BorderFree to PrestaShop Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from BorderFree to PrestaShop

Migrating an e-commerce store is a significant undertaking, but a successful replatforming can unlock new growth opportunities and provide enhanced control over your online business. If you're looking to move your store from BorderFree to PrestaShop, this detailed guide will walk you through every essential step of the data transfer process. PrestaShop, an open-source e-commerce solution, offers robust customization, a vibrant community, and powerful features, making it an excellent choice for merchants seeking greater flexibility and scalability.

Given that BorderFree primarily focuses on international checkout and shipping solutions, and is not a traditional full-fledged shopping cart platform with direct migration APIs, the most effective method for data transfer involves exporting your existing store data into CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. These CSV files will then serve as the source for your migration to PrestaShop, ensuring a smooth and accurate transition of your vital e-commerce data.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before embarking on your migration journey, ensure you have the following in place to guarantee a seamless transition and minimize potential downtime:

• BorderFree Data Export: As BorderFree is not a direct shopping cart platform, you will need to export all your relevant store data (products, customers, orders, etc.) into well-structured CSV files. This is the crucial first step for preparing your source data. For assistance with this, you may consult our CSV File Data Migration service.
• PrestaShop Store Installation: Have a clean, newly installed PrestaShop store ready as your target platform. It's recommended to start with a fresh installation to avoid conflicts. You can find more details on how to prepare your Target store for migration.
• Cart2Cart Account: Register an account with a reliable migration service like Cart2Cart. This service will facilitate the transfer of your CSV data to PrestaShop.
• Backup Your Data: Always create a comprehensive backup of your current BorderFree data (your exported CSVs) and any existing PrestaShop data (if applicable) before initiating the migration. This safeguards your information against any unforeseen issues.
• Access Credentials: You will need administrative access to your PrestaShop store. This includes your admin URL and login credentials. For the connection method involving a Connection Bridge, you will also need FTP or cPanel access to your PrestaShop store's root directory. Understand more about access credentials and whether it is safe to provide your company with my access details.
• PrestaShop Plugin Requirement: PrestaShop migrations via a bridge connection require the Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module to be installed on your target store.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to successfully transfer your e-commerce data from BorderFree (via CSV) to PrestaShop:

Step 1: Get Started with Cart2Cart

Begin by navigating to the Cart2Cart migration wizard. This intuitive interface will guide you through the entire replatforming process.

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

On the Source Store Setup step, select 'CSV File to Cart' from the dropdown menu as your source shopping cart type. You will then be prompted to upload the CSV files containing your BorderFree store data. Ensure your CSVs are well-formatted to facilitate accurate data parsing.

Step 3: Configure Your Target Store (PrestaShop)

Next, choose 'PrestaShop' as your Target Cart. You'll need to provide your PrestaShop store's Admin URL. The recommended connection method for PrestaShop is via the Connection Bridge. This involves downloading a bridge file, extracting the 'bridge2cart' folder, and uploading it to the root directory of your PrestaShop installation via FTP. Additionally, ensure the Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module is installed on your PrestaShop store.

Step 4: Select Data Entities and Additional Options

This critical step allows you to choose exactly which data entities you wish to transfer. Common entities include:

• Products (SKUs, variants, images, descriptions)
• Product Categories
• Product Manufacturers
• Product Reviews
• Customers (customer data, billing, shipping addresses)
• Orders (order history, statuses)
• Invoices
• Taxes
• Coupons
• CMS Pages
• Blogs & Blog Posts

You can choose to migrate all entities or selectively pick those relevant to your business needs.

Below the entity selection, you'll find a range of Additional Migration Options. These are crucial for fine-tuning your data transfer. Consider enabling options such as:

• Preserve Product IDs, Category IDs, Customer IDs, and Order IDs: Helps maintain data integrity and avoids breaking existing links. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Essential for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity by automatically redirecting old BorderFree URLs to their new PrestaShop counterparts.
• Migrate Customer Passwords: Ensures customers can log into their new PrestaShop accounts without a password reset.
• Migrate Images in Description: Transfers product and category images embedded within descriptions.
• Clear Target Store Data: If you have any sample data in your PrestaShop installation, this option will remove it before the migration. Read about Clear current data on Target store before migration option.

Step 5: Data Mapping

The Data Mapping Setup allows you to accurately match specific fields from your source CSV data to their corresponding fields in PrestaShop. This is particularly important for customer groups and order statuses. Ensure that roles like 'Customer' and order states like 'Pending Payment' are correctly associated to maintain business logic and reporting accuracy.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to the 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) in a short timeframe. It allows you to:

• Preview how your data will appear on PrestaShop.
• Test the migration process and identify any potential issues.
• Get an accurate estimate for your full migration.

Step 7: Initiate Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the Full Migration. Review the total cost and consider selecting a Migration Insurance Plan, which offers additional remigrations in case you need to perform the transfer again. This provides peace of mind and flexibility. After confirming your selections, initiate the full data transfer. You will receive notifications on the progress.

Post-Migration Steps

After your data has been successfully transferred to PrestaShop, there are crucial post-migration steps to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized:

1. Thoroughly Test Your New PrestaShop Store: This is perhaps the most critical step. Verify every aspect of your migrated store:
   • Product Pages: Check product details, images, prices, variants, and stock levels.
   • Customer Accounts: Ensure existing customers can log in and view their order history.
   • Checkout Process: Perform test purchases to ensure payment gateways and shipping methods function correctly.
   • Order Management: Verify that orders are placed, processed, and visible in the admin panel.
   • Site Navigation: Test all menus, categories, and internal links.
2. Update DNS Records and Go Live: Once testing is complete and you're confident in your new PrestaShop store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new PrestaShop hosting. This will make your new store publicly accessible.
3. Implement 301 Redirects: Even if the migration tool provides an option for 301 SEO URLs, it's vital to double-check that all critical old BorderFree URLs correctly redirect to their new PrestaShop counterparts. This preserves your SEO rankings and prevents broken links, maintaining valuable link equity.
4. Configure SEO Settings and Analytics: Set up meta titles, descriptions, and alt tags for your products and pages. Integrate Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and any other SEO tools to monitor your new store's performance. Consider the potential benefits of a website migration.
5. Install Essential Modules and Integrations: Reinstall and configure any third-party modules, payment gateways, shipping solutions, marketing automation tools, or ERP integrations that your business relies on.
6. Review and Customize Design/Theme: Ensure your PrestaShop theme reflects your brand identity and provides an optimal user experience across all devices. Make any necessary design adjustments.
7. Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your new store's performance, site speed, user behavior, and error logs. Address any issues promptly to ensure a smooth operation. Understand if migration influences the speed of your store or if your new hosting can cause migration interruption.

Migrating from BorderFree (via CSV) to PrestaShop is a strategic move that can empower your e-commerce business with greater control and functionality. By following this detailed guide and leveraging specialized migration tools, you can ensure a smooth, efficient, and successful data transfer. If you encounter any complexities or require further assistance, don't hesitate to Contact Us for expert support.