Webinar Recap: Still on Magento 1? Know Your Options

If you’re a Magento 1 (M1) user, you likely know that Magento Commerce is ending its support of the legacy ecommerce platform on June 30, 2020. Magento made the announcement in 2018, but many merchants are staring at the deadline with no plan in place.

The global pandemic revealed for many brands just how susceptible they are to unknown disruptors. Nearing the Magento 1 end of support gives brands an opportunity to improve their digital preparedness and develop a business continuity plan. Your next move will determine how you maintain your relevancy now and in the long-term.

In a recent webinar, Blue Acorn iCi’s Chief Strategy Officer, Ryan Shield, spoke with Nate Stoher, Solutions Manager at Vertex, and Adrian Luna, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Webscale, about the two options we recommend (and one we don’t) for merchants that are still on the Magento 1 platform. Watch the recording below or continue reading for a recap.

Option 1: Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration

“The move to Magento 2 is not just going to give you a facelift and access to a new admin interface. It’s really going to unleash a lot more of a richer tool kit for your business,” said Ryan. Magento 2 offers exciting new functionality such as Progressive Web Apps and Multi-Source Inventory, as well as improved page load speeds and increased security measures.

Compared to Magento 1, the Magento 2 storefront can handle significantly more orders per hour, enabling merchants to grow their business without the fear of disrupted experiences. “Visitor 1,000 needs to have the same positive experience as visitor 100,000,” said Adrian.

From a time perspective, migrating to Magento 2 gives merchants more time to focus on creating positive customer experiences and less time break fixing and supporting extensions. Magento 2 comes with a native core bundled extension, so merchants won’t need to build every extension from scratch.

Option 2: Explore Alternative Platforms to Magento Commerce

As you quickly near the Magento 1 end of support, consider all of your ecommerce options including other platforms. If you don’t have the in-house expertise to determine if another platform is right for you, there are digital customer experience partners, like Blue Acorn iCi, that can help.

For example, we will take clients through a Discovery to learn more about the brand and their needs and wants. Our partnerships with multiple ecommerce platforms allow us to make a recommendation based on what aligns with both the needs of our client’s business as well as the expectations of their customers.

Option 3: Stay on Magento 1

“M1 is a resource hog. It’s incredibly intensive, and it requires a significant and robust hosting environment in order to achieve the high performance that you need for a successful brand experience,” said Adrian.

Platform performance directly ties into the user experience and SEO performance of the site, which affects the findability of your site when customers are searching. “Modern customers are going to expect their transactions to be flawless and quick,” said Nate. Every second in delayed page load time typically results in 11% fewer page views and a 16% decrease in user satisfaction.

From a security perspective, Magento 1 will no longer receive ongoing patches and upgrades, increasing the likelihood of data breaches. Staying on Magento 1 exposes your customer data and could potentially negatively impact your brand reputation. Blue Acorn iCi has already received emails from clients saying they’ve gotten notices from credit card companies that they will no longer be compliant once Magento 1 reaches its end of life. “Data is not just about the breach. It’s about keeping the authorities off your back,” added Ryan.

If you decide to extend your stay on Magento 1, the right digital partner will provide patches, PCI compliance, and improved security while you determine your next move. It’s important to note that no action is not an option. If you don’t move off Magento 1, you increase your likelihood of becoming a target for hackers.

What you can do next:

The current global pandemic combined with the Magento 1 end of support is a wake-up call for many merchants. Moving forward, it’s going to be all about digital preparedness and business continuity so you can offer your customers an optimized shopping experience. In the webinar, Ryan suggests considering the following as you move forward:

• What is keeping you up at night?
• How deep is your bench?
• What would you have done differently had you known about the global pandemic and its impact?
• Do you have the right resources to survive and thrive?
• Get your team in order. Don’t just pivot your business, pivot your thinking.
• Lose your technical debt and focus on your customers.
• Be smart. Pivot your business to a sustainable option.

Blue Acorn iCi has helped merchants across many industries migrate from Magento 1 to an ecommerce platform that aligns with their business requirements and long-term goals. As we migrate you to a new platform, we not only “keep the lights on,” but we also ensure your Magento site has an added layer of defense and monitoring to fend off any threats. If you’re ready to make the next move, reach out to us.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get the latest insights from Blue Acorn iCi