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

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store from Arastta to Volusion

The decision to migrate your e-commerce platform is a significant one, often driven by the need for enhanced features, better scalability, or improved user experience. If you're currently operating on Arastta and are considering a move to Volusion, you're looking at a powerful upgrade that promises robust functionality and a streamlined backend for managing your online business. Volusion offers a comprehensive suite of tools, from advanced product management to integrated marketing and SEO features, making it an attractive destination for merchants seeking growth.

This expert guide will walk you through the entire process of migrating your store's vital data from Arastta to Volusion. Since Arastta isn't directly supported by automated migration tools in the same way some other platforms are, we'll leverage a highly effective CSV file export method from Arastta, followed by a robust migration to Volusion. We'll cover everything from preparation to post-migration checks, ensuring a smooth transition of your products, customer data, orders, and other crucial assets, all while minimizing downtime and preserving your valuable SEO rankings.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, careful preparation of both your source (Arastta) and target (Volusion) stores is essential. This foundational work will ensure data integrity and a smooth transition.

• For Your Arastta (Source) Store:

  Since Arastta data will be exported via CSV files, you'll need to export all relevant entities. This typically includes your complete product catalog (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images), customer records, order history, product categories, manufacturers, reviews, invoices, taxes, stores, coupons, CMS pages, and potentially blog posts. Ensure you have full administrative access to your Arastta installation to perform these exports. You may also need FTP access to retrieve product images or other files not included in CSV exports. For more details on preparing your source store, refer to our guide on how to prepare your Source store for migration.

• For Your Volusion (Target) Store:
  • Set Up Your Volusion Store: You must have a new, active Volusion store where your data will be transferred.
  • Install Cart2Cart Volusion Migration Module: To enable a seamless connection for the migration tool, you will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module on your Volusion store. This is a critical step for allowing the migration bridge to function correctly.
  • Administrative Access: Ensure you have full administrator credentials for your new Volusion store. This includes login details for the admin panel and FTP/SFTP access for uploading the connection bridge. Learn more about access credentials.
  • FTP Access: You'll need FTP access to your Volusion store's root directory to upload the necessary connection bridge files. If you're unsure about the root folder, check our FAQ on what a root folder is.
  • Review Volusion Limitations: Be aware of Volusion's platform specifics, such as potential multi-store limitations for BigCommerce variants if you plan to migrate complex variant structures, and that SEO options may be excluded for blogs, as noted in the platform's specifications.

  For a comprehensive guide on setting up your target store, please visit our article on how to prepare your Target store for migration.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you are ready to use a specialized migration service, like Cart2Cart, to facilitate the transfer of your valuable data from your exported Arastta CSV files to your new Volusion store. Here’s a detailed walkthrough:

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration service platform. This is your starting point for initiating the data transfer process.

You can choose to proceed with a do-it-yourself migration using the wizard or request assistance from an expert team.

Step 2: Set Up Your Source Store (Arastta via CSV)

In the migration wizard, you'll first configure your source store details. Select 'CSV File to Cart' as your source platform. You will then be prompted to upload the CSV files containing your Arastta data. Ensure all exported files, including those for products, customers, and orders, are correctly uploaded. The system supports various entities for CSV import, including Products, Categories, Manufacturers, Reviews, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, CMS Pages, and Blog Posts.

For more information on preparing and using CSV files for migration, refer to our CSV File Data Migration service.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, you'll configure your target store. Select 'Volusion' from the dropdown list of supported platforms. Provide the full URL of your Volusion store. The migration wizard will then guide you on how to download and upload the Cart2Cart connection bridge to your Volusion store's root directory via FTP. This bridge is essential for establishing a secure connection and facilitating the data transfer.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This crucial step allows you to choose exactly which types of data you want to transfer from your Arastta CSV files to Volusion. You can select all available entities or pick specific ones like products, customer records, order history, product categories, manufacturers, reviews, invoices, taxes, stores, coupons, and CMS pages. This ensures only relevant data is moved, streamlining the process.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

Enhance your migration by selecting various additional options. These features are vital for maintaining SEO, data integrity, and a seamless user experience. Consider options like:

• Preserve Product IDs, Order IDs, and Customer IDs: This helps maintain historical data links and internal references. Learn more about how Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures that all product images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Password Migration: Allows your customers to log in with their existing credentials on the new Volusion store.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Essential for redirecting old Arastta URLs to new Volusion URLs, preserving your search engine rankings and link equity.
• Clear Target Store Data: If your Volusion store has existing dummy data, selecting this option will remove it before the migration begins. Understand what 'Clear current data on Target store before migration' means.
• Create Variants from Attributes: Important for product data that relies on attributes to form different product variants.

Step 6: Map Data Fields

In this step, you will map your customer groups and order statuses from your Arastta CSV data to their corresponding equivalents in Volusion. Accurate data mapping is crucial for maintaining consistency and ensuring that your customer segments and order lifecycle statuses are correctly reflected in your new store.

Step 7: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to a full transfer, we highly recommend running a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your Volusion store. It's a critical opportunity to review the data accuracy, check for any potential issues, and ensure that everything looks as expected on your new platform. This step significantly reduces risks associated with the full migration.

Consider utilizing our Migration Preview Service for a thorough assessment.

Step 8: Perform Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, you can proceed with the full migration. This will transfer all the selected data from your Arastta CSV files to your Volusion store. The process is typically automated, allowing you to monitor its progress without constant intervention. You can also opt for a Migration Insurance Plan, which provides a safety net for additional remigrations if needed. Learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

The full migration ensures all your product data, customer records, and order history are completely transferred, bringing your new Volusion store to life.

Post-Migration Steps

After your data has successfully been transferred to Volusion, a few crucial post-migration tasks remain to ensure your store is fully functional, optimized, and ready for your customers.

• Thorough Data Verification: Carefully review your new Volusion store. Check a sample of products (SKUs, descriptions, images, prices, variants), customer accounts, and order histories to ensure all data has transferred accurately and completely. Pay close attention to product categories, manufacturers, and reviews.
• Configure SEO Redirects: While you hopefully used the 301 SEO URL option during migration, double-check that all critical URLs from your old Arastta store are properly redirecting to their new counterparts on Volusion. This is paramount for preserving your search engine rankings and link equity.
• Update DNS Settings: Once satisfied with your new Volusion store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Volusion store. This makes your new site live to the world. Schedule this during off-peak hours to minimize potential downtime.
• Test All Store Functionality: Conduct extensive testing of your Volusion store. Place test orders, check payment gateways, shipping calculations, contact forms, search functionality, and ensure the entire shopping cart process is smooth and error-free.
• Install Essential Apps & Plugins: Replicate any specific functionalities or integrations you had on Arastta by installing equivalent apps or plugins from the Volusion App Store. This could include marketing tools, customer support features, or accounting integrations.
• Inform Your Customers: Send out an announcement to your customer base about the new and improved shopping experience on Volusion. Provide clear instructions if there are any changes they need to be aware of.
• Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your store's performance, traffic, and any potential error reports in the weeks following the migration. This proactive approach helps identify and resolve any unforeseen issues quickly.

If you have new data that appeared on your old Arastta store during or after the migration, you can utilize a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer it. Should you encounter any issues or require adjustments after the full migration, our Cart2Cart Remigration Service is available to help resolve them efficiently.