Favoured by brands and businesses the world over, Magento is a leading ecommerce platform that is built on open-source technology.
Magento offers online retailers flexible shopping cart functionality and unrivalled control over aspects including the look, content and functionality of their digital commerce platform.
Equipped with marketing, SEO and catalogue management tools, Magento provides a one-stop shop for ambitious retailers eager to develop a platform that can elevate their operations to the next level.
In particular, the ease with which Magento can be scaled up makes it the perfect choice for start-ups poised for quick growth, with functionality to suit small boutique stores through to large operators with an international customer base and a product inventory of thousands.
It’s no surprise that industry-leading brands like Ford, Helly Hansen, Liverpool FC, Land Rover and Nespresso all depend on Magento for their ecommerce offering.
What packages are available?
With flexibility built in, Magento offers three distinct tiers of package to suit the user’s objective, and the cost of building on the platform depends on which you pick.
The three Editions available are:
- Magento Open Source
- Magento Commerce
- Magento Commerce Cloud
Magento Open Source is free to use and the perfect option for developers, who can bring their own tools and skillset to the table, as well as for small business eager to keep a tight handle on cost while they are starting out.
But while Open Source is free to make use of, costs for coding, configuration and hosting should also be considered.
While developers can run with the platform to craft a solution according to a particular brief, small business owners will likely require input from a professional in order to develop a solution that delivers to their requirements.
Magento Commerce and Commerce Cloud are designed to suit the much bigger objectives of high-turnover businesses, and the cost for using these Editions is dependent on the turnover of your business.
But for even the smallest of sales levels, the costs to develop a Commerce-level Magento solution will run you into the tens of thousands of pounds.
The results, however, will speak for themselves.
Offering an incredible tool kit and almost limitless customisability, Magento’s Commerce Editions provide you with everything you’ll need to deliver an industry-leading service to customers online.
Themes and extensions
Although Magento offers customisation out of the box through the flexibility of the platform and its code, a variety of plug-ins and themes can also be utilised to alter the customer experience.
There are a range of third-party marketplaces featuring extensions built by professionals that will help solve a particular issue or offer additional functionality with just a few clicks.
And although some plug-ins carry a hefty price tag, a large number are free to install as part of a thriving open-source eco-system.
Among those most highly-rated in 2021 are Mageworx SEO Suite Ultimate, which provides an all-in-one SEO toolkit for operators eager to climb the Google rankings, and Special Promotions Pro, which offers more than 20 discount and offer rules for cost-effective promotions.
Extensions like these, partnered with your Magento installation, can equip any ambitious online merchant with the tools they need to deliver a market-leading digital commerce platform.
And though it isn’t free, Magento represents a truly smart investment.