It’s almost there.. yes, we are talking about the end of support for Magento 1.
Being a “Magento merchant” has resonated with the eCommerce industry throughout this decade. Businesses, around the world, are proud to be a part of this dynamic ecosystem that has been taking the eCommerce market by storm.
With hundreds of thousands of stores still running on Magento, the vast majority is still using its inaugural version, Magento 1. But the time has come when you need to rethink about using the same version. It’s time to make some wise business decisions.
The post is meant for Magento 1 store owners – to help them arrive on a decision that will be fruitful for their online business.
Let’s get started!
The internet is loaded with posts and articles that mark the end of support for Magento 1 for June 2020. But what does this exactly mean?
Will Magento websites suddenly stop working? Or does the Magento community own a magic switch that, once turned on, will shut down all the websites?
Of course not.
To be precise, the “end of support” topic majorly revolves around:
- security patches
- code fixes
- feature improvements
We all know, with each release or version, Magento introduces several fixes, improvements, features and functionalities. This all goes out after June 2020. This is what the “end of life or support” means.
While you can continue using Magento 1, any kind of support from the Magento community won’t be provided. With Magento 2 becoming increasingly stable in the latest releases, it is by-far normal for a business to sunset their old product line. But wait. Here’s
The Challenge
Magento 2, indubitably, is a remarkable commerce solution. It has been making merchants proud, their stores successful and their business bloom. The best part: With every release, it has been getting better – 2.3 being the latest one.
However, Magento 2 was not (and still isn’t) an easy platform to master, even for experienced developers. The costs are comparatively higher than Magento. Perhaps one of the very few reasons why many merchants think twice before migrating to Magento 2.
Thus, many of them are weighing options, ones that are both effective and efficient. Let’s take a look at the most
Viable Options
- Sit, Watch and Hope For The Best
Let’s face it – numerous Magento 1 store owners don’t’ consider it important to bring any significant changes to their stores or websites – other than patching or minor upgrades. And probably they will continue business as usual, hoping that nothing will go wrong until it does.
Well, we can’t really argue with this approach since ‘ I’ll not fix it until its’ broke’ is the mindset here – small businesses in general.
(2) Stick with Magento 1 But Differently
There have been several service providers who have been trying to fill this gap. The two most commonly known in the Magento ecosystem are Mage One and Open Mage Project.
While Mage One promises promising to offer Magento 1 merchants regular release of security patches, similar to what Magento has been providing so far, Open Mage Project is a bit broader in scope. They are looking to continue innovating and fixing Magento 1 even after the official end of support by Magento in June 2020.
3) Migrate to Magento 2
This sounds the most logical. Doesn’t it? Moving to Magento 2 and using the same platform can help you grow exponentially. Moreover, Magento is perhaps one of the most dynamic eCommerce platforms. It has been satisfying users with its unique features for almost a decade now.
A large number of companies have reaped great benefits by simply moving to Magento 2. Take a look at the below numbers:
- 165% improvement in ROI
- 61% average content creation savings
- 29% increase in mobile revenue
- 5% increase in average order value
Well, the approach does make sense. Though sometimes, the costs might be high or the process might be lengthy, but the results pay it all.
With all of that, Magento is still the most robust eCommerce platform, and there is very little you can’t accomplish with it. For many merchants, it remains the best choice.
4) Switch to Other Platform
This might seem viable to some and impracticable to others. There are several platforms out there that can do the trick (Shopify, PrestaShop – to name the most common ones). But remember to consider all the associated costs since migration from one platform to another involves unplanned costs. Further, these platforms might come with a little (or a lot) fewer features and ongoing costs as compared to Magento. These ongoing costs are something you didn’t have with Magento Community (Open Source).
Though these solutions are becoming increasingly popular, they won’t satisfy more complex businesses. Still, several merchants see the migration to Magento 2 as something overly complex. And sometimes it’s a matter of changing the scenery and testing out new things.
What’s Next?
Analyse each approach in lieu with your business objectives – don’t forget to list down the pros and cons. In case you are still on the fence about how to plan your next step, get in touch with an eCommerce agency or Magento certified developers.
A good agency can help you with the right choice, either it’s switching or other platform or migration to Magento 2.
Remember, this is the time to make a decision, so be quick and wise.
