There is a digital time-bomb set to explode on 90 percent of retail eCommerce websites in June 2020. While the clock is methodically ticking away the minutes and seconds, the majority of business owners using Magento 1.x haven’t even begun to defuse what could become a real web calamity. The creators of Magento, the most popular eCommerce platform across the entirety of the internet marketplace, announced in September 2018 that they would end support for the 1.x version of their popular platform this year. Regular patches, security updates and security enhancements would no longer be provided by Magento’s new owners, Adobe Systems Inc., after June 1, 2020.
Continuing to operate under the 1.x version will increase the vulnerability of eCommerce websites to cybercriminals and hackers who prey on unprotected systems. A retailer’s vault of consumer credit card data and customers’ personal information may become much more accessible to cybercriminals surfing the internet for easier targets to attack. Like a thief who cases neighborhoods looking for homes without security systems or with unlocked doors, cyber-hackers patrol the internet looking for systems that fail to identify updated risks of unwanted intrusion. Businesses that continue to utilize 1.x versions of Magento risk becoming a hacker’s easy target.
Many online retailers have been reluctant to migrate to Magento 2.0 from the previous version out of fear that the transition will interrupt the pace of their online business. The process of moving from the older version has become simplified and less disruptive as experienced web professionals complete the journey for more and more of their clients. Junction Creative Solutions (Junction) has built a core competency around Magento 2.0 and is experienced at converting existing eCommerce websites using Magento. “Clients are coming to us as they realize the importance of moving to Magento 2.0,” commented Julie Gareleck, CEO & Managing Partner at Junction. If users of the older versions don’t soon move to the latest platform, they run the risk of having issues that can’t be resolved. “If the shopping cart breaks, there is no supported fix from the older version of Magento. We encourage our clients to proceed with the migration so that they can continue to operate the business without interruption,” says Gareleck.
According to trends.builtwith.com, more than 420,000 websites run on Magento and only a small fraction of these have moved to the 2.x version. The upgrade process can take several months, which means it is time to upgrade now to avoid disruption to daily web business. Magento’s quick rise in popularity among online retailers resulted from the simplicity and flexibility it delivered right out of the box. But the 1.x version didn’t offer much in the way of specialized tools that many retailers were desiring as their business grew. Processing speed became a common concern among users whose customers demanded faster and faster responses to their commands.
Magento 2.0 versions address these concerns. The new platform is a full 20 percent faster and allows for more scalability to both large and small eCommerce businesses. Checkout processes are more streamlined, resulting in quicker and easier order completion for customers and fewer abandoned carts for the retailer. Integration of popular extensions improve user functions. Overall the 2.0 version delivers better customer and administrative features.
For more information on how Junction Creative Solutions’ experienced web designers and developers can craft a customized approach to upgrade your eCommerce platform, call 678-686-1125.