourself migration or explore options for a guided service.

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

In the wizard, you will first configure your source platform. As Usablenet is a custom solution, you will select "CSV File to Cart" as your source shopping cart type. You will then be prompted to upload the CSV files containing your Usablenet store data (products, customers, orders, etc.).

Ensure all necessary CSV files are uploaded accurately. The migration tool will then process these files to understand your store's structure and content.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Store (Squarespace)

Next, select "Squarespace" as your target shopping cart from the dropdown list. To establish a secure connection, you will need to provide your Squarespace administrative credentials. This typically includes your Squarespace Admin URL, your administrator's email, and the corresponding admin password.

Squarespace utilizes an API-only connection method, which requires the "Cart2Cart Squarespace Migration App" to be installed on your Squarespace site to grant the necessary API access permissions. While the platform data mentions API keys and tokens, the primary connection for most users through a migration wizard will involve these admin credentials that facilitate the API integration.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This crucial step allows you to specify exactly which types of data you wish to transfer from your Usablenet CSV files to your new Squarespace store. Common entities include:

• Products (including SKUs, variants, prices, images, descriptions)
• Product Categories
• Customers
• Orders
• Product Reviews
• CMS Pages
• Blogs Posts
• Coupons

You can choose to migrate "All entities" or selectively pick the data points most vital for your new Squarespace storefront. The supported entities for Squarespace are Products, Products_Categories, Products_Reviews, Customers, Orders, CMS_Pages, Gift_Cards, Coupons, and Blogs_Posts.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Data Mapping

This stage is where you fine-tune the migration process. You'll find a range of additional options designed to optimize your data transfer and preserve critical information:

Additional Migration Options:

• Clear Target: This option will remove all existing data from your Squarespace store before the migration, ensuring a clean slate. Read more about clearing current data on Target store.
• Preserve Order IDs: Crucial for maintaining historical data and accounting records. How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• SEO URLs: Helps to maintain your search engine rankings by transferring existing SEO-friendly URLs.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures product images embedded within descriptions are correctly transferred.
• 301 SEO URLs / Create 301 SEO URLs: Essential for maintaining your link equity and preventing broken links from your old Usablenet store. This automatically creates redirects from your old URLs to your new Squarespace URLs, safeguarding your SEO rankings.
• Migrate All Categories: Ensures all your product categories are moved over.

Data Mapping:

You will also need to perform data mapping, which involves matching customer groups and order statuses from your Usablenet CSVs to their equivalents in Squarespace. This ensures data consistency and integrity, correctly associating source data with the appropriate structures in your new platform.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

It's highly recommended to run a free Demo Migration first. This allows you to migrate a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your Squarespace store, letting you verify the data transfer quality and test functionalities without commitment. After reviewing the demo results and making any necessary adjustments, you can proceed with the Full Migration.

During the full migration setup, you may also consider a Migration Insurance Plan, which offers additional remigrations within a set period. This can be invaluable for ensuring long-term data consistency and peace of mind. How Migration Insurance works?

Post-Migration Steps

Once your data transfer to Squarespace is complete, several critical steps remain to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

• Thorough Data Verification: Systematically check all migrated data on your Squarespace store. Verify product details (SKUs, images, descriptions, pricing, variants), customer accounts, order histories, reviews, and CMS pages for accuracy.
• Configure Squarespace Settings: Set up your payment gateways, shipping zones, tax settings, and any specific Squarespace apps or plugins you plan to use.
• Design and Layout Adjustments: Customize your Squarespace theme to match your brand identity, ensuring a consistent user experience.
• Implement 301 Redirects: If you opted to create 301 redirects during migration, verify that they are functioning correctly. This is paramount for maintaining your search engine optimization (SEO) rankings and preserving link equity from your old Usablenet URLs.
• Update DNS Records: Once you are completely satisfied with your new Squarespace store, update your domain's DNS records to point to your Squarespace site.
• Extensive Testing: Conduct thorough testing of all core functionalities: browse products, add to cart, checkout process, customer registration/login, search, and contact forms.
• Monitor Performance: Keep an eye on your site's performance, load times, and SEO rankings in the weeks following the launch.
• Consider Recent Data Migration: If your Usablenet store continued to receive orders or updates during the migration period, explore options like a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer any newly added data.

Migrating from Usablenet to Squarespace is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right tools, it can lead to a revitalized and more efficient e-commerce presence. For any questions or advanced needs, don't hesitate to contact us; our experts are ready to assist you.