Magento 2

In this article we will describe the Magento 2 features and help you decide if it’s worth upgrading your ecommerce store to the newest version.

Magento 2 overview

Magento 2 was released in November 2015. Since then several companies upgraded their ecommerce platforms. The first global implementation of Magento 2 was performed by Venroy. This project took them 8 weeks to complete. Since the new website launch, they claim to increase their site conversion rate by 38% and mobile conversion rate by 80%, which sounds promising for companies that think about moving to Magento 2.

Magento 2 features

1. Great scalability and performance

New Magento comes with built-in Varnish software, which is an HTTP accelerator designed for websites and API’s with rich, heavy and dynamic content. Magento websites always had issues with the loading speed which had an impact on customer shopping experience and conversion rates.

Now with Varnish Cache available not as extension, but part of the platform, ecommerce websites load approximately 20% quicker. According to Venroy, their Magento 2 online store average page load time decreased by 40%.

Apart of Varnish, Magento 2 comes also with the following features improving performance:

- Improved indexers

- Magento performance toolkit

- Full page caching

2. Easy interface customisation

Magento 2 is more structured and now it’s easier to make visual amendments to the website thanks to the Visual Design Editor. It’s a new feature for editing website layout and modifying blocks and containers.

3. Improved checkout process

In Magento 1 there were 7 steps in checkout process and it was difficult to customise it. In Magento 2, the whole checkout process is based only on 2 steps in a checkout and it’s easy to add some custom amendments to the checkout structure as needed e.g. new fields, new interface.

Now the checkout is very fast, more intuitive and smooth. The new user account can be created with just one click without interrupting the transaction.

4. Better security

Security is a key component of Magento 2. There is a new directory which protects the website from the security breaches. There are new Magento 2 versions released including new and better security patches.

5. Automated testing

In Magento 2 you can have intensified test driven development workflow. It’s possible to have unit tests, functional tests, performance tests during the development. Hardcore testing phase is always done during the development and after the code is written there is a need only for some acceptance testing.

6. Well-structured directories and more organised development

It’s much easier to write code in Magento 2 The files, modules don’t conflict so easily as in Magento 1. If there are some errors in the code Magento will provide more detailed data about what the problem is, so it’s easier to code and easier to fix any potential issues during the development.

Magento 2 upgrade process

Should my business upgrade to Magento 2?

Installing and upgrading Magento to the new version depends on the overall condition of the current website. If the website runs smoothly and all the latest Magento 1 updates are installed, it’s fine to start preparing a plan on implementing Magento 2.

We can help your business and do the technical audit of the website to verify its condition. The audit includes code review, upgrades, site optimisation for better performance as well as frontend and backend error identification. When all the identified problems are fixed and the website performs well, it’s a good time to make a plan on Magento 2 implementation and we can also help you with this.

Is the move to Magento 2 smooth?

There is a Magento 2 Data Migration Tool that have been issued by Magento to help in migration process, but moving to Magento 2 is not smooth. The tool helps to port all the key products, customer base, order data, configurations, promotions and more to the new platform, but themes and custom code including third party extensions cannot be transferred.

It means that it will need to be redeveloped on Magento 2. Still it can be a good news as it makes you rethink the structure of your store and the business. You will be able to refresh your code and make it more efficient and improve the user experience of the site.

Is it worth it?

Looking at the longer perspective it is very useful to change to Magento 2. It includes new and improved features required for your ecommerce business to perform at its best. Obviously it will require some investment, but if you want to stay ahead of your competition it is a good idea to move.

If you have any questions about Magento 2 and think about moving to the new version don’t hesitate to contact our Magento 2 development agency. We are dedicated Magento 2 developers, so contact us today for a free quote!