Optimizing Server for Holidays
Technology professionals are already planning out their 2018 roadmaps. For eCommerce merchants on Magento 1, that likely includes a discussion on whether a migration to Magento 2 should be a priority this year. With Magento’s recent announcement that their module and extension store, Magento Connect, would be shuttering its digital doors on September 15, the conversation is even more compelling. It’s obvious the product focus for the company is moving to developing for the Magento 2 platform. While Magento 1 is still going to be supported, there are reasons your company may want to upgrade to the newest version of Magento.
Here are some things to consider when starting the conversation about upgrading to Magento 2.2.
B2B Capabilities
Magento 2.2 comes with built-in capabilities to build business-to-business sales. Businesses have designated accounts with portals to request quotes, bulk and wholesale orders. Business buyers can communicate about quote changes or acceptance right in the portal. Your business clients can also designate a drag-and-drop hierarchy for their team, allowing each unique business structure to integrate into your site for maximum ease-of-buying.
What’s right for your company
While the Open Source Magento Commerce platform is free, there are some ongoing costs. Magento is open source, meaning if you choose open source, your team or an outsourced partner will handle all of the customization, updates, and maintenance. You’ll need to cover graphic design, server hardware, and all of the usual expenses that come with running an eCommerce platform. If you don’t have the technical knowledge, running Magento Commerce with the help of a Magento-certified reputable partner can cut down on extraneous per-project costs and help project a more stable forecast for costs associated with eCommerce operations.
Do you just need simple shopping cart functionality, or do you need more complex customization and configuration? If you’d like a wide range of customizable details and very powerful features, Magento Commerce is the right choice. The more robust, licensed version of the platform has features like private sales, loyalty programs, newsletters and more that are not available to the open-source users.
Do you need technical support?
Because Magento is a highly customizable platform, traditional technical support isn’t an option. Finding a reputable partner that can offer expert guidance and troubleshooting when you need it is crucial. Partners can manage plug-ins, upgrades, extensions and add-ons to help you get the most out of your Magento eCommerce site.
Are you migrating from Magento 1?
Currently, there are no reliable automated tools to migrate fully from Magento 1 to Magento 2.2. Finding a trustworthy partner with experience in Magento 1.x to Magento 2.2 migrations is the first step. From there, your Magento-certified partner will scope the project and train your team on all the new features of Magento 2, and the data migration and site build can begin.
