Magento Background
Since its release in 2009, Magento is one of the most widely used open-source platforms for
e-commerce. For many years and around nine (9) releases, it has had plenty of time and effort to stabilize, debug, accrue experience, and develop extensions. Magento 1.X has a large, talented community of developers and a full library of extensions that cover almost any conceivable requirement. Developers with many years of experience and a great tool can create products quickly, efficiently and effectively.
This past November, the Magento development team released a brand new version of Magento. Magento 2.0 has a totally different structure from its 1.X predecessor. There is no automatic upgrade from version 1 to version 2. And Magento 1.X extensions are not compatible with Magento 2.0. They will have to be redeveloped in order to be used.
This change leaves website store owners and development teams in a quandary: Should I use Magento 1.X or use the latest and greatest – Magento 2.0 to develop my web site?
To explore this question, let’s first examine what Magento 2.0 offers? Then we can consider whether it is worth leaving all these benefits to start over with a new and different version.
How is Magento 2.0 Better?
Magento 2.0 builds on the experience of Magento 1 and solves many of its challenges. In particular, Magento 2.0 has much better performance, a streamlined check-out process, integrated features that once required extensions, and user-friendly backend administration.
Performance
Starting over with clean code enabled Magento’s developers to design for optimal performance; its structure, cache, and code have been significantly improved. Performance is a key factor in ensuring a high conversion rate so this feature is very important.
Check-Out Process
The efficiency of the checkout process also has a big impact on the conversion rate. Magento researched the variety of check-out models and optimized it with a two-step process, ensuring a higher conversion rate. Additional features that improve the usability include email recognition for previously registered customers and an improved ordering process. For example, the customer can create an account after ordering instead of delaying the order. One of the more popular Magento extensions was for the one-step checkout process. I believe that Magento 2 checkout makes this extension unnecessary.
Integrated Popular Extensions
Many other popular extensions have been added to Magento 2.0’s core functionality. The AJAX cart that lets customer’s add-to-cart while staying in the catalog instead of redirecting to the cart page is one example.
Improved Backend Administration Functionality
Magento 2.0 offers improved layout design and richer functionality in the backend. Adding products and extensions is much easier.
So what’s the question?
Magento 2.0 is still a relatively new product. Developers have less experience with it. There are fewer extensions available. That means developing e-commerce websites with Magento 2.0 may take more time, cost more, and have a higher risk of potential bugs.
Which Version Should You Choose
So which version of Magento should you use? The answer, as with many things, is “it depends.” What do you need for your site? Are your needs covered in Magento 2.0’s core functionality? Will your site need customization?
For simpler e-commerce sites, like those selling a limited number of categories of products in a straightforward way, Magento 2.0 may be ideal. You enjoy the performance, improved check-out process and other well-integrated features. The website catalog will be easy to maintain, and you can easily grow your features together with the development of Magento 2.0.
For more complex e-commerce sites, like those selling diamonds – in which there is something unique about each product in the catalog – you may want to stay with Magento 1 until
Magento 2 can support integration with key extensions such as warehouse management, CRM, and customized catalog searches.
In the short term, Magento 1 will offer a cheaper solution. As developers accrue experience with Magento 2 and more extensions become available, the gap will certainly be filled and the choice to move forward will be easier.
About Fisha
Fisha developers specialize in Magento – an open source development environment for advanced e-commerce applications. Magento is used by the leaders: Amazon, e-bay, and more.
If you have a B2C or B2B business that hasn’t started serving digitally, Fisha can bring you into this critical market. If you are already there – but are hoping for more – ask Fisha how they can help you improve your customers’ experience and succeed.
Fisha offers top professionalism while delivering out-of-the- box creative solutions. Let Fisha be your one-stop shop. They will deliver quality, effective systems that amaze your customers and empower your IT team while supporting you all the way.
Contact us. We’ll be happy to explore your next steps towards success in digital sales.
