Since the release date of Magento 2 the hottest debates in the ecommerce world are held about this platform. Developers discuss flexibility of the new core code and the impact it has on a webstore’s performance; online retailers are trying to determine the pros and cons of moving their enterprise to Magento 2.
Let’s take a closer look on Magento 2’s features and benefits. An extensive analysis would show, if it really can bring ecommerce as a whole and your business in particular to a new level.
Admin panel gets a modern revamp
Magento 1 offers a set of powerful tools for webstore customization. However, entrepreneurs without advanced technical skills grumble about complicated admin user interface and have a tough time mastering it.
Magento 2 has a highly improved backend interface that allows non-technical users to operate it efficiently. Some of the major changes are:
- Touch-friendly navigation and responsive layout – business owners who prefer to work using tablets find this feature valuable;
- Simplified page/product creation – a built-in step-by-step tool makes the process four times faster and a lot easier;
- New info grids for quick and flawless editing – no need to open and save each element separately; now it’s possible to apply bulk actions right from the grid;
- Menus are arranged in a logical way – different components such as Sales, Products, Customers, System Configuration and Marketing section are separated and available in a couple of clicks.
Enhanced performance
The critical drawback of Magento 1 is slow page loading. It happens mainly because the platform does not include a full-page caching mechanism by default. The issue could be fixed by integrating third-party extensions, though it requires additional customization and certain investments.
Magento 2 comes with full-page cache component. Moreover, it supports Varnish caching right out of the box. It means that loading a page doesn’t take the average 5-10 seconds and comes down to 1-2 seconds. That’s impressive! Remember that the site speed influences not only customers’ experience but also the rank of your webstore in search engines.
Image source: Magento 2.0 GA Developer Webinar
Advanced checkout
During the checkout Magento 1 leads a buyer through 4-5 steps before an order can be reviewed and placed. From the customers’ side this process seems complex and time-consuming; so many store owners use add-ons to adjust the checkout.
Magento 2 handles it differently. The checkout offers a nice and easy way for a purchaser to get from the shopping cart to a submitted order. It has fewer steps and requires minimum information. Seamless checkout experience substantially increases conversions and reduces cart abandonment.
Support of widely-used payment gateways
Incorporation with the leading payment services is a killer-feature of Magento 2. Braintree, PayPal and Authorize.Net are available from day one. A diversity of payment methods significantly improves checkout and guarantees a flawless shopping experience for all customers.
Enhanced testing framework
Regression testing is helpful when you want to roll out a grand update or play around with the settings. It ensures that the changes you make wouldn’t hurt other features or crash the entire store. Obviously, sometimes testing is simply mandatory. Running tests on Magento 1 is quite troublesome and can literally be a headache.
The default Magento 2 has a built-in testing framework; so you have a handy instrument to perform functional tests whenever you need.
Conclusion
Magento 2 has a huge potential, all the listed advantages clearly demonstrate it. This platform is much more convenient for both clients and admin users. It has the famous Magento flexibility and provides a number of other meaningful features. So the key question is “to be or not to be” with Magento 2? Some ecommerce merchants are not ready for the change just yet. The two main reasons for that are the following:
- The users of Magento 1 are not eager to reorganize the entire webstore. It’s a tedious and complicated work. Since business owners are happy with current performance of their webshops, they don’t see the point of migrating to another platform.
- The choice of add-ons for Magento 2 is still limited. Developers are also adjusting to the new core code; transitioning all the variety of extensions takes time.
But if you value user-friendliness, speed, and adaptability, you should consider moving to Magento 2. Calculate your risks and choose the best time to step forward. Keep in mind that from November 2019 Magento 1 would not be supported any longer. Sooner or later you would need to embrace Magento 2.
Have you already made your choice and powered your store by Magento 2 or do you prefer to stick with Magento 1 for now? Please, share your thoughts in comments!