Aero Commerce to Ecwid Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from Aero Commerce to Ecwid

Replatforming an e-commerce store is a strategic decision that can redefine your online business capabilities. If you're currently operating on Aero Commerce and considering a move to Ecwid, this guide will walk you through the entire process. While Aero Commerce offers robust solutions, Ecwid provides a flexible, embeddable e-commerce platform that can be integrated into any website, offering a different approach to online selling with its strong focus on ease of use and scalability.

This article provides an expert, step-by-step walkthrough for migrating your valuable store data, including products, customer information, orders, and more, from Aero Commerce to Ecwid. Given that a direct API connection for Aero Commerce is not commonly available for automated migration tools, we will outline a process using CSV file export from Aero Commerce, followed by an API-driven import into Ecwid. This ensures data integrity and a smooth transition for your online store.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before embarking on your data migration journey, a thorough preparation phase is crucial. This helps minimize downtime, ensures data accuracy, and streamlines the entire replatforming process.

1. Preparing Your Aero Commerce Store (Source Store)

• Data Export: Your primary task will be to export all essential data from your Aero Commerce store into CSV files. This includes:
  • Products (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images, prices, inventory levels)
  • Product Categories
  • Customer details (names, addresses, order history)
  • Order information (statuses, items, pricing)
  • Product Reviews
  • Coupons and Gift Cards (if applicable)
  • CMS Pages and Blog Posts (content, metadata)
  Ensure that your CSV files are well-structured and clean, as this will directly impact the success of the import into Ecwid.
• Data Audit: Take this opportunity to clean up any outdated or redundant data. Remove inactive products, old customer accounts, or expired promotions to start fresh on your new platform.

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

2. Preparing Your Ecwid Store (Target Store)

• Create an Ecwid Account: If you haven't already, sign up for a new Ecwid account. Choose a plan that suits your business needs.
• Basic Store Setup: Complete the initial setup steps within your Ecwid admin panel, such as setting your store's currency, language, and timezone.
• Install Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App: Ecwid requires a specific application to facilitate API-based data imports. Navigate to the Ecwid App Market within your admin panel and install the Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App. This app is essential for establishing the necessary API connection.
• Obtain API Access Credentials: For the migration tool to connect to your Ecwid store, you will need to provide API access credentials. This typically involves generating an API Store ID and an Access Token from your Ecwid admin area. These credentials grant the migration tool permission to write data to your new store. Ensure you note them down securely.

Consult our resources on 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

With your stores prepared, you're ready to initiate the migration process using an automated migration solution.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. This is typically the starting point where you select your migration path.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (Aero Commerce via CSV)

Since Aero Commerce data will be transferred via files, you will select 'CSV File to Cart' as your source platform in the migration wizard.

Upload the CSV files you exported from your Aero Commerce store. The migration tool will then parse these files to identify the various entities available for transfer, such as products, categories, customers, and orders.

For more details on this method, visit our CSV.File Data Migration page.

Step 3: Configure Your Target Store (Ecwid)

Next, specify Ecwid as your target shopping cart. The tool will then prompt you to provide the necessary API credentials.

• Select Ecwid from the dropdown menu for target carts.
• Enter your Ecwid Store ID and Access Token that you obtained during the prerequisites stage.

It's important to remember that Ecwid's API has rate limits and requires HTTPS for secure connections. The pre-installed Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App handles the intricacies of custom app development required for this API-only connection, ensuring a seamless data transfer.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This critical step allows you to choose exactly what data you want to move from your Aero Commerce CSV files to your new Ecwid store.

You will see a list of supported entities, which typically include: Products, Product Categories, Product Reviews, Customers, Orders, CMS Pages, Coupons, and Blogs Posts. You can either select all entities for a comprehensive transfer or pick specific ones based on your requirements.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

Enhance your migration with a range of optional features designed to optimize your new Ecwid store and preserve important elements like SEO rankings.

Common options include:

• Clear current data on Target store before migration: This option ensures your Ecwid store is empty before new data is imported, preventing duplicates. See our FAQ on clearing target data.
• Preserve Order IDs, Product IDs, Customer IDs: Maintaining original IDs can be beneficial for historical record-keeping and integration with third-party systems. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings and preventing broken links. This option automatically generates redirects from your old Aero Commerce URLs to your new Ecwid URLs, preserving link equity.
• Migrate Images in Product Descriptions: Ensures that all product imagery embedded within descriptions is transferred correctly.
• Create Variants from Attributes: If your Aero Commerce products use attributes to define variations (like size, color), this option ensures they are correctly converted into Ecwid product variants.
• Migrate All Categories: Ensures a complete transfer of your product category structure.

Step 6: Map Data Fields

Data mapping is essential for ensuring consistency between your source (Aero Commerce via CSV) and target (Ecwid) platforms. This step typically involves matching customer groups and order statuses.

For instance, you'll map 'Pending Payment' in Aero Commerce to 'Awaiting Payment' in Ecwid, or 'Wholesale Customer' to a corresponding customer group in Ecwid. This ensures that all customer data and order history retain their logical structure and meaning on the new platform.

Step 7: Run the Free Demo Migration (Optional but Recommended)

Before committing to a full data transfer, performing a free demo migration is highly recommended. This allows you to migrate a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, and orders) to your Ecwid store.

Use this opportunity to:

• Verify Data Integrity: Check if products, prices, descriptions, customer details, and order histories have migrated correctly.
• Identify Potential Issues: Address any mapping errors or formatting discrepancies early.
• Test Functionality: Ensure essential store features work as expected with the migrated data.

This step acts as a quality assurance check, providing confidence for the full migration. Learn more about our Migration Preview Service.

Step 8: Perform the Full Data Transfer

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full migration. This will transfer all selected data from your Aero Commerce CSV files to your Ecwid store.

Consider adding a Migration Insurance Plan, which offers a certain number of remigrations within a specified period, providing peace of mind in case any adjustments are needed post-migration. Find out How Migration Insurance works?.

Post-Migration Steps

Your data transfer is complete, but the journey to a fully functional Ecwid store isn't over. These post-migration steps are crucial for ensuring a seamless launch and optimal performance.

• Thorough Data Verification: Double-check all migrated data. Navigate through your Ecwid store to ensure that products (including SKUs, images, variants, inventory), customer accounts, order histories, and reviews are all present and accurately displayed. Look for any broken images or misaligned text.
• Configure Essential Store Settings: Set up your payment gateways, shipping zones and methods, and tax rules within Ecwid to match your business operations.
• Update Domain Name & DNS: Once you're ready to go live, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Ecwid store. This will direct your customers to the new platform.
• Implement 301 Redirects: Even if you used an automated option, it's wise to review and manually set up any crucial 301 redirects for pages that might have changed URLs. This is vital for maintaining your SEO rankings and ensuring a smooth user experience by preventing 404 errors.
• Customize Design & Layout: Personalize your Ecwid store's theme to align with your brand identity. Optimize for mobile responsiveness and user-friendliness.
• Install Necessary Ecwid Apps: Explore the Ecwid App Market for integrations that enhance your store's functionality, such as marketing tools, accounting software, or customer service apps.
• Conduct Extensive Testing: Place test orders, process returns, verify customer login functionality, and test all forms and interactive elements to ensure everything works flawlessly.
• Update External Integrations: Reconnect any third-party services or integrations (e.g., email marketing, analytics, CRM) to your new Ecwid store.
• SEO Optimization: Review and update your meta titles, descriptions, and keywords for all product and category pages to ensure optimal visibility in search engines. Submit your new sitemap to Google Search Console.
• Go Live and Monitor: Once confident, officially launch your new Ecwid store. Closely monitor website performance, sales, and customer feedback for any initial issues.