Duplicating site/transfer

[entrepre7]

I am wanting to start a second website. This one CSS. Can I build the shell of the site on the second domain and have it copied to my first site which is MMUI? Then

Would I export all my categories, products, customers...... Have my store deleted and upload the CSS one. Then import all my stuff to it?

I don't want to lose my rankings. If I leave the categories and everything basically the same would it work?

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Duplicating site/transfer

This is a job for your hosting company to do.

You would want them to put a development store on the same domain but probably in a subdomain. then you will need to set up your templates and layout, then you will have to export your customer / order / affiliate (and any other backend data), import it into the developement store, then have your host switch out the two, so the development store becomes the working store.

PLEASE NOTE: Some module developers have module licensing restrictions requiring you to get a new license for a module if you try to use it on a subdomian. So if you have a store set up at:

http://dev.mydomainname.com/

Then the modules you have won't work on that development store.

If I were you, the first thing I would do is copy down all my module license key numbers and have them in a safe place.

You really should have a good host help you out with this.

[morditech.com]

Re: Duplicating site/transfer

If your goal is to keep the same store but redesign the look then you should ask your host to copy your site to a staging area (there may be a fee for this), usually into a sub domain as Siamese-Dream stated. Then modify the staging store (as long as this store is not in production and not publicly accessed there should not be any licensing issues).
When you are done with the design your host should be able to swap the staging store to the lice store.

If you do not make changes to the product and category codes and your paths and links do not change structure then you should not have any change in page rank. Assuming that your CSS layout is properly formatted for SEO you will probably get better search results from the major search engines.

[lesliekirk]

Re: Duplicating site/transfer

PLEASE NOTE: Some module developers have module licensing restrictions requiring you to get a new license for a module if you try to use it on a subdomain.

Could you let me know offlist who requires a license for use in a subdomain? I know there are some known "issues" with using some modules in development environment then needing to reset them in the live environment.

Leslie

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Duplicating site/transfer

Could you let me know offlist who requires a license for use in a subdomain?

I will try to get confirmation first and contact you. But I was informed as much, although to be honest, I have my doubts about whether the particular employee was sure of this. They seemed uncertain.

[koala]

Re: Duplicating site/transfer

I've found that most module developers are pretty understanding about a second license key for a development store-- I've had a couple of instances where I wanted to test a module on our staging site before putting it live and they've all been very much willing to help.

[skepticwebguy]

Re: Duplicating site/transfer

When you are done with the design your host should be able to swap the staging store to the lice store.

I'm on a self-managed server, so my host won't do the swap from the dev site to the live site. Can you please give me a breakdown of how to do it? My concern is that my live site will contain new order data that my dev site won't contain, since my dev site will only contain an older version of my database that I copied initially when I set up my dev site. Likewise, my dev site database will contain a new Miva 9 Ready Theme framework that my live site won't have. I assume that all gets stored in the database, no? So, how do I merge the parts of the dev site database with the parts of the live site database that I want to maintain (i.e order history that won't be in the dev site)?