Magento 1 End of Life: What You Need To Know Before 2020
In 2018, Magento announced that June 2020 will be the Magento 1 end of life date. This means that after June 2020 Magento will cease to support eCommerce retailers using its version 1.x platforms.
Stores will no longer receive vital security updates and patches for keeping their sites secure and working smoothly. This leaves store owners with a decision to make — upgrade or choose a different eCommerce platform.
Either way time and financial investment are unavoidable. Is this the perfect time to change to another platform such as Shopify or remain and upgrade to Magento 2?
If you’ve had a quick look at the available eCommerce platforms the top three consists of Shopify, WooCommere and Magento. All three platforms have their strengths and you can compare them in our Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Magento — eCommerce Platform Showdown article.
With only eight months until the Magento 1 end of life, now is the time to weigh up your options. In this article, you’ll discover the concerns and possible solutions for Magento 1 owners before it’s too late.
Magento 1 End Of Life Frequently Asked Questions
With the Magento 1 end of life fast approaching what thoughts and concerns are keeping Magento retailers up at night?
When Should I Take Action?
With the timer counting down to Magento 1 end of life now is the time to start planning your next move if you haven’t already done so. Whether you choose to re-platform or upgrade to Magento 2 your store is going to need a redesign. And depending on how complex your current store is this can be a lengthy process.
Before rushing into a redesign it’s important to map out a plan. You need to ensure you’re able to maintain similar functionality, user experience and journey, not to mention keeping your SEO intact and not losing traffic due to broken links.
To minimise disruption you should aim to launch your new eCommerce store during a quiet trading period. Due to the June 2020 end of life deadline realistically you want to be launching your new store between February and April 2020.
Start mapping out your requirements and speaking to potential eCommerce agencies as soon as possible. The closer you leave it to the deadline the more you’ll find fully booked eCommerce agencies.
If I Stay With Magento Which Version Should I Upgrade To?
If you’re going to stay with Magento the best option is to upgrade to Magento 2. This is the latest version of Magento and includes more features and functionality than Magento 1. You also shouldn’t have to worry about a major upgrade again for a while.
Staying with Magento is still going to be hard work. It’s complicated, bloated and has high development costs. But if your store is unique and other eCommerce platforms can’t provide the bespoke functionality you require then it’s best to move to M2.
What Are The Costs Involved?
Every Magento 2 build is unique. Depending on the size of your store a new Magento 2 website can cost anything from £20,000 to £100,000+. You also need to think about existing features, additional functionality and data migration which can increase the cost.
Developing a Magento 2 site is likely to cost more upfront due to custom development compared to other platforms such as Shopify. Here are some factors that are likely to affect the cost of a Magento 2 build.
- If you’re on Magento Commerce or Magento Open Source
- The amount of data migration required
- How much new data entry is required
- If the site is being built by a freelancer or an agency
- The complexity of the design
- Any bespoke features — frontend and backend
- Level of testing and SEO
Should I Move To Shopify?
If the thought of spending at least £20,000 on a new eCommerce store is making you sweat then there is another option and in our opinion a better option.
Shopify.
There are quite a few Magento retailers that had their site built several years ago when Magento was the go-to eCommerce platform for a growing business. Back then Magento developers were a lot cheaper and they were championing Magento making development costs affordable.
But times have changed.
New platforms have emerged and Magento might not be the right fit for your business.
Most store owners won’t have the funds to pay £20k for a new Magento site. They also don’t want to use a freelancer either because they need a dependable agency to handle the project. The solution could be to leave Magento behind and move to Shopify.
Shopify is a very affordable solution with all the features you’d expect to keep your eCommerce site running fast and securely.
If the standard Shopify installation doesn’t meet your requirements then Shopify Plus is the one for you. Shopify Plus is fully customisable, built for speed and capable of processing over 10,000 orders per minute with unlimited bandwidth. With Shopify Plus you’re in good company as some of the world’s biggest brands use it, such as Gym Shark, Red Bull and MVMT.
Why Shopify Is A Better eCommerce Solution
Secure Fast Hosting
Being a fully managed solution means Shopify takes care of the hosting and security side. All Shopify stores use 256 bit SSL technology and are automatically set at the highest level of PCI compliance, keeping customer data safe and giving store owners one less thing to worry about.
Future Proof
Shopify does not release versions of its platform to store owners. Instead, every Shopify store always runs on the latest software. This means there is no need to get developers involved to update the files and run into potential issues.
Shopify stores will always have access to the latest features and the latest payment gateways such as Google and Apple Pay. This way of working means less time spent updating files and reduced developer costs.
Don’t worry if your business begins to grow quickly. If you started on the standard Shopify plan you can easily scale up and move to Shopify Plus without having to redesign and rebuild your store.
Easy Store Management From Anywhere
Store management with Shopify is straightforward and fast. You can easily create new products, add variations, change content and set shipping rates, all without the headaches. Inventory and fulfilment management is simple, allowing store owners to notify customers via email or text.
Another area Shopify excels in is its mobile app. Shopify offers amazing iOS and Android apps allowing you to manage your store wherever you are. You can view traffic, monitor sales, manage products and create discount codes when you’re on the go.
If you have a bricks and mortar shop you can choose to use the Shopify POS. This enables shop owners to integrate their face to face sales with their online sales, keeping customer data and transactions in one place.
Customise With Apps
Like all eCommerce platforms, the standard functionality can be extended with extensions, plugins or in Shopify’s case apps. The Shopify app store has approximately 2000 apps helping store owners increase sales, print shipping labels and offer customer support.
The main difference with apps is they’re on a monthly subscription rather than an upfront cost. The cost of apps ranges from free to an average price of $15 per month and usually have a hassle-free installation process.
What To Do Next?
As Magento 1 end of life fast approaches retailers will have to make a decision to continue selling online after June 2020. It’s frustrating that store owners have to go through this process. However, it can be the perfect opportunity to choose a new eCommerce platform that fits your business, is easy to use and doesn’t need constant updates.
As a Shopify Partner, we can provide you with a fully functioning Shopify store allowing you to transition from Magento with the least amount of headaches.
If you’re unsure of what to do next, just get in touch and we’ll happily answer your questions about choosing Shopify as your new eCommerce platform.
Call 0161 791 0100 or email hello@mechanised.co.uk for a no-obligation chat.
