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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from Shopify to Volusion

Replatforming your e-commerce store is a significant undertaking, promising new opportunities and enhanced functionality. If you're considering a move from Shopify, a popular SaaS platform, to Volusion, known for its robust features and flexibility, this guide will walk you through every essential step. Our aim is to provide a clear, actionable roadmap for a smooth data transfer, ensuring your online business maintains its integrity and continues to thrive.

Migrating store data, including your crucial product listings, customer information, and order history, requires careful planning and execution. This guide leverages an advanced migration wizard to streamline the process, minimizing potential downtime and preserving your valuable SEO rankings. Let's dive into how you can successfully switch your store from Shopify to Volusion.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating your migration from Shopify to Volusion, a few preparatory steps are crucial to ensure a seamless and error-free transition. Adhering to these prerequisites will safeguard your data and set the stage for a smooth replatforming experience.

• Backup Your Data: Always create a complete backup of your Shopify store's data. While the migration tool is secure, having a personal backup provides an extra layer of protection against unforeseen issues.
• Access Credentials: Ensure you have full administrative access to both your Shopify source store and your Volusion target store. For Shopify, this means admin login details or the ability to install apps. For Volusion, you'll need admin login credentials and FTP access to upload the necessary migration bridge files to your store's root directory. For more details, consult our guide on The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials.
• Review Current Data: Take an inventory of your existing data on Shopify. Note down the number of products (including SKUs and variants), customer records, orders, and any specific configurations you wish to carry over. This will help you verify the migration's completeness.
• Volusion Store Setup: Have your Volusion store already set up and accessible. While it doesn't need to be fully populated, it should be in a state where the migration tool can connect and import data.
• Downtime Planning: Plan for a minimal downtime window during the actual data transfer. While a professional migration tool operates efficiently, it’s wise to schedule the full migration during off-peak hours to reduce disruption to your customers.
• Understand Platform Specifics: Be aware of platform-specific limitations. For example, Shopify's "Pause and Build" plan can block order processing, and reviews require the AirReviews app to be effectively migrated. For Volusion, be aware that SEO options are generally excluded for blogs.
• Preparation Guides: For more detailed preparation, refer to our comprehensive guides on How to prepare your Source store for migration and How to prepare your Target store for migration.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Migrating your store data from Shopify to Volusion is streamlined through a step-by-step wizard. Follow these instructions to ensure a comprehensive and accurate data transfer.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration wizard. You'll be prompted to log in or create an account to start the process. This is where your journey to a new platform begins.

Step 2: Connect Your Shopify Source Store

Next, you'll connect your Shopify store. From the dropdown menu, select Shopify as your Source Cart. You will then need to specify your Shopify store's URL.

For connection, the recommended method is to Install App from Marketplace. Click the provided link to go to the Shopify App Store, install the required migration app, and then return to the wizard.

Alternatively, you can choose to Provide API Access Credentials. This method requires you to generate an Admin API access token by creating a custom app within your Shopify admin and configuring the necessary API scopes.

Important Considerations for Shopify:

• If your Shopify store is on a "Pause and Build" plan, it may block the migration of orders.
• It is highly recommended to disable notifications on your Shopify store during the migration process to avoid overwhelming customers with redundant alerts.

Step 3: Connect Your Volusion Target Store

Now, select Volusion as your Target Cart from the dropdown list. Enter the URL of your Volusion store.

Volusion migrations require a special connection method: the Bridge only approach. You will need to download a unique migration bridge file from the wizard. Once downloaded, you must upload this file via FTP to the root directory of your Volusion store. This bridge facilitates the secure data transfer between your Shopify store and Volusion, acting as the essential "Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module."

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This crucial step allows you to choose exactly which data entities you want to move from Shopify to Volusion. You can select "All entities" or pick specific items from the comprehensive checklist. The migration tool supports a wide range of data types, ensuring thoroughness for your replatforming.

Supported entities typically include:

• Products, Product Categories, Product Reviews
• Customers
• Orders
• CMS Pages, Blogs, Blog Posts
• Coupons, Price Rules

Note on Shopify Reviews: For product reviews to be successfully migrated from Shopify, the AirReviews app is required on your source store.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Map Data

Refine your migration further by selecting additional options and mapping your data fields to maintain data integrity and consistency on your new Volusion store.

Configure Additional Migration Options

Choose from a variety of additional options to tailor your data transfer:

• Clear Target Store Data: Selecting this option will remove all existing data from your Volusion store before the migration, ensuring a clean slate. Learn more about the Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Preserve IDs: Options like "Preserve Product IDs," "Preserve Order IDs," and "Preserve Customer IDs" ensure that the unique identifiers from Shopify are maintained in Volusion, which can be critical for integrations and record-keeping. Understand How Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures that product images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• SEO URLs and 301 Redirects: Critical for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity. This option helps create or preserve SEO-friendly URLs and set up 301 redirects from your old Shopify URLs to the new Volusion URLs, preventing broken links and minimizing impact on search engine visibility.
• Password Migration: Allows for the secure transfer of customer passwords to your Volusion store.

Map Customer Groups and Order Statuses

The data mapping step is essential for aligning the structure of your Shopify data with Volusion's. Here, you'll match customer groups (e.g., "Retailer" on Shopify to "Wholesale" on Volusion) and order statuses (e.g., "Pending payment" from Shopify to "Processing" on Volusion). This ensures that customer segmentation and order workflow remain consistent post-migration.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration & Initiate Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, run 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 the demo results thoroughly to ensure all data types are migrating correctly and appearing as expected on your new platform. This is an invaluable opportunity to catch and rectify any issues before the complete transfer.

Once you are satisfied with the demo, proceed with the Full Migration. The wizard will provide a final cost estimate based on your selected entities. Consider adding a Migration Insurance Plan, which offers additional remigrations and support, providing peace of mind during this critical transition. Upon payment, your entire store data will be transferred to Volusion.

Post-Migration Steps

The successful completion of your data transfer is a major milestone, but the process doesn't end there. These post-migration steps are vital for ensuring your Volusion store is fully optimized and ready for business.

• Thorough Testing: Conduct comprehensive testing of your new Volusion store. Verify all functionalities: product pages, checkout process, customer accounts, search, and navigation. Ensure product SKUs, pricing, descriptions, and images are accurate. Test order placement and payment gateways.
• Verify 301 Redirects: If you used the "Create 301 SEO URLs" option, check that your old Shopify URLs correctly redirect to their new Volusion counterparts. This is crucial for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity.
• Update DNS Records: Once you're confident in your Volusion store, update your domain's DNS records to point to your new Volusion hosting. This will make your new store live to the public.
• Theme and Design Review: Customize your Volusion theme to match your brand's aesthetic and ensure an optimal user experience. Review your store's layout and responsiveness across various devices.
• Reconfigure Integrations: Reconnect and configure any third-party apps or services you used on Shopify, such as payment gateways, shipping providers, analytics tools, marketing automation platforms, and inventory management systems, on your Volusion store.
• Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your store's performance metrics, traffic, and sales in the weeks following the migration. Utilize analytics tools to identify any potential issues or areas for improvement.
• Recent Data Migration (Optional): If there were new orders or customer registrations on your Shopify store during the migration, consider performing a Recent Data Migration to capture these last-minute updates and ensure no data is lost.
• Ongoing SEO: Submit your new Volusion sitemap to search engines. Continue to monitor your SEO performance and make adjustments as needed.

By meticulously following these steps, you can achieve a seamless and highly effective transition of your e-commerce business from Shopify to Volusion, paving the way for continued growth and success on your new platform. If you encounter any challenges or require specialized assistance, remember that professional migration services are available to provide support every step of the way. Don't hesitate to Contact Us for expert guidance.