Migrating from Magento Go to WooCommerce

You have probably already heard the news about Magento Go closing down. The official close down date is 1^st February 2015, so now is the time to make the decision as to where you are going move to.

What's next?

In our previous post we mentioned a number of different offers available to migrating Brightpearl and Go customers. This included the pre-arranged BigCommerce deal signed with eBay which offered free migration to all existing Magento Go clients, but does not necessarily cater to those also using Brightpearl. 

If you’re using Brightpearl to manage your multichannel retail however, your migration decision might not be as simple. Brightpearl offers a number of built-in integrations for the following platforms: Magento, ekmPowershop, Shopify and Bigcommerce - limiting your choice somewhat. 

What if you want to migrate to WooCommerce; the 2^nd most popular ecommerce platform? Panic not! Netmatter has WooCommerce and Brightpearl Connector and is on hand to help. We can also help you securely transfer your content, products and domain name across to your new platform if required for £2,995. 

Woo-hoo-Commerce

Magento and WooCommerce are two of the most popular open source ecommerce platforms on the market. Magento Go was a beautifully simple out of the box solution. Self-hosted and loaded with tons of features, Go did not have any setup fees and offered an extension for almost any additional add-on you required.

Whilst there are a number of differences between the two platforms, there are also a number of comparable features.

Let's checkout

If you are used to Magento Go's setup, moving to a solution that requires you to host your own site can be a little daunting. On top of that, you will need to get used to a different back-end ensuring that your products are mapped correctly to the new platform.

For clients looking for a solution that is as simple to use as Magento Go, we recommend WooCommerce. Giving a leg-up for sophisticated users, WooCommerce is a very easy and cost effective solution to jumpstart your Go migration.

Hosting

Magento Community	WooCommerce
Magento requires some technical knowledge to setup and as a result has a slightly longer list of server requirements.	A WordPress plugin, WooCommerce has minimal server requirements. Make sure that your server supports MySQL 5+ and PHP 5.4.
Magento Requirements	WooCommerce Requirements

For Magento Go users who are looking to migrate to a platform at a similar level, WooCommerce offers a flexible out-of-the-box solution and ease of use. If you are looking to upgrade your business and expand, Magento will offer you a powerful solution to sell at an enterprise level.

Features

Magento Community	WooCommerce
Magento Connect offers thousands of extensions for you to expand the capabilities of your store.  You're likely to need a developer to install extensions properly.  Supports multiple store views and domain management from the same account for multichannel retailers.	Dozens of widgets including featured products, best sellers etc.  Advanced navigation system similar to Magento.  Out-of-the-box features are limited but easy to expand.

If you are looking for an ecommerce platform that handles basic store fronts and gets up and running fast, WooCommerce is the winner. Whilst you can build WooCommerce yourself, we recommend you get an experienced developer to help you harness the most from the platform.

If you want the ability to customise every aspect of your online store, Magento is a strong choice. Be aware however that setting up Magento does require help from an experienced Magento developer. 

Pricing

Magento Community	WooCommerce
Free to download, Magento will have higher development costs are you will need to find a capable developer. The cost will depend on the extra features and functionality you require. Built correctly Magento is a superior platform.	Entirely free to download and install the plugin, WooCommerce will require you to buy an extension for payment options such as PayPal, pay on delivery and bank transfers. The price varies depending on the gateway you are after.

For larger businesses or those who want more sophisticated shops and functionality, Magento is a great choice. For the start-up retailer or those who want a store they can edit and develop themselves, WooCommerce is the ideal choice. 

The future is bright

WooCommerce is easy to use, maintain and add additional features too. Ideal for the small to medium size retailer who does not want the complications or cost associated with maintaining a Magento Community solution, WooCommerce is a great choice for migrating Brightpearl Go customers.

If you have never used a WordPress site/WooCommerce platform of any kind before, don’t panic. We can assure you that WooCommerce is easy to learn and totally intuitive; even for the most technophobic.

Ready to migrate? We are offering a special package for Magento Go customers using Brightpearl who want to move to WooCommerce which includes:

Contact our team today for more information.

Help me migrate

_{*Prices are subject to terms and conditions. Please call the team on 0845 467 1221 for more information.}