You are a Magento 1 owner who wants to upgrade your website to Magento 2 to make your online store more robust and engaging. However, are you still hesitating and unsure where to begin? Then this post is for you since it will provide you with a realistic Magento 2 migration guide to help you upgrade your e-commerce website with comfort.
What Happens If You Keep Using The Outdated Magento 1 Platform?
Before we get to the guide for Magento 2 migration, let’s have a look at what if you plan to stick with Magento 1.
Probably, your website is still running smoothly on Magento 1. So, instead of seeing migration to Magento 2 as a need, you may see this as a waste of money.
However, it is reasonable to state that continuing to operate an obsolete version of Magento 1 will expose your online store to potential threats.
1/ Greet attackers to your online store
Perhaps your Magento 1 website will be stable and smooth today or tomorrow. However, when you open your eyes next month, you may notice that your online store has been attacked. Don’t be surprised; it is prone to happen since you stick with Magento 1.
After the official announcement to stop support for Magento 1, e-commerce websites that continue to run on this platform no longer get security patches from Adobe – Magento provider. As a result, your Magento 1 store is much less secure. It makes it easier for cybercriminals to steal data from your website.
Several problems can happen, like customer information exposure, website downtime, and so on. One single attack like that will severely damage your reputation as well as customers’ trust in your business.
2/ Say goodbye to future innovations
If you continue to use Magento 1, you will be unable to add new features to your website. It’s because developers are putting their attention on extensions and innovations for Magento 2.
Improvements in functionality, frontend interface, and so on are critical for e-commerce websites. A website with poor design and features is not a cherished place for customers.
Furthermore, the customer feels more comfortable shopping on mobile devices than ever before. As a result, to attract buyers, e-commerce sites must have a mobile-friendly design. Regrettably, Magento 1 is unable to satisfy this need.
Magento 2 Migration – A Profitable Gamble
You’re wondering if Magento 2 Migration is a promising investment. Or, in other words, what will you receive if you execute Magento 2 migration? Let this article clear up why Magento 2 can perform miracles on your website.
1/ Magento 2 increases conversion rates
Every online store owner strives for a high conversion rate. A high conversion rate indicates that your sales are going up. The good news is that if you switch to Magento 2, your conversion rate will shoot through the roof.
Getting people to visit your website is only the first step. On top of that, the page load speed and checkout procedure are two factors that have an incredible impact on your conversion rate. So your conversion rate-boosting weapons are lightning-fast web speed and a quick and secure checkout process.
First, the website running on the Magento 2 is faster all around in frontend performance. Moreover, the homepage, category pages, and product pages all load rapidly under 1.5 seconds. It is a remarkable number that Magento 1 can’t bring to your e-commerce site.
Not only that, the checkout process is cut down from six to two steps in Magento 2. An easy checkout will spare customers time and give them comfort. Besides that, Magento 2 speeds up the add-to-cart server response time by up to 66%. As a result, the payment process was 51% faster!
2/ Magento 2 is completely secure
Enhanced security is the next competitive edge that Magento 2 will bring to your online store. Magento has improved the SHA-256 (the hashing algorithm) used in password management, reducing security threats. Magento 2’s excellent security ensures the safety of your business and your clients’ information.
With Magento 2, your website will be updated with security patches. Security patches will be added in a timely way to address holes or vulnerabilities triggered by the previous version. It’s exactly what Magento 2 will do to keep hackers out of your online business.
3/ Magento 2 is constantly updated
Finally, Magento developers update Magento 2 regularly so that your e-commerce website stays powerful and outstanding while satisfying the shoppers.
Furthermore, there is a wide range of unique and high-quality extensions for your Magento 2 websites. The Magento team closely monitors the quality of these extensions. As a result, the market only contains high-quality encrypted extensions. Thereby, you could be optimistic about the safety of Magento 2 extensions.
Practical Magento 2 Migration Guide For Online Store Owners
When you attempt to pursue Magento 2 Migration, you will undoubtedly hope your project to match all your demands. Before going any further, it is crucial to point out that migrating to Magento 2 is creating a brand new website from scratch. You will not be able to reuse themes, functions, and extensions from the Magento 1 site.
Therefore, converting a website from Magento 2 isn’t a piece of cake. You must invest time and effort to deliver a successful project. To save you time and energy, this article gives a step-by-step Magento 2 migration guide.
1/ Prepare a backup of the database of your Magento 1 website
Backing up your data is the first step before officially migrating your online store. As mentioned, developers will have to build a whole new Magento 2 website.
Data from your Magento 1 store will be manually moved to the new store. Due to a considerable amount of data, the Magento 2 Migration process may cause your website to lose data.
Hence, to prevent data loss during the process, make a data backup of your Magento 1 website.
It will also be an ideal time for you to purge data that is no longer necessary. You can delete old data, such as out-of-stock products that will not be restocked in the future or orders from years ago that have already been fulfilled.
2/ Specify which extensions you want to keep on your Magento 2 store
The next step is listing all the extensions you wish to move to the new site. Due to code conflicts, you will be unable to reuse existing Magento 1 extensions. You’ll need to seek Magento 2 extensions that perform the same functions as Magento 1.
However, Magento 2 includes extras out-of-the-box, so you won’t have to pay for some Magento 1 add-ons. That is why you should first define which extensions you prefer to remain on your online store and check to see whether they match the built-in features of Magento 2.
Furthermore, you should remove any extensions that are no longer required. It will save you a bunch of costs.
3/ Outline specifications for the Magento 2 website
After finishing the preparation, time to outline your requirements or expectations for your Magento 2. Knowing what you want and need in your Magento 2 migration is critical to the project’s success. So, let’s create a checklist of all your needs and goals for each stage of Magento 2 migration.
In the design migration process, you must first decide whether to keep the designs from the Magento 1 website or create a new one. If you want to change the design, check for a ready-made theme on marketplaces or develop ideas for that new design.
Next, draw up a list of the Magento 2 website’s functions and extensions. After that, you can either find the extensions yourself and send them to the developer to ask them to seek them for you.
Finally, record your project expectations to keep track of the project. It could be expectations about the project’s objectives, total cost, or delivery time.
4/ Find and evaluate Magento 2 migration service providers
In this feasible Magento 2 migration guide, the next step is to identify a competent Magento 2 migration service provider. Pick the appropriate service provider for your project after you’ve balanced your budget based on your specifications.
It is critical to understand your requirements as well as select a suitable firm to fulfill them. A quality service provider is vital for assuring project success. There are numerous criteria to consider when deciding whether or not a Magento 2 migration service is suitable.
On top of that, there are criteria that you have to keep in mind including experience, pricing, and support. For your Magento 2 migration project, you need a provider with extensive experience, transparent and affordable pricing, and attentive after-migration support.
And, if you want to shorten your lookup, Tigren is one of the first companies you should look at. Having started providing Magento 2 Migration services in 2015 and completed over 500 successful projects, Tigren is one of the most competent agencies nowadays.
Not only that, they also provide packages at exceedingly low prices. You could enact new your Magento 2 Migration project for as little as $2499. Best of all, they offer free post-migration support for 6 to 12 months. Tigren will always ensure to deliver a successful Magento 2 migration project with minimal lead time and clear transparent reporting.
5/ Consult with the migration provider
The next action is to have a thorough discussion with the provider regarding the Magento 2 Migration project. If you carefully prepare your prerequisites and select a reliable dealer, this process will work out swiftly.
Make sure you communicate your goals to a service provider in a comprehensive manner. Accordingly, the Magento migration provider will review those criteria and advise you to enhance the results of the project.
Check if the provider can meet all your expectations. In turn, you must be informed about the project’s cost, timetable, and support.
6/ Follow-up throughout Magento 2 migration process
Once all applicable standards have been approved, the migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2 will officially start.
During this stage, you have to keep an eye on the migration process. Typically, the process of upgrading a website from Magento 1 to Magento 2 consists of five stages:
- Theme Migration
- Function Migration
- Extension Migration
- Data Migration
- Settings Migration
At each level, you should check the current results and notify the service provider if any changes are needed. It will save you time when re-checking after a successful migration and will help to reduce unexpected problems.
7/ Examine the new Magento 2 website’s performance
Finally, your Magento 2 website is revealed after a period of 2 to 4 weeks of waiting. It’s time to re-test your website. Check to see if you are genuinely happy with your Magento 2 store.
Next, double-check that everything functions properly on Magento 2. It would be preferable if you verified your online store’s SEO and speed. Make sure that your online store’s SEO ranking does not suffer after the migration to Magento 2.
After all, if no faults are detected, you can launch the new website and notify your customers.
Key Takeaways
At last, migrating your website from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is a critical strategy that you should implement as soon as possible. Here is an overview of the quick-start Magento 2 Migration guide that you should take to heart to deliver the best project:
- Prepare a backup of the database, folders, and files of your Magento 1 website.
- Specify which extensions you want to keep on your Magento 2 store.
- Outline all of the specifications for the Magento 2 website.
- Find and evaluate Magento 2 Migration service providers.
- Consult with the Magento 2 Migration supplier about the project.
- Follow-up throughout Magento 2 Migration
- Examine the new Magento 2 website’s performance.
Hopefully, after reading the practical Magento 2 migration guide, you can successfully execute your project.
