Magento 2 Migration from Magento 1- What To Know

Magento 1 Migration to Magento 2

Magento 1.X users, this is a post that will particularly speak to you to give insight on everything from what Magento 2 editions are available to what an expected cost and timeline looks like, and of course, does your site need to migrate off of its Magento 1 version (hint: it does).

Check out our most up to date Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration Guide (2020 Version)

Magento 1 to Magento 2 Guide: 2020 Version
 

What does a Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration Mean?

Look up the meaning of migration and you'll see it is defined as a movement from one part of something to another. That is exactly what is taking place when you move from Magento 1 to Magento 2. Many brands mistakenly look at this move as an upgrade, which it is not. Don’t expect a point and click operation, but instead a change in database structures, themes, and working with a new API.

Continue reading to learn basic Magento 2 migration steps, what to know if you stay on Magento 1, and other considerations or

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What To Know if You Stay on Magento 1

If you decide to stay on Magento 1 you are ultimately putting your brand at a standstill in terms of continual innovation and steps behind in future-readiness, giving your competitors a huge edge. Not only that, running unsupported software is extremely risky. 

magento 1 to magento 2 migration infographic

Magento 2 Key Benefits:

Magento 2 was released back in 2015 as the latest version of the eCommerce platform that is utilized by 1 in 4 businesses worldwide. It offers beneficial features that resolve issues many encountered with Magento 1 such as:

Magento 2 Offers Future-Readiness

Magento 2 utilizes the newest technologies and features such as; LAMP stack - Linux, Apache/Nginx MySql, PHP with latest versions of each + Other techniques like Database Clustering, Full Page Caching, Performance Monitoring through New Relic, Blackfire.io, WYSIWYG CMS (Bluefoot), Extended Reporting through RJ Metrics, Extended Shipping through Temando. This is one of the best ways to prepare for the future of your brand and digital store.

What to Expect with a Magento 2 Migration

Migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2 involves changing database structures, themes, and working with a new API. Don’t expect a point and click operation, it is a migration not an upgrade. You will want to have the migration expertly managed to avoid data loss and downtime. We have a few considerations when you look into making the migration:

Before you start: Do consider an upgrade of your site at the same time as the migration. It is a perfect moment to make serious changes and get your site ready for the next level of digital growth. Work with experts in user experience and technology to consider whether your site needs to be designed with more hardware, more advanced topology, etc.

Basic Magento 2 Migration Steps

Magento 2 migration steps will slightly vary from site to site depending on how your current storefront is built. However, this process below gives you a good idea of the basic Magento 2 migration steps you will need to prepare for.

  1. Review extensions on your current site;
  2. Build and prepare the Magento 2 store for migration;
  3. Dry run: Before you start migration on the production environment, it is best practice to go through all the migration steps on your testing environment;
  4. Start your migration with the Data Migration Tool. This tool will migrate customers, catalogs, orders, shipments, and your core configuration. However, it is important to know what it does not migrate. Your custom data, admin rights, media files, and certain other custom technical aspects will not carry over seamlessly on the tool;
  5. Migrate Magento 1 theme to Magento 2 and make User Interface level changes;
  6. Make changes to the migrated data as needed;
  7. Update incremental data. After migrating data, you will then have to gradually collect the data updates that have been added in the Magento 1 store (such as new orders and reviews) and go into Delta mode to transfer these updates to the Magento 2 store;
  8. Go live- Now that your Magento 2 site is up-to-date and is functioning normally, you can cut over to the new site!

Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration Timeline

The timeline for a Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration will vary depending on your site's level of customization and if you are looking to update the user experience, but a safe bet is to allow a minimum of 3 months. 

Considerations affecting the Magento 2 migration timeline might include:

What Magento 2 Edition is Right for Your Needs?

Other Planning Considerations:

If you haven’t made the move to Magento 2 or another eCommerce platform, the time to start is now. If you are sitting on a Magento 1.X site, you probably know Magento declared it will end its official support to Magento 1 in 2020 which makes this move not only desirable from a future-readiness standpoint in order to be competitive, but also necessary from a security standpoint.

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