MakeWebEasy to BigCommerce Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Migrate MakeWebEasy to BigCommerce: The Ultimate 2025 Guide

As your e-commerce business evolves, transitioning to a more robust and scalable platform like BigCommerce can unlock new growth opportunities. This comprehensive guide outlines the essential steps for a successful store migration from MakeWebEasy to BigCommerce. While MakeWebEasy doesn't offer direct API access for automated migrations, this guide will walk you through leveraging CSV data export and import for a smooth data transfer, ensuring your valuable products, customer data, and order history seamlessly transition to your new, powerful BigCommerce store.

Embark on your migration journey with confidence, ensuring minimal downtime and preserving your critical business data.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before you begin the replatforming process, it's crucial to prepare both your source (MakeWebEasy) and target (BigCommerce) stores. Proper preparation ensures data integrity and a smooth transition.

• MakeWebEasy Data Backup: Since MakeWebEasy will be treated as a CSV source, ensure you have thoroughly backed up all your store's data, including product information (SKUs, variants, images), customer records, order history, and any other content like blog posts or CMS pages. Exporting this data into CSV files will be your first critical step. For more details on preparing your source store, refer to our guide on preparing the Source store for migration.
• BigCommerce Store Setup: Have your new BigCommerce store fully set up and accessible. This includes choosing your theme, configuring basic settings, and ensuring it's ready to receive your migrated data. Learn more about how to prepare your Target store for migration.
• BigCommerce API Credentials: BigCommerce requires API access for data transfer. You'll need the following from your BigCommerce admin panel:
  • Client ID (Username)
  • Access Token (API Token)
  • API Path

  BigCommerce connections rely on API only and require a custom app with specific scopes for full access. Refer to our guide on access credentials for Cart2Cart for detailed instructions on generating these.

• HTTPS Requirement: BigCommerce API connections necessitate HTTPS for secure data exchange. Ensure your BigCommerce store URL uses HTTPS.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to successfully transfer your e-commerce store from MakeWebEasy to BigCommerce using a CSV-based migration approach.

Step 1: Export Data from MakeWebEasy (Source Preparation)

Since MakeWebEasy is not directly supported by our automated migration tool via API, your migration will be facilitated through CSV file export and import. You will need to manually export your data from your MakeWebEasy store into separate CSV files for each entity (e.g., products, categories, customers, orders). Ensure these files are comprehensive, including all relevant product attributes, customer details, and order statuses. For expert assistance with CSV.File Data Migration, our team can help prepare your files for optimal import.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (CSV Import)

In the migration wizard, you will select 'CsvToCart' as your source platform. This option allows you to upload the CSV files containing your MakeWebEasy data. Carefully upload each corresponding CSV file for products, customers, orders, categories, and any other data you wish to transfer.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (BigCommerce)

Next, choose 'BigCommerce' from the list of target carts. You will be prompted to enter your BigCommerce store's URL and the API credentials you prepared earlier (Client ID, Access Token, and API Path). This establishes a secure connection for data transfer. Remember that BigCommerce has API rate limits and requires HTTPS, along with custom app development with the necessary API scopes for comprehensive data access.

Step 4: Select Data Entities to Migrate

Now, choose which data entities you want to move from your exported MakeWebEasy CSV files to BigCommerce. You can select individual entities like products, product categories, customers, orders, coupons, blogs posts, and CMS pages, or opt to migrate 'All entities'. Ensure you select all critical data to maintain comprehensive store functionality.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

This step allows you to fine-tune your migration. Consider the following important options:

• Clear Target Store Data: The 'Clear current data on Target store before migration' option is useful if your BigCommerce store already contains test data you wish to remove before the import.
• Preserve IDs: Options like 'Preserve Product IDs,' 'Preserve Category IDs,' 'Preserve Customers IDs,' and 'Preserve Orders IDs' help maintain consistency with your old store's data, which can be crucial for record-keeping and existing integrations.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Highly recommended for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity. This option ensures that old MakeWebEasy URLs are redirected to their new BigCommerce equivalents, preventing broken links and preserving your SEO value.
• Migrate Images in Description: If your product descriptions or CMS pages contain embedded images, select this to ensure they are transferred correctly.

Step 6: Map Data Fields

The data mapping step is crucial for ensuring that your MakeWebEasy data correctly aligns with BigCommerce's structure. You'll need to map customer groups and order statuses from your CSV files to their corresponding equivalents in BigCommerce. This ensures data consistency and integrity, particularly for customer segmentation and order fulfillment processes.

Step 7: Perform Demo Migration & Full Migration

Before committing to a full migration, conduct a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities to your BigCommerce store to review the data quality and ensure everything appears as expected. Once satisfied, you can proceed with the full migration. Consider adding Migration Insurance to your plan, which provides options for additional remigrations if needed, ensuring peace of mind during your transition.

Post-Migration Steps

After your data has been successfully transferred to BigCommerce, a few critical steps remain to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

• Thorough Data Verification: Systematically check all migrated data. Verify product listings (SKUs, images, prices, variants), customer accounts, order history, reviews, and content pages. Ensure all data entities are present and accurately displayed.
• Configure BigCommerce Essentials: Set up your new BigCommerce store with crucial functionalities. This includes configuring shipping zones and rates, integrating payment gateways, setting up taxes, and customizing your chosen theme. Explore the BigCommerce App Marketplace for essential plugins to extend your store's capabilities.
• SEO Optimization and Redirects: To maintain your search engine rankings and link equity, it's vital to implement 301 redirects from your old MakeWebEasy URLs to their new BigCommerce counterparts. Update your sitemap and notify search engines of the change. This proactive step prevents broken links and preserves your online visibility.
• Comprehensive Testing: Conduct exhaustive tests on your BigCommerce store. Verify the entire checkout process, user registration, account management, search functionality, and all interactive elements to guarantee a flawless user experience.
• Go Live and Monitor: Once confident, officially launch your BigCommerce store. Monitor traffic, sales, and user behavior closely in the initial weeks to quickly address any unforeseen issues. For any new data generated on your old store after the migration, consider our Recent Data Migration Service to keep your BigCommerce store updated.

Migrating from MakeWebEasy to BigCommerce is a strategic move that can significantly enhance your e-commerce operations. By following this detailed guide, you can ensure a smooth, secure, and successful transition, paving the way for sustained growth and an improved online presence. For further assistance or complex migration needs, feel free to contact our experts.