During the preparation phase, you and the agency took all the necessary steps to determine the business purpose of your new online store. This was followed by the expected functionality, described exceptions, points of contact with other systems, etc. One of the available solutions when switching to an updated version of Magento 2 is considered to be a layout update.
One thing is certain you definitely need to contact the Magento development company, since you need to have programming skills. And if you decide to update the layout when migrating, you have to decide whether you want to use:
- user research,
- functional layouts of the new site,
- individual graphic design,
- or one of the ready-made templates with modifications.
However, it is worth remembering that if we do something from scratch, it’s a pity not to try to do it better.
Magento 2 modules are incompatible with Magento 1
Unfortunately, as with a template, modules will be tricky. This is due to an overhaul of the engine, and the old code just doesn’t carry over. However, there is good news if you are using modules from popular companies, it is very likely that the manufacturer has released a similar module in a new version. If you’re lucky, you may find that there is also a data transfer tool to make the next step easier.
Is this the best strategy?
Again, in accordance with the cleanup strategy, it is worth looking not at the modules, but at the functions they implement. Perhaps one of the optimizations would be to develop a new list of modules that is shorter and therefore easier (and therefore cheaper) to implement. Having written your business requirements, entrust this step to the agency that implements the store. They will offer a better solution than replacing the old module with a new one.
The same goes for individual functions that were written specifically for you (which solves two problems in one section).
Data sync
Finally, some positive information: most of the data can be transferred. This is due to the following facts:
- Magento 2 database is very similar to the older version,
- Magento has published its own migrator that simplifies the process a bit,
- some manufacturers have published migrators in their own modules,
- modules can be rewritten to work in the same database structure (although this is not always a good idea).
Let’s not go into too much detail on migration, because this is the agency’s job.
Factors not to be ignored
What should be considered at this stage (and the company should offer you):
- getting rid of old records,
- optimization of the database structure,
- a needs-based approach to migration (which is why this point is at the end).
It is accepted to transfer data at least twice:
- once for the test i.e. before the final check of the work of the new store,
- a second time during implementation to fill in the gaps caused by the fact that your store is still running and collecting orders.
As you can see, it is worth investing in the most automated scripts, because, firstly, they save time, and secondly, they can be executed many times, so you will be sure that nothing will come of it at the last moment.
What’s next?
Please note that many of the steps in the process have not been covered (since the material is more about the problems that you may encounter) that are typical for creating a standard online store. The whole integration process, filling in data in the store, connecting payments, analytics, and so on.
In the case of a new store, we check the fulfillment of the business assumptions. In the event of a change, the following occurs:
- data integrity tests,
- special tests,
- checking work in boundary conditions with an old store,
- checking URL redirects,
- access to the account of old clients.
In-depth tests are imperative to avoid regression.
