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

Seamlessly Transition Your Store from Amazon to Volusion

For many e-commerce merchants, Amazon offers a fantastic marketplace, but often comes with limitations on branding, customer data ownership, and customization. If you're looking to expand your digital footprint, gain more control over your store's aesthetics and functionality, and build a distinct brand identity, replatforming to a dedicated solution like Volusion can be a game-changer. Volusion provides a robust platform with advanced features for managing products, customers, and orders, empowering you to scale your business on your own terms.

This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough to help you navigate the process of migrating your valuable store data from Amazon to Volusion. Since Amazon does not offer a direct API connection for third-party migration tools in the same way traditional shopping carts do, this migration will primarily leverage a CSV file export approach from Amazon, followed by an efficient import into your new Volusion store using Cart2Cart's specialized migration wizard. We'll cover everything from crucial preparatory steps to post-migration best practices, ensuring a smooth transition for your business.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, it's essential to prepare both your Amazon data (for export) and your Volusion target store to ensure a seamless and error-free migration process. Proper preparation minimizes downtime and safeguards your data integrity.

Preparing Your Amazon Data (Source Store)

• Data Export: As Amazon primarily functions as a marketplace, you will need to export your product listings, customer information, and order history as CSV (Comma Separated Values) files directly from your Amazon Seller Central account. Focus on obtaining comprehensive data for all entities you wish to transfer.
• Data Cleaning: Review your exported CSV files for any inconsistencies, duplicate entries, or outdated information. Cleaning your data beforehand will prevent errors and improve the quality of data on your new Volusion store.
• Backup Your Data: Always create a full backup of all your current data on Amazon. While the migration process is designed to be safe, having a backup provides an extra layer of security.

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

Preparing Your Volusion Store (Target Store)

• Set Up Your Volusion Store: Ensure your Volusion store is fully set up and accessible. You should have administrative access to the backend.
• FTP Access: Volusion migrations require FTP access to your Volusion store's root directory. This is crucial for uploading the Cart2Cart connection bridge, which facilitates secure data exchange. You will need your FTP host, username, and password.
• Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: The migration process to Volusion requires the installation of the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module. This plugin is essential for enabling the data transfer.
• Review Volusion Notices: Be aware of notices regarding the Volusion platform. For instance, there are multi-store limitations for BigCommerce variants, and SEO options may be excluded for blogs, which could impact certain data types or configurations during migration.

For further details on preparing your target store, visit our How to prepare Target store for migration? FAQ.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your Amazon data prepared and your Volusion store ready, you can now proceed with the migration using the Cart2Cart wizard. Follow these steps carefully to ensure a successful data transfer.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the Cart2Cart website and selecting the option to start a new migration. This will launch the intuitive migration wizard.

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

In this crucial step, you will specify your current store platform. Since you are migrating from Amazon, which requires a CSV export, select "CSV File to Cart" from the dropdown list of source carts. You will then be prompted to upload your carefully prepared CSV files containing your Amazon data. This method allows you to transfer a wide range of entities including products, product categories, manufacturers, reviews, customers, orders, invoices, taxes, stores, coupons, and CMS pages.

For more information on this method, explore our CSV.File Data Migration service.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, configure your target store by selecting "Volusion" from the dropdown menu. Enter the full URL of your new Volusion store. You will then be guided to download the Cart2Cart connection bridge. Upload this bridge file via FTP to the root folder of your Volusion installation. This bridge acts as a secure data conduit between the migration tool and your new store.

If you're unsure about the root folder, refer to our What is a root folder and where can I find it? guide.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

Now, choose which types of data you wish to migrate from your Amazon CSV files to your Volusion store. You can select all available entities or pick specific ones like products, product categories, customer records, orders, and product reviews. Common entities you can migrate include:

• Products
• Product Categories
• Product Manufacturers
• Product Reviews
• Customers
• Orders
• Invoices
• Taxes
• Stores
• Coupons
• CMS Pages

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Data Mapping

This step allows for fine-tuning your migration. You'll find a range of Additional Options to enhance the data transfer:

• Clear Target Store Data: Opt to clear any existing data on your Volusion store before migration for a fresh start.
• Preserve IDs: Choose to preserve product, customer, and order IDs to maintain data consistency.
• Create 301 Redirects: Enable this crucial SEO option to automatically create 301 redirects for your old Amazon URLs to your new Volusion URLs, preserving your search engine rankings and link equity.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure product images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Password Migration: Migrate customer passwords securely.

You will also perform Data Mapping, matching customer groups and order statuses from your source Amazon data to their corresponding fields in Volusion. This ensures that your customer segments and order processing workflows remain consistent on your new platform.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration and Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, Cart2Cart offers a free Demo Migration. This allows you to migrate a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your Volusion store. Use this opportunity to thoroughly inspect the migrated data and ensure everything is transferring as expected. This helps you verify data integrity and make any necessary adjustments.

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the Full Migration. At this stage, you may also consider adding a Migration Insurance Plan, which provides additional remigrations in case any unforeseen issues arise after your initial transfer. For more details, understand How Migration Insurance works?.

Post-Migration Steps

Completing the migration is a significant milestone, but a few crucial steps remain to ensure your new Volusion store is fully operational and optimized for success.

• Thorough Data Verification: Rigorously check all migrated data. Verify product details (SKUs, variants, images, descriptions), customer accounts, order histories, and pricing on your Volusion store. Ensure all links and internal navigation function correctly.
• Configure Store Settings: Set up your payment gateways, shipping methods, tax rules, and other essential store configurations specific to Volusion.
• Install Essential Apps/Plugins: Explore the Volusion App Store for any necessary integrations or plugins that enhance your store's functionality, marketing, or customer service.
• Update DNS Records: Point your domain name to your new Volusion store. This step will make your Volusion store live to the public. Plan this carefully to minimize potential downtime.
• Implement 301 Redirects: Even with automatic redirects, manually check and implement any additional 301 redirects for specific old Amazon URLs that might not have been caught, to preserve SEO rankings and link equity.
• SEO Review: Update your Google Search Console and analytics settings to reflect your new Volusion store. Monitor for any crawl errors or indexing issues.
• Conduct Extensive Testing: Perform end-to-end testing of your new store. Place test orders, create customer accounts, test forms, and ensure the entire user experience is flawless.
• Address Recent Data: If new orders or customer registrations occurred on Amazon during the migration process, consider utilizing the Recent Data Migration Service to transfer this new information to Volusion.

By diligently following these post-migration steps, you can ensure a smooth and successful transition, empowering your e-commerce business to thrive on the Volusion platform. If you encounter any challenges or require expert assistance, our team is always ready to contact us.