Ask many e-commerce site owners, webmasters and businesses, and they’ll likely tell you that Magento is one of their favorite e-commerce platforms (if not their favorite). Now, they have even more reason to be thankful for this CMS: its new version.
Magento 2.0, now available on GitHub in its beta version prior to its general release later this year, takes some of the superior features of the original and makes them even better. Let’s look at them in detail.
UX gets a facelift
For any CMS, UX has to be top-notch to attract a sizable following. The big change in Magento 2 is that instant gratification reigns supreme: Users now get the info they want immediately.
This is made possible by a new menu system, the utility of which is easier than ever and drill-downs that provide vital data on how shoppers are using the site. Thanks to these analytics, site owners can determine what exactly to improve in the shoppers’ UX to lift conversion rates.
Function is central to the menu
Magento 2.0 debuts a menu that puts emphasis on functionality. Totally redesigned, the Magento menu now does away with the steeper learning curve of the original. As a result, new users can find what they’re looking for with much greater efficiency. The big change is that menu options are connected to their functions.
Let’s say you’re an online-store webmaster and want to make some updates in a hurry because you’re on a deadline. Boom. With the new menu, you can find what you need to make your updates in no time at all.
Users can thank the new organization system. The menus are now classified as “Marketing,” “Content,” “Product” and “Report.”
Site owners are empowered to handle specific items or the inventory straightforwardly. The Marketing menu lets you add, edit and then update any promotions. You can also deal with specific item SEO rules. Another important menu, the Content one, gives users the freedom to work on components, elements and themes.
Security and upgrades
Gone are the days of complicated updates on the original. Magento 2’s improved design ushers in an era where updates are checked automatically by the installer. It also verifies that site owners have all the necessary components for smooth operation with the upgrade.
There’s also an import-export tool that’s brand new. Switching over to Magento 2 as well as future upgrades should be a cinch with the tool.
At the time of this writing, Magento 2 doesn’t suffer from any of the security issues that the newest 1.x versions of the CMS had.
Magento still leading the pack
Currently, Magento has the most market share in the e-commerce software market. Thanks to the release of Magento 2 and its clean design that puts a premium on the UX, you can expect this CMS to continue being as popular as it is today, if not more popular, thanks to these improvements.