“What is Magento?”
‘Ever since the eCommerce platform caught up with the world, it has been making headlines all over. However, if you are still at the above question, you chose to stumbled-on at the perfect place.’
Magento is a professional open source ecommerce web application or ecommerce platform developed for providing extensive range of customization and fine-tuning features. Using the Zend Framework it was developed in 2008 by Varien (now known as Magento Inc.).
‘Magento gives you unique control and flexibility.’
It was built with the perception that each ecommerce implementation is distinctive in nature as no two businesses are identical. The architecture of Magento is based on modules. Each of the modules is associated with particular features, processes or activities. The only free version of Magento is the Magento Community Edition. All other Magento versions are not free.
“How is it helpful for me as a business?”
Magento Features
Some of the main features of Magento platform are as follows:
Analytics and Reporting
Magento can be easily integrated with Google Analytics thus providing the webmaster or store owner access to the admin dashboard where they can view various reports such as sales report, traffic report, etc.
Catalog Browsing
It not only provides product reviews but also product comparisons to the webmasters. The multi layered navigation is also there to filter numerous products conveniently.
Customer Accounts Status
The online store owner can check the order status and its history in a trouble free manner. They can also keep a track of Re-orders coming from any customer account.
Order Management
With the feature of order management the webmaster can view, edit, create and carry out orders from a single place i.e. admin panel.
Checkout Capabilities
Different checkout capabilities are offered to the store owners like they can perform SSL security support, one-page checkout, checkout without account/guest checkout, shipping to multiple addresses in one order, etc.
SEO Friendly
It is SEO friendly which is one of its significant features. Therefore it gives an auto generated Google Sitemap, URL rewrites, Meta for your product and category pages and many more quality elements.
International Support
Magento provides multi-lingual and multiple currencies support which makes it globally compatible.
Marketing Promotions and Tools
Various tools and marketing tactics are also supported by Magento Such as flexible coupons, landing page tool, Google site map, polls, URL rewrites, auto-generated site map, Newsletter management, etc which can play a crucial role in promoting your online store or site.
The thing which makes Magento impeccable is that with all these complex and wide range of features, this ecommerce platform remains relatively simple to use and does not have any special hosting requirements.