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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from MyCommerce to BigCommerce

Replatforming your e-commerce store is a significant undertaking, but moving from MyCommerce to BigCommerce can unlock a world of enhanced features, scalability, and improved user experience. BigCommerce offers robust tools for sales, marketing, and store management, making it an ideal choice for growing businesses. This expert guide will walk you through the entire process of migrating your valuable store data, including products, customer information, and order history, ensuring a smooth and successful transition.

Since MyCommerce typically operates on a more customized or older platform, our migration strategy will involve exporting your data from MyCommerce into a structured CSV file format. This CSV.File Data Migration method ensures that all your essential entities are prepared for seamless import into your new BigCommerce store, leveraging BigCommerce's powerful API for efficient data transfer.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before embarking on your migration journey, proper preparation of both your source (MyCommerce) and target (BigCommerce) stores is crucial for a streamlined process and to maintain data integrity. Neglecting these steps can lead to unnecessary delays or data discrepancies.

For Your MyCommerce (Source) Store:

• Data Export: Begin by thoroughly auditing and exporting all critical data from your MyCommerce store into CSV files. This typically includes:
  • Product data (SKUs, descriptions, images, prices, variants, attributes)
  • Product categories and manufacturers
  • Customer details (names, addresses, order history)
  • Order data (statuses, items, shipping information)
  • Coupons and discounts
  • CMS pages and blog posts
  Ensure your CSV files are well-structured and clearly labeled.
• Data Audit: Review your MyCommerce data for any inconsistencies, outdated information, or duplicate entries. Clean up your data before export to avoid transferring 'junk' to your new BigCommerce store.

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

For Your BigCommerce (Target) Store:

• New Store Setup: Ensure you have an active BigCommerce store. While you don't need to populate it with products yet, having the basic setup complete is essential.
• API Access: BigCommerce uses an API for data transfer. You'll need to generate API credentials (Client ID, Access Token, and API Path) for your BigCommerce store. This involves creating a custom API account in your BigCommerce admin panel with the necessary scopes to allow data manipulation. BigCommerce requires HTTPS for API access.
• Plugin Requirements: While no specific 'plugin' is required for the migration tool, creating a custom app within BigCommerce with required API scopes is essential for granting access.
• HTTPS Configuration: Verify your BigCommerce store is configured with HTTPS, as this is a requirement for API access and general e-commerce security.
• Backup (If Applicable): If your BigCommerce store already contains any data, it's highly recommended to back it up before the migration to prevent accidental data loss, especially if you plan to use the 'Clear Target' option.

Gain further insights into target store readiness by reading our How to prepare Target store for migration? and The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart articles.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

The migration process typically involves a guided wizard, simplifying the complex data transfer into manageable steps. Here's how to execute your MyCommerce to BigCommerce store migration:

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration service platform. You'll be presented with options to start a do-it-yourself migration or opt for a guided service.

Step 2: Source Store Setup (MyCommerce via CSV)

This critical step involves configuring your MyCommerce store as the data source. Since MyCommerce is not directly supported via API by default, you will select 'CSV File to Cart' as your source platform.

1. From the dropdown menu, choose 'CSV File to Cart'.
2. Upload the CSV files you prepared earlier containing your MyCommerce data. The wizard will guide you on the expected format and structure for various entities like products, customers, and orders.

Step 3: Target Store Setup (BigCommerce)

Now, you will configure your BigCommerce store as the destination for your data.

1. Select 'BigCommerce' from the target cart dropdown menu.
2. Enter your BigCommerce store's URL.
3. Provide the necessary API credentials: Client ID (Username), Access Token (API Token), and API Path. These credentials authorize the migration tool to access and transfer data to your BigCommerce store.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This step allows you to specify exactly which types of data you wish to transfer from MyCommerce to BigCommerce. You can select all entities or pick them individually based on your business needs. Common entities include:

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

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Data Mapping

This is where you fine-tune your migration. The wizard will present a range of additional options and prompts for data mapping.

Additional Migration Options:

You'll see a list of checkboxes for various functionalities to enhance the data transfer:

• Clear Target: This option allows you to clear any existing data on your BigCommerce store before migration. This is often recommended for fresh BigCommerce installations.
• Preserve IDs: Select options like Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Category IDs, Preserve Customers IDs, and Preserve Orders IDs to maintain original identifiers.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity. This creates redirects from your old MyCommerce URLs to the new BigCommerce URLs.
• Migrate Customer Passwords: Securely transfer customer passwords (if supported by both platforms and your CSV export).
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures product descriptions retain their imagery.
• Create Variants from Attributes: Essential for products with options like size or color.

Data Mapping:

The mapping step is vital for ensuring data consistency. You'll need to match corresponding fields and statuses between your MyCommerce and BigCommerce stores. This includes:

• Customer Groups Mapping: Align customer roles from MyCommerce to BigCommerce (e.g., 'Wholesale' to 'Wholesale Customer Group').
• Order Status Mapping: Map your MyCommerce order statuses (e.g., 'Pending', 'Processing', 'Complete') to their BigCommerce equivalents.
• Product Attributes: If your CSV includes product attributes, ensure they are correctly mapped to BigCommerce's attribute structure to create proper product variants.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration

Before committing to the full migration, perform a free demo migration. This transfers a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, and orders) to your BigCommerce store. The demo allows you to:

• Verify the connection settings.
• Review how data, especially complex entities like products with variants or custom fields, appears on BigCommerce.
• Identify any potential mapping issues or data discrepancies early on.

Thoroughly inspect the migrated demo data on your BigCommerce store to ensure everything looks as expected.

Step 7: Initiate Full Migration

Once you're satisfied with the demo results, you can proceed with the full migration. Review the total cost of the migration, which is calculated based on the number and type of entities you are transferring. Consider adding Migration Insurance Service, which offers a set number of remigrations for a specified period, providing peace of mind in case you need to run the migration again.

Click the 'Start Full Migration' button to begin the complete data transfer. You'll be notified upon completion.

Post-Migration Steps

Completing the data transfer is a major milestone, but the process isn't over. Several crucial post-migration steps are necessary to ensure your new BigCommerce store is fully functional and optimized.

1. Thorough Data Review: Log into your BigCommerce admin panel and meticulously check all migrated data. Verify products (SKUs, descriptions, images, prices, variants), categories, customer accounts, order histories, and content pages. Ensure all images are correctly displayed and links are working.
2. Configure SEO & Redirects: If you opted for 301 redirects during migration, verify they are working correctly. If not, set up manual 301 redirects for critical pages to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity. Update any hard-coded internal links within your content.
3. Test Store Functionality: Conduct comprehensive testing of your BigCommerce store's core functionalities:
   • Place test orders from the customer's perspective.
   • Test payment gateways and shipping options.
   • Verify search functionality and filters.
   • Check all forms (contact, newsletter sign-up).
   • Ensure mobile responsiveness across devices.
4. Install Essential Apps and Plugins: Reinstall and configure any third-party BigCommerce apps or integrations that were part of your MyCommerce setup or are new to your BigCommerce strategy (e.g., marketing tools, analytics, customer service apps). BigCommerce offers a rich App Marketplace.
5. Update DNS Settings: Once you are confident your BigCommerce store is ready, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new BigCommerce store. This is the moment your new store officially goes live. Plan this step carefully to minimize downtime.
6. Announce Your New Store: Inform your customers about your new and improved online shopping experience. This can be done via email, social media, and a prominent announcement on your new website.
7. Consider Recent Data Migration Service: If there was a period during the migration when new orders or customers were added to your MyCommerce store, consider using a Recent Data Migration service to transfer only the latest updates, ensuring no data is missed.

Migrating from MyCommerce to BigCommerce, while detailed, is a powerful move for your e-commerce business. By following this structured approach, you can ensure a smooth transition, preserve your valuable data, and set the stage for future growth on a robust platform.