What Is Magento eCommerce Platform And Why Should You Use It?

Magento is a highly adaptable platform that can be personalized to fit the specific requirements of any business. It provides a vast array of extensions and themes that can be utilized to enhance the functionality and features of your online store. Introduced in 2008, Magento has grown to become one of the most prevalent eCommerce platforms worldwide.

Magento is available in 2 versions: Magento Open Source, which is free and accessible to everyone to use and modify, and Magento Commerce, a paid version that provides additional features and support. Both versions are extremely scalable and suitable for businesses of all sizes, ranging from small startups to large enterprises.

Understanding Magento eCommerce

Magento is a popular eCommerce platform that enables merchants to build and manage their online stores. The platform is open-source and offers flexibility in terms of customizing the look, content, and functionality of the store. It was launched in 2008 and is now owned by Adobe. Magento is built using PHP and employs MySQL as the database management system. Its modular architecture enables developers to customize the platform to suit their specific requirements.

The platform offers numerous themes and templates, and a set of APIs that make it easy to integrate with other tools and platforms. While Magento is a powerful platform, it can be challenging to set up and manage, so merchants may need to seek professional help. Nevertheless, for businesses in search of a scalable and adaptable eCommerce solution, Magento is a great choice.

What Is Magento Commerce?

Magento Commerce is the premium version of the Magento eCommerce platform, specially designed for enterprise-level businesses and high-volume merchants. It offers all the features of the open-source Magento platform and includes additional capabilities to help larger businesses manage and expand their online stores more efficiently. The additional features in Magento Commerce include advanced B2B functionality, customizable checkout pages, drag-and-drop merchandising, content staging and preview, Elasticsearch, and more. These features enable businesses to offer their customers a seamless and personalized shopping experience, streamline their operations, and improve their bottom line.

Some of the key features of Magento Commerce include:

• Advanced content management: Magento Commerce includes a more advanced content management system than the open-source version, allowing merchants to create and manage complex content and product pages.
• B2B features: Magento Commerce includes features designed specifically for business-to-business (B2B) transactions, such as customizable price lists, customer-specific catalogs, and account management tools.
• Advanced reporting: Magento Commerce includes advanced reporting capabilities, allowing merchants to create custom reports and dashboards to track sales, customer behavior, and other key metrics.
• Advanced marketing tools: Magento Commerce includes a range of advanced marketing tools, such as personalized product recommendations, abandoned cart recovery, and advanced segmentation.
• Staging and preview: Magento Commerce includes staging and preview tools, allowing merchants to preview changes to their online store before making them live.
• Customer loyalty and rewards: Magento Commerce includes tools to help merchants build customer loyalty and increase repeat purchases, such as customer reward programs and store credit.
• Support and training: Magento Commerce includes access to dedicated support and training resources, to help merchants get the most out of the platform.

However, as an enterprise solution, Magento Commerce comes with a higher price tag than the open-source version and may require additional development and support resources to set up and maintain.

What Is Magento Open Source?

Magento Open Source is a free, open-source e-commerce platform designed to create online stores. Developed initially by Varien Inc. and currently maintained by Adobe Inc., the platform offers a broad range of customizable features such as managing product catalogs, creating and managing customer accounts, integrating payment gateways, and managing orders. It is built on PHP and uses MySQL or MariaDB as the database management system. The platform also provides extensive extensibility through third-party extensions and modules available for download from the Magento Marketplace.

Being open-source, Magento Open Source is free to download and use, making it an attractive option for small to medium-sized businesses on a tight budget. However, setting up and managing Magento requires technical expertise, and businesses looking for additional features and support may choose to use the paid version, Magento Commerce.

Magento Commerce vs Magento Open Source — Which Is Better?

Choosing between Magento Commerce and Magento Open Source hinges on your business requirements and budget. Magento Open Source is an open-source platform that is free of charge and provides a plethora of features to establish an online store. It’s an excellent alternative for small to medium-sized businesses with limited budgets that are just starting.

Magento Open Source offers considerable flexibility and a wide range of features, although it necessitates technical expertise to set up and manage. Conversely, Magento Commerce is a paid version of Magento that offers more advanced features and support options. It’s a better fit for large enterprises or businesses with intricate needs, high traffic volumes, and specific customization requirements.

Magento Commerce offers advanced B2B functionality, customizable checkout pages, and more extensive support services. If you seek a cost-effective solution and possess technical expertise, Magento Open Source may be the most suitable option for your business. If you require more advanced features, scalability, and support, Magento Commerce may be a better option. The followings are the pros and cons of the eCommerce platform.

Pros of Magento

• Feature-rich: Magento is a highly customizable and feature-rich platform, offering a wide range of functionalities such as multi-store management, multiple payments, and shipping options, product catalog management, and more.
• Scalability: It can scale up to handle large volumes of traffic and transactions, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes. Open source: Being open source, this platform allows for more flexibility and customization than some other e-commerce platforms.
• Strong community: Magento has a strong community of developers and users who contribute to its development and support.
• SEO-friendly: Magento has built-in SEO features that can help improve the visibility of your online store on search engines.

Cons of Magento

• Complexity: Magento can be complex to set up and requires technical expertise, making it challenging for small businesses without in-house developers or technical resources.
• Hosting Requirements: The platform requires dedicated hosting resources, which can be expensive and require ongoing maintenance and upgrades.
• Cost: While the open-source version of Magento is free, the costs associated with hosting, customization, and development can add up quickly.
• Performance issues: Magento can be resource-intensive, and poorly optimized sites can suffer from slow load times and performance issues.
• Security: Magento has been targeted by hackers in the past, and maintaining the security of your online store requires ongoing attention and resources.

As you can see there are several pros and cons of using Magento, but it is still one of the best decisions for an online store.

Using Magento’s Admin Panels

Magento’s Admin Panel is an influential instrument to administer your online store. It offers admission to an extensive collection of features and functionalities, encompassing managing your product catalog, Magento commerce order management, configuring payment and shipping options, and more. The Admin Panel is adaptable and user-friendly, empowering you to personalize it to suit your specific requirements.

Checking Out:

Magento’s checkout process aims to be user-friendly and adaptable, offering an effortless and uninterrupted experience for your customers. You can tailor various checkout options, including enabling one-page checkout, permitting customers to check out as guests, and more. Moreover, Magento supports various payment and shipping alternatives, granting you the liberty to present your customers with flexibility and choice.

Security:

Magento prioritizes security and incorporates several built-in security features to safeguard your online store against potential threats such as hacking, malware, and data breaches. These features encompass secure payment gateways, SSL support, and advanced user management options. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to bear in mind that preserving the security of your online store entails continual attention and updates.

Extensions:

The platform presents a comprehensive assortment of extensions and plugins to elevate the functionality of your online store. These extensions range from uncomplicated plugins that introduce new features to more intricate solutions that integrate with third-party systems. Although extensions can augment functionality, it’s crucial to meticulously select them and ensure their compatibility with your Magento version.

Customer Support:

Magento offers diverse customer support options, comprising a knowledge base, community forums, and paid support services. The knowledge base grants access to a vast collection of resources, including user manuals, tutorials, and problem-solving articles. Community forums enable you to connect with other Magento users and developers and obtain aid for precise issues. The paid support services extend more comprehensive assistance, such as phone support and personalized account managers.

Who should use Magento?

Magento is a versatile eCommerce solution that caters to businesses of all sizes, including small startups and large enterprises. It’s especially apt for enterprises requiring a scalable and personalized eCommerce solution capable of handling a vast array of products, intricate product catalogs, and numerous storefronts.

Magento will be appropriate for:

• Online retailers with many products, complex product configurations, and multiple storefronts.
• B2B businesses need a platform that can handle complex pricing structures, order workflows, and integration with third-party systems.
• Large enterprises require advanced customization and integration capabilities, as well as high performance and scalability.
• Businesses that require a platform that can support multiple languages, currencies, and payment options.
• Businesses need a platform that can be easily integrated with other systems, such as CRM, ERP, and POS systems.

It’s worth noting that Magento can be intricate and demands technical know-how to configure and sustain. Consequently, enterprises lacking in-house technical proficiency or resources might need to enlist the services of a Magento developer or collaborate with a Magento agency to derive optimal benefits from the platform.

Should I Choose Magento 1 or Magento 2?

If you’re contemplating adopting Magento as your eCommerce platform, it’s crucial to bear in mind that Magento 1 is no longer upheld. Although Magento 1 might still be functional, it won’t receive any security upgrades or fixes, rendering it a less reliable choice. Hence, it’s advisable to opt for Magento 2 as your eCommerce platform.

You can read below what is Magento 2 and some reasons why you should choose Magento 2 over Magento 1:

• Performance: Magento 2 is faster and more efficient than Magento 1, which translates to better page load times, faster checkout, and an overall better user experience.
• Security: Magento 2 has stronger security features than Magento 1, making it less vulnerable to security threats and attacks.
• Mobile-friendly: Magento 2 is mobile-responsive out of the box, making it easier to build a mobile-friendly e-commerce site.
• Improved admin interface: The admin interface in Magento 2 is more intuitive and user-friendly than in Magento 1, making it easier to manage your e-commerce site.
• More features and functionality: Magento 2 includes many new features and functionality, such as improved search capabilities, streamlined checkout, and better integrations with third-party systems.

Magento 2 is a more advanced and secure eСommerce platform than Magento 1 and is the recommended

Bottom Line

Magento is a powerful open-source eСommerce platform that allows businesses to create and manage their online stores. At Stfalcon we offer Magento eСommerce platform development services, we have a team of experienced Magento developers who can help businesses build custom Magento stores that are tailored to their specific needs. This includes designing and developing the website, integrating payment gateways, configuring shipping options, and setting up product catalogs. If you are interested, just contact us, and we’ll discuss everything you would like to know.

Originally published at https://stfalcon.com.