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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from MyCommerce to Volusion

As your e-commerce business grows, the need for a more robust, scalable, and feature-rich platform often arises. Migrating your online store is a strategic decision that can significantly enhance your operational efficiency, user experience, and overall growth potential. This guide will walk you through the process of moving your store data from MyCommerce to Volusion, leveraging a reliable data migration solution like Cart2Cart. Given that MyCommerce is typically accessed via direct data export, we'll focus on a streamlined CSV-based transfer to Volusion, ensuring a smooth transition of your valuable product, customer, and order data.

Volusion offers a powerful suite of tools designed to help merchants thrive, from advanced product management to integrated marketing features. This replatforming not only upgrades your technological foundation but also opens new avenues for customization and expansion.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before initiating your data transfer, adequate preparation of both your existing MyCommerce store and your new Volusion environment is crucial. This foundational work helps ensure data integrity and minimizes potential disruptions.

Preparing Your MyCommerce (Source) Store

• Data Export: As MyCommerce is not directly integrated via an API for automated migrations, you will need to export your store data into CSV files. Ensure you capture all essential entities, including products (with SKUs, variants, images, descriptions, and metadata), product categories, customer records, order history, and product reviews.
• Data Review: Thoroughly review your exported CSV files for accuracy and consistency. Clean up any outdated or redundant information to prevent its transfer to the new platform. Ensure all required fields for Volusion are present and correctly formatted.
• Backup Your Data: Always create a complete backup of your MyCommerce store data before performing any export or migration process. This safeguards your information in case of unforeseen issues.

For more detailed preparation guidelines, refer to our How to prepare Source store for migration? FAQ.

Preparing Your Volusion (Target) Store

• Set Up Your New Store: Ensure your Volusion store is fully set up and accessible. You should have administrative access and the URL ready.
• Install Cart2Cart Migration Module: Volusion requires a specific connection method. You will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module (bridge) to facilitate the data transfer. This typically involves uploading a small file to your Volusion store's root directory via FTP. Details on this process will be provided within the migration wizard.
• Access Credentials: Have your Volusion admin login details (username, password, and store URL) readily available. These will be needed to establish the connection.
• Theme and Basic Configuration: Consider installing your desired Volusion theme and performing any initial basic configurations before the data transfer. This can help visualize how your migrated data will appear.

Consult our How to prepare Target store for migration? and The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart for further assistance.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

This section outlines the process of migrating your MyCommerce data to Volusion using the Cart2Cart wizard.

Step 1: Get Started with Cart2Cart

Begin by logging into your Cart2Cart account. If you're a new user, you'll need to sign up. Once logged in, you can start a new migration process.

Step 2: Configure Your Source Store

In the migration wizard, you'll be prompted to select your current e-commerce platform. Since MyCommerce is not a direct integration, choose "CSV File to Cart" as your Source Cart. You will then upload your prepared CSV files containing your MyCommerce data.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Volusion Store

Next, select "Volusion" as your Target Cart from the dropdown menu. You will then need to enter the URL of your new Volusion store and provide the necessary access details. Remember that Volusion uses a bridge connection method, so ensure the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module is uploaded to your store's root directory via FTP, as mentioned in the prerequisites.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This crucial step allows you to specify exactly which data entities you wish to move from your MyCommerce CSV files to your Volusion store. You can select all available entities or pick specific ones like products (including SKUs, variants, images), product categories, customer records, orders, product reviews, and CMS pages. This offers precise control over your data transfer scope.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Data Mapping

Enhance your migration with a range of additional options. These can include preserving original product, customer, and order IDs (How Preserve IDs options can be used?), migrating customer passwords, and creating 301 redirects to maintain your SEO rankings and link equity. You can also choose to clear your target Volusion store's existing data before the migration (Clear current data on Target store before migration option). For images, ensure you select the option to migrate images embedded in product descriptions.

Following additional options, you'll proceed to Data Mapping. This step is vital for ensuring data consistency. You'll map customer groups and order statuses from your MyCommerce CSV to their corresponding fields in Volusion. This ensures that customer roles (e.g., 'Wholesale' customers) and order life cycles (e.g., 'Pending,' 'Completed') are correctly translated to your new platform.

Step 6: Run the Free Demo and Full Migration

Before committing to a full data transfer, run a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Volusion store. Review the demo results thoroughly to ensure everything transferred correctly and appears as expected.

Once satisfied with the demo, proceed with the full migration. This will transfer all your selected data from MyCommerce to Volusion. Consider adding a Migration Insurance Service for peace of mind, which offers the flexibility of rerunning your migration if any issues arise or if you need to update data post-launch. Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?

Post-Migration Steps

Once your data has been successfully moved to Volusion, a few critical post-migration tasks are necessary to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

• Verify Data Integrity: Systematically check all migrated data. Confirm that products, categories, customer accounts, order history, and reviews are accurate and complete. Pay close attention to product images, pricing, and variant details.
• Configure SEO and Redirects: If you opted for 301 redirects during migration, verify that they are functioning correctly to preserve your search engine rankings and link equity. Update your sitemap in Volusion and submit it to search engines. Check for any broken links to maintain a strong user experience.
• Test Store Functionality: Conduct thorough testing of your Volusion store. Place test orders, check payment gateways, shipping options, and ensure customer account functionalities work as expected. Confirm all installed apps or plugins are integrated correctly.
• Update Storefront and Design: Customize your Volusion theme to align with your brand identity. Populate new content, configure navigation, and ensure your site offers an intuitive and engaging user experience.
• Point Your Domain: Once you are confident that your new Volusion store is fully ready, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Volusion store. Plan this step carefully to minimize downtime.
• Monitor and Optimize: Continuously monitor your store's performance, user behavior, and conversion rates. Address any issues promptly and use Volusion's analytics to identify areas for optimization.
• Recent Data Migration: If your old MyCommerce store remained active during the migration, you might have new orders or customer registrations. Use our Recent Data Migration Service to transfer any newly added data without affecting previously migrated entities.

By following these steps, you can ensure a successful and efficient transition from MyCommerce to Volusion, positioning your e-commerce business for future success. If you encounter any challenges or require expert assistance, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.