More than 33,000 businesses are still using Magento 1.9 version to power their websites. Even though Adobe Commerce has stopped the support for Magento 1, many merchants are still on Magento 1, and only a handful of them moved to Magento 2 using services like Magento upgrade.
1. Magento: The Most Popular Platform
Since its launch in 2008, Magento has come up a long way by constantly upgrading its platform. The main reason behind the upgrade is to improve the platform’s performance and security.
In fact, every time it comes up with the latest version, it changes its existing features and even adds new ones. For instance, in mid-2021, Magento got an upgrade, and store owners welcomed 2.4.3, the upgrade Magento version.
Similarly, in 2022, Magento 2.4.5 was made available for the general, and Magento store owners loved it as this version was better in all aspects. For instance, the 2.4.5 version came with improved payment methods, faster page load time, easy accessibility, bug fixes, security patches, and so on.
With the improved eCommerce platform, it becomes easy for businesses to cater to their broad customer base.
At present, the latest version that one gets to see for this eCommerce platform is Magento 2.4.6. So, if you are still using an older version of Magento, such as 2.4.3 or 2.4.4, then it’s high time to update your online store.
Upgrading the Magento version will help Magento stores or eCommerce store owners in many ways.
2. What do Magento Store Owners want?
No denying that any online business aims to offer its customers the best experience. Why? Then only it can grow and generate more profit for itself.
Remember, the performance will only become satisfactory if a website platform is upgraded.
So Magento stores, by upgrading their existing Adobe Commerce platform, will be able to make their stores even safer and more reliable for their customers.
Moreover, it will help eCommerce stores to become more productive. The vice versa happens when Magento store owners skip the upgrade. To avoid such troubles, Magento store owners should move to the latest Magento 2 platform or opt for a Magento 2 upgrade.
Still, not convinced. Follow the blog post, and you will go through why it is essential for your business.
3. Magento Upgrade: Reason to opt For It
Not opting for a Magento Update is because most merchants find it challenging to try out any new versions. But as an eCommerce store owner, one should know that when they skip any upgrade Magento version request, it will affect their store indirectly.
Skipping any Magento update, like upgrading the Magento store to 2.4.5 or 2.4.6, will impact the website’s performance. Plus, security issues are going to be a common sight.
In short, upgrading to the lastest magento version is still the best choice for eCommerce store owners, especially if they want to receive help from the latest features of Magento.
Now let’s take you through the reasons for upgrading the Magento version.
3.1. Improves Website Performance
If you’re an existing Magento store owner, you know how important it is to have a website that performs well.
A high-performance site can lead to better user engagement, increased traffic, and, eventually, more sales. However, as a business grows, the complexity of a website also increases. As a result, one may start to notice performance issues, which can negatively affect sales.
Similarly, one should remember that poor website performance is bound to impact the user experience. Moreover, it can lead to PCI compliance issues, leading to heavy fines and legal complications. This is where Magento 2 upgrade can help.
For instance, when one opts for an upgrade to Magento version from 2.4.5 to 2.4.6, several key performance enhancements are seen. The latest version not only improves the order processing performance but also increases the product grid performance and so on.
3.2. Improves Website Load Time
Similarly, Magento store owners must deal with the slow load times of websites. Various factors, such as excessive extensions, inadequate server resources, and outdated code, cause this.
Often slow load times frustrate the users and cause them to abandon the website and even the shopping cart, and it hurts the website’s conversion rates.
Well, Magento 2 upgrade helps to deal with any of the issues mentioned above. In simple terms, upgrade to the latest version of Magento, and one gets to see significant improvements to the platform code, which results in improved website performance.
These show faster page load times, which is extremely important in today’s fast-paced digital world. Besides fast load times, Magento 2 upgrade allows for improved scalability and flexibility. As your business grows and the website’s complexity increases, you can perform performance optimization simply by adding new features and scaling up the server resources.
3.3. Improves Mobile Responsiveness
Today, more shoppers are using mobile devices to browse and shop online than ever before. Magento 2 is designed with mobile users in mind, featuring responsive design and improved mobile performance to ensure your store looks and performs flawlessly on any device.
By upgrading to Magento 2, you’ll provide a better shopping experience for your mobile customers, which will likely result in higher mobile conversion rates and increased revenue.
3.4. Upgrade Magento Version for Security Enhancements
Security is a top priority for any online store owner. Magento 2 provides better security features than its predecessor, including strong data encryption, regular security patches, and built-in support for two-factor authentication.
Any Magento upgrade, like Magento 2.4.5 upgrade or any higher versions, comes with security enhancements, which are crucial for protecting the website and customers’ data.
Even if technological advancements occur, potential security threats are also on the rise. So, Magento store owners are opting for Magento upgrade service to upgrade their store to the latest version. It will help store owners enjoy enhanced security features and keep the website safe from malicious attacks.
Basically, when opting for a Magento upgrade to 2.4.6, Magento store owners will significantly benefit from the latest security enhancements brought to the platform.
3.4.1. Type of Security Enhancement
The latest Magento version has many new security enhancements for improving the platform’s overall security posture. In this regard, one critical security update is the implementation of Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for the Magento Admin account.
With this feature, an additional layer of security gets added to the login process. This means the users must enter a unique code sent to their registered mobile number apart from their login credentials.
Simply speaking, with Magento 2 upgrade, you’ll protect your customers’ sensitive information and meet the latest industry compliance standards. This, in turn, will help build trust and credibility with your shoppers.
3.5. Offers an Improved Checkout Process
Magento 2 comes with a streamlined, user-friendly checkout process, reducing the steps needed to complete a purchase. So, by offering a faster, more intuitive checkout experience, cart abandonment rates are lower, and at the same time conversion rate gets increased.
Plus, with Magento 2’s built-in support for popular payment gateways, store owners can offer their customers a wide range of secure payment options, making their shopping experience even more convenient. Hence, Magento 2 upgrade isn’t going to be a wrong decision.
3.6. Magento Upgrade Needed as Versions Below 2.4.4 Is Reaching EOL
Adobe has already stopped all its software support for Magento 1 versions. Now, the same will happen to all Magento versions below 2.4.4 and PHP 7.4.
This means there aren’t going to be any security patches available for versions below 2.4.4. A lack of security patches can be a severe threat to online stores, making the store very vulnerable to security threats and cyber-attacks.
Hence it is essential to upgrade Magento 2 stores to Magento 2.4.5 or any higher version, like Magento 2.4.6. Only then will an eCommerce store remain protected from any security vulnerabilities. Plus, when one upgrades the Magento store to 2.4.4+, they will enjoy Extended Support.
3.6.1. End of Support for Magento Versions <2.4.4
Magento’s End of Life indicates End of Support for all older versions of Magento. So, if any Magento store is running on Magento 1 or Magento 2 versions like 2.4.1 or 2.4.3, then all these outdated versions won’t receive any updates, nor will they get any support. Thus, making stores more prone to hackers who might steal sensitive data or harm your site.
Since older Magento versions won’t get any:
- Security and quality patches
- Dev Docs
- Official Support for Quality Fixes
- Security Patch release
- Code Contribution
It’s better to go for the Magento upgrade service and upgrade Magento version to the latest one.
4. Magento Upgrade or Update: Which to opt for?
Magento store owners often face a dilemma when asked to pick between Magento upgrade and Magento update.
In this regard, it must be kept in mind that the Magento upgrade and Magento update are two completely different things.
Generally, Magento upgrade refers to the task of upgrading the Magento platform from one version to another. For instance, if one upgrades from Magento 2.4.4 to 2.4.5, then it is called an upgrade Magento version. However, Magento update refers to updating the Magento extensions, themes, or even the language support pack.
Often these terms are used interchangeably for some other eCommerce platforms. For instance, PrestaShop uses the term ‘upgrade’ to indicate a significant version revision, while the term ‘update’ is used for a minor version revision. Adobe Commerce also prefers to use these two terms interchangeably most of the time.
So, a Magento store owner can either opt for an update or a Magento upgrade service based on their business or platform needs. When you plan for a Magento upgrade, Magento store owners get to enjoy a lot of benefits.
5. How to Upgrade from Magento 1 to Magento 2?
Magento 2 is one of the leading eCommerce platforms trusted by some top brands. The vast benefits this platform offers make it a preferred choice for Magento store owners.
So, if you plan to upgrade your store from Magento 1 to 2, you can get professional help.
According to Magento evangelists, one can upgrade Magento version using the command line or the composer. If you want to know how to upgrade Magento 1 to Magento 2 in detail, this blog post is right for you.
Let’s take you through the step-by-step process.
5.1. Magento Upgrade: Steps Involved
Here is a breakdown of the Magento 2 upgrade process.
- Backup Your Store
- Turn on Maintenance Mode
- Upgrade to Magento 2
- Check the Current Version
5.1.1. Backup Your Store
It is vital to back up your Magento store before starting the Magento upgrade process. It is a necessary step in any Magento upgrade process, and this helps your store’s data to remain protected against any kind of data loss during the upgrade process.
5.1.2. Turn on Maintenance Mode
If you are wondering if this step is a part of the how-to upgrade Magento 1 to Magento 2 process, then the answer is an absolute -Yes. Without turning on the maintenance mode, you won’t be able to start the process. In other words, during the Magento 2 upgrade, the store must be in maintenance mode.
Turning on the maintenance mode is remarkably simple. It can be done using the following command:
php bin/magento maintenance: enable
Remember, as you give this command, the maintenance mode will turn on, and the store will be ready for the upgrade.
However, this command will create a new file var/.maintenance.flag. Well, remove this file if you can’t disable the maintenance mode.
To disable the maintenance mode, use the following command:
php bin/magento maintenance:disable
5.1.3. Upgrade to Magento 2
In this step, you need to decide the Magento version to which you want to upgrade. For instance, if you wish to upgrade to Magento 2.2.4 or 2.2.5 or the latest version of Magento.
You must check out the latest versions of Magento before opting for an upgrade Magento version.
Let’s assume you plan to upgrade your store to Magento 2.4.5 or the latest Magento version, i.e., 2.4.6. Then you will need to run the following commands:
composer require magento/product-community-edition 2.4.5 –no-update
composer update –ignore-platform-reqs
or
composer require magento/product-community-edition 2.4.6 –no-update
composer update –ignore-platform-reqs
The commands upgrade the Magento store, but some other commands need to be carried out. This is important because it is going to clear the cache, run the upgrade module, run compile and reindex for better performance. The commands are:
php bin/magento setup:upgrade
php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy -f
php bin/magento cache:flush
php bin/magento setup:di:compile
php bin/magento indexer:reindex
5.1.4. Check the Current Version
As a part of the process, you must check the current version of Magento.
To check the version, the following command must be used:
php bin/magento –version
In case the system shows the cache write permission error, make sure to add the following command and give it write permission to pub and var directories:
chmod -R 777 pub var
6. Magento Upgrade Prerequisites
This is an essential step for the Magento upgrade process. Whether you are going for a simple Magento 2 upgrade or have plans of upgrading the Magento 2.4 series to the latest version, make sure to complete the prerequisites.
Here is a complete list of the prerequisites that must be followed before upgrading the system. They are:
- Update all software.
- Verify that a supported search engine is installed.
- Convert database table format.
- Set the open files limit.
- Verify that cron jobs are running.
- Set DATA_CONVERTER_BATCH_SIZE.
- Verify file system permissions.
- Set the pub/ directory root.
- Install the Composer update plugin.
This will prepare the environment before you kick-start the upgrade Magento version process. Magento experts suggest that the upgradation process must always be done on the staging site. Also, perform a complete backup of the Magento application before initiating the update process.
7. Take Magento Upgrade Service
If you are planning to avail this service, you must take the help of Magento upgrade professionals. They have vast experience in this field and will be able to offer a seamless upgradation of your online store without disturbing any store operations.
8. Magento 2 Upgrade: Wagento to the Rescue
When opting for Magento 2 upgrade, you must take the help of industry professionals with vast years of experience in this field. Wagento Commerce holds more than ten years of experience in this industry and is always ready to help clients upgrade their stores to the latest versions. For more details, you can contact us.
Final Thoughts
Choosing Magento upgrade service is a smart move for any eCommerce store owner who wants to boost their store’s functionality, performance, and security. By moving to Magento 2, eCommerce store owners can address the challenges associated with the older platform and unlock their store’s full potential.
