The more popular something is the more it is talked about, which certainly rings true of eCommerce platform, Magento. Ever since it became the world’s leading eCommerce platform, all sorts of myths and rumours have been floating around, many of which cause a considerable amount of confusion for new merchants.
Birmingham, West Midlands -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/13/2017 --To help get the facts straight, the Magento eCommerce Agency has dispelled a number of common myths about the Magento eCommerce platform.
Unfortunately whilst Magento is free to download, that doesn't mean you won't have to pay for design and development services. Here are some common myths that Birmingham-based Magento eCommerce Agency will dispel:
Myth: Magento is completely free to use
One of Magento's key selling points is that it is completely free to use. Whilst this is certainly true of the Magento Community Edition, which is a piece of open source platform, that doesn't necessarily mean merchants are going to be able to set up their stores free of charge.
Open source platforms like Magento can be extended, updated, changed and manipulated as much as an individual likes but unless they have eCommerce development experience, they will seriously struggle.
This is where the charges come in. Most merchants find they have to pay a professional Magento agency for some Magento services like theme design and development. There are of course specialist agencies out there who offer bespoke Magento development services at affordable rates and there are others that will charge the earth or claim that they specialise in Magento when they don't.
Magento may be free to download and use but it doesn't mean that merchants won't have to fork out a single penny if they want to create a professional-looking, well-functioning eCommerce store. A good Magento store design requires significant investment.
Myth: Magento is slow
Magento is a resource-heavy eCommerce platform, which often results in it being regarded as slow. The truth is that with the right optimisation, the platform can be just as quick and responsive as any other.
There are a wide range of factors that can influence the speed of a Magento eCommerce store, from it's hosting to the number of extensions it utilises.
Obviously site speed has an impact on customer experience and SEO, which is why Magento's performance levels are a concern to many merchants. The good news is that if they work with a professional Magento partner, they can optimise their Magento site, achieve great speeds and change their customer experience and SEO for the better.
Myth: Magento doesn't provide customer support
A common Magento myth is that the platform doesn't offer any form of support for merchants. Whilst this is true to some extent, it isn't a case of not providing customer support but rather a different kind of support to what merchants may expect.
If a business opts to use the Magento Community Edition, they will receive no support from Magento (which is owned by eBay). They will however receive support from the Magento community. This is a global community of web developers, merchants and users, who support the platform, create updates, fix bugs and answer people's questions.
If however a business chooses to use Magento Enterprise Edition, they will receive full customer support from Magento. This is due to the fact that they will be paying to use the platform, rather than downloading it for free, like with Magento Community.
Whichever platform a business chooses, they can always seek customer support from an external Magento agency.
Myth: Magento is only for large businesses
Many people are under the misconception that Magento is only aimed at large businesses. Whilst this is certainly true of the Enterprise Edition, Magento Community Edition can be used by businesses of all sizes.
It doesn't matter whether it's a start-up company or a medium size business that has been running for years, Magento is completely flexible and offers great scalability. Those wishing to use a platform that will grow with their business will highly benefit from choosing Magento.
"We're often approached by small businesses questioning whether Magento is the right eCommerce platform for them and rather than basing it on size, we base it on their current and future needs" says David Bryan, Managing Director of the Magento eCommerce Agency.
He continues "Businesses looking for a professional eCommerce platform that offers great out of the box features, fantastic SEO opportunities and high scalability can benefit from using Magento, no matter what their size. Magento Go may no longer be an option but Magento Community Edition continues to be a fantastic platform for all sized businesses."
Before choosing an eCommerce platform, it's important to get the facts straightened out and not believe everything you read. Magento has a lot to offer those looking to make waves in the eCommerce industry. Visit http://ecommercedesign.agency for more information.
Image credits: HowardLake