Even though Magento powers around 1.2% of all sites on the internet, the Magento 1 ecommerce platform definitely isn’t perfect. There are consistent complaints on speed and a swarm of recurring technical issues.
Now that Magento no longer supports Magento 1 stores with new updates, people are naturally preparing to take the next step. Having found their favourite themes and extensions, many storeowners are hesitant to part with their familiar platform of x years.
Nevertheless, there are very good reasons why you should consider migrating to Magento 2. Not only will you see the bulk of Magento 1 problems dissolve away, your store will look and feel modern, capable and fast.
How is Magento 2 better than Magento 1?
Magento 2 improves on pretty much all elements of an ecommerce platform, namely speed, usability and security. We asked certified Magento developers in Sydney about the differences between the two, and they had a lot to say.
Here’s a quick summary of the big points on how Magento 2 is better than Magento 1:
1. Performance
Speed is a critical factor for online customers, who are reluctant to put up with long loading times of poorly optimized stores. According to Google, pages with 3-second loading times see 32% more bounces than single-second sites.
On average, Magento 2 loads home, category and product pages in 1.5 seconds, which is between 35 and 50% faster than Magento 1. At the same time, your Magento 2 stores handles as many as 39% more orders hourly, whist accommodate as many as 10 million page views every hour, compared to 200 thousand on the outdated platform. It has built in support for full page, which can decrese the load time by up to 80 milliseconds.
Magento 2 is substantially faster than its predecessor because of improved architecture, increased compatibilities and integrated plug-ins. These lead to quicker server response times, allowing shoppers to catalogue browse instantly and add items to their cart as much as 66% faster. With improved message queques, you’ll speed up UI the development. All in all, Magento 2 offers a significant performance bump for a generally superior experience.
2. Security
Magento 1 has been without new security patches since June 30th 2020, effectively holding the door open for hackers looking to get at any valuable data. With no response to these new threats, as well as a growing number of unresolved bugs, customers will begin to doubt the safety of a Magento 1 store.
Meanwhile, Magento 2 introduces considerably more features for keeping your site secure, including reworked hashing algorithms (SHA-256) for passwords as well as multi-factor authentications (MFA). Of course, the developers will also be rolling out new patches and fixes as needed, though you’ll still have to manage PCI compliance yourself to avoid data leaks.
Magento 2 is PCI DSS Level 1-compliant, whilst also being sufficiently protected from cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks and clickjacking exploits. Admins are also able to restrict access to files by using umask, resulting in greater efficiency and flexibility regarding ownership and permission of critical data.
3. Dashboard & Navigation
There are many less-than-perfect aspects of the Magento 1 interface, which at times can feel unintuitive, limited in scope, and just a little lifeless. Magento 2 has addressed the majority of the dashboard issues, completing reworking the admin panel, which now displays latest and average orders, top-searched keywords, bestseller items, and lifetime sales.
It’s not just an aesthetic improvement, either. Navigation with Magento 2 is far more responsive and user-friendly, chiefly thanks to superior menu logic and simplified design. Even those with little technical knowhow will be able to navigate and manage their stores.
It’s also important to note that the Magento 2 upgrade is vastly more mobile-friendly too, offering universally convenient navigation across many devices. It has been specifically optimized for touchscreen, and you can even install themes to further enhance the experience.
Is it easy to migrate to Magento 2?
Even though there are approximately 250,000 stores powered by Magento, Hosting Tribunal revealed that only 11,000 of them have migrated to the 2.x platform. This is not because Magento 2 isn’t worth it, but instead that migrating involves a considerable amount of work.
Unfortunately, migration is not a one-click deal. As Magento 2 is an entirely new platform, migrating is more than just moving data. The switch also involves restructuring the system, setting up extensions, adjusting code and a hundred other changes to UI and UX. You should think of it like a full store relaunch.
While the community version of Magento 2 is still free, establishing yourself on Magento 2 can be a sizable investment, especially if you’re looking for significant customization. Magento developers in Sydney say that initial costs will likely be a fraction higher than that of building a 1.x store, though prices vary greatly depending on the type and scale of your ecommerce operation. Many, however, are already in the middle of transferring to Magento 2, after comparing the benefits. So what are you waiting for? Get a cost estimate for your website now!
Why should I migrate to Magento 2?
Migration may not be the easiest or cheapest task in the world, but storeowners can only hold out so long on the outdated Magento 1 platform. Putting off migration will do more damage than good, depriving your customers of a more streamlined (and ultimately more enjoyable) experience.
Magento 2 is fundamentally more accessible and convenient for your customers, allowing countless stores to run efficiency for even greater profitability. Migrating to Magento 2 puts you back in the grace of security patches and support otherwise, meaning that storeowners can be confident in the continued reliability of their site.
The Bottom Line on Magento 1 vs Magento 2
At the end of the day, it simply doesn’t make financial sense for an ecommerce business to persist with the obsolete 1.x platform. Magento 2 is superior on every metric, offering a whole host of new technologies and more comprehensive compatibility. A lot of the new extensions are no longer being supported for Magento 1, and new modules are no longer being developed.
A modernised storefront attracts a greater number of visitors and makes it easier for them to buy, meaning you’ll likely recuperate these development costs in a reasonably short time. There are plenty of affordable Magento developers able to build the most ambitious of site designs.
If you haven’t already started on your Magento 2 upgrade, it’s best to get going as soon as you can.
New modules are not developed for Magento 1. Only part of existing are updated, but the number of them dashingly decreasing.