Rakuten to PrestaShop Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Migrate Your E-commerce Store from Rakuten (via CSV) to PrestaShop

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 business. If you're currently running your store on Rakuten and are ready to transition to the flexible, feature-rich PrestaShop platform, this guide is designed for you. PrestaShop offers unparalleled control over your storefront, powerful customization options, and a robust open-source community, making it an excellent choice for merchants seeking growth and autonomy.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of moving your valuable store data—including products, customer information, orders, and more—from Rakuten (via CSV file export) to PrestaShop. We'll ensure you understand each step, from initial preparation to post-migration checks, leveraging expert tools to ensure a smooth and accurate data transfer. Prepare to unlock new possibilities for your online store with PrestaShop!

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating your data transfer, proper preparation is crucial for a smooth and efficient migration process. Taking these steps will help ensure data integrity and minimize potential issues.

Preparing Your Rakuten (Source) Store

• Export Your Data: As Rakuten does not offer direct API integration with third-party migration tools in this context, your data will need to be exported into CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. This includes critical entities like products (with SKUs and variants), product categories, customer records, order history, manufacturers, and potentially product reviews.
• Data Cleanup: Before exporting, consider cleaning up your Rakuten store. Remove outdated products, redundant customer accounts, or irrelevant data to ensure only valuable information is transferred to your new PrestaShop store. This helps maintain data integrity and improves performance on your new platform.

For more detailed guidance, refer to our guide on preparing your source store for migration.

Preparing Your PrestaShop (Target) Store

• Install PrestaShop: Ensure you have a fresh installation of PrestaShop ready on your hosting environment. Choose a stable version that meets your business needs.
• Basic Configuration: Complete the initial setup, such as configuring your store's base currency, language, and time zone. You might also want to explore themes and essential modules.
• Install Cart2Cart Module: For a successful connection and data transfer, you will need to install the Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module on your PrestaShop store. This module facilitates the secure exchange of data using a bridge connection method.

Learn more about how to prepare your target store for migration.

General Considerations

• Backup Both Stores: Always create a full backup of your Rakuten data (before export) and your newly installed PrestaShop store before starting any migration. This is a critical safety net.
• Hosting Environment: Ensure your PrestaShop hosting environment meets its recommended specifications for optimal performance post-migration.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your stores prepared, let's dive into the step-by-step process of migrating your data using a specialized migration wizard.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Your migration journey begins by accessing the migration wizard. Here, you'll choose to start a do-it-yourself migration, or explore assisted services if you prefer a hands-off approach.

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

In this crucial step, you'll specify Rakuten as your source platform by selecting the 'CSV File to Cart' option. You will then upload your previously exported Rakuten data files. This process ensures all your product details, customer records, and order information are correctly staged for transfer.

Step 3: Connect Your PrestaShop Target Store

Next, you'll select PrestaShop as your target platform and provide its Admin URL. To establish a secure connection, you'll need to utilize the Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module, which acts as a bridge. The wizard will guide you through installing this add-on, typically involving downloading it, installing it via your PrestaShop admin area, and then proceeding with the setup. This bridge method is the exclusive connection for PrestaShop, ensuring secure data exchange.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This stage allows you to precisely control what data gets moved. You can select specific data types, or 'entities,' such as Products, Product Categories, Manufacturers, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Coupons, CMS Pages, Blogs, Blog Posts, and even Product Reviews. It's recommended to migrate all essential data to ensure a complete transition and maintain a rich user experience.

Step 5: Configure Migration Options & Data Mapping

Fine-tune your migration with a range of additional options and crucial data mapping settings.

Additional Migration Options

You'll find various checkboxes to customize your migration. Highly recommended options include:

• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures all product images embedded within descriptions are transferred, maintaining visual content integrity.
• Clear Target: Wipes existing data from your PrestaShop store before migration, ensuring a clean slate. Read about the 'Clear current data on Target store before migration' option.
• Preserve Product IDs, Order IDs, and Customer IDs: Crucial for maintaining existing links and records, especially if you have external systems reliant on these identifiers. Discover how Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Essential for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity by automatically redirecting old Rakuten URLs to their new PrestaShop counterparts, preventing broken links and poor user experience.
• Password Migration: Allows your existing customer passwords to be transferred, providing a seamless login experience post-migration.

Data Mapping

The wizard will guide you through mapping customer groups and order statuses from your Rakuten data to their corresponding fields in PrestaShop. This ensures consistency and proper classification of your customer segments and order workflows.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration (Recommended)

Before committing to the full transfer, it's highly recommended to run a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., a few products, customers, and orders) to your PrestaShop store. It's a fantastic opportunity to test the process, review the migrated data, and identify any potential issues or adjustments needed before the complete migration.

Step 7: Initiate Full Migration

Once you're satisfied with the demo results and have finalized all your options, proceed with the full migration. Review the total cost and consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers a set number of remigrations for a specific duration. This can be invaluable for ensuring long-term data accuracy and peace of mind, especially when dealing with potential downtime or unforeseen data nuances. Confirm your choices, and the full data transfer will begin, moving all your selected entities from Rakuten to PrestaShop.

Post-Migration Steps

Your data has been successfully transferred, but the journey isn't over. These crucial post-migration steps will help you optimize your new PrestaShop store and ensure a smooth transition for your customers.

• Thorough Data Review: Systematically check all migrated entities. Verify product details, SKUs, images, descriptions, categories, customer accounts, order histories, and reviews. Ensure all metadata is correctly displayed and that product variants are accurately represented.
• Test Store Functionality: Conduct extensive testing of your PrestaShop store. Place test orders, register new customer accounts, test payment gateways, shipping options, search functionality, and contact forms. Ensure the entire shopping experience is flawless.
• Configure SEO & Redirects: If you enabled 301 redirects during migration, verify that they are functioning correctly to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity. Update any internal links within your content to point to the new PrestaShop URLs. Submit your new sitemap to search engines to help index your new store quickly.
• Integrate Third-Party Services: Reconnect or set up new integrations for essential services like payment processors, shipping providers, analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics), email marketing platforms, and CRM systems.
• Update DNS: Once you are fully confident in your new PrestaShop store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new PrestaShop installation. This officially takes your new store live.
• Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your store's performance, traffic, and user behavior in the weeks following the launch. Utilize analytics to identify and address any potential issues promptly.
• Consider Recent Data Migration: If new orders or customer data appeared on your Rakuten store during or immediately after the full migration, consider using a Recent Data Migration Service to sync these latest changes, ensuring no data is left behind.
• Leverage Additional Services: Should you require further adjustments or encounter unforeseen challenges, services like Cart2Cart Remigration Service or Migration Customization Service are available to help.

By following these steps, you'll successfully transition your e-commerce business to PrestaShop, positioning it for enhanced growth and improved functionality. Welcome to your new, powerful e-commerce platform!