Where Did That Button Go? From Magento 1 To Magento 2

Where Did That Button Go? From Magento 1 To Magento 2

Where Did That Button Go? From Magento 1 To Magento 2

The Old Switcheroo

[su_dropcap style=”flat” size=”5″]T[/su_dropcap]he transition from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is anything but simple. Just ask our Developers and Project Managers who work directly on M1->M2 migrations for clients all the time. Even after you get past the migration itself, there are a few updates to the platform that can throw users for a loop, namely menu buttons being moved around between versions. We do so many migrations, we thought we’d make this helpful chart to assist M2 first-timers, and even some of the more seasoned M2 pros. Here are a handful of menu directions to help you find out, “Where did that button go?” from Magento 1 to Magento 2.

Here are the questions we’ll be answering in this post:



 

1. Update Design Theme

You may be looking for where you used to update your design theme. In Magento 2, there is a new main menu item labeled “Content” which is the new home for numerous menu options.  In M1, you would go to System > Configuration for a majority of settings but they are now recategorized in different locations.  Here’s where the options used to live in M1:

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]System > Configuration > Design > ::Package::, ::Themes::[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Content > :: Design:: > Themes[/su_box]

 

2. Promotions (Catalog price rules & Cart Price Rules (coupons))

One of the most widely used and most powerful features in Magento is the ability to create powerful discounts and pricing rules.  In Magento 2, this too has changed locations to live inside a new high-level menu labeled, “Marketing”.

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]Promotions > Catalog Price Rule, Cart Price Rules[/su_box]

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Marketing > ::Promotions:: > Catalog Price Rule, Cart Price Rules[/su_box]

 

3. Update Email Templates

You’re sending so many emails to every customer in your store and you should have every one of them optimized.  Now you’ve migrated to Magento 2 and you’re wondering how to add a new template or edit your existing ones.  Here is where these settings used to be and where they have migrated to.

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]System > Transactional Emails[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Marketing > ::Communications::> Email Templates[/su_box]

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[su_button url=”https://redstage.com/all-services/transactional-email-redesign/ ” target=”blank” style=”glass” size=”7″]Click Here to Learn More[/su_button]

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4. URL Rewrites

URL Rewrites are a useful way to create shorter links from complex URLs and manage the automatically created rewrites that Magento generates.  This is another items that moved into the new “Marketing” section whereas it used to be part of the Catalog in Magento 1:

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]Catalog > URL Rewrite Management[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Marketing > ::SEO & Search:: > URL Rewrites[/su_box]

 

5. Search Terms & Synonyms

If you’re finding that users are searching for certain terms but not getting the right results, forward them to the right page.  A past Redstage client was selling musical equipment along with some t-shirts.  However, they found that people were searching for “t shirt”, “tee shirt” and sometimes, “tshirt”, along with the plural versions of all of these.  In the default Magento search, the customer searching for these would never find themselves on the “t-shirts” category page but with the search terms and synonyms feature, we were able to direct the searchers to the right category.  In Magento 1, this useful feature used to live in:

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]Catalog > Search Terms[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Marketing > ::SEO & Search:: > Search Terms[/su_box]

 

6. Manage Reviews

Reviews are the most powerful social proof your site has out of the box and effectively managing them is crucial for your business growth.  Now, reviews are a part of the Marketing section in Magento 2, and in Magento 1 they were part of the catalog settings:

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]Catalog > Reviews and Ratings > Manage Reviews[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Marketing > ::User Content:: > Reviews[/su_box]


 

7.Manage Ratings

In Magento 2, the setup for your reviews section has moved into a very different section.  In Magento 1, it was considered part of the Reviews and Ratings section within the Catalog heading.  Now, the ratings are considered part of the Attributes section, in Magento 2.

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]Catalog > Reviews and Ratings > Manage Ratings[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Stores > ::Attributes:: > Rating[/su_box]

 

8. Customer Groups

Managing existing  and creating new customer groups is one of the settings that has moved the most and may be tricky to find.  In M1, these settings were a part of the customers grouping but in Magento 2 it is in the “Stores” Tab under Other settings:

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]Customers > Customer Groups[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Stores > ::Other Settings:: > Customer Groups[/su_box]


 

9. Update Design Configuration

Design configuration used to be in the system -> Configuration tab, however, it was moved to live in a new high level tab for “Content”.  This is the section that would allow you to add code to the <head> or before </body>, update the copyright and many more.  This is where these settings were in M1:

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]M1 – System > Configuration > Design[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]M2 – Content > ::Design:: > Configuration > choose theme scope[/su_box]


 

10. Configuration

You were probably very used to going to “System -> Configuration” all the time in M1.  Now, the configuration settings you exptected to be in the system /config are in the stores dropdown -> configuration .

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]System>Configuration[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Stores>configuration[/su_box]


 

11. CMS Pages/Blocks/etc

Content is still king!  Managing your pages is always going to be important but more importantly, where did the setting go?!  Managing pages and static block content is now in the “Content” menu instead of the CMS heading in M1.

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]CMS>Pages/blocks/etc.[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:
[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Content> Elements>Pages/blocks/etc[/su_box]


 

12. Products/Category Administration

One of the more substantial changes from M1 to M2 is the change of the high level category from “Catalog” to “Products”.  If you’re looking for the place to manage the categories, here is where it was in Magento 1:

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]Catalog>Manage Products or Catalog>{Categories}>Manage Categories (the middle categories is enterprise only)[/su_box]

…and now in Magento 2:

[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Products>Catalog or Products>Categories[/su_box]


 

13. Manage Attributes/Attribute Sets

Attributes + Layered navigation create the best way to allow your customers to find what they are looking for in your store.  Making sure your attributes are organized and up to date is critical so let’s find where this setting moved to.

[su_box title=”Magento 1″ style=”glass” box_color=”#666666″ title_color=”#ffffff”]Catalog>Attributes>Manage Attributes or Catalog>Attributes>Manage Attribute Sets[/su_box]
[su_box title=”Magento 2″ style=”glass” box_color=”#7300E2” title_color=”#ffffff”]Stores>Attributes>Product or Stores>Attributes>Attribute Set[/su_box]

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If you have noticed any additional big changes to the admin, share them in the comments below!

 

Amazon Key & In-Home Delivery Are Only The Beginning…

Amazon Key & In-Home Delivery Are Only The Beginning…

Amazon Key & In-Home Delivery Are Only The Beginning...

Amazon’s recent launch of their Amazon Key camera & smart lock system will allow Amazon to bring packages directly into your home… but what’s the endgame? Here’s why more than simply retailers should be worried…

Amazon Key

To put things in context, the Amazon Key seems an imminent response to Walmart’s plan to use August Home’s smart lock system to allow Walmart personnel to deliver groceries directly to your house, even when you’re not home. The key part of Walmart’s plan, however, lies in the fact that they intend to stock your fridge for you. Something the average consumer might be weary about. Considerable worry emerged across social media when the plan was first announced, though seemingly less since Amazon Key became trending today, suggesting some customers are warming-up to the idea. But while Amazon hasn’t announced plans for grocery shipments just yet, Peter Larsen, Amazon’s Vice President of Delivery Technology, recently said to Reuters, “This is not an experiment for us. This is a core part of the Amazon shopping experience from this point forward.” So what exactly are they planning?

“This is not an experiment for us. This is a core part of the Amazon shopping experience from this point forward.” —Peter Larsen, Amazon’s Vice President of Delivery Technology & VP of Amazon Devices

The Tie-In

Moving away from Amazon Key, you may recall hearing about another Amazon project, the eCommerce giant’s first grocery store, Amazon Go. Currently setup in Seattle, the store (video below) allows shoppers to walk in, pick up their groceries, and walk out, while a range of Internet of Things devices carefully track which items are removed. The system then adds them to the customer’s cart via Amazon app and charges their account when they leave. While it’s currently only open to Amazon employees, the system is so precise that Amazon challenged their employees to try to steal anything, which appeared to be impossible… So it looks like this technology is ready for a wider testing group sometime soon. Another big news item that shook up the markets earlier this year was Amazon’s $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods. Now do you smell a connection?


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The Prediction

While Amazon hasn’t explicitly noted their intention to stock fridges yet (and that’s a fat YET), this move seems directly poised to counter, or at least match Walmart’s intention to stock your fridge, which would have given Walmart a convenience edge in this race. As customers grow accustomed to this level of delivery service, it wouldn’t be such a stretch to say Amazon’s Prime Air drones could soon be stocking your fridge. What’s more, once these companies get into your home, maybe Amazon’s drones will be helping you try on clothes before a purchase, or open a whole new range of services like walking your dog and straightening up the place like Rosy from the Jetsons. While those things might be a stretch, at least we can agree that Amazon Key looks and acts suspiciously similar to Walmart’s smart lock concept (below).


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Final Thoughts

We’ll find out soon enough what plans these eCommerce megaliths have for us. In the mean time, if you’d like some help keeping your edge in the world of eCommerce, shoot us an email today, or click on the red speech bubble in the bottom corner!

Let us know your theories in the comments below!

Web Designer Woes: 5 Costly Web Design Mistakes of 2017

Web Designer Woes: 5 Costly Web Design Mistakes of 2017

5 Costly Web Design Mistakes of 2017

Costly Web Design Mistakes

Every year, companies hire the wrong web developer. Maybe it’s a budget issue, an error in judgement, or simply a friend who offered “expertise” that doesn’t actually have any. Regardless of cause, here are 5 costly web design mistakes that plagued eCommerce sites in 2017 (and how to fix them!):

5. Supercharge Your Cart

Customers expect the cart to be located in the top right corner. We know this. Still, many sites stray from the convention, or even make the cart more difficult to find than it should be. Cart location is especially important in preventing cart-abandonment, as someone might leave the site with items in their cart… when they return, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to find the cart again and continue to checkout.

Studies show that changing the word or icon from “bag” to “cart” and/or adding the word “checkout” can increase conversions significantly (Sources: UXmovement, Conversionfanatics). Last point on this note, consider adding a “checkout” link that only appears next to the cart once items are placed inside. A little encouragement goes a long way.

5 Costly Web Design Mistakes of 2017

4. Feature Products Above The Fold

Many home pages leave a lot to be desired. Think of the laziest shopper in the world. For them, and even seasoned shoppers, scrolling is the enemy. For this reason, it’s important to feature your “New Products,” “Best Sellers,” or “Our Picks” section front and center of your homepage. This immediately draws interest from users, especially in retail when everyone’s searching for the hottest new trend. If you choose to feature a carousel of images, you’d do well to triple-check that it’s easily navigable, or risk losing customer attention. Limit the number of banners on your carousel to between 3 and 5, and make sure they all contain a clear call to action and/or deal. This is the most valuable real estate on your site. Use it wisely.

3. Rethink Your Links

All links across your site should underline when hovered over. Roughly 8% of men are colorblind, so a hover color alone might not do it. Remember to keep your link format consistent, and keep links evenly spaced from one another. If you different pages share the same link, ensure that you choose one standard location for the link so the customers know where to find it and don’t go searching. If someone has to ask “where is it?” you’re already losing customers.

5 Costly Web Design Mistakes of 2017

2. Optimize Your Checkout Gateway

Another common mistake (or rather, a common set of mistakes) happens at checkout. There’s 7 things every site should have at checkout: A way to remove an item from the cart, a “continue shopping” button, total cost, a coupon code entry box, and shipping times (with options and other info if available). The sixth and possibly most important thing to have here are trustmarks. Is the site SSL secured? Is it accredited by the BBB? Are there credit card logos to show which types are protected / can be used? Are you an authorized/ accredited distributor of whatever you’re selling? These can be major selling points to the right customer, and frankly, if the site isn’t at least SSL secure, this author and 85% of consumers won’t buy anything. Trustmarks should also be clickable, linking to another page of your site or opening a new window to more info on the credibility of the security provider. The seventh part of any good checkout is of course…

1. Recommend Additional Products

Displaying “Related Products” or “Customers Who Bought These Items Also Bought” functionality that lists additional items your customers might want to add to their cart can be a very profitable move (RE: The Psychology of Upselling). You can accomplish this with several platforms like Nosto + Magento, but regardless, it’ll definitely give you a sales boost. These are just a few of our everyday encounters at Redstage. If you have questions about any additional web design mistakes, feel free to ask in the comments. If you want the expert devs at Redstage to give your site a conversion audit, click here!

Good luck! And may the odds be forever in your favor.

AR & AI: The eCommerce Arms Race

AR & AI: The eCommerce Arms Race

Did You See It Coming?

AR & AI: The eCommerce Arms Race

Earlier this month, IKEA emerged as the sleeper champ of retail’s augmented reality arms race. On the AI front, companies like Emarsys and Edgecase released eCommerce products that use advanced machine learning techniques to automate time-consuming data analysis and predictive forecasting strategies for retailers. With such tools available to manage mass audiences and their data, this is an opportunity for tech-minded shops to get a leg up on the competition. As a result, we can expect to see some large retailers (those who fail to adapt) fall behind in a relatively short amount of time. Survivors of this retail purge will make themselves known in the next year or two as these technologies become cornerstones of eCommerce. Here are some big changes to expect in the new paradigm of online shopping that everyone will be adding to next year’s budget.

“The IKEA Effect”

AR & AI: The eCommerce Arms Race Diving into Apple’s ARkit early-on, the home furniture & appliance giant successfully launched an AR app that lets users view how IKEA’s furniture will look in their home by selecting products from an online store. Released with iOS11, the brand was primed for a massive market reaction. Sure, the items still have some issues (they don’t adapt to lighting too well and their textures aren’t quite realistic), but as the first retail brand to jump into AR, the starting gun has been fired, and many companies are racing to capture value through this technology. Redstage CEO Adam Morris sees huge potential for AR in eCommerce, stating, “There’s certain industries that I see really benefiting from AR, especially companies where seeing the item in-person plays a huge factor. I believe jewelry sales could be completely revolutionized with AR, and then on to home goods like furniture.” However, Morris notes that the eCommerce industry typically lags a few years behind the latest tech trends, relying on major user adoption for companies to jump on the bandwagon. “For instance,” he recalls, “we talked about ‘mobile-first’ for years, well before companies would begin implementing it. Most didn’t pull the trigger until they had no choice — when mobile users made up more than thirty percent of their user base. It’s easy to argue that the industry is still doing a horrible job at mobile commerce, even now with roughly two-billion online shoppers using mobile.” Perhaps the companies that have been slow to catch up with mobile will double-down on AR, or risk giving up their market share to the brands that do. So what happens when health and beauty retailers jump onto this train? If Snapchat can already morph your face and add eye-shadow, will brands like Ulta Beauty and Maybelline step up to the challenge? How will consumers react to no-longer trying on makeup in-store, or to saving bundles of cash testing it through your app? Years down the line, this may even change the supply chain, because stores can test products without actually making them, without buying in bulk, and never worry about hemorrhaging money selling-off failed product. Will proactive make an AR filter to show what you’d look like without acne? Will Schick and Gillette face-off for a chance to show you how to carve up that beard? Furthermore, what will become of Snapchat, now that the company announced it will let brands create their own AR features? The possibilities are endless, and the brands that don’t engage AR or continue to view it as a passing trend will feel it in their bottom lines sooner or later. Watch: Snapchat’s Latest AR Project Puts Artwork All Over US Cities

The Fully Automatic Customer Journey

AR & AI: The eCommerce Arms Race Emarsys’ eCommerce platform is taking the world by storm. Using artificial intelligence to automate various customer retention and acquisition strategies, the AI uses machine learning to quickly create the perfect online shopping experience for each customer. Designed by Forrester, the system quickly crunches oceans of data about site visitors to cater to their needs and desires. After uploading two years of historical user data, eCommerce companies can maximize ROI on existing users. For new users, the Emarsys AI takes an average of 8 weeks to optimize the customer journey and activate recurring campaigns to keep engagement high. While there are many AI competitors out there, Emarsys boasts a robust, user-friendly platform that creates a truly personal experience for each shopper. As Morris describes it, “AI is becoming essential to work personalization into eCommerce, and machine learning systems offer huge advantages over rule-based systems. Marketers do not need to spend nearly as much time tweaking and administering a rule-based system when the AI is optimizing it automatically.” He adds, “We had a customer that doubled their newsletter list from 50k subscribers to 100k. However, since they did not employ any personalization strategies for what products were beingpresented, they only received a 15% increase in revenue from that channel.” As eCommerce threatens to surpass in-store sales (Business of Fashion) personalization of branded messages is critical. What are you doing to cater to each customer?

Fringe Shoppers Beware

We all do it. We’ll aimlessly surf Amazon or another online retailer looking for something cool to buy, even when we don’t know exactly what we want. Edgecase, the company formerly known as Compare Metrics recently released a new product that helps convert shoppers who have a vague idea or even no idea of what they want. In a time where eCommerce and marketing penetrate the lives of every consumer, tools like Edgecase that help convert the shopping addicted masses are becoming hugely important. When integrated with an online store, the software makes selections for users based on what they’re thinking of (i.e. a blue dress in a certain size) rather than a specific brand. Users can also receive lists of recommended items when shopping for a specific event like a wedding or graduation. As we enter that special time of year, consider how a system built to convert fringe shoppers can have massive impact.

Final Thoughts

As the holiday season looms, companies taking advantage of AR and AI pose the biggest threat to your bottom line. As the eCommerce arms race ramps up, winners and losers will be defined by how they spend their 2018 budget. Make sure you’re planning to implement these tactics by next year’s holiday rush, or risk being left out in the cold.

Further Reading

+ Here’s five other ARkit projects that released with iOS11. + View Redtage’s outlook on the future of marketing & customer experiences. + Ten companies using machine learning in cool ways.