Migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2: Where to Start

It is time to move your eCommerce operations to Magento 2. Below you will find an overview of the main steps that are waiting for you along the process of Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration.

The Advantages of Magento 2

If you are wondering why more to Magento 2, the reasons are numerous. Let’s review the main pros and cons that are associated with the migration of your online store to Magento 2.

Improved customer experience

Magento 2 platform has a built-in checkout feature that greatly optimizes the purchasing process. This feature redirects buyers to a confirmation page where they can place an order. Due to this, they no longer need to create a profile in the online store.

Responsive Mobile Design

A great number of orders are made using mobile devices. If you want to keep up with modern trends, then your online store should be convenient for those who want to make a purchase from a mobile phone. Unlike Magento 1, templates for Magento 2 initially have an adaptive design.

Performance

Performance is very important for high conversion rates. If your online store is loading too long, the abandonment rate will grow. Magento 2 can process 40% more orders per hour while adding 70% faster to the cart.

Advanced Reports

In order for your business strategy to be really effective, you need to track the most important business metrics. One of the functions of Magento 2 is about 20 advanced reports on the profitability of your online store, which you can track from the admin panel.

Magento Migration Steps

The migration of an online store is a very complicated process that requires preliminary preparations. Therefore, it is advisable to hire professional eCommerce developers to make the migration smooth and fast.  

Determine a low sales season

The low sales season is the best period for migration. As the update process is quite unpredictable, it is important to upgrade during your period of decreased activity if at all possible. This will help to minimize losses.

Make a list of all installed extensions for Magento 1

The list of installed extensions will determine the amount of work that should be done before migration.

Think About a New Design for Your Online Store

Magento 2 is significantly different from Magento 1. The theme of the existing store can’t be used in the new version. The migration to Magento 2 is a good opportunity to update your store design. 

Make a list of functions you’d like to add during Magento migration

In fact, migration to Magento 2 means that a new online store will be developed. It will not take as much time as the first one because you have content, products and so on. But from a technical point of view, it is like a new store. 

Identify top pages

Does migration has an impact on SEO? With Magento 2, your store will be more SEO-friendly. What you definitely need to do is to make a list of pages/references to the pages which have TOP positions in SERP. Their URLs mustn’t be changed.

Integration with other systems

If your existing store is integrated with CRM, ERP or other systems, the migration will be more complicated. In this way, your developer should help you strategically plan the work.

What problems can you face with while organizing Magento migration from 1 to 2

Migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is associated with some risks. The main of them are as follows:

• Loss of important data. 
• Slow work of the current online store on Magento 1 during the migration
• Loss of site positions in search engines

If should be noted that when you hire professional developers to do the job, you mitigate the risks that can greatly influence the performance of your website.

How to Choose the Right Magento Development Vendor

When looking for a development company that will take on the task of store migration to Magento 2 pay attention to the following aspects:

• services the company provides
• previous experience with Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration
• provided services for UX/UI design
• ongoing development and support
• security audits

Depending on the company you choose to work with, the Magento migration process can be complex and long or smooth and fast. The task should be approached with the understanding that the company you hire is the main deciding factor in the process.

Interested in finding more about Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration? Check out the full article How to Migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2: a Short Guide by GoMage