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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning Your E-commerce Store from Shoper to Volusion

Embarking on an e-commerce platform migration can feel like a daunting task, but with the right guidance, it's an opportunity to revitalize your online store and enhance its capabilities. This expert guide will walk you through every step of moving your valuable store data from Shoper to Volusion, ensuring a smooth and secure transition. While Shoper doesn't support direct API connections for migration tools, we'll leverage a robust CSV file export method to transfer your data effectively. Volusion, renowned for its comprehensive e-commerce features, offers a powerful new home for your business.

Understanding the intricacies of data transfer, from product SKUs and customer details to order histories and SEO metadata, is crucial. Our goal is to empower you with clear, actionable steps to ensure data integrity and minimize downtime, preserving your SEO rankings and improving overall user experience on your new Volusion platform.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, thorough preparation of both your Shoper source store and your Volusion target store is essential. This groundwork will streamline the entire replatforming process and help prevent potential issues.

For Your Shoper Source Store (via CSV Export):

• Data Export: As Shoper does not offer a direct connection method for automated migration tools, you will need to export your store's data into CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. This includes critical entities such as products, product categories, customer information, orders, manufacturers, reviews, and CMS pages. Ensure your exports are as comprehensive as possible.
• Data Accuracy: Review your exported CSV files for accuracy and consistency. Correct any discrepancies or missing information before proceeding. This step is vital for maintaining data integrity on your new Volusion store.
• Backup Your Store: Always create a complete backup of your Shoper store's database and files before exporting any data. This provides a safety net in case any unexpected issues arise during the export process.
• Understand CSV Structure: Familiarize yourself with the structure of your exported CSVs. This will be critical during the data mapping stage to ensure fields are correctly matched to Volusion's requirements. For more details on CSV migrations, refer to our CSV.File Data Migration service.

For Your Volusion Target Store:

• New Volusion Store Setup: Ensure you have a new Volusion store set up and accessible. You don't need to populate it with data, as the migration process will handle that.
• Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: Volusion requires a specific migration module to establish a connection. You will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module on your Volusion store. This typically involves uploading files via FTP to your store's root directory.
• FTP/SFTP Access: You will need FTP or SFTP access credentials to your Volusion store's server to upload the necessary bridge files and plugins. This access is crucial for the migration tool to connect with your Volusion database securely.
• Volusion Admin Access: Have your Volusion administrative login credentials (adminLogin, adminPwd, adminUrl) readily available. These are necessary to configure the connection within the migration wizard.
• Review Volusion Capabilities: Understand Volusion's capabilities and any specific requirements for data import. While the migration tool handles most of this, being informed helps with post-migration configurations.
• Prepare for Target: For more detailed preparation steps, see our guide on How to prepare Target store for migration? and The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

This section details the migration process using a step-by-step wizard. Follow these instructions carefully to transfer your e-commerce data from Shoper to Volusion seamlessly.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration wizard. This is where you will start the process, selecting your source and target platforms.

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

Since Shoper data will be provided via CSV files, select "CSV File to Cart" as your Source Cart from the dropdown menu. You will then be prompted to upload your prepared CSV files containing your Shoper store's data.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, choose "Volusion" as your Target Cart. You will need to provide the URL of your Volusion store. The wizard will then guide you through installing the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module, typically involving uploading a bridge file to your Volusion root directory via FTP and providing your Volusion admin access details. This bridge acts as a secure conduit for data transfer.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This crucial step allows you to specify exactly which data entities you wish to transfer from your Shoper CSVs to Volusion. You can select all available entities or pick and choose based on your needs. Supported entities include:

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

We recommend migrating all relevant data to ensure a complete and functional new store.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Data Mapping

This stage offers powerful customization options to tailor your migration. Take your time to review these settings:

Additional Migration Options:

You can enhance your data transfer with various options, such as:

• Migrate Images in Description: Essential for preserving product descriptions and CMS page content.
• Clear Target: Opt to clear current data on your Target store before migration if your Volusion store contains any placeholder data.
• Preserve IDs: Preserve Product IDs, Orders IDs, and Customers IDs to maintain database consistency and external links.
• SEO URLs & 301 SEO URLs: Critical for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity. This option ensures that your old Shoper URLs are redirected to their new Volusion counterparts, preventing broken links. You can also opt to create 301 SEO URLs automatically.
• Password Migration: Migrate customer passwords securely.
• Migrate Invoices: Transfer existing invoice data.
• Skip Custom Attributes: An option if certain custom attributes are not needed in Volusion.

Data Mapping:

The wizard will guide you through mapping your Shoper customer groups and order statuses to their corresponding Volusion equivalents. This ensures that your customer segmentation and order workflow remain consistent.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration and Full Migration

Before committing to a full migration, we strongly recommend running a free demo migration. This will transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Volusion store, allowing you to review the results and ensure everything is mapping correctly. Once you are satisfied with the demo, you can proceed with the full migration. Consider our Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations for peace of mind. Learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

Post-Migration Steps

Once your data has been successfully transferred to Volusion, a few crucial post-migration tasks are necessary to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

1. Thorough Data Verification: Rigorously check your new Volusion store to ensure all migrated data, including products, categories, customer accounts, order histories, and CMS pages, has transferred accurately and completely. Verify product variants, images, prices, and descriptions.
2. Configure Store Settings: Set up essential Volusion store configurations such as payment gateways, shipping methods, tax rules, and store policies.
3. Install and Configure Apps/Plugins: Install any necessary Volusion apps or integrations that replicate functionality from your previous Shoper store or provide new desired features.
4. Update DNS Records: If you are using a custom domain, update your DNS records to point to your new Volusion store. This will direct your customers to your new platform.
5. Test All Functionality: Conduct extensive testing of your entire store. Place test orders, verify customer account creation, test search functionality, and ensure all links and pages are working correctly.
6. Implement 301 Redirects: While the migration tool can create 301 redirects, manually verify that all critical old Shoper URLs redirect to their new Volusion counterparts. This is vital for maintaining your SEO rankings and avoiding a drop in organic traffic.
7. SEO Monitoring: Monitor your search engine performance closely using tools like Google Search Console to identify and address any crawl errors or ranking fluctuations.
8. Update External Links: Update any external links pointing to your old Shoper store (e.g., social media profiles, advertising campaigns, directories) to your new Volusion store.
9. Consider Recent Data Migration: If your Shoper store remained active during the migration, you might have new orders or customer registrations. Our Recent Data Migration Service can help transfer this fresh data to your Volusion store.

By following these steps, you can confidently transition your e-commerce business from Shoper to Volusion, opening up new possibilities for growth and improved operational efficiency. Should you encounter any challenges, remember that expert assistance is always available through our Contact Us page or various migration service packages.