The end is near for Magento 1

If you’re using the Magento 1 platform you’re more than likely aware that support for the platform is nearing an end as you’ve probably been inundated with messages from the admin.

Come June 2020 Magento will no longer be supporting the Magento 1 platform which means that software support, including things like quality fixes and security patches, will no longer be available.

This means that you could be left using an outdated CMS/E-Commerce platform that isn’t secure and now vulnerable to the scary world of the internet.

Magento released the M2 platform back in 2015 and in the first 18 months since it’s launch, more than 10,000 live sites were built on the new platform, with business across all sectors making the switch and enjoying the new benefits of the M2 platform.

So if your business is still using Magento 1, the time to make the change is here.

The benefits of Magento 2

Higher performance levels – With Magento 2 now fully supporting PHP7.2 site speeds can be up to 20% faster than Magento 1.

Speedier checkout processes – Magento 2 offers a new two-stage checkout process, compared to the six stages of Magento 1. That means fewer cart abandonments and better user experience.

Better mobile experience – with over 60% of all web traffic now coming from mobiles, Magento 2 has been rebuilt with mobile users in mind from the ground up, meaning slicker interfaces for both users and admins of the site.

New friendly admin Magento 2 also offers a shiny new admin interface that is responsive, user-friendly and allows multiple administrators to make changes and updates simultaneously.

Things to consider when making the switch to M2

Digital Marketing – One of the most important factors of any site migration is to build search engine optimisation into your migration plans from the start. Redirects, SEO Copy and internal link structures need to be correct from the start of the migration to ensure that no SEO value is lost as the site transfers over to the new platform.

UX Design – As the migration from M1 to M2 isn’t a simple upgrade, take this time to look at your UX design and understand how your users use your site and what their experience is like for them. With mobile usage now being so high, it’s more important than ever to make sure your site performs well across all devices but especially mobile.

Plugins & Extensions – Most M1 sites have heaps of plugins/extensions installed to help store owners tweak their website and customise it without spending lots of money on development time. Unfortunately, most plugins and extensions aren’t transferable to M2. This means you need to take time to look at your current plugins and asses if they’re needed in M2. The more plugins and extensions you have can actually hinder the performance of your site as normally plugins load extra CSS and JS files which in turn slows down your site.

At First Internet we have a team of Magento developers that have the experience, know-how and expertise to help you migrate seamlessly to Magento 2. Call us on 0161 941 5330 or email us on sales@firstinternet.co.uk today to discuss your migration project.