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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from Aero Commerce to Volusion

Replatforming your e-commerce store is a strategic decision that can unlock new growth opportunities and enhance your operational efficiency. If you’re currently running your business on Aero Commerce and are considering a move to Volusion, you’re looking at transitioning to a platform known for its robust features and dedicated e-commerce ecosystem. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough to ensure a smooth and successful data transfer, helping you preserve your valuable customer data, product listings, and order history.

While Aero Commerce is a capable platform, moving to Volusion allows you to leverage its specialized e-commerce tools, comprehensive inventory management, and marketing functionalities designed to scale your online presence. This article will walk you through the entire replatforming journey, from initial preparation to post-migration checks, ensuring data integrity and minimal downtime for your business.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before you begin the actual migration process, there are several essential steps to take to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Proper preparation on both your source (Aero Commerce) and target (Volusion) stores will save you time and prevent potential issues during the data transfer.

For Your Aero Commerce (Source) Store:

• Data Export: Since Aero Commerce is not directly supported by automated bridges in the migration tool, your data will need to be exported into CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. This includes critical entities such as products (with SKUs and variants), product categories, customer records, order history, manufacturers, product reviews, and CMS pages. Ensure your CSV files are well-structured and accurate. Learn more about CSV.File Data Migration.
• Data Review: Thoroughly review your Aero Commerce data for any inconsistencies, outdated information, or duplicate entries. Cleaning your data beforehand will result in a cleaner, more efficient migration to Volusion.
• Backup Your Store: Always create a complete backup of your Aero Commerce store's database and files. This is a crucial safety measure in case any unforeseen issues arise during the export process.

For Your Volusion (Target) Store:

• Volusion Account Setup: Ensure you have a fully set up and active Volusion store. This includes choosing your plan and having administrative access.
• Install the Migration Module: To facilitate the migration, you will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module. This module enables the migration tool to connect securely with your Volusion instance.
• FTP Access: You will need FTP (File Transfer Protocol) access to your Volusion store to upload the necessary bridge files for secure data connection. Understanding what a root folder is can be helpful here.
• Prepare for New Data: Consider if you want to clear any existing data on your new Volusion store before the migration to avoid conflicts or duplicates.
• Review Target Store Readiness: For a comprehensive checklist, refer to our guide on How to prepare Target store for migration?

For details on necessary access credentials, consult The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart. Rest assured, the security of your data is paramount; read Is it safe to provide your company with my access details? for peace of mind.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you're ready to initiate the data transfer from Aero Commerce (via CSV) to Volusion using an automated migration tool. Follow these steps carefully to ensure a seamless transition.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration wizard interface. This is where you'll kickstart your entire replatforming journey.

Step 2: Source Store Setup

This is where you specify your current e-commerce platform. Since Aero Commerce data will be imported via CSV, select 'CSV File to Cart' as your source. You will then be prompted to provide the URL where your exported CSV files are accessible. This step establishes the connection from which your valuable data will be pulled.

Step 3: Target Store Setup

Now, define your destination platform. Select 'Volusion' from the dropdown list. You will need to provide your Volusion store's URL and the necessary administrative access details (admin login, password, and URL) along with the bridge location. Remember to have the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module installed on your new Volusion store beforehand to ensure a successful connection and data exchange.

Step 4: Select Data Entities

This crucial step allows you to choose exactly what data you want to migrate. You can select all available entities or pick specific ones like products, product categories, customers, orders, manufacturers, reviews, invoices, taxes, stores, coupons, and CMS pages. This ensures only the relevant data is transferred, optimizing the process.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options

Enhance your migration with a range of optional features. These include choices like preserving product, category, customer, and order IDs (How Preserve IDs options can be used?), migrating images embedded in descriptions, enabling 301 redirects to maintain SEO rankings and link equity, and migrating customer passwords. You can also opt to create variants from attributes and skip custom attributes. Carefully consider these options based on your specific business requirements to tailor the data transfer.

Step 6: Map Data

Data mapping is vital for maintaining data integrity between platforms. Here, you'll align various fields from your Aero Commerce (CSV) store to their corresponding counterparts in Volusion. This typically involves mapping customer groups and order statuses to ensure that roles and transactional states are correctly translated to your new platform.

Step 7: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

Before committing to the full replatforming, execute 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 these migrated entities thoroughly to verify data accuracy, image integrity, and proper functionality. Once satisfied, you can proceed with the full migration. Consider adding a Migration Insurance Service for peace of mind, allowing for multiple remigrations if needed (How Migration Insurance works?).

Post-Migration Steps

Successfully completing the migration doesn't end the process. Several crucial post-migration steps are necessary to ensure your new Volusion store is fully optimized and ready for business.

1. Thorough Testing: This is arguably the most critical step. Manually verify all migrated data:
   • Product Data: Check product descriptions, images, SKUs, pricing, stock levels, and variants. Ensure everything looks correct and functions as expected.
   • Customer Accounts: Test customer logins, order history, and account information.
   • Order Processing: Place test orders, verify payment gateway functionality, and ensure shipping methods are correctly configured.
   • Site Functionality: Navigate through your new Volusion store as a customer. Test search, filters, cart, and checkout processes.
   • SEO Verification: Confirm that all 301 redirects are working correctly to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity. Check metadata, title tags, and canonical URLs.
2. Update DNS Records: Once you are confident that your Volusion store is fully functional and ready, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Volusion store. This will direct your customers to the new platform.
3. Inform Your Customers: Communicate the transition to your customer base. Let them know about the new platform and any changes they might experience. This fosters trust and provides a smooth user experience.
4. Monitor Performance: After going live, keep a close eye on your website's performance, particularly load times (Does migration influence the speed of my store?) and user experience. Utilize tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor traffic, user behavior, and search engine visibility.
5. Remove Old Store Data: Once you are absolutely certain your Volusion store is performing optimally and all data is secure, you can consider decommissioning or archiving your old Aero Commerce store data.
6. Consider Recent Data Migration: If new orders or customer data appeared on your old store during the migration, utilize a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer only these new updates, minimizing downtime and data discrepancies.

Migrating from Aero Commerce to Volusion is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right tools, it can be a smooth and successful transition. By following this detailed guide, you'll be well-equipped to leverage Volusion's capabilities and enhance your e-commerce operations. If you encounter any challenges or require additional assistance, don't hesitate to Contact Us for expert support.