Magento is one of the most common and popular eCommerce platforms in the world. Due to it being open source, Magento easily adapts to online stores of all sizes and all kinds of requirements. It already includes a lot of functionality, which reduces the need for modules and add-ons. Open-source code also ensures that the online stores stay secure and that the platform always meets the requirements of evolving technology.
The open-source code also enables the coding of various modules and add-ons, so that the customer gets the online store precisely tuned and tailored to his needs. Consumer behavior changes daily. Today’s latest trend may be a thing of the past tomorrow. Magento’s flexibility enables quick changes to be made to the eCommerce service experience if necessary. Almost any functionality can be found as a ready-made module that only needs to be installed in place.
At best, the Magento eCommerce is a suite integrated into the retailer’s own back-end systems, as well as payment method and logistics supplier systems. It serves both the eCommerce retailer and the eCommerce customers seamlessly and efficiently.
Magento 2 – a new era of e-commerce innovation
The slogan of the second Magento eCommerce platform version is “A new era of e-commerce innovation”. Launched at the end of 2015, the platform supports the latest tools and programming languages, such as PHP 7. The software has become even more professional, so the development of Magento 2 requires an experienced Magento 2 professional.
From a technical point of view, Magento 2 has been rethought in many ways. Faster response time is known to be key in a productive eCommerce, and this has been given special attention in Magento 2. A new architecture solution balances the load on the servers, which is visible to the end user as a fast-loading site. Also, there is no need to fear that the store crashes during large sale campaigns, as the improved architecture allows even a large number of simultaneous visitors.
A much faster system makes it easier to achieve the full 100 points in Google’s PageSpeed testing tool.
In addition to the technicalities, there are also visible changes in Magento 2. The user interface has become more modern and easier to use. Adding products, and especially adding customizable products with multiple product variations (e.g. color, size, material), has become much easier. You can add multiple sizes and colors to a single product with just a few clicks.
Upgrading Magento 1 to Magento 2
Many eCommerce retailers who own the Magento 1 eCommerce platform have certainly wondered whether they should switch to Magento 2. Before long, the upgrade will become mandatory as support for the old Magento ended in 2020, which means reduced security and outdated technology for old Magento 1 online stores.
Upgrading the Magento 1 eCommerce is not only a matter of time, but also budget, because contrary to what you might think, Magento 1 and Magento 2 are completely different systems, and they work completely differently, so you can’t copy a layout from the old version to the new one. In practice, the old eCommerce is built on a completely new platform instead of installing a single upgrade on the old store. Therefore, it is worth planning the upgrade in connection with larger updates to the eCommerce, such as during layout changes.
The changed development methods of Magento 2 may come as a nasty surprise to online retailers who have built their Magento online store themselves. Development requires an experienced professional and if there isn’t enough experience for the new development tools, it may be necessary to turn to a skilled Magento vendor.
Magento 2 – pros and cons
+ Improved functionality
+ Better usability for the retailer, a fully responsive control panel
+ Easy to add products
+ Integration into your own and partners’ systems is effortless
+ Lots of built-in features, less need for paid add-ons
+ Constantly updated data security (critical updates for Magento 1 ended in 2018)
+ Improved user experience for the eCommerce customer
+ Supports the latest technologies and development tools
+ New features, add-ons and modules are constantly being developed
– Upgrading from Magento 1 practically means building a new online store
– Learning the new interface is a project of its own
– Due to it being so new, there are so far not that many ready-made modules compared to Magento 1 (although more modules are added at a rapid pace and the most important ones can already be found in our selection)
– Requires a more powerful server compared to Magento 1
– The new structure requires experience with Magento 2 development; so-called “home coders” may not have enough know-how to implement the upgrade
Pinja has been implementing Magento 2 projects since the release of the first stable version. We have also developed most of the Magento 2 payment modules used in Finland and are constantly developing new modules for Magento 2.
Need more information about the Magento 2 upgrade? Do you have any other questions about eCommerce? Contact us!
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