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

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from WordPress to Volusion

The decision to replatform your e-commerce store is a significant one, often driven by the need for greater scalability, enhanced features, or improved performance. If you're considering moving your existing online business from WordPress to Volusion, you're looking for a robust, dedicated e-commerce platform that can support your growth ambitions. This guide will walk you through the entire process, ensuring a smooth and successful data transfer with minimal downtime.

Migrating e-commerce data can seem daunting, but with the right tools and a clear strategy, you can efficiently transfer all your essential store information – from products and customer data to orders and reviews – maintaining data integrity and SEO rankings throughout the transition.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before initiating your store migration from WordPress to Volusion, ensure you have the following in place to guarantee a seamless process:

• Administrative Access: You'll need full administrative access to both your WordPress (source) and Volusion (target) stores. This includes login credentials and, crucially, FTP/SFTP access for both platforms. For detailed information on required access credentials, please refer to The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.
• Bridge Installation Capability: Both WordPress and Volusion utilize a "Bridge only" connection method for data transfer. This means you will need to install specific Cart2Cart migration modules (bridges) on both your source and target platforms. This process typically involves uploading a small file to your store's root directory via FTP.
• Data Backup: Always create a complete backup of your WordPress store's database and files before starting any migration. This safeguards your data in case of unforeseen issues.
• Prepare Your Volusion Store: Ensure your new Volusion store is set up and accessible. While Cart2Cart handles data population, having your store shell ready is essential. You might also want to review How to prepare Source store for migration? and How to prepare Target store for migration?.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

This section outlines the detailed steps to perform your e-commerce data migration from WordPress to Volusion using a dedicated migration wizard.

Step 1: Register and Start the Migration

Begin by registering an account with the migration service provider. Once registered, log in and select the option to start a new migration project.

Step 2: Set Up Your Source Store (WordPress)

In the migration wizard, you will be prompted to specify your current e-commerce platform. Select WordPress from the list of supported carts. Then, enter the full URL of your WordPress store. To establish a secure connection, you will need to download and install the Cart2Cart WordPress Migration module (often referred to as a "bridge") to your WordPress store's root directory via FTP. Once uploaded, verify the connection to proceed.

Step 3: Configure Your Target Store (Volusion)

Next, configure the destination for your data. Choose Volusion as your Target Store platform. Provide the complete URL of your new Volusion store. Similar to the source store, you will need to install the Cart2Cart Volusion Migration module on your Volusion store. This bridge facilitates the secure transfer of your data to the new platform. After installation, verify the connection.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This crucial step allows you to define exactly which data entities you want to move from WordPress to Volusion. You can choose to migrate all available data or selectively pick specific types. The platform supports a comprehensive range of entities, including:

• Products (including SKUs, variants, descriptions, images)
• Product Categories
• Product Manufacturers
• Product Reviews
• Customers (including customer data and accounts)
• Orders (including order history and statuses)
• Invoices
• Taxes
• Stores
• Coupons
• CMS Pages (e.g., About Us, Contact Us)

Carefully select the data that is essential for your new Volusion store. This control ensures you only transfer relevant information, streamlining your new platform.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Map Data

Additional Migration Options

This stage offers several powerful options to customize your migration. Consider selecting:

• Migrate Images in Description: Essential for maintaining product data richness.
• Clear Target: This option clears any existing demo data on your Volusion store before the migration, ensuring a clean start. Learn more about Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Preserve Product IDs, Orders IDs, Customers IDs: Retaining original IDs can be critical for inventory management and customer relationship history. Discover how How Preserve IDs options can be used?.
• SEO URLs & 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for preserving your existing search engine rankings and link equity. Implementing 301 redirects ensures that old WordPress URLs correctly point to their new Volusion counterparts, preventing broken links and a negative user experience.
• Password Migration: Allows customers to log into their accounts on the new Volusion store using their old passwords, enhancing user experience.

Data Mapping

The wizard will guide you through data mapping, where you'll match customer groups and order statuses from your WordPress store to their corresponding equivalents in Volusion. This ensures data consistency and proper categorization on your new platform.

Step 6: Perform a Demo Migration (Recommended)

Before committing to the full migration, run a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-15 products, customers, and orders) to your Volusion store. It's an excellent opportunity to:

• Verify the accuracy of the data transfer.
• Check how products, customer data, and order history appear on Volusion.
• Confirm that mapping and additional options are configured correctly.

This step provides data validation and builds confidence in the process.

Step 7: Launch Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, you can proceed with the full migration. Review all your selections and the estimated cost. You may also consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations within a certain period. For more details, see How Migration Insurance works?.

Initiate the full data transfer. The migration will run in the cloud, meaning you don't need to keep your browser open. You will be notified once the process is complete.

Post-Migration Steps

After your e-commerce data has been successfully moved to Volusion, there are crucial post-migration steps to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized:

• Verify Data: Thoroughly check your Volusion store to ensure all products, customer data, orders, reviews, and other entities have been transferred accurately and completely. Pay close attention to product images, descriptions, SKUs, and pricing.
• Update DNS: Once confident in your new Volusion store, update your domain name system (DNS) settings to point to your Volusion storefront. This is the moment your new store officially goes live.
• Configure Store Settings: Set up essential configurations specific to Volusion, such as shipping methods, payment gateways, tax settings, and general store preferences.
• Test Functionality: Perform extensive tests on your new Volusion store. Place test orders, process returns, test customer account creation and login, and ensure all features function as expected.
• Install Theme and Apps: Personalize your Volusion store's appearance by selecting and customizing a theme. Explore the Volusion App Store for any necessary integrations or apps to enhance functionality and user experience.
• Monitor SEO & Redirects: Keep a close eye on your website's performance in search engines. Verify that your 301 redirects are working correctly to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity. Tools like Google Search Console can help monitor for any crawl errors.
• Inform Customers: Announce the launch of your new Volusion store to your customers. Highlight any new features or improvements they can expect.

Migrating from WordPress to Volusion is a strategic move for your e-commerce business. By following this detailed guide, you can ensure a smooth, secure, and comprehensive data transfer, setting the stage for continued growth and success on your new platform. Should you require any assistance, our team is always ready to help. Please don't hesitate to Contact Us.