Top 5 Considerations To Make Before Migrating to Magento 2

2015 was an amazing year for Magento fans since it was the time when the newest version of the Magento platform was released. Moreover, the cherry on the cake was all those improvements that Magento 2 brought with it as compared with its predecessor. Magento 2 is faster, better optimized, and packed with features. The previous issues of responsiveness, flexibility in Magento 1 have been meticulously worked upon in Magento 2.

The result was a high- performing, versatile, customizable and open-source development platform that has changed the way magento development services in india are looking at their craft. Well, now that the new version is out, it is essential for ecommerce brands to gradually migrate to it so that they can enjoy all the benefits that Magento 2 has to offer.

Why Should You Migrate to Magento 2?

Magento has continued to provide its support to Magento 1.0 despite the release of Magento 2.0. However, this support will stop in 2018. This means that all the critical updates and releases will not be applicable on Magento 1. 

Therefore, if you haven’t already started planning on moving ahead with migration, maybe now is the time to start. This is mainly because once Magento withdraws support for Magento 1.0, then you would be left far behind in the game of omnichannel ecommerce.

Not only that, there is an attractive list of benefits that will compel you to take the jump-

• Core performance is improved
• Shorter load times and faster processing of data
• Streamlined backend for enhanced user experience for admin panel
• A fully responsive and touch-friendly UX design
• Few requirements for third-party or custom extensions
• New options such as Self-hosting and Platform-as-a-service available
• Easier to customize making Magento 2 less expensive

Now that you’ve understood the various advantages of migrating to Magento 2, it is important to keep a few things in mind before going through the process.

Key Considerations Before Migrating to Magento 2

Develop A Concise Migration Plan

Although Magento 2 has a myriad of benefits, it holds a certain share of complexity as well. This complexity could be a hindrance in the migration process. Therefore, it is essential that you develop a migration plan to help you follow through. This plan will include the details from concept to completion. It will act as a guide and checklist.

Eliminate Redundant Functionality

An upgrade or migration add to the functionality that is built into the structure of the site. Since Magento 2 eases the hassle of incorporating third-party extensions, it would be a good time to remove any functionality that is just taking up space and is redundant.

In addition to this, coding and upgrading extensions cost tons of money and take time. So, the sensible thing would be to trim or expel any original feature or functionality that has been much useful.

Tools for Migrating Customer and Product Data

One of the major benefits is that you will not have to import the majority part of the data manually. A data migration tool is included in Magento 2. This tool uses map files to authenticate consistency between your database to facilitate the import of customer and product data into your new Magento site. 

Compatibility issues with Extensions and Themes on Magento 1 and 2

Due to the revamped architecture of Magento 2, it is possible that some of the extensions on the previous version might not work in Magento 2. The code migration tool can aid in the migration of some code and extensions but not all. In case you need a specific extension, function or theme that existed in Magento1, then a magento development company in india can help you recreate the same for Magento 2.

Manual Transfer of Media Files

Although the migration tool hastens the process of data migration, the same cannot be said for media files. Media files from Magento 1.0 to Magento 2 will have to be transported manually. Not limited to media files only, but a few other kinds of data such as storefront design, admin user accounts and access control lists.

You can rely on magento developers to assist you with any manual migration of data, to enable the smooth transfer of information.

Performance Issues and Testing

Even after you have completed the migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2, the transfer of data and files might not have worked out perfectly. There could be certain glitches such as codes or extensions not working properly. In that case, it would be best to avail the services of a professional magento developer. 

Conclusion

As mentioned before, the support for Magento 1 will slowly dwindle. In order to keep your head above the water, you need to adjust to changing technology. Your ecommerce business might become outdated if you continue to use Magento 1 without technical backing and the features to take your brand to the next level. You can gain a competitive edge over your business by leveraging the power of Magento 2.

Build a Fascinating Store with Magento Best Development Practices

 

While developing a Magento store, business owners are thronged with requirements and innovative ideas. To avoid the dilemma of sinking their heads into the ocean of necessities, they hire magento developer to take the onus on him. Magento has been known for its flexible features and ease of development to build a fascinating store with minimal fuss. However, the Magento developers, be it a newbie or a geek, often forget the best development practices to get the utmost output. This article might act as a reckoner for the Magento best development practices.

Follow Standard Coding Practices

Often the developers crumble under pressure and focus on getting the development complete as soon as possible without bothering about the standard coding practices. This leaves the system susceptible to maintenance issues in case it is performed by another developer owing to the avoidance of standard practices. Quality coding is ensured by following the standard coding practices accepted throughout the Magento community. Apart from this, it enhances the readability and understandability of the code. Make sure that you are following Zend along with PS1, PS2, and PS4 Magento coding standards.

Avoid Modifying the Core Files

A common programming gaffe made by developers is editing the Magento system files to achieve customization. The rule of thumb in Magento development is that it never messes with Magento's core files as it leaves the system exposed to vulnerabilities. To avoid modifying the system files and still achieve the desired customization, one can either opt for third-party extensions or create a copy of the system file to make the necessary changes. This allows the update of Magento to overwrite the system files instead of the customized code. In case you alter the core file, you might need to do the customization again, and it might hamper the default behavior of Magento as well.

Follow the Modular Approach of Development

The Magento framework is comprised of the default code and optional components used to replace or alter the default code. These optional components are present in three digits in the form of themes, language packages, modules, etc. Magento allows the user to build his customized components. This gives the developer the flexibility to include new functionality as per his requirement not available in Magento by default. The developer simply inherits the main class and reuses the code already written in the main class if he follows the modular approach. Only the new requirements need to be coded, saving a lot of valuable time of the developer. This principle should also be followed by the magento development company in india hired for developing the store.

Enable the Cache and Clear it Regularly

The cache should be enabled for enhancing the load speed and performance of the Magento store. The cache eliminates the performance bottlenecks in case of heavy image files and distant server locations. Moreover, whenever changes are done in the store in content or functionality, the cache should be cleared. It ensures that the latest content or functionality is displayed visually on the website instead of the outdated one. The cache should also be cleared while including newly designed Magento components, to make sure that the system doesn’t throw exceptions. The cache should be cleared to reflect the changes in the configuration, cacheable block, the CMS pages, etc. The command used to clear the cache from var/page_cache or var/cache directories is as follows - “ php –f bin/ magento cache: clean”.

Write Reusable Code Wherever Possible

The developers should code for the new features by using the concept of functions or classes to enhance the reusability of code. The redundancy in code is avoided by this approach, and this function or class is simply called or referenced to shave the development time. The code should be concise and focused to provide a general solution rather than a specific one, to improve its reusability.  

Concluding Words

The Magento store owners often fret about the frequent amendments required to include new features on their sites. They generally hire a Magento development company in India to take care of a smooth transition from the old to the new version of the store. The online stores try hard to gratify the users by improving the visual appeal. This process of changeover from the old theme to a new theme should be handled carefully even if they hire a Magento developer to do the same. The developers, in-house or outsourced, should follow the above-mentioned Magento development practices to leave any chances of vulnerability or malfunction in the store. The store owners should make sure that these developers are instructed to follow these best development practices to get the best possible outcome.

Why You Need To Switch To Magento 2 Today!

By June 2020, the world will bid farewell to Magento 1. But this farewell comes at a cost. It means that your current Magento store will no longer be supported by the official Magento team and will not receive security patches. But all is nought for vain. The charismatic galaxy of talented Magento developers is gradually shifting towards Magento 2.0. They have already started using this new version to the fullest potential.

So, magento development services in india that are still hanging on to Mgaento 1 by a thin thread need to let go and start migrating to Magento 2. The new Magento 2 offers Magento developers with unique architecture, design, and coding structure. Almost every dent in Magento 1 has been fixed in this new version. In this article, Nevina Infotech will answer the most common questions. Let’s read on to know more.

The Perfect Time To Migrate

Since the development community is always concerned about the stability of any eCommerce platform, the same apprehensions arise for Magento 1 as well. Therefore there are some fortifying reasons to migrate to Magento 2. Magento 2 has several noticeable improvements and a wide array of features. If you do not have budget constraints, then, you should migrate as fast as you can. If you don't, there may be some risks involved-

1. Magento developers will not support Magento 1 stores.

2. You will not receive any updates or improvements.

3. The Magento development community might not be helpful.

4. The Competitor will fast adapt to the newer version.

Managing Theme Migration From Magento 1 To Magento 2

Theme migration from one platform to another can be tedious and time-consuming. However, there are some methods that can be used for a smooth transition-

1. Select a free theme for your new Magento store. This is probably the easiest and cheapest way to migrate with themes.

2. There are ready-made themes available which can be downloaded and installed and even customized.

3. You can clone your Magento 1 website and use it on Magento 2. However, this would be a very expensive way.

4. Finally, you can create a brand new design.

Migrating Extensions From Magento 1 To Magento 2

Similar to theme migration, migration within Magento does not allow the complete transfer of extensions. The same modules with the same functions are available in Magento 2. One of the major reasons to migrate internally is that the cost of taking third-party plugins is high. The best and most simplistic way would be to revise existing modules and plugins and decide which ones need to be promoted to the new store.

Data Migration Between Magento 1 And Magento 2

Data from your eCommerce store will include everything right from products, categories, customer information, client data, payment records and much more.

The good news is that the Magento data migration toolkit makes this task easier and faster.although you might need to seek help from a professional with good knowledge or a magento development company in india, to transfer data without any loss or leaks.

Duration Of The Migration Process

The total amount of time taken for migration of data and modules to your new Magento store depends on a few factors. These are mostly related to the number of modules and structural complexity of your eCommerce site. The biggest advantage is that coding migration is easy since most of the code is compatible with the new version. In fact, developing a custom module for the Magento 2 store is also marginally less time-consuming. Yet, the process takes a tentative 3-5 hours to be completed successfully.

Why Migrate to Magento 2?

It is true that Magento site developers will find it difficult to adapt to Magento 2 at first; however once the migration is complete, you will realize the benefits are manifold. Your Magento 2 store will have a faster checkout process, user-friendly interface, responsiveness to multiple devices and will also receive regular updates.

Read More :- How Magento 2 Benefits Your E-commerce Business In 2021?

It is important to note that once the migration is complete, users must test the new Magento 2 store and complete the list of any manual tasks required. Nonetheless, overall, a Magento 2 store will perform better, be more efficient, and provide a competitive edge over those who are still working with their old Magento 1 stores.

Magento: Varnish Cache Can Be Used As A Mechanism For Failover

An online business would suffer heavily in the absence of a failover mechanism. The revenue losses can be to the tune of billions, even if the website is down for a few minutes. The speed of the website would be another crucial factor that contributes negatively to the revenues. The Magento stores can kill these two birds viz. speed and failover mechanisms, with one stone, i.e., varnish cache. They can do so by hiring a magento development company in india for configuring the varnish cache. Let us first try to understand the terms - caching & failover, elaborately.

Introduction To Failover & Caching

Failover is a mechanism through which a system can work seamlessly in case of a malfunction or failure such as a server crash, power outage, etc. The system switches over to the backup plan if something goes out of the way without the users even noticing. On the other hand, caching is a technique to enhance the speed of information access. It is a high-speed layer for storing frequently used data, temporarily. This reduces the load on the server as the future requests for access to data are not required to be processed by the server if it is already available in the cache. It allows us to reuse the previously retrieved data, and hence the speed. All online stores ought to have a failover mechanism as well as a caching mechanism. Magento supports caching through varnish cache along with some other in-built caches.

An Overview of Varnish Cache

Whenever a user sends enters a URL, an HTTP request for a webpage is generated. A webpage is comprised of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, as well as image files. This, in turn, converts a single request into multiple requests to the webserver. The varnish is a full-page cache that stores the entire webpage, i.e., all the components of the webpage called assets during the first request. Any further request to the assets available in varnish are loaded quickly from the cache itself, and server involvement is not required. So, all the requests are first intercepted by the varnish cache resulting in faster response times and reduced server load. Along with this, varnish also provides a way to detect changes in the files available in the cache. These changes are reflected by either refreshing the browser cache on the client machine or upon encountering a new request from the client. However, it is suggested to hire magento development services in india for fetching maximum benefits from varnish cache.

Advantages of Using Varnish Cache

Let us go through some of the major benefits associated with the usage of varnish cache in a Magento store. An obvious benefit of using a varnish cache is the improved page loading speed, which is a crucial performance metric for a website, affecting critical factors like conversion rate, user engagement, browsing experience, etc. Varnish cache trims down the server usage resulting in significant savings of up to 80% in infrastructure costs. Varnish boosts up the page load speeds not only on a personal computer but also on mobile devices raking up the browsing experience. This is pivotal for increasing the session duration and, ultimately, sales. Organic traffic is another important factor contributing positively to the revenue of the organization. Organic traffic is largely the result of better search rankings. Google considers the speed and performance of a website as important parameters for finalizing the search ranks. Varnish cache can only have a positive impact on SEO as it enhances the speed of the website considerably.

Read More :- Magento Features that Transformed the e-Commerce Landscape

Varnish Cache for Failover

Varnish cache is also used as a failover mechanism in case of a crashed or an overloaded web server. Varnish performs the load balancing act in round-robin fashion. For this, port number 80 shall be earmarked for varnish for listening to requests. This refrain webserver from using other ports, making troubleshooting easier. Varnish checks for availability of web servers every five seconds using its health check feature and cease the use of any web server which is overloaded or faulty. One can also limit the webserver load using varnish by adjusting the timeout value. Upon reaching the timeout threshold, varnish switches load to another web server. Varnish reduces the number of web servers required for the website apart from accelerating the response time.

Varnish vis-a-vis Built-in Cache

Magento supports FPC (Full Page Cache) functionality with two options viz. in-built and varnish cache. The varnish cache offers various additional functionalities not included in the built-in cache. Varnish handles all the incoming requests, and Magento is queried only if the content is not available in the cache. Apart from this, it can also fetch dynamic content (like shopping cart items) directly from the Magento server. There is no wonder that varnish cache is a lot faster than all default in-built caches.

Final Remarks

Businesses are incessantly looking for impeccable website performance along with a reliable failsafe mechanism. They can rely on the Varnish cache to crack the performance and failsafe codes. However, be advised not to use varnish just as a caching application. Make sure that it is placed in front of Magento and handle all the incoming requests. Varnish cache should always be included in a Magento store as an inseparable part of it.

Magento 2 - The Better Page Load Time for eCommerce Store

The most critical aspect of any online business is the speed with which it operates. The page load time decides the average session duration and the user engagement level, which is crucial for increasing the conversion rate as well. If you can ensure blazing fast page loads, then you can guarantee yourself additional sales and enhanced conversion rates. Magento 2 can be termed as the epitome of perfection when it comes to speed. Nevina Infotech, in this article, states the innovative speed booster features included in Magento 2’s armory.

Speed Booster #1 Full Page Caching Feature

When the user surfs the website, portions of web pages are temporarily stored for hustling the page load time when the user visits next. This process is called caching and is the most crucial speed-boosting weapon of Magento. Magento 2 allows full page caching wherein the entire page is cached at once to increase the overall speed of the webpage. Due to caching, multiple admin users can function simultaneously without worrying about the performance of the site or data conflicts. Magento 2 optimizes the browser cache usage to handle non-cached sensitive data in the background without affecting the page load time. Businesses can hire magento development services to fine-tune the advanced caching settings of their website.

Speed Booster #2 Varnish based Caching Feature

Varnish caching is a new technique of caching which can be used to optimize the performance of websites. It is also known as the HTTP accelerator, as it accelerates the processing of HTTP requests from the server by caching the common ones. It reduces the load on the server and paces the page loading process. Studies suggest that usage of varnish cache not only enhances the performance of the website but also saves a lot of infrastructure costs as the server is less burdened. Non-technical business can hire a magento development company for varnish cache server configuration.

Speed Booster #3 Improved Indexing Feature

Can you imagine a book without an index? How difficult would it be to search for information in a book without index? Indexing is the key to faster search results. Magento 2 indexes business data of all types, including catalogs, users, products, prices, etc. Indexes are generated automatically to advance the query speed and search results. These index tables are regularly updated to keep up on the performance front.

Read More :- 5 Effective Tips to Speed up Your Magento Store

Speed Booster #4 Image and File Compression Feature

Compressing large images to reduce their size is another way of achieving enhanced speed. The usage of PHP7 ensures these compression facilities. If you are doing business in a country like India wherein the numbers of teenagers having a penchant for speed are pretty high then, advanced compression techniques can be implemented by hiring magento development services in india.

Speed Booster #5 File Minification Feature

Minification of files to reduce their size is another way of achieving enhanced speed. It is a way of minimizing code size. You might be curious about how can we change the code? It might affect the functioning of the platform. But minification removes performs obfuscation of code, i.e., removes comments, the white space characters, etc. that is generally included by coders for enhancing the readability. The Problem is that it negatively affects the speed. Browser doesn’t need these extra characters to interpret code. So, minification just reduces the file size by removing these superfluous things without affecting the functionality that the code is supposed to perform. Small file sizes ensure rapid to and fro data movement between server and client.

Conclusion

Magento 2 ensures high performance and faster page load times for a website, which is evident from the fact that it can manage around 10 million views in an hour. Although during peak hours or festive sales, especially in countries like India wherein people buy a lot of things on bargain prices, the website might need fine-tuning for heavy workload by hiring a magento development company in india. They will ensure that the performance of the website does not deteriorates even during heavy festival rush. To conclude, Magento 2’s speed boosters serve the proclivity of millennials that comprises most of the online shoppers. This reduces the shopping cart abandonment rate and enhances the ROI of the business. Remember, agility is the key to customer engagement, and the only CMS to provide it is Magento 2.

Magento 2: Easy-to-Use Content Development Functionality

Online businesses crave for the attention of online shoppers using different promotional strategies like adverts on social media sites and search engines. But the most effective way of seeking the attention of potential customers is by maintaining top positions in search rankings whenever a keyword related to the products you are selling or services you are offering is typed in the search engine. The good thing is that you don’t have to pay for this. Yes, you read it correctly. You can increase organic traffic to your website by working on the content on your online store. With each passing day, the algorithms used by search engines are becoming more and more sophisticated, unique and relevant content can fetch you higher search rankings. Search engines give the freshness and relevance of content higher priority while preparing search results. Nevina Infotech has compiled this informative article on how Magento 2’s cool content management features make life easier for online businesses?

Content Staging

This feature is really useful when you want to create or modify some content during non-working hours say during the weekend. If you are planning to launch a promotional campaign on a non-working day, search for a staging dashboard in Magento 2. You do not need the help of a magento development company; it is a simple visual tool where you can schedule the content changes to pages, categories, products, or even promotions (pricing rules), etc. You can also see the preview of how your store would look after these changes without affecting the current look of the store. You can manage your active or upcoming campaigns from here as it displays them in the timeline view.

Dynamic Content

Another issue commonly faced by businesses is the amount of time consumed in the generation of content. Here comes your Magento 2 genie again! Magento 2 can create content dynamically for businesses in a whoosh. Magento 2 can generate recommendation emails based on the customer’s buying behaviour. It can also generate content blocks to display the best selling products and most popular products dynamically. You can specify the category for which you want to create content dynamically or even for products not selected by any filters. Apart from this, Schema.org template available with Magento 2 gives you the freedom from creating content for the products and metadata. It has a huge repository of words to finalize the content and metadata of the page. If you are not satisfied with the dynamic content, you can even customize it. However, for advanced content configuration settings, it is advised to hire magento development services.

Unique Content

The problem with creating dynamic content is that in certain cases, it might lead to duplicate data. For example, if you have created a page of most popular products dynamically, then the product details are duplicated, creating two different URLs having the same content. This would negate your chances to be towards the top of the search results as search engine proscribes duplicate data. To avoid these penalty points, call Magento2 the magician to pull a rabbit from its hat. Canonical Tag settings can be turned on to inform the search engine that the pages are not redundant but child pages of a master page whose content is being applied to them. This setting is particularly useful in a culturally diverse country like India, where the same product can be displayed under multiple categories. To handle multilingual content and URL optimization in such a scenario, hire a good magento development company in india.

Final Thoughts

To enhance organic traffic, companies are spending hefty amounts in hiring SEO agencies and executives to write or edit the content on their online stores. For startups, not proficient in content creation and SEO features, it is suggested to hire magento development services in india. Setting up Magento 2 is a one-time investment that can reap benefits for years. With its in-built content management features like content staging, dynamic content creation, and ensuring uniqueness of content, Magento 2 is the key to all your woes.

Read More: Cost-Efficient Magento Development Company