This article has been written to help Magento v1 store owners understand the current situation and decide upon their best way forward. For a more in-depth look at your options, feel free to drop us a line and we can look at your options together.
Article.
Your quick guide to moving on from Magento v1
…and how to select your next platform.
Expertise
What’s the situation with Magento version 1?
From the 30th June 2020, online store managers running Magento v1 will no longer receive support from their platform provider.
But how will that affect my site?
In simple terms your site will no longer be protected against any future vulnerabilities, and your level of PCI compliance will be significantly reduced.
It is highly recommended that owners of Magento v1 stores move their site to a new ecommerce platform.
How do I select the right platform for my needs?
Before selecting a platform you need to identify your own specific requirements.
You may have a bespoke ERP integration or a legacy CRM system. Your product may require an array of complex filters that make it easy for users to find a specific product. Your order fulfilment process may incorporate various packaging considerations and shipping limitations.
Make a full list of the tools, functionality, and system integrations, then describe your whole operation to form a written ‘specification’ of your site. Complete this step before you do anything else
Your system specification will form the basis for approaching a potential supplier. An ecommerce specialist will be able to review your requirement and identify the most suitable platform for your needs.
They will also recommend alternative solutions that might increase efficiency or save you money.
Remember that a good ecommerce partner will tell you the negatives, as well as the positives, of any solution they recommend.
What else should I consider?
Consider the cost and time of setting up a new ecommerce platform.
This will be determined by the platform you choose, the amount of resource you employ, and the complexity of your needs.
You will also need to consider the ongoing costs associated with the platform. This may entail a percentage of your sales in addition to any licence/subscription fees. Self hosted solutions may also incur significant hosting and maintenance costs. You may be surprised by how money newer platforms can save you.
Think about the issues that you face with your current system.
Changing your ecommerce system might provide you with an opportunity to improve your overall operation. This is a great time to investigate ways of making better customer experiences and introducing operational efficiencies.
Performance issues can have a detrimental effect on your profitability.
Some platforms cannot cope with a large volume of simultaneous transactions. Others serve data too slowly.
Not only does this impact the rate of drop off, your site may be ranked down by Google too.
Let's work together
Let's partner to create brand, product, and experience solutions that move people and markets.
What other questions should I think about?
How many transactions can the platform handle at once? What is the typical uptime? How easily can you introduce new products? Do you need to create seasonal product categories? How much flexibility do you have to create your own site structure, navigational behaviour, and template customisation. What service integrations does the platform freely provide? Check out the options and ensure the new platform meets all of your needs.
Consider the level of support that you and your team might require.
The best kind of support will come in the form of regular stability patches and security updates. They prevent issues before they can affect you.
However, when things do go wrong, you’ll need the reassurance that you can access an appropriate level of technical support whenever you need it. Aside from technical issues, you should also consider your training requirement. How easily can someone learn the new system and what kind of educational materials will the new platform provide?
What ecommerce platforms should I look at?
There are three main contenders…
- Magento - Magento is one of the most used ecommerce platforms. It comes in three forms:
- A free ‘light’ version that you host and maintain yourself,
- A subscription based ‘platform as a service’, and
- An ‘enterprise’ version which allows larger businesses to self host a fully featured version which Magento help set up and support. Store owners choose Magento because of its reputation in the marketplace, and the availability of resource. Some users find it overly complex and expensive to run.
- Shopify - Shopify is a cloud-based SaaS (software as a service) shopping cart solution. A monthly fee gives you access to an admin panel where you can enter store data, add products, and process orders. Additionally, you'll be able to choose from a wide selection of paid-for design templates and functionality enhancements. Store owners choose Shopify because of its low cost model and flexibility. Some users find the core service quite limiting, and the mechanism for introducing extended functionality can lead to security and/or performance issues.
Bigcommerce - Bigcommerce is a paid-for, ecommerce solution that allows business owners to set up a feature-rich online store and sell their products online. It's a software as a service (SaaS) product, which means that you don't own the software, but pay a monthly fee to use it. Shop owners primarily select it because it reduces the overall operational costs whilst removing many of the technical and security challenges/costs that come with hosting and maintaining online stores. Some users find the customisation limited.
How can we help?
We would be happy to hear more about your specific concerns and provide our thoughts on the way forward. It’s likely that the perfect system doesn’t exist.
However, if we can prioritise your needs we can help you to define a system that works for you.
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