Are you not happy with your current eCommerce platform? Do you want to upgrade your current version? Is a different platform offers better features and prospects?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you would want to migrate your store to the new or upgraded platform. However, this is a risky step to take and you should take multiple things into account before you actually start working on it. At the same time, this is a step you must take for your business to grow. You can only take advantage of all the wonderful features of the new platform by moving your store. So what are the steps involved in eCommerce platform migration and how to make a safe and smooth transition? Let’s have a look.
All the things mentioned below i.e. the need for migration, the cost, the duration, the steps are part of the migration process and worthy of immaculate attention. All the things mentioned below i.e. the need for migration, the cost, the duration, the steps are part of the migration process and worthy of immaculate attention.
Why Migrate?
As stated above, one of the primary reasons to migrate to Magento 2 is the discontinuation of Magento 1 support and upgrades. So if you are on the first generation of Magento, you won’t be receiving new upgrades, security patches, and support after June 2018.
Another reason for migration could be the presence of new and advanced features in the new version. For example, Magento 2 is way better in performance than its previous generation due to the introduction of Varnish cache and advanced database architecture. Similarly, it has an improved admin panel UX and requires fewer extensions.
Yet another reason could be cost related. May be your current platform is a burden on your pocket or takes a substantial part of your revenue as platform fee. For example, WooCommerce cuts 40% which is way high. Magento has reduced its share to 15%.
Things to Take into Consideration
As mentioned above, migration is a complicated and risky business. There is the danger of losing your precious data and the chances of going things wrong. So you must be extra careful and take all the measures to ensure a smooth migration of your data.
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Develop a Plan
Migration to Magento 2 is a multi-step process. You can’t just start without any plan in place. You must develop a plan that will lead you from start to finish. The plan will act as a checklist and flowchart to lead you through every step and the important milestones.
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Hire a Magento Development Company
It’s best to hire an experienced Magento 2 development company with a track record of Magento 2 migration service for the task. Some people simply hire a developer to save a few bucks or because it’s easy to find developers. This can cause them time and increase vulnerability. Migration does not just require data import and export, it also involves requirements engineering, cost estimation, UX/UI enhancements, SEO analysis, etc. Obviously, a developer can’t do all these things.
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Check your Extensions
The extensions you are using in Magento 1 or whatever your current platform is aren’t likely to be compatible with Magento 2. So you will have to get it recreated. Check with the developers of your existing extensions and ask them to modify the code to make it compatible with Magento 2. Or you can buy new extensions for your new version.
How Long Does Magento 2 Migration Take?
The time and effort required for the Migration primarily depends on the size and complexity of your store. The more data, extensions, customizations, and complex coding you have in your store, the longer will it take. Some steps take longer than others. For example, cost estimation is easier than requirement gathering and theme migration is easier than extensions migration. Magento also provides tools to make certain steps easier. For example, the Magento 2 order import export automates the export and import of orders and the related customer data.
Magento 2 migration can take as short a time as 2 to 3 months or as long as 6 months or even more, especially if you have many third-party integrations and customizations.
What are the Steps of Magento 2 Migration?
There are many steps involved in Magento 2 migration. For a complete and successful migration, you have to follow all the steps in proper order. The order is given below.
- Requirement gathering
- Cost estimation
- Plugins Migration
- Theme migration
- Configurations migration
- UX/UI enhancements
- Quality assurance
- Data migration
- Launching
Points to Pay Attention to:
Before you start the migration process, pay attention to the following complexities.
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Customizations will not migrate
Since Magento 2 has an entirely new database architecture, the extensions, themes, or customizations on your existing store can’t be migrated to Magento 2 the way it is. You have to repurchase and rebuild the extensions and customizations in order for them to work smoothly. Also, Magento 2 extensions are more expensive than its predecessor.
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It Won’t Be Cheap:
Magento 2 is known to be an expensive platform although it does have a free version. The Magento 2 Commerce begins at $22k annually.
You will need extensions to extend your store’s functionality that can increase your maintenance costs substantially.
Migration itself is an expensive process as it takes a few experienced developers to do the job.
Considering teams now have less than four months to make a decision, it’s time to look hard at how Magento is serving the business and meeting business requirements overall. Remember, the move to Magento 2 won’t be fast or easy, will require significant effort to replicate the current Magento 1 site, and may still subject the site to post-launch performance issues. This, all while not equipping content managers, marketers, and merchandisers with expected ecommerce tools to meet customer expectations. Oh, and it gets expensive in a hurry.
In other words, it’s a good time explore all options.
Summary:
A famous proverb: No pain, no gain. If you really want to use the new improved database, performance and architecture of Magento 2 and take your business to the next level, you have to swallow this bitter pill. A one-time effort and money will give you lasting financial and business benefits
