Any eCommerce store is only as powerful & secure as its technology stack used to build it in the first place.
And when newer technologies arrive, your existing technology will stale, and therefore, it will need an update.
Magento 1, for example, has been outdated ever since Adobe ended providing its official support & latest security updates for Magento 1-based eCommerce stores.
And this is the first & most crucial reason why you need to consider migrating your eCommerce store from Magento 1 to Magento 2 platform.
Apart from the official support from Adobe, there are numerous other reasons why you need to consider migrating your store from Magento 1 to Magento 2 right away.
In this post, we’ve explained everything you need to know about Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration and the best way to go about it.
That being said, let’s get right into it!
Why Should You Opt for Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration?
Let’s say that you’re running your eCommerce store successfully on the Magento 1 platform. So why should you go through the trouble of the Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration process?
As we mentioned before, there are lots of reasons to migrate to Magento 2 besides the end of the official support from Adobe.
With Magento 2, Adobe has addressed all problems and challenges of Magento 1 in an extremely comprehensive manner.
Below, we’ve listed all key reasons that explain why you need to immediately opt for Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration for your eCommerce store.
Speed
- Magento 1 Issue: Has slow page load speed which causes high shopping cart abandonment.
- Magento 2 Features: Has faster page load speed which increases the overall conversion rate.
Orders per Hour
- Magento 1 Issue: Can manage only limited orders per hour.
- Magento 2 Feature: Can manage 100-120% more orders per hour than Magento 1.
SEO
- Magento 1 Issue: Lacks important SEO features that affect SEO performance.
- Magento 2 Feature: Comes with all important SEO features to boost SEO performance.
Add to Cart Response Time
- Magento 1 Issue: The Add to Cart response time is slow & ordinary.
- Magento 2 Feature: Has 66% faster Add to Cart response time.
Security
- Magento 1 Issue: Has outdated security algorithm & lacks two-factor authentication that makes Magento 1 stores vulnerable to cyber attacks.
- Magento 2 Feature: Comes with Fresh Hashing algorithm & two-factor authentication that uplifts overall security of Magento 2 stores.
Analytics
- Magento 1 Issue: Comes with basic analytics & reporting capabilities.
- Magento 2 Feature: Comes with smart & advanced analytics & reporting capabilities.
All the above features, in the end, have enormous power to expand your sales funnel and manage your operations with ease.
Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration Checklist
Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration requires a thorough pre-planning and proper approach.
And this is one of the most crucial reasons why you need to start planning your migration as soon as possible.
Fortunately for you, we’ve already prepared a future-proof checklist for executing the migration smoothly & efficiently.
Step #1 – Planning
Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration is not the same as building an entirely new eCommerce store. However, it does require planning. And planning starts with asking the right questions to yourself such as:
- Do you want to migrate all data (products, content, pages, etc.) or do you need to remove some?
- Do you want to keep the UI of your new Magento 2 store the same as Magento 1 or use a new theme/design?
- Do you need all extensions & modules from your Magento 1 store or you can eliminate some?
If your answer to the first question includes some things to be removed, then there is a good chance to save some time during the migration process.
As for the UI, Magento 2 is responsive while Magento 1 is not. So, the final UI of your Magento 2 store after the migration process will not be identical to your Magento 1 store.
Lastly, you need to look for and list down all extensions & custom modules that you’ll need for your brand new Magento 2 store.
Step #2 – Provide a Separate Development Environment
When you’re planning to migrate your Magento 1 store to Magento 2, you’re obviously not going to shut down your existing store until the new store is ready for launch.
Therefore, you’ll have to provide a separate development environment for Magento 2 migration so that it does not harm your live Magento 1 store.
Apart from this, you must remember to make your Magento 2 store live when there is minimum or almost no traffic on your existing Magento 1 store. And in case you don’t have such a time slot, it’s best to put up a disclaimer notice to avoid creating a negative impression or any confusion among your customers.
Step #3 – Find a Theme
Unfortunately, the Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration does not allow copying the Magento 1 theme folders.
But, if you want to UI of your Magento 2 store to look the same as your existing Magento 1 store, you can easily find a similar-looking theme in the Magento Marketplace.
However, if you are thinking about giving your new Magento 2 store a completely new look (which is far better than copying the existing theme), then you can either find a readymade Magento 2 theme or get it custom-developed from a Magento 2 Development Company.
Step #4 – Choose Your Extensions
You might already have some third-party extensions & custom modules installed in your Magento 1 store to fulfill your unique and specific requirements.
Moreover, you might have also decided which extensions as well as custom modules you’ll need for your new Magento 2 store.
So, at this point, you need to start searching for your required Magento 2 Extensions.
Fortunately, the majority of Magento 1 Extensions providers have developed their extensions for Magento 2 platform.
And as far as the custom modules are concerned, you’ll have to hire Magento 2 developers to code them for you.
Step #5 – Begin The Data Migration Process
This is the last and the most crucial step of the process.
In the first step, you might have already decided on the data be transferred in the planning stage. So now, the data migration process will transfer every aspect you selected including products, content, pages, customers, orders, etc.
Now, if you’re wondering whether the data migration process is working as it was supposed to, it’s best to seek Magento 2 Support from professionals to avoid any costly mistakes.
Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration Cost
The Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration involves various different costs.
So, if you’ve finally planned for Magento 2 Migration for your store, it’s best to get a thorough understanding of the cost for a smooth start.
- Magento Licence Fee
Magento 2 is now available in two separate editions – Community & Enterprise. Now, the Community edition of Magento 2 is completely free to use.
But, if you run a large store with a massive inventory, you might have to opt for the Magento Enterprise Edition.
The license fee for the Enterprise edition starts from $22,000 USD per year.
And apart from Enterprise, you can also avail the latest cloud hosting solution called Magento Commerce Cloud.
It’s basically the Enterprise edition that is hosted on the cloud and its license fee cost starts from $40,000/year to $190,000/year.
- Cost for Data Migration
Although the data migration does not bear any price itself because all you need to perform data migration is the Magento Data Migration Tool, which is available for free.
However, if you lack the required expertise & experience, performing data migration on your own could easily lead to critical data mismanagement.
Therefore, it’s best to hire professionals to ensure that the data migration process is executed the right way. And once the data migration is done, you can verify the list created during the planning stage for data transfer.
- Cost for Third-Party Extensions
As we mentioned before, you can’t use Magento 1 extensions in your Magento 2 store. Therefore, you’ll have to purchase the Magento 2 version of the extensions you need to replace your old ones.
Now, there is a possibility that you won’t find all your desirable extensions for Magento 2. So, in that case, you will have to get them custom-developed from scratch.
- Cost for Theme
Just like extensions, you also cannot reuse the Magento 1 theme in your new Magento 2 store as both have different templates & coding.
Therefore, you’ll have to either design an entirely new theme or purchase a readymade Magento 2 theme that matches your store requirements.
Out of the two options, purchasing a readymade theme will save you a lot of time and effort.
- Cost for Magento 2 Development Agency
When you’re migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2 store, you’ll have to make certain necessary changes in the code. And for that, you’ll have to hire Magento 2 developers to make your code compatible with Magento 2 platform.
Now, Partnering with a Magento 2 Development Company will be the wisest decision you can make to ensure the required changes in code are done properly.
Moreover, the success percentage will also drastically increase when professionals are involved in such complex & technical tasks.
Summary
And there you have it!
This is all you need to know about Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration and how to go about it.
However, if you still have any questions or need our professional assistance with Magento Migration Services, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
