Arastta to Ecwid Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from Arastta to Ecwid

As the e-commerce landscape rapidly evolves, merchants often find themselves needing to replatform their stores to leverage modern features, improved scalability, and enhanced user experiences. If you're currently running your store on Arastta and are considering a move to Ecwid, you're looking at a transition from a self-hosted, OpenCart-based solution to a flexible, embeddable SaaS platform. While Arastta offered a degree of customization, its ecosystem and maintenance can become challenging. Ecwid, on the other hand, provides a robust, hosted environment that integrates seamlessly with existing websites, social media, and marketplaces, making it an attractive choice for growth-focused businesses.

This guide will walk you through every critical step of migrating your e-commerce data from Arastta to Ecwid, ensuring a smooth and successful data transfer. Due to Arastta not being directly integrated with many automated migration services, we will outline a process involving CSV data export, which offers a secure and comprehensive way to move your valuable store information.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, careful preparation of both your source (Arastta) and target (Ecwid) stores is essential to minimize potential issues and ensure data integrity. Taking these steps will streamline the entire replatforming process.

Preparing Your Arastta Store (Source)

• Data Cleanup: Review your Arastta store for any outdated products, unused customer accounts, or irrelevant order data. Cleaning this up now will prevent migrating unnecessary information to your new Ecwid store.
• Full Data Backup: Always create a complete backup of your Arastta store's database and files. This is a crucial safety net in case any unforeseen issues arise during the export process.
• Export Data to CSV: Since Arastta is not natively supported by direct migration tools, the most reliable and efficient method for data transfer involves exporting your store's data into CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. You will typically find export functionalities within your Arastta admin panel for key entities such as products, product categories, customer records, orders, and potentially reviews. These CSV files will then serve as the source for your migration to Ecwid.
• For more detailed guidance on preparing your source platform, refer to our How to prepare Source store for migration? FAQ.

Preparing Your Ecwid Store (Target)

• Create an Ecwid Account: If you haven't already, sign up for an Ecwid account and set up your basic store. You don't need to populate it with products yet, as the migration process will handle that.
• Install Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App: Ecwid requires the installation of a specific app to facilitate API access for data import. Navigate to the Ecwid App Market within your admin panel and search for and install the "Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App." This application is essential for establishing a secure connection and enabling the data transfer.
• Basic Store Configuration: Configure essential settings like your store's currency, preferred language, shipping zones, and tax settings in Ecwid. This ensures that the migrated product and order data aligns with your new store's operational parameters.
• Clear Target Store Data (Optional): If your Ecwid store already contains sample data or previous migration attempts, consider clearing it before starting a new transfer to avoid duplicates and ensure a clean slate. You will typically find this option within the migration wizard.
• For additional tips on preparing your target platform, visit our How to prepare Target store for migration? FAQ.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that your stores are prepared, it's time to initiate the data transfer using an automated migration wizard. This guide will walk you through the typical steps involved, ensuring a structured and efficient replatforming process.

Step 1: Get Started with the Migration Wizard

Begin by navigating to the migration service platform. You will be prompted to start a new migration process. This initial step sets the stage for configuring your source and target platforms.

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

In the migration wizard, you will need to specify your source platform. Since Arastta isn't a direct connector, select "CSV File to Cart" as your source shopping cart type from the dropdown list. You will then be prompted to upload the CSV files you exported from your Arastta store. Ensure all relevant data files (products, categories, customers, orders, etc.) are correctly uploaded. The migration tool will parse these files to extract your store's data.

For more information on CSV-based migrations, you can consult our CSV.File Data Migration service details.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Ecwid)

Next, select "Ecwid" as your target shopping cart. To establish a secure connection, you will need to provide your Ecwid API access credentials. These typically include your "Store ID" and an "Access Token."

You can usually find these credentials by logging into your Ecwid admin panel, navigating to Apps > App Market, and then opening the "Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App" that you previously installed. The app page will provide the necessary details. Remember that Ecwid requires HTTPS for all API connections to ensure data security.

For help locating your access credentials, refer to The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Step 4: Select Data Entities to Migrate

This crucial step allows you to define exactly what data you wish to transfer from your Arastta CSV files to your new Ecwid store. The migration wizard will present a checklist of supported entities, which typically include:

• Products: Including SKUs, variants, images, and descriptions.
• Product Categories: Maintaining hierarchical structure.
• Customers: With associated customer groups and billing/shipping addresses.
• Orders: Preserving order history, statuses, and associated customer details.
• Products Reviews: Ensuring valuable social proof is retained.
• CMS Pages: Important for retaining static content.
• Gift Cards & Coupons: For promotional strategies.
• Blogs & Blogs Posts: To maintain content marketing efforts.

You can choose to migrate all available entities or select specific ones based on your business requirements. For instance, if you're starting fresh with products, you might deselect them, but generally, a full transfer is recommended.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Data Mapping

This stage offers powerful customization options to tailor your migration. Take your time to review these settings carefully.

Additional Migration Options

You will find a list of checkboxes for various enhancements. Key options for your Arastta to Ecwid transfer might include:

• Clear Target Store Data: This is useful if your Ecwid store contains existing data that you want to overwrite or remove before migration. Read more about this option here: Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Preserve Order IDs: This ensures your historical order numbering remains consistent in Ecwid. Understanding how How Preserve IDs options can be used? is vital for maintaining records.
• SEO URLs & Create 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity. This option helps automatically create redirects from your old Arastta URLs to your new Ecwid URLs, preventing broken links and preserving SEO value.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures that product descriptions, category descriptions, and CMS pages retain their embedded images.

Be aware of Ecwid's API rate limits. Professional migration tools are designed to handle these limitations automatically, ensuring a smooth data flow without interruptions.

Data Mapping Setup

The wizard will prompt you to map specific data fields from your Arastta CSV to their corresponding fields in Ecwid. This is especially important for:

• Customer Groups Mapping: Match customer roles from Arastta to Ecwid's customer groups.
• Order Status Mapping: Align your Arastta order statuses (e.g., "Pending," "Processing," "Completed") with Ecwid's equivalents to maintain accurate order history.

Correct data mapping is vital for maintaining data integrity and ensuring that all migrated information is correctly categorized and displayed in your new Ecwid store.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, it's highly recommended to perform a Demo Migration. This will transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) for free, allowing you to:

• Verify the accuracy of the migrated data.
• Check image quality and link structures.
• Ensure that mapping settings work as intended.
• Identify any potential issues before the full transfer.

Once you're satisfied with the demo results, proceed to the Full Migration. Review the final cost based on your selected entities and consider adding a Migration Insurance Service. This service offers the flexibility to perform remigrations, which can be invaluable for post-migration adjustments or if you discover minor issues later. Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?

The full data transfer will then commence. You can monitor its progress, and you'll typically receive a notification once it's complete.

Post-Migration Steps

Completing the data transfer is a significant milestone, but the journey to a fully operational Ecwid store isn't over. These post-migration steps are crucial for ensuring your new store is ready for customers and performs optimally.

• Thorough Data Verification: Rigorously check your new Ecwid store. Verify that all products (including SKUs, variants, prices, images), customer accounts, order histories, reviews, and CMS pages have been transferred accurately. Pay close attention to product images, pricing, and stock levels.
• Configure Ecwid Store Settings:
  • Payment Gateways: Set up and test your preferred payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal).
  • Shipping Methods: Configure your shipping zones, rates, and carriers.
  • Taxes: Ensure your tax settings are correctly applied according to your business location and legal requirements.
  • Design and Theme: Customize your Ecwid storefront's look and feel to match your brand identity. Ecwid's flexibility allows for seamless integration into virtually any website or new site design.
  • SEO Settings: Review meta titles, descriptions, and URL structures. If you used the 301 redirect option during migration, double-check that redirects are working as expected to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity.
• Test Store Functionality: Perform end-to-end testing of your Ecwid store. This includes:
  • Browsing products and categories.
  • Adding items to the cart.
  • Going through the entire checkout process as a customer.
  • Creating new customer accounts and logging into existing ones.
  • Testing search functionality.
• Update DNS and Go Live: Once you are confident in your new Ecwid store, it's time to update your domain's DNS records to point to your Ecwid store. This step makes your new store live. Plan this carefully to minimize any potential downtime for your customers.
• Monitor and Optimize: After going live, continuously monitor your store's performance. Check analytics for traffic patterns, conversion rates, and user behavior. Address any issues promptly and look for opportunities to optimize your store for speed, user experience, and conversions.

Migrating from Arastta to Ecwid is a strategic move that can empower your e-commerce business with modern capabilities and greater flexibility. By following this detailed guide, you can ensure a smooth, efficient, and successful transition, setting your store up for future growth and success.

Should you require any professional assistance throughout your migration journey, do not hesitate to Contact Us. Our team of experts is ready to help you achieve a seamless transition.