Magento is an open-source platform (engine) for an online store.
Among the many modern online store management systems, ecommerce development company is among the most used worldwide. According to the Internet Retailer Top 1000 report, Magento ranks first in the world among boxed solutions for Internet commerce.
The number of stores on Magento is constantly growing, the number of developers and modules is increasing. Magento began its development in 2007 and since then the system has been constantly updated.
Magento 2 was released in 2016. This version is a standalone product with a completely revamped architecture and source code.
At the moment, the most recent stable version is Magento 2.2.1. You can download both Magento itself and the files for its translation on our website.
Is Magento right for your store?
Magento has a lot of customization and configuration options and allows you to tailor the store to your requirements.
Due to the sheer amount of customization, Magento can seem complicated to work with. To some extent it is, but thanks to the functional admin panel and many settings, you will be able to configure the store according to your requirements.
Magento is suitable for medium and large stores if there are specialists in the team or outsourcing, who will be able to perform tasks for finalizing the engine, as well as advise on how to work with the system.
Magento Community is suitable for small private stores where the owner does most of the work, provided that the owner is more or less versed in the general principles of website development and is ready to understand the engine on his own.
Do I need to know how to program to work with Magento?
If you want to run a store on a template and your hosting, then most likely you will not need programming skills. However, for editing pages as well as for design changes, knowledge of HTML markup and CSS styles can be useful.
You can add the functionality of the engine using modules. Most modules are installed from the admin panel or files, and often everything works as expected.
However, there are situations when the required module is not available, or it is required to change the operating principle of the module or engine. In this case, of course, you must have PHP programming skills or you will need to look for a specialist on Elogic.co who is ready to help you.
Is there any support and advice?
There is no official support for the Magento Community version.
You can ask for help on the forum or find specialists to provide services.
Why are modules needed? Why are there free and paid modules?
As in other engines, modules expand the functionality of the system. In the presence of many popular free modules, time-tested, but also many low-quality free modules. It is recommended to check all free modules on a test system before installing.
Paid modules are usually of higher quality and more reliable, developers provide free support. You know exactly how much this or that function will cost.
You can find out more about the difference between free and paid modules in a separate article.
Is online payment of orders supported?
Yes, there are ready-made modules for most payment providers. You will be able to accept payment online when you create an order.
Is there an import/export?
Working with built-in imports and exports is quite difficult. Some modules simplify this process, but as a rule, this is not a task for novice users.
Are there any downsides to Magento Community?
If you have worked with free engines, then you may be aware of these disadvantages:
- No official support from developers
- All risks for the engine’s performance are borne by the store owner
The system was created universally and may require certain resources to refine.
The cost of developing for Magento is considered high because sufficiently qualified programmers can work with it
Without proper setup of the system and hosting, questions about the speed of work may arise
What are the advantages of Magento:
- Free Community version.
- The largest functionality among all free engines.
- Thousands of modules and templates.
- A large amount of information for developers in the public domain (mainly in English).
- Modular system and the ability to expand the functionality.
