End of life for Magento 1

Believe it or not, Magento announced the planned end of life for Magento 1 way back in September 2018.

But it seems as though there is still a huge demand from online retailers who need assistance to move away from their Magento 1 platform and onto something new, in time for the end of life deadline on June 30th.

With the global pandemic having significantly influenced a rise in eCommerce traffic, choosing the right eCommerce platform may be one of the biggest decisions you make for your business in recent years.

Why you should be moving away from Magento 1

For those considering staying on Magento 1, there are some serious things to consider.

Firstly, data storage. STORE AT RISK. With Magento no longer supporting Magento 1, this will mean there will no longer be any certified security updates, making your website data extremely vulnerable to hackers.

Secondly, payment providers may no longer want to work with you. Some may not continue to support online merchants after June, as the business will no longer be PCI compliant.

Last of all (but certainly not least) is the price. Whilst there is a free version of Magento available (Magento Open Source), functionality can be quite limited and it does often require a VPS (Virtual Private Server) or cloud hosting to run effectively, which can be expensive. It’s worth noting that Magento Open Source does not include any support from Magento either.

What are your options?

The first eCommerce platforms appeared in the late 90s, but the market has grown significantly ever since and is now saturated with options.

So to those unfamiliar with the eCommerce world, it can prove a little confusing.

Upgrading to Magento 2 may prove logical for many. However, the perceived ‘upgrade’ is a far more complicated and potentially expensive process than many expect, and therefore it is certainly worthwhile to consider alternative options.

Even if you are planning to move from Magento 1 to Magento 2, you will be required to undertake a full replatform, so it is definitely worthwhile to consider other technologies at this stage.

As a WordPress specialist, we’re throwing a hat into the ring for WooCommerce.

Why WooCommerce?

Whilst Magento 2 may be a suitable option for large enterprise stores offering thousands of product lines, it may not prove to be the most cost-effective option for your small to medium-sized business.

There is a reason why the WordPress market share is by far the largest worldwide, with its powerful features and its ability to provide the freedom of creating and building anything that you want.

Here are some reasons why we think WooCommerce should feature in your consideration:

• It’s free – Just like the WordPress CMS this plugin belongs to, it is completely free!
• It’s widely used – According to Barn2, 26% of all online stores use WooCommerce. It has a broad international community that is constantly coming up with new ideas to improve the plugin (some of them work at mso!).
• It’s open-source – The advantage of having an open-source technology is that everyone within the wider community can contribute to the development of the product and provide support on issues, pretty much instantly.
• It’s secure – Like the WordPress CMS, WooCommerce is fully reliable and updated regularly, with all potential issues highlighted and fixed promptly.
• It’s flexible – WooCommerce customers can extend the functionality of the plugin by employing developers or hiring external agencies, to expand the offering by adding extensions for a more comprehensive offering.
• It’s scalable – It works very much in the same way that a WordPress CMS website would work in that it can grow in line with your business. Elements can be added and removed without the need in having to start again from scratch.
• It’s easy to use – WooCommerce is built with the user in mind and the dashboard is simple and easy to understand, whatever your level of experience.
• It’s quick to learn – You do not have to be a developer to be able to use WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin. Many of the alternatives to WooCommerce can take years to master.
• It’s for everyone – Whether you are a multinational company or just starting up in your local area, WooCommerce caters to all types of business.

Features of WooCommerce

• Sell everything and anything – WooCommerce supports a huge variety of tangible and intangible goods and services. It also allows for an unlimited amount of products to be sold.
• Limitless customisation possibilities – You can easily modify pages, blocks, and a variety of design elements. Reviews can even be posted to help grow your customer loyalty.
• Analytics and reporting – WooCommerce provides you with detailed reports with a variety of filters and categories allowing you to glean insight from your eCommerce performance.
• 3rd party integrations – You will be able to integrate your WooCommerce with several 3rd party tools like Hubspot or Salesforce, which will enable you to manage your business better.

Be sure to act now

Our words of advice to those still on Magento 1 – don’t panic!

End of life doesn’t mean that your online store is going to disappear or that you will no longer be able to sell online.

Many developers and agencies may still be able to support Magento 1 beyond June, but it will prove incredibly expensive and difficult due to a variety of compliance issues. With Magento removing themselves from Magento 1, it will now fall onto you to keep the technology compliant (not the easiest of tasks!).

Your business website is the heart of your online experience and if an eCommerce operation is fundamental to your company, then now is pretty much the last opportunity for you to decide on your new eCommerce platform if you are on Magento 1.

The success of any eCommerce business largely depends on the suitability of the eCommerce platform behind it.

With a well-thought-out plan in place, the termination of Magento 1 doesn’t have to cause you a headache, it can put your business on course to grow and earn more than ever before.