Ecommerce has revolutionized modern business, and the numbers are there to prove it. According To a Pew Research study, eight out of ten Americans shop online. A similar eMarketer Study estimates that global eCommerce will rise by 20.7%, to $3.535 trillion in 2019.
As a business owner, you have to embrace the latest digital technologies to stay ahead of your competition. For instance, if you have an online store, it is important to leverage the best eCommerce content management system (CMS).
The Ultimate Ecommerce Platform
Magento is the leading eCommerce platform. It receives glowing reviews across all industries. This platform provides you with total control of your online store. Magento Commerce stands out not only because it is easy to set-up; it is reliable, flexible, provides hosting freedom, it is easy to customize, provides the latest in security, and built-in SEO.
Other amazing features include ongoing site backup, Multi-Website Options, acceptance of multiple payment options, scalability, Currency and Language Support, 3rd party integrations, and so much more. These features have accounted for Magento’s dominance in the eCommerce industry.
It powers 1.2% of the internet, which translates to 12% of all e-commerce sites. In total, over 250,000 active sites use this CMS.
The arrival of Magento 2
Despite the impressive features and proven performance of the current Magento platform, developers still want to improve it. Support for Magento Commerce 1 ends in June 2020. All businesses running on this older version will need to migrate to the updated Magento 2 platform if they wish to continue to receive the level of support and flexibility that they have grown used to.
If you talk to any reputable Magento development company and ask for eCommerce solutions, they will most likely recommend that you use the new 2.x eCommerce platform.
Magento 2 migration is now the most dominant topic amongst Magento users. In such a situation, many important facts may be overlooked, preventing users from making informed decisions. If you run an eCommerce store on Magento, you need to get your facts right before deciding against switching to Magento 2.
The first version of Magento 2 arrived back in 2015. For over five years, Magento developers have reviewed the system. This culminated in the development of the current Magento 2. This updated platform promises awesome features that boost the performance of online stores.
Users will have a choice of three Magento editions:
- Magento 2 Open Source (Free edition)
- Magento 2 Enterprise Edition (premium version)
- Enterprise Cloud Edition (SaaS option)
Is The Migration Necessary? A Look At The Benefits Of Magento 2
For most eCommerce stores that already use Magento 1, migrating their businesses to a new version may sound like a lot of work. After all, Magento is one of the most efficient CMSs on the market. It powers the most successful eCommerce stores. To many an upgrade would seem unnecessary.
However, Magento experts and industry analysts say that the new upgrade offers exclusive advantages. As an online store owner, you have to adjust your business to embrace such changes. This helps you maintain a competitive edge.
How is Magento 2 better than its predecessor?
Some of the pros of Magento 2 include:
1. Cost savings
Since Adobe took over Magento, the company has invested heavily in boosting the efficiency of its product. With Magento 2, Adobe promises eCommerce stores cost-savings when it comes to publishing content, including landing pages, new product launches, etc.
The new platform makes it easier for marketers and merchandisers to create and deploy content. There’s no need for costly technical resources. Your businesses can use these savings to fund other critical areas of operations.
2. Improved Business Performance
During the test launch of Magento 2, Adobe carried out a study to determine the impact the new platform will have on business. Their findings show that the new platform will boost revenues, by cutting the cost of content management and improving efficiency. Positive findings that predict business growth include higher website conversion rates, increased site traffic, an increase in average order value, KPIs and revenue growth, among other things.
3. Improved Functionality
Magento 2 Commerce boasts of having more options to help business owners increase the functionality of their stores. Magento 2’s extension marketplace will ensure increased efficiency for supported eCommerce sites.
The built-in ‘premier’ extensions will cut down on the time and resources used for different site operations. All extensions on the new eCommerce platform undergo rigorous quality checks and testing before they become available to merchants. Unlike what happened with Magento 1, no room has been left for poorly developed tools.
In essence, business owners will receive more effective tools to help them with tasks such as shipping and logistics, marketing automation, security and fraud detection, payment options and a plethora of other functionalities.
4. Ease of Customization
Magento has a reputation for its ease of customization. Magento 2 users hail the platform’s easy-to-use content development functionality, as the most outstanding feature by far.
5. Better Load Page Times
Most internet users want faster loading pages. As a site owner, achieving this is not easy. However, Magento 2 offers a timely solution with a 50 percent faster page load time. This new platform also boasts of having the capacity to handle 117 percent more orders per hour than Magento 1.
6. Giving Merchants More Control
Magento 2 is a more complete CMS, designed to provide business owners with more control. New features include business intelligence tools to help with shipping and B2B capabilities. Other features include new social integration tools, more secure payment gateways, more streamlined checkouts, safer and more enhanced data storage practices, to name a few.
The admin interface is also more user-friendly. This reduces the time you need to manage your store. Your employees will also find it easier to learn and customize the Magento 2 interface. Creating a new product is faster, and this system comes with faster import capabilities.
Magento 2 offers a wide range of other benefits. It is mobile responsive, comes with improved SEO and other search features, makes use of better security standards. Updates are automatic and ongoing.
The Bottom Line
Magento 2 has so much going on for it. This makes it crucial for you to migrate your store. It is worth your time because the migration offers all the benefits of Magento 1 and much more. The migration process might be resource-intensive, but it is worth every penny. If you want to get the best out of your eCommerce store, it is advisable to always adapt to such changes fast in this highly volatile industry.
By choosing the best Magento partner when migrating, you will get more out of this updated CMS. A reliable Magento solutions provider will help you prepare for the upgrade and plan a seamless migration process.