Among many eCommerce platforms, Magento is considered to be the most powerful and easy to work for developers around the world. The official Magento eCommerce site has made a press release about the discontinuation of support for Magento 2.2.X from December 31, 2019. This news might sound scary to many developers but if you have been following the company's news feed, you should know that the firm has given adequate time to merchants to migrate their website to Magento 2.3. This step was necessary as the Magento 2.3 Update offers better features for the website and powerful security against malware or other threats to store security.
While many feel this might be an unnecessary step, Magento 2.3 ecommerce store update is necessary to grow the eCommerce portals. Let's take a look at the new features the company has to offer to merchants.
Important Features of Magento 2.3 Upgrade
Progressive Web App: Today the whole world is shifting to mobile for desktop and this change has been adapted by Magento. With the help of Magento 2.3 Upgrade, developers can easily use PWA features so users can enjoy app-like experiences on eCommerce websites. The progressive web app is a new age technology that is built on JavaScript type of frameworks like ReactJS or AngularJS. With the help of this upgrade, the developers will be able to build a stable ecommerce website that works flawlessly on any type of mobile device. Not only this, the developers will be able to hike the conversion rate with these upgrades.
Page Builder: In previous times, developers needed to use complicated HTML and CSS code to build a simple website page. Page Builder is the latest update in Magento Commerce which automatic and simple drag-and-drop interface to create eye-catching websites. If you are a merchant with no technical background, you can manage your websites banner, images, products and promotional video with a click on the mousepad. A Page Builder is a pliable grid system that lets you customize page elements the way you want. With this, you can add different widgets, media, banners and content blocks on the website.
GraphQL: One of the critical moves in Magento Migration is the implementation of GraphQL which eases the data recovery chance of Progressive Web App. This upgrade will aid the developers to accumulate a small amount of data and allow the requests to be sorted as per the piece of information. This function is way better than the standard SOAP/REST requests. GraphQL will assist Magento PWA to work faster even when the smartphone is connected to a slow network.
MSI Feature: If you own an eCommerce website that wishes to have an efficient working website then the Multi-source inventory in Magento 2.3 is for you. This update gives users the freedom to manage the inventory via multiple physical locations with just one admin. This way you can easily allot the products and desired quantity to a specific distributor. The business owner can track the inventory, get data from retail shops, information from drop shippers, stores and other related parties with one click. This way you can streamline all the eCommerce operations and catalogue seamlessly.
Magento 2.3 Declarative DB Schema: This new update is done to help the Magento upgrade and installation of software easier for the end-users. With Magento, 2.3 developers can establish the framework using the database and then convert XML schema record to SQL statements.
Elasticsearch: One of the major upgrades in Magento Commerce is the Elasticsearch which is designed to deliver efficient search results in seconds. This update will help the eCommerce site merchants who can integrate it into their online store.
Updated Support to PHP 7.2: The support to PHP 7.2 has been improved in the Magento Web development department. The script has stopped supporting PHP7.2 but with Magento 2.3 Upgrade, it will continue working on the Libsodium module. This is to provide advanced security to PHP based online stores.
Security Updates: Magento has always been focused on providing the utmost security to eCommerce portals. With Magento 2.3 upgrade, it becomes easy to protect your online store from all types of malicious activity and malware. One can install Google reCAPTCHA and two-factor authentication to users to enable a powerful security system for online stores. This release is to ensure that websites don’t get hacked by anti-social elements.
TinyMCE Editor Upgrade: One of the unique features of the latest update in Magento Store is the remodelling of the TinyMCE editor. You get to access an array of widgets and media gallery plugins that enhances the online eCommerce portal process.
Process to upgrade to the latest version of Magento
Follow the below-given steps to upgrade to Magento 2.3.x:
- Take a backup of all files and the database of your current Magento system.
- Download the latest version of Magento from its official website (Releases · magento/magento2 (github.com))
- Use an FTP client to upload the new files to the server by overwriting the old files.
- Run all the necessary SQL upgrade scripts to update the database.
- Clear the cache and reindex the Magento ecommerce store.
- Perform testing of the updated ecommerce store before making it live for users.
Refer to the official documentation to perform the upgrade.
Final Thoughts
Choosing to upgrade Magento ecommerce store infrastructure is an important step for businesses looking to maintain security, performance, and compatibility with the latest ecommerce technologies. Newer Magento releases include security updates, platform improvements, and features that support better store management, faster page performance, and a more reliable shopping experience for customers.
Since Magento 2.3 has reached end of life (EOL), businesses still operating on this version should evaluate an upgrade to a supported Magento release. Running an unsupported version may expose an ecommerce store to security vulnerabilities, compatibility issues, and limited access to future updates.
Skynet Technologies is an Adobe Bronze Solution Partner with extensive experience in Magento upgrades, migrations, maintenance, and ecommerce development. Our Magento specialists help businesses transition from older Magento versions while minimizing disruptions and maintaining critical store functionality throughout the upgrade process.
Whether you operate a small online store or a large ecommerce platform, regular Magento maintenance and version upgrades can help keep your website aligned with current technology standards and business requirements. Get a Free Quote to discuss your Magento upgrade requirements and determine the most suitable upgrade path for your ecommerce store.
