1. What is Magento?

First, Magento is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms. Simply put, Magento is a platform for building online stores, and its creators used open-source technology to make it. It means you can control how your store looks and works without affecting your customers' shopping.

What's important to single out is that Magento was created mainly as an eCommerce solution for large online retailers but with developers in mind. If you have a larger store with complex needs, having a team of developers who can work with Magento Commerce may be essential.

The platform has many useful features, like tools for marketing, managing your store's catalog, and ensuring your store shows up in search results (SEO features).

Okay, now that we have covered the basics, let's go into more detail. Keywords here are Adobe, Magento 1, Magento 2, Open Source, and Commerce. Sit tight as we explain what is what.

Back in 2018, Magento was acquired by Adobe, and Magento eCommerce was renamed Adobe Commerce. This acquisition allowed Magento to continue to grow and develop as a platform, adding new features and improving its overall capabilities.

Magento 1 vs Magento 2

Another thing – if you have heard that there are two versions of Magento – Magento 1 and Magento 2 – you should know that the one in use right now is Magento 2. It’s an updated Magento 1 with improved performance, responsiveness, and an admin panel.

Magento 1 is no longer officially supported by Magento or Adobe (which acquired Magento). Support for Magento 1 ended in June 2020, and the company has recommended that users migrate to Magento 2 or another eCommerce platform to ensure the security and stability of their online stores. However, Magento 2 has a different architecture than Magento 1, so upgrading from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is not a simple process, and you will most likely need help from experts.

Magento Open Source vs Magento Commerce software

To make it clear – in this article, we will be talking about Magento Commerce software.

But since this article is called “All you need to know about Magento,” we need to explain the two.

The main thing to note here is that Magento Open Source is a free version of this platform, whereas Magento (Adobe) Commerce is paid. So, let’s say that Open Source is enough for a start. But that’s just about it – Magento Adobe Commerce offers more advanced marketing and content management features such as customer segmentation, targeted promotions, and reward programs, which can help you to create more personalized shopping experiences for your customers, drive engagement and increase conversion rates. And much more.

If you want to learn more about Magento Open Source click here.

So now that we’ve clarified what’s what, let’s talk about Magento even more!

Moving on to what you can expect from Magento as an eCommerce platform.

2. What does Magento have to offer?

Benefits

Compared to other eCommerce platforms, Magento Commerce stands out for several reasons:

it’s flexible and customizable

offers a range of advanced features

it’s highly scalable

Reviews

"It's expanded our ability to use eCommerce to produce sales through different channels. By using Magento, we're able to sell products online to consumers through one simple transaction."

Reviewer from G2

"It's expanded our ability to use eCommerce to produce sales through different channels. By using Magento, we're able to sell products online to consumers through one simple transaction."

Reviewer from Capterra

Magento Commerce currently holds excellent ratings online – they are above 4 out of 5 on average. There must be so many reasons why this is the case, and we will break them down to you.

Key features

Now, let's take a look at some of the key features it offers:

Advanced Marketing: As mentioned, Magento Commerce offers advanced marketing features like customer segmentation, targeted promotions, and rewards programs, which can help you create personalized shopping experiences and drive customer loyalty.

Enhanced Search Functionality: Magento Commerce includes an improved search functionality for your customers, allowing them to find the products they seek quickly.

Scalability: Since it can handle high levels of traffic and transactions and has a robust infrastructure and a range of features and integrations, Magento Commerce is very flexible and can adapt quickly to the growing demands of eCommerce businesses.

Powerful Order Management: Magento Commerce includes a comprehensive order management system that allows you to manage orders across multiple channels and locations, helping to simplify operations and improve order processing times.

Mobile responsive design: It offers a seamless shopping experience across devices, including mobile phones and tablets.

Powerful analytics and reporting: You get in-depth analytics and reporting tools, including customer behavior analysis, sales tracking, and inventory management, to help you make data-driven decisions – and we all know how much the correct data is essential to make decisions!

Integrations and extensions: Magento Commerce has a vast marketplace of extensions and integrations that can add new features and functionalities to a store, including payment gateways, shipping carriers, and more.

Security and compliance: Magento Commerce offers advanced security features, including two-factor authentication, encryption, and secure payment processing, to help you protect your customers' data and comply with industry regulations.

Diverse Payment Options: It offers various payment services to support different currencies and flexible payment methods such as credit and debit cards, PayPal, and Venmo for online shopping cart checkout.

Okay, these are just some fantastic features Magento Commerce offers.

There are a whole bunch of them, and you can find them all on the Adobe Commerce website.

All You Need to Know about Magento

Nikola Gorjanac

Co-founder and CTO at Bee IT