While some entrepreneurs rush to migrate to Magento 2, others don’t seem to hurry. They say that there is barely a difference between Magento 1 and 2, that such a migration would break their conversions, and that it would simply be a headache to perform this migration.
But is that all true? And why do Magento developers stress out the importance of migrating to Magento 2 from the beloved Magento 1? Let’s have a look.
Reason 1: no more security updates
There is no need to remind you about the importance of timely security updates for your store.
Even the slightest breach in security can result in massive financial losses and breach of customer’s privacy, which is a total nightmare for any entrepreneur.
So it should be your utmost concern to secure your store as much as you can to prevent any unwanted issues related to security.
However, with the end of official support of Magento 1, the company will also stop releasing the security updates for this version of the platform. And considering the advancement of hackers’ tools, your Magento 1 may become incredibly vulnerable in the future.
Reason 2: limited functionality
Magento 2 boasts to have more advanced features than Magento 1 and is designed to bring a better experience to your customers.
Now, if you stay with Magento 1, you will face two problems.
The first is that you will get stuck with your existing functionality. The company will not release any new features for Magento 1 and you will have to struggle hard in order to remain competitive.
The second problem is that Magento 1 may not be supporting those features that you’d like to have in your store simply because it would be outdated.
Summing up, Magento 1 will not allow any further customization once the support ends and this may be a big problem in the future.
Reason 3: no support of tools
This one relates to the point above. As soon as Magento 1 stops receiving support, it will get stuck in one place.
At the same time, PHP and other tools will not stand in one place. The companies will be constantly releasing updates to their products – and your Magento 1 will not be able to support them, thus creating another problem for you.
Reason 4: increased cost of maintenance
Say, you decided to stay with Magento 1 because you believe it will cost you less.
Unfortunately, the situation is the opposite.
Developers hate working with outdated projects and tools. So if you decide to hire Magento developer who will agree to work with your outdated Magento 1, it may cost you much more in comparison with Magento 2 maintenance.
Reason 5: a drop of conversions
The ultimate goal of your store is to attract the customers and hence, increase conversions by engaging the shoppers with your store. But if your store is outdated and slow, the users will simply leave and never come back, choosing to shop in a more user-friendly place.
So with limited functionality, outdated design, and poor security your Magento 1 store will most probably drag your conversions down and result in massive revenue losses.
Everything you need to know about migrating to Magento 2
Even though migration to Magento 2 is completely justified, many store owners still hesitate to do it due to some common misconceptions, like too much time for the migration process or a high risk of breaking down the whole store. However, there is nothing to worry about if you organize the process right.
How long will it take to migrate my store?
It depends.
And by saying that, we really mean it. One of the most time-consuming factors in store migration is its complexity. The more complex the store is, the longer it will take to migrate. It is especially true for any custom features. If you have a lot of them, it will take at least 3-4 months to safely migrate them all.
Will the migration break my store?
No, if you hire Magento developer to perform it. The thing is, the migration of an e-commerce store is usually done in a gradual manner, step by step. So while some parts are being migrated, others remain in their places so the store works in the usual manner.
When do I need to migrate?
This is a really important question.
When you feel like your store is underperforming, can use a new theme or new functionality, and cannot handle the load, it’s time to migrate to a more powerful platform that has an advanced set of features and can handle different traffic load with equal efficiency.
Summary
Magento 2 is a comprehensive solution, designed with customers in mind. Upon migrating to Magento 2, you will get access to brand-new tools to boost your conversions and draw the shoppers to your store. In addition, you will rest assured your store is 100% secure and there will be no data leak risks to worry about.
