Having an online store set up dishes out multiple advantages. From being able to provide a faster and smoother buying experience to crafting better and faster responses to market demands. When it comes to development platforms, the major players are Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, Volusion, and 3DCart among others. In today’s discussion, we will be focusing on Magento. We will try to understand what major mistakes one can avoid to leverage the entire potential of this platform. But first, as usual, here are some numbers.
- Over 250,000 stores powered by Magento are online in 2021.
- Magento enjoys a 12% market share.
- Magento facilitates over $100 Billion worth of gross merchandise annually.
- In 2020, the global e-commerce sales made possible by Magento amounted to $224 Billion.
With these magnificent numbers embellishing its presence, it comes as no surprise that major brands and industry fat cats such as Nike, Ford, Olympus, Nescafe, Coca-Cola, Lenovo, and Samsung among others use Magento to power their digital store fronts. Now we move to our primary discussion.
TOP 10 MAGENTO PRACTICES TO AVOID
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Complicated Navigation
A seamless and smooth user experience should be at the core of any ecommerce platform. A complex navigation plan negates this entirely. Layered navigation has a proven track record of being the best to use. Using Ajax navigation filters and disabling crawling on unimportant pages makes the navigation more user-friendly.
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Backup Irregularities
Magento ecommerce app or website is subject to irregular backups by merchants. This adds to the chance of potential data breach or hacking risks. Regular backups must be done to avoid this and it should be a crucial aspect of Magento maintenance plans. Irregular backups also increase the chance of disturbing user experience as technical inadequacies might arise.
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FTP Installation
Upgradation capacity on Magento can be properly maintained only by using downloader method to install. It becomes easier to get the most stable version and to reduce file sizes. On the other hand, using a file transfer protocol method to achieve this can cause technical discrepancies
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Title Tags
Search engine rankings can drop if proper attention is not provided to title tags while developing a store on Magento. If done conscientiously, it makes the business easily discoverable by getting all your content well structured.
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Tampering with the Default Theme
Functional errors can arise if you try changing the default theme provided by Magento. It would require multiple trial and error sessions and may not always live up to the expectations. In case you still wish to change the default theme, here are the steps to follow:
- Copy files from /design/frontend/default/default/ directory.
- Paste them to /design/frontend/default/your theme.
- Follow the same steps for default skins.
- Make the changes to the theme.
- Go to system -> configuration > design and implement the new settings to your themes.
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Complex Checkout
A major chunk of cart abandonments happens due to complicated checkout processes. A simple, smooth, and intuitive checkout process with minimum fuss is what the customers are looking for.
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No Reviews
Disabling customer reviews affects credibility more than anything else. It’s not just about enabling the reviews. Responding to them matters as well. Customer reviews are known to increase sales. And being sincere in your dialogue with customers adds to the delight, skyrocketing brand equity and converting prospects with ease.
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Neglecting Features
Magento offers some high-end and truly delightful features within the system. And this is precisely the reason for its demand. Features like multi-store support cannot be ignored. Find the best combination to load into your arsenal and make sure to browse and understand each feature to estimate its efficacy for your ventures.
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Unchanged Default Settings
As soon as a store is set up, you need to revisit the default settings and the information provided. This helps in avoiding the clutter of irrelevant and inaccurate information. This further helps in achieving the desired rank on the SERP and enables easier and more appropriate indexing of your store front.
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Router
It is advisable to remove the router whenever the necessity disappears. For instance, it is always good to disconnect the router as and when the functioning of the modules is not dependent upon admin router requirement. This is because in case it starts directly interfering with module behavior, it may cause technical issues. This includes failing to identify the front page or HTTP to HTTPS redirection.
If you have these points in the back of your head while developing, designing, and deploying an online store front using the might of Magento, it is plausible that your core business needs are met with considerable ease. And with that, we have reached the conclusion of this discussion.
SUMMING UP
Magento is rising up to be one of the most prominent platforms for online commerce and the promise it extends is looming large. By taking care to not fall into the above-mentioned pitfalls, you can skyrocket user engagement and pave foundation for a longer lasting user delight. Your store will also turn out to be technically sound.
If you are looking for a partner to accompany you throughout your ecommerce development journey, you have landed at the right place. Orion eSolutions has carved a name out for itself in the realm of web development. Partner with us to enjoy the benefits of our avant-garde approach and world-class services. Get in touch today!
