If you are reading this article, you have already taken the first step to perform the update. So let me push you in the right direction. Updating Magento to a newer version sooner or later should be done. Stop thinking about it and start planning it already. There are many reasons why you could say ” easy, for now everything is working”. – and you may be right. Each case is different, but in general it is no longer a question of “Should you do the update?” but “When should you do the update to Magento 2?”. With the release of the new version the platform has become stable and presents a solid foundation to help your business achieve its sales targets. This is my opinion as a developer and project manager.

 

The technology changes fast

Changes and improvements did not omit the Magento 2 platform, which has been equipped with significant improvements. The new versions of PHP, MySQL and Apache/Nginx are for newer software versions than Magento 1, and programming methodologies have changed dramatically. Especially when it comes to the idea of dependency injection, object management, namespacing and other fashionable practices in Magento 2. In addition, the programming of the look of an online store has changed significantly. While styles.css has remained the same and could basically be transported to Magento 2, the level of difficulty in implementation has increased significantly. Therefore, developers more time to implement the graphic design. This means that the programmer who will be working on your site must take care of the quality of the code and reprogramme the modules that are currently in use, in accordance with Magento 2.

So why do you need  Magento 2 update now??

  • Above all because Magento 1.9 will be supported by the end of 2018. After this time, our store will be exposed to dozens of attacks. If a hacker finds a way to steal customer data, orders or order history, our store will lose loyalty of our customers. I don’t think I need to mention other threats.
  • With the end of Magento 1.9 support, many module manufacturers will also move in this direction. Maybe not immediately, but after a few or more months we will be left without the option to update the modules we are currently using.

Magento 2 maintenance

Maintaining Magento 2 is easier since the platform has been equipped with Composer mechanism. This is a great way to build applications because it allows us to create requirements and version dependencies of used libraries in composer.json. This relieves the process of installing modules that are a separate process, even preventing the installation of incorrect libraries, which can then disable the store. This means that installing new modules from Magento Marketplace, uploading security updates or patches does not require the presence of a developer. However, this does not mean that the store should be without any care of a company specializing in Magento. Leaving the Magento platform unprotected is basically associated with a drop in sales and a possible shutdown of the store. Remember that Magento is only software (but still great), which can also stop working after an update if not done by a professional. From my experience with Magento 2, I don’t recommend doing such things on your own in a production environment.

 

Security patches update

If you read about all the security patches for Magento 1, you see that they are published twice a quarter. In case of Magento 2 you can install them with Composer and test them before sending them to the store’s production version. We also have CLI Tools for Magento 2, which allows us to easily clean the cache and enable/disable modules. It also changes the status of the modules and re-indexes categories and products that were troublesome in Magento 1. So if your site suffers from slow indexing, hanging indexes or deadlocks when you save products, categories or orders, upgrading to Magento 2 can be a good investment. Holders of large online stores should also consider upgrading to Magento 2 Enterprise.

 

Magento update supports the speed of the store

Another argument in favor of upgrading Magento to version 2 is that the platform can handle more orders per hour and more parallel administrator sessions with the same server as Magento 1. Magento shows that with properly configured servers and the right caching mechanisms used, the less resource-intensive Magento 2 order processes can be faster than Magento 1.

The question is: does your current Magento 1 store run slowly or would you like it to run faster? The potential drawback of Magento 2 is that it is not even faster than Magento 1 when loading the entire page. However, with a properly configured server, appropriate parameters and the use of PHP 7 and Varnish, the speed of the store will be similar. So there are more and more arguments in favour of updating. The very fact that the performance at this stage may already be similar makes the Magento programmers will probably improve it soon. Then companies that haven’t done the update before, will lose their position by outflowing customers to faster platforms.

 

Summary

Nowadays, the store owner faces a dilemma as to whether to invest in a new platform or stay on the old one. Sooner or later we will lose the possibility of implementing new modules and functionalities, thanks to which the store can continue to develop. If you don’t plan an update early enough, you won’t prepare a budget for these actions and the competition will take professional companies implementing Magento 2 for a few months ahead. This will force the stores to stop developing and stay at the same level for a long time. Then the competition that has planned the actions will move faster.

The maintenance of stores and implementation of new functionalities will also be not without significance. As part of this work we always provide new ideas. These solutions work well in other stores, or result from the best reports on the usability of stores, modules, mechanisms. Works on the store also include regular updates to higher versions, thus improving security. Facilitated way of managing updates will save time, which can be spent on other activities such as shopping cart optimization. The implementation of new mechanisms of caching page views, re-indexing and optimization of PHP file compilation translates into significant increases in sales conversions, and thus an increase in store turnover.

I encourage everyone to reflect on Magento updates and the losses that may occur if the competitors do it earlier. Then they will get new tools to conquer the market and we will stay with the older version. As it happens in trade and in life – whoever is first, the better.

Source:

human-element.com

Are you not sure if this is the right time to upgrade to Magento 2? Write to us and we will check and advise you when the migration will be profitable for your store.