E-commerce has taken the world by storm in the last decade or so. As a result, we’ve seen so many different types of web software released to help people develop online stores. Amongst the most popular platforms for beginners, we have Magento.
Magento 1 was released many years ago and proved very popular amongst small business owners and people with limited programming knowledge. It was easy to use, visually appealing, and safe. Then, along came Magento 2, leaving many people wondering if they should upgrade or carry on with version 1.
The question is; is Magento 2 any better than its younger brother? Well, I’ve used Magento, and here are some of the things I like about it in comparison to the first version:
Better Payment Solutions
What I enjoy about Magento 2 are the changes it’s made to the way customers pay for things on your website. At the base level, they’ve completely overhauled checkouts and made it much easier for people to pay, while also giving customers more opportunities to check that they’ve ordered the right thing. But, you can also install plugins like BlueSnap that offer payment gateways to further speed things up. Overall, this part of the platform has been vastly improved and may help e-commerce sites convert more sales simply by making it easier to buy things.
More Visually Appealing
The default themes in Magento 2 are much better to look at than they were in Magento 1. That’s not to say the first version was ugly - it really wasn't! But, in the ever-evolving world of web development and design, you need a website that keeps up with trends and styles. Magento 2 offers a platform with really modern and sharp designs that are so visually appealing. As anyone in the web development world can proclaim, having a good looking site will vastly decrease your bounce rate from the get-go.
Way Way Quicker
When any new software comes out, you kind of expect one thing; for it to be quicker than old versions. Otherwise, what’s the point? If something clearly has the potential to be faster, then it makes sense to demand it. You’ll be pleased to know that Magento 2 is definitely a lot quicker than Magento 1. Some people in the industry have run benchmark tests and discovered it’s a good 50% faster, if not more. This extra speed gives you the ability to do more things and handle more data on your website too. Traffic flows easier through your site, meaning it will crash less during periods of heavy use. Pages load so much faster too, giving your customers a much-improved experience on your site.
So, is Magento 2 any better than Magento 1? In many ways, yes, it is. If you own an e-commerce website, then it might be worth upgrading to the second version if you currently run the first one. They’re going to eventually stop patching the old version this year too, so you may as well use the most updated version they offer. What if you use another platform like Shopify? Well, you may need to see more evidence in favor of Magento 2 before making the switch.