Hey Partners,

Today I want to talk to you all about the end of Magento 1, EKM’s free migration service and some of the cool free features that your clients can use to generate more sales.

The End of Magento 1

As of November 18, 2018, Magento 1 will no longer be supported or receive security updates. All Magento 1 users will need to upgrade to Magento 2. Upgrading to Magento 2 is no simple process, in fact upgrading to Magento 2 can take as much effort and money as building a whole new Magento website from scratch.

I’m not going to talk about the added benefits of Magento 2 as you may already know about them but Magento 2 is going to be bigger better and in some cases harder to build.

The question you should ask though “Is Magento 2 the system my client needs?” You may find some Magento 1 users don't have the funds to invest in a whole new Magento 2 build and such a mammoth platform is just overkill. The solution may simply be to advise your client to replatform.

A replatform project could be an easy solution for both you as an EKM partner and your client especially if your client doesn’t have the funds to invest in a new Magento build. Everyone currently using Magento 1 will have to upgrade or replatform if they wish to keep their website secure.

Free Migration Service

Using EKM to replatform is simple and easy you can take advantage of our “Free Migration Service” saving you time and money.

No platform is too much trouble. EKM will make it as easy as possible.

If you have any clients that need replatforming simply get in touch with Mark Gilbertson markgilbertson@ekm.com

New Features Worth Mentioning

Free 033 number

Free 033 number for all EKM customers. If you look at our features section, you will find a feature that enables customers to have a free 033 number. Instantly making their online shop look more professional.

With the 033 feature you can set opening hours, divert to a mobile number or other number and eliminate those out of hours enquiries so that you get calls as and when you want them.

The 033 feature is available now within the features tab, simply switch it on and get your customers set up.

Sitewide SSL

SSL is now a must have for all websites which is why all EKM shops come with a free one. SSL is now implemented on a site wide level, improving shopper confidence and SEO on all EKM sites.

Feature Spotlight

Good Statistics = Success

Knowing how your client’s customers behave on their site can help you make smart decisions.

Here are 3 free features that your customers (and you) can use to get the most out of their shoppers.

1) Abandoned Cart Statistics

The abandoned cart statistics can be revealing about your products and customer shopping behaviours.

Some savvy customers will compare products and shipping across multiple websites. You will discover this from your abandoned cart statistics. If you see a specific product in your abandoned cart statistics, there may be a reason for the abandonment. The product may be overpriced or shipping costs too high.

It’s a good idea to encourage shop owners to do some market research on the product and compare it with their competitors. The shop owner may find they have overpriced the item or shipping.

With EKM an abandoned cart is not a lost sale, simply using the EKM abandoned carts automated email you can encourage the shopper to make their failed purchase. Offering free delivery or a % discount could simply be all it takes to get convert to a sale.

2) Search Statistics

Search Statistics can also be revealing about what shoppers are looking for. Shop owners may find a search term for a product they don’t stock. This could be an opportunity to add a new range.

Shop owners may also find shoppers searching for a specific product hidden deep within the site. This could be an opportunity to feature the product on the home page. The idea is to make it easy for shoppers to find what they want quickly.

3) Back in Stock Statistics

Back in stock statistics is a great feature and helps your shop owner build a mailing list. The back in stock mailing list will be more targeted to shoppers who are interested in specific products.

Let your shoppers know when something is “out of stock” don’t simply hide the product. Simply enable the “Email me when back in stock” feature and start collecting interested shoppers.

When the shop owner has the item(s) back in stock get them to email everyone who's interested and watch the sales roll in.

These three statistical features are designed to help your shop owners get more sales, make sure you mention them, after all they need to capitalise on every opportunity.