JoomShopping to Ecwid Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Introduction: Transitioning Your E-commerce Store from JoomShopping to Ecwid

In the dynamic world of e-commerce, staying competitive often means embracing platforms that offer greater scalability, modern features, and improved user experience. If you’re currently running your online store on JoomShopping and are considering a move to a more agile and feature-rich environment, Ecwid presents an excellent opportunity. Ecwid is renowned for its flexibility, ease of integration with existing websites, and robust e-commerce capabilities, making it an attractive destination for merchants seeking to replatform.

This comprehensive guide is designed to walk you through every step of migrating your valuable store data from JoomShopping to Ecwid. We’re leveraging the powerful and reliable Cart2Cart migration solution, ensuring a smooth and secure data transfer process. Our goal is to provide clear, actionable instructions, helping you transition your products, customer information, orders, and other essential entities with minimal downtime and maximum data integrity.

Prerequisites for a Successful JoomShopping to Ecwid Migration

Before you embark on your migration journey, a little preparation goes a long way in ensuring a seamless transition. Adhering to these prerequisites will help you avoid common pitfalls and streamline the process:

• Admin Access to Both Stores: Ensure you have full administrative access to both your existing JoomShopping store and your new Ecwid store. This includes login credentials and, for JoomShopping, potentially FTP/SFTP access to upload necessary files.
• JoomShopping Migration Module: For your JoomShopping source store, you will need to install the Cart2Cart JoomShopping Migration module. This module facilitates the “Bridge only” connection method required for data extraction from JoomShopping. For guidance on preparing your source store, consult our How to prepare Source store for migration? FAQ.
• Ecwid Migration App: For your Ecwid target store, you will need to install the Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App. This app is crucial for establishing the “API only” connection required to import your data into Ecwid. For guidance on preparing your target store, refer to our How to prepare Target store for migration? FAQ.
• Data Backup: Always create a full backup of your JoomShopping store’s database and files before initiating any migration. While Cart2Cart is designed for safety, having a backup provides an essential safety net.
• Review Ecwid Limitations: Be aware of Ecwid’s “API rate limits” which may influence the speed of your data transfer, especially for very large stores. Ensure your Ecwid store is configured with HTTPS, as it is a general requirement for secure API communication.
• Review JoomShopping Notices: Note that for JoomShopping, “SEO options [are] excluded for blogs.” Plan accordingly if your JoomShopping store heavily relies on blog SEO.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these detailed steps to execute your store migration from JoomShopping to Ecwid using Cart2Cart.

Step 1: Start the Migration Wizard

Your migration journey begins by initiating the Cart2Cart migration wizard. This user-friendly interface will guide you through each stage of the data transfer process.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (JoomShopping)

The first crucial step is to connect Cart2Cart to your JoomShopping store. Select JoomShopping as your “Source Cart” from the dropdown menu.

As JoomShopping uses a “Bridge only” connection method, you will need to upload a bridge file to your JoomShopping store’s root directory. This involves:

1. Downloading the Cart2Cart bridge file from the wizard.
2. Using an FTP/SFTP client to upload this file to the root folder of your JoomShopping installation (where your `index.php` and `configuration.php` files are located). For more information on finding your root folder, see What is a root folder and where can I find it?
3. Providing your JoomShopping store’s URL and administrator credentials (adminLogin, adminPwd) to the wizard.

Cart2Cart uses these credentials purely for data extraction and ensures their security. For further assurance regarding security, refer to our FAQ: Is it safe to provide your company with my access details?

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (Ecwid)

Next, configure your Ecwid store as the “Target Cart.” As Ecwid utilizes an “API only” connection, you will need to provide specific API access credentials.

First, ensure you have installed the Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App in your Ecwid store. This app will generate the necessary API credentials:

1. In the migration wizard, select Ecwid as your target platform.
2. You will then be prompted to enter your Ecwid “Store ID” and “Access Token.” These can typically be found within your Ecwid admin panel after installing the Cart2Cart Ecwid Migration App.

This screenshot, while showing a source Ecwid connection, illustrates the general interface for entering API credentials for your Ecwid target store.

For detailed instructions on obtaining API credentials, consult The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This critical step allows you to choose exactly which types of data you wish to transfer from JoomShopping to Ecwid. Cart2Cart supports a wide range of entities, ensuring comprehensive data integrity.

From JoomShopping, you can migrate: Products, Product Categories, Products Manufacturers, Products Reviews, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, and CMS Pages.

To Ecwid, you can transfer: Products, Product Categories, Products Reviews, Customers, Orders, CMS Pages, Gift Cards, Coupons, and Blogs Posts.

Simply check the boxes next to the entities you want to move. You can select all entities or pick them individually based on your business needs.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Data Mapping

This stage allows for fine-tuning your migration with various options and ensuring data consistency between platforms.

Additional Migration Options

Enhance your data transfer by selecting additional options that cater to your specific requirements:

• Clear Target Store Data: The “Clear Target” option for Ecwid allows you to erase any existing data in your Ecwid store before the migration, ensuring a clean slate. Learn more about this with Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Preserve IDs: Options like “Preserve Product IDs,” “Preserve Orders IDs,” and “Preserve Customers IDs” help maintain your database’s original structure. Discover How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• SEO URLs & 301 Redirects: Crucially, select “SEO URLs” and “301 SEO URLs” (Create 301 SEO URLs) to maintain your existing search engine rankings and link equity. This prevents broken links and ensures a smooth user experience post-migration.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure that all product images embedded within product descriptions are also transferred to Ecwid.
• Password Migration: For JoomShopping, you have the option for “Password Migration” to move customer login credentials securely.

Data Mapping

The data mapping step ensures that specific fields, such as customer groups and order statuses, from your JoomShopping store are correctly matched to their corresponding equivalents in Ecwid. This guarantees data consistency and integrity.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to a full migration, Cart2Cart offers a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, a few customers and orders) to your Ecwid store.

Use this opportunity to:

• Verify that your data entities, such as SKUs, product variants, and customer data, are transferred accurately.
• Check for any formatting issues or discrepancies.
• Familiarize yourself with the migration process and confirm the setup.

Thoroughly review the demo results in your Ecwid store. If everything looks good, you’re ready for the full transfer.

Step 7: Initiate the Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed to the full migration. Cart2Cart will transfer all selected data entities from your JoomShopping store to Ecwid. The duration of this process depends on the volume of data being moved.

For enhanced peace of mind, consider adding a Migration Insurance Service to your package. This service offers protection against unforeseen issues and includes a set number of remigrations, allowing you to re-run the process if needed. Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?

During the full migration, you can utilize services like Remigration Service or Recent Data Migration Service if you need to transfer newly added data after the initial full migration.

Post-Migration Steps: Ensuring a Flawless Ecwid Store Launch

Completing the data transfer is a significant achievement, but the journey doesn't end there. These crucial post-migration steps will help you ensure your new Ecwid store is fully functional, optimized, and ready to serve your customers.

• Thorough Testing: Conduct comprehensive tests across your new Ecwid store. Verify product listings, pricing, images, descriptions, customer accounts, order history, and the entire checkout process. Place test orders, apply coupons, and ensure all payment gateways and shipping methods are working correctly.
• Update DNS and Re-route Traffic: Once you are confident that your Ecwid store is fully operational, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Ecwid store. This will direct all incoming traffic to your new platform.
• Implement 301 Redirects: Even with automatic 301 redirects handled during migration, it’s wise to cross-check and manually set up any custom redirects for pages that might have changed URLs, especially for critical landing pages or old blog posts (given JoomShopping's SEO limitations for blogs). This preserves SEO rankings and link equity.
• SEO Audit: Submit your new sitemap to Google Search Console and other search engines. Monitor your SEO rankings and traffic patterns closely to identify and address any potential drops quickly.
• Install Essential Apps and Plugins: Explore the Ecwid App Market (similar to a plugin store) and install any necessary applications or integrations that provide functionality crucial to your business, such as marketing tools, accounting integrations, or customer service apps.
• Design and Theme Adjustments: Customize your Ecwid store’s design to align with your brand identity and enhance user experience. Adjust themes, add custom CSS, and ensure a responsive design across all devices.
• Configure Payment Gateways and Shipping: Reconfigure all your payment gateways (e.g., PayPal, Stripe) and shipping carriers with your Ecwid store’s settings.
• Inform Your Customers: Send out an announcement to your customer base, informing them about the new store. Highlight any new features or improvements they can expect.
• Monitor and Optimize: Continuously monitor your Ecwid store’s performance, user feedback, and sales data. Use analytics to identify areas for improvement and optimize your store for better conversions and customer satisfaction.

Migrating from JoomShopping to Ecwid marks a new chapter for your e-commerce business, offering fresh opportunities for growth and efficiency. By following this guide and leveraging Cart2Cart’s capabilities, you can achieve a seamless transition. Should you encounter any challenges or require assistance, do not hesitate to Contact Us. We are here to help you every step of the way.