Why Do You Need To Migrate From Magento 1 to Magento 2?

If you are dedicated to e-commerce and your store is still powered by Magento 1, surely you have doubts between Magento 2 and Magento 1. We are not talking about competing products with conflicting goals, but about the generational change between father and son, which should be sooner or later. The incentive is that this represents a very noticeable leap in quality. Magento 2 starts with the experience and successful genetics of its parent, to which it adds the enthusiasm, drive, and innovation of new generations.

Magento is indeed harder to find specialists than other CMS. The main reason for that is difficulties in learning this platform. If you are worried about a possible shortage of Magento professionals, then you can safely turn to Magento 2 development. Thus, you do not need to look for an experienced Magento specialist on the Internet. Therefore, now there is no reason to refuse to choose a CMS.

Migration Plan

Backups

The first step of our plan, before making any changes, is to back up the Magento 1 files and database. We must use the repository copy for any manipulations we need to perform during the migration, avoiding the repository we have open to the public.

Performance and areas for improvement

It’s a good idea to list the features, security, and performance improvements in version 2 in the migration plan. It’s also a good idea to list the positive aspects of your current e-commerce business and any areas you’d like to improve. The purpose of these lists is to check that all the important features we are already using are covered by the new version of Magento or some third party module.

Website redesign, update and adaptation

Web design needs to be adapted to Magento 2, so it’s time to think about aesthetic changes. The version 1 modules also need to be updated, so we should check if we need to purchase new Magento 2 compatible versions.

Data transfer

One of the most important points of the plan is the migration of information from the Magento 1 database to the new version 2. We must determine what data we want to migrate: products, categories, customers, orders, and other content. To move data, Magento has published the Data Migration Tool, a tool that greatly simplifies the whole process. Another option is to keep a local copy of this information that we can view and analyze, thus avoiding the need to copy the data to the new Magento.

It is important to make an exhaustive list with all the store configuration options that we will have to replicate in the new Magento.

SEO

In the migration plan, we must reflect all those details that may affect the SEO of the online store, otherwise we risk losing organic traffic, that is, customers.

After completing the plan, analyzing and defining all aspects, the migration process requires a number of technical tasks to be completed. In order not to close our online store for a long time, it is advisable to plan the entire process in detail and carry it out during periods of low influx of customers.

Migrating to Magento2 is more complicated and more expensive than creating a store from scratch on the same Magento2 since transferring all information to a new environment requires hours of additional effort, which makes it more expensive. In short, the transition from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is not an upgrade, like from 1.8 to 1.9, but a complex and time-consuming migration.

Therefore, when viewed in terms of features, Magento 2 offers a lot more options for everyone. This is a platform that keeps up with the times and takes care of constant updates and new tools for work. The transition itself can cost you time and money, but it’s worth it. If you need help with migration you can surely trust Magento development services.