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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from DistyMan to Volusion

Embarking on an e-commerce platform migration can be a daunting yet rewarding step for your online business. If you’re currently operating on DistyMan and looking to transition to the robust Volusion platform, this guide will walk you through every essential step. Volusion offers a powerful suite of features for managing products, customers, and orders, providing a scalable solution for growing businesses.

Since DistyMan does not offer direct API integration for automated migration, this guide focuses on a proven strategy: exporting your invaluable store data from DistyMan into CSV files and then importing it into Volusion using a specialized migration service. This method ensures that your products, customer data, order history, and other critical information are transferred with precision, minimizing disruption and preserving your online presence.

We'll cover everything from crucial prerequisites to detailed migration steps and essential post-migration tasks, ensuring a smooth and successful replatforming experience. Our goal is to help you maintain data integrity, protect your SEO rankings, and provide an uninterrupted user experience during this vital transition.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before you begin the data transfer process, thorough preparation of both your DistyMan source store and your Volusion target store is essential. These steps will lay the groundwork for a successful and efficient migration.

Preparing Your DistyMan (Source) Store

• Data Export: As DistyMan requires a CSV-based migration, your primary task is to export all relevant data. This includes:
  • Products (including SKUs, variants, descriptions, images)
  • Product Categories
  • Product Manufacturers
  • Product Reviews
  • Customers (with associated data)
  • Orders (with full details, including invoices if applicable)
  • Taxes
  • Stores
  • Coupons
  • CMS Pages
  • Blogs and Blog Posts
  Ensure your CSV files are well-organized and contain all necessary fields for a comprehensive data transfer. For detailed guidance, refer to our guide on preparing your source store.
• Data Accuracy Review: Carefully review your exported CSV files for any inconsistencies, missing information, or errors. Cleaning your data at this stage will prevent issues during the import process.

Preparing Your Volusion (Target) Store

• Set Up Your Volusion Store: Ensure your new Volusion store is fully set up and accessible. You don't need to populate it with data, as the migration process will handle that.
• Install the Migration Bridge: Volusion migrations require a special connection method called a “bridge.” You will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module on your Volusion store. This bridge facilitates secure communication and data transfer between your CSV files and your new Volusion platform. Instructions for bridge installation are typically provided by the migration service.
• Familiarize with Volusion Features: Understand Volusion’s specific capabilities and any limitations, such as multi-store limitations for BigCommerce variants or SEO options being excluded for blogs, as noted in the platform specifications. This awareness helps in planning your post-migration configurations. For more information, consult our guide on preparing your target store.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you are ready to initiate the data transfer using a migration wizard. Follow these steps for a structured and secure move of your store data.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration service's website. Here, you'll typically find options to start a new migration, get a price estimate, or request expert assistance. Select the 'Start Your Migration' option to launch the migration wizard.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (DistyMan via CSV)

This critical step involves telling the migration tool where your existing store data resides. Since DistyMan data is provided via CSV files:

1. From the dropdown list, select "CSV File to Cart" as your Source Cart.
2. Upload the CSV files you prepared from your DistyMan store. The migration wizard will guide you on how to upload these files, typically requiring a compressed archive (ZIP) of your CSVs.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, you’ll specify your new Volusion store as the destination for your data.

1. From the dropdown list, select "Volusion" as your Target Cart.
2. Provide your Volusion store's complete URL.
3. Enter the administrative credentials (admin login, admin password) for your Volusion store.
4. Specify the "Bridge Location," which is the URL where you installed the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module. The migration tool will use these details to establish a secure connection via the bridge.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

At this stage, you choose exactly which data you want to transfer from DistyMan to Volusion. You can opt to migrate all available data or select specific entities.

The supported entities include:

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

Carefully review the list and check the boxes for the data you wish to move. This level of control ensures only necessary information is transferred.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

This step allows you to customize the migration process with various optional settings to enhance data transfer and SEO preservation. Consider these key options:

• Clear Target Store Data: The "Clear Target" option is useful if you want to remove any existing demo data from your Volusion store before the migration begins. (See Clear current data on Target store before migration option)
• Preserve IDs: Enable "Preserve Product IDs," "Preserve Orders IDs," and "Preserve Customers IDs" to maintain the original IDs of your data entities. This is highly recommended for historical data consistency and external system integrations. (Refer to How Preserve IDs options can be used?)
• Migrate Customer Passwords: This crucial option ensures your customers can log into their accounts on the new Volusion store using their existing passwords.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Activating "Create 301 SEO URLs" helps preserve your search engine rankings by automatically redirecting old DistyMan URLs to their new Volusion counterparts, maintaining valuable link equity.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure product images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Create Variants from Attributes: If your DistyMan products use attributes that need to be converted into Volusion variants, select this option.

Step 6: Map Data Fields

The data mapping step ensures that specific fields from your DistyMan store (via CSV) are correctly matched to their corresponding fields in Volusion. This is particularly important for customer groups and order statuses.

For instance, you'll map customer roles like 'Wholesale' or 'Guest' from your source to the appropriate customer groups in Volusion. Similarly, you'll align order statuses such as 'Pending payment,' 'Processing,' or 'Completed' to their equivalents in your new store, ensuring consistency in your order management workflow.

Step 7: Perform a Demo and Full Migration

Before committing to a full data transfer, it's highly recommended to run a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., a few products, customers, and orders) to your Volusion store. Review the demo results thoroughly to ensure data integrity and proper formatting.

Once satisfied, proceed with the full migration. You'll be presented with a final summary of the entities to be migrated and the total cost. Consider adding Migration Insurance, which offers additional remigrations in case further adjustments are needed post-transfer. (Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?).

Post-Migration Steps

Congratulations! Your data has been transferred to Volusion. However, the process isn't complete. These crucial post-migration steps will ensure your new Volusion store is fully operational, optimized, and ready for your customers.

• Verify Data Integrity: Systematically check all migrated data on your Volusion store. This includes:
  • Products: Confirm product names, descriptions, images, SKUs, variants, pricing, and stock levels.
  • Customers: Verify customer accounts, addresses, and order history.
  • Orders: Check order details, statuses, and associated invoices.
  • Images: Ensure all product and content images are displaying correctly.
• Configure SEO and Redirects:
• If you enabled 301 redirects during migration, verify they are working correctly by testing old DistyMan URLs.
• Review and update meta titles, descriptions, and URL structures on Volusion to ensure they are search engine friendly. Pay close attention to any SEO limitations for blogs as noted for Volusion.
• Set Up Store Functionality:
• Payment Gateways: Configure and test your preferred payment methods (e.g., credit cards, PayPal).
• Shipping Options: Set up your shipping zones, rates, and carriers.
• Tax Settings: Ensure your tax rules and rates are accurately configured for different regions.
• Theme & Design: Customize your Volusion store’s theme to match your brand identity and ensure a seamless user experience.
• Install Essential Apps/Plugins: Explore the Volusion App Store for any integrations or functionalities (e.g., marketing tools, customer service apps) that your business requires.
• Perform Thorough Testing: Conduct comprehensive testing of all aspects of your new store:
  • Checkout Process: Place test orders from various customer accounts to ensure a smooth and functional checkout.
  • Customer Accounts: Test login, password recovery, and order history access.
  • Search & Navigation: Verify that products are easily discoverable through search and category navigation.
  • Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your store looks and functions perfectly on all devices.
• Update DNS and Go Live: Once you are completely satisfied with your Volusion store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Volusion store. Plan this step carefully to minimize downtime.
• Monitor Performance: After going live, continuously monitor your store's performance using analytics tools. Look for any broken links, 404 errors, or issues that might affect user experience or SEO.

By following these steps, you can confidently transition from DistyMan to Volusion, unlocking new opportunities for growth and efficiency. If you encounter any challenges or require specialized assistance, remember that expert support is available to ensure your migration is a complete success.