Magento(Adobe Commerce) is one of the leading eCommerce platforms in the marketplace today, offering an extensive solution to Internet retailers. A part of its popularity comes from its diverse offers. It operates a little differently than other platforms like WordPress. As opposed to a single solution for all its users, Magento(Adobe Commerce) offers specific packages for enterprise-level sites, small businesses, and those that fall in between. Apart from this, there are various versions of the Magento(Adobe Commerce) platform that can be accessed at varying levels of management and at different price points.
This blog talks about the different steps you can implement to set up your Magento(Adobe Commerce) Store in a seamless fashion. It also gives a brief introduction to Magento(Adobe Commerce) and the need for an online store and how it can play a pivotal role in helping your business flourish.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Magento(Adobe Commerce)
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Magento(Adobe Commerce) is one of the oldest eCommerce platforms today, having been around since the initial launch way back in 2008. It accounts for a 3% market share in the eCommerce niche today. So what exactly is it? In simple terms, it is a tool designed using Open Source technology to help merchants with the look and functionality of their online stores. One of the best features of this software is that it contains a bundle of valuable functionalities all packaged into one powerful software.
Released in 2015, Magento(Adobe Commerce) 2 was designed to solve the flaws inherent to Magento(Adobe Commerce) 1. These included security risks that left the site vulnerable to hackers, especially when users failed to install security patches.
Key Features of Magento(Adobe Commerce)
With Magento(Adobe Commerce) 2, clients get access to a variety of helpful features such as the ones listed below:
- User-Friendly Interface: This is perhaps one of the most significant upgrades from Magento(Adobe Commerce) 1. The new UI is as intuitive as it is sleek. The navigation tools are simpler to use and access. One might argue that it is an entirely new system!
- Streamlined Common Admin Tasks: When it comes to improving speed and efficiency, then this is the best feature. How? You can automate commonly performed tasks in the Admin User panel, a technique that will ultimately save you a lot of time.
- New Security Measures: This might sound a bit inconvenient, but it is a necessary security measure implemented by Magento’s developers. How? Only one user can be logged in per admin account, and when a new user tries to log in, others are logged out. We will let you decide whether this is a good or bad security measure.
- Intuitive Back End Features: The back end section has a Touch-friendly navigation panel, which means users can easily access it on their tablets.
Understanding the Need for an Online Magento Store
Here are a few reasons why you might benefit from an online store:
- Few Upfront Costs: Online stores have minimal upfront costs as compared to brick-and-mortar stores. You don’t have to lease warehouses, retail space, or any other major expenses.
- Expanded Reach: With the help of an online store, you can easily sell to customers all over the world. You can do this even if your business operations are limited to a certain region.
- Manageability: Through AI and Automation Tools, you can easily manage your online stores in a seamless and streamlined fashion.
- Greater Availability: An online store allows your business to be available to your customers 24*7.
- Low Staffing Costs: An online store allows you to have lower employment costs since your primary staffing needs will usually be limited to Marketing, Customer Relations, and Order Processing.
Key Considerations to Keep in Mind for Your Online Magento Store
Here are a few considerations to keep in mind before you develop your online store to propel your business further:
- Create Your Business Plan: The business plan you devise should account for whether you are selling to organizations or consumers. A Consumer-focused operation will need a customer support component to work in tandem with a commercial team to grow your audience. While selling to other businesses, you might have a lower Sales Volume, but you can obtain the same overall revenue as selling to consumers because each sale is typically worth more. You can even invest more in every customer relationship by contacting individuals directly through phone calls or personalized emails. Order fulfillment is another key factor you should consider while developing your business plan.
- Choose a Suitable Niche: You need to decide the niche that your business will target. This process involves several key considerations, that includes Industry, Customer Types, Sales Volume, and Repeat Sales expectations. The niche you pick should reflect your knowledge and experience within a given industry. Therefore, it is important to assess the opportunities that exist in the areas you are considering. Try to avoid targeting a market already saturated with competitors.
- Choose Your Domain and Brand Names: You will have to register your domain name and choose a brand name for your business before you launch your online store. When choosing a brand name, you should look for a relevant phrase or word that your target audience can identify with. You also need to ensure that your name is unique. Apart from this, if you can pull it off naturally, try to include a high-ranking search term to improve your site’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If you are not sure if the name you’re considering is up for grabs, you can seek Legal Counsel to prevent any potential legal trouble down the road.
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How to Set up a Magento Store?
Here are the 11 steps you can follow to set up a Magento store in a hassle-free fashion:
Magento Store Setup: Reviewing Magento(Adobe Commerce) Server’s Requirements
- Similar to most Website Development Platforms, Magento(Adobe Commerce) has certain requirements that need to be met by any server that is going to service the platform. You should make a note of them before you start your search for a hosting provider. This will help ensure that your website runs properly. Here’s what you’ll need to use Magento(Adobe Commerce):
- Memory: The Magento(Adobe Commerce) setup, in all likelihood, will require 2 GB of Random Access Memory (RAM) or more.
- Operating System: Magento(Adobe Commerce) recommends you leverage Linux x86-64 along with other Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and RedHat. You can also develop locally on Windows OS or Mac with MAMP applications or virtualizations.
- Web Server: You can either use Nginx or Apache as your web server. If you decide to go with Apache, it is recommended to review Magento’s Apache documentation for specific module settings.
- Database: Magento(Adobe Commerce) is compatible with MySQL versions 5.7 and 5.6.
- Security: Secure Socket Layers (SSL) certificates are generally recommended for secure data integrations and transfers with PayPal.
- PHP: Magento(Adobe Commerce) recommends using PHP 7.3. Additionally, particular instructions in their PHP installation guide will give you the necessary information regarding the required extensions.
Magento Store Setup: Choosing a Domain Name and Web Host
- Now, you’ll have to take your list of system requirements and start searching for a Web Host. Most of the web host providers will offer the tools and types of equipment you’ll need to run Magento(Adobe Commerce). A few popular hosts that offer one-click installation options for Magento(Adobe Commerce) include DreamHost, Bluehost, and Hostinger.
- Apart from looking at the prices for each company’s plans, it is prudent to consider factors like security, performance, and whether there are any additional features that you can tack on to your account.
- Next, it is a smart idea to register a domain name at this point too. This serves as your website’s address and acts as a key part of your brand, so you will have to be careful in selecting the right domain name for your online store. Various providers offer domain name registration as part of your hosting package.
Magento Store Setup: Downloading and Installing Magento(Adobe Commerce) Open Source
- Now that you’ve purchased a plan from your hosting provider and set up your Magento(Adobe Commerce) account, you can go ahead and install Magento(Adobe Commerce) Open Source by heading over to the product page and clicking on the Get Started button.
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- Next, you can review a feature comparison chart of the Open-source platform and Magento(Adobe Commerce) Commerce. Hover to the bottom of the chart, click on the Download Open Source button.
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- This takes you to the Magento(Adobe Commerce) Tech Resources Page. Here you can see various options in terms of downloading Magento(Adobe Commerce) Open Source. You can also decide whether to download the platform with or without sample data. Here, you can choose the most up-to-date full release with sample data included:
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- Beginners can easily get Magento(Adobe Commerce) Open Source up and running with a one-click installation process if your host offers one. To do this in cPanel, hover to cPanel > Autoinstallers:
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- Once you click on the Magento icon, you are given the option to begin the installation process by configuring your administration settings.
Magento Store Setup: Configuring your Administration Settings
- Before you install Magento(Adobe Commerce), you will have to customize your Admin Username and Password. You will be prompted to do so before you can execute the installation process. You will then have to specify where your Magento(Adobe Commerce) installation will go live on your server and what you want the URL path to your admin login page to look like. Once you’re done customizing these settings, click on the Install button. When the process is completed, you’ll receive a confirmation message:
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- Now, you can click on the Administrative URL and log in with the username and password you’ve created during the installation process.
Magento Store Setup: Installing and Choosing a Theme for your Store
- One of the first things you will have to do for your store is select a theme for your store. This will help determine the look of your website. To install themes from the Magento(Adobe Commerce) marketplace, you will first have to retrieve your access keys. You can find these in your user account by navigating to Marketplace > My Products > Access Keys:
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- On the Access Keys page, you will have to generate new keys and assign each one of them a name. Once you’ve completed this step, you’ll have to copy your private and public keys. In the Magento(Adobe Commerce) dashboard, you can now navigate to Setting > Web Setup Wizard > Extension Manager.
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- In the Extension Manager, you will have to enter the access keys you just created. Once you’ve successfully connected your Magento(Adobe Commerce) marketplace keys with your website admin panel, any extensions or themes you install will appear in your Extension Manager list:
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- For instance, if you visit the marketplace and search for a free theme, you can add it to your cart and check out to integrate it with your website. When you click on Install, it gets added to the Extension Manager in your Magento(Adobe Commerce) dashboard.
Magento Store Setup: Customizing your Magento(Adobe Commerce) Website Development Theme
- Now that you’ve installed your new theme, you can access it by hovering over to Content > Configuration. You can then modify the settings by selecting the website setup you wish to customize. Here, you can find the interface for uploading or changing the logo and other elements for your online store:
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- You can also use the Content > Elements menu to edit the website’s widgets and pages, along with the blocks that make up the structure of your website. For instance, you’ll see a list of your current content that’s available for editing along with the theme and layout each page uses:
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Magento Store Setup: Exploring Extensions for Added Functionalities
- You can find extensions that can add functionality to your online store in the Magento(Adobe Commerce) marketplace. This includes everything from checkout options to Instagram widgets:
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- To add an extension to your Online Store, you can follow the same steps as outlined before for adding a new theme.
Magento Store Setup: Modifying your Magento(Adobe Commerce) eCommerce Development Store Settings
- The last thing you’ll need to deal with before you start adding products to your store is to personalize your eCommerce site’s settings. To do this, you simply need to hover to Stores > Settings > Configuration:
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Magento Store Setup: Setting Up your Product Pages with Images and Prices
- To set up products for your Magento(Adobe Commerce) store, you can go to Catalog > Products. This shows a list of your existing merchandise along with the Add Product button:
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- If you click on it, you can select the type of product you wish to add from the dropdown menu like Simple, Bundle, Configurable, Bundled Products and so much more.
Magento Store Setup: Selecting your Shipping and Payment Options
- Shipping and Payment options often have a great impact on whether or not a customer completes a purchase online. As mentioned before, you can find these settings by navigating to Stores > Settings > Configurations. Then, Payments Methods would be listed under Sales in the collapsible menu in the lefthand sidebar.
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- Here, you can configure the payment methods that come with Magento(Adobe Commerce). If you decide to use extensions to broaden the options for your customers, this process may take a while since you will have to set up multiple platforms.
Magento Store Setup: Previewing and Launching your Website
- Editing a live site might seem confusing to visitors who find it while it’s still in progress apart from other issues. Therefore, it is always best to develop locally or use a staging environment and then push your changes to your server. If you have been developing your site locally, the last step is to push all your Magento(Adobe Commerce) files to your web server. This can be done through your local development application or with a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client. This will publish your website on the internet for users to discover and enjoy:
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Conclusion
This blog talks about the different steps that can be implemented to set up a Magento store in a hassle-free fashion. It also talks about the factors you should consider before developing a store for your business and a brief introduction to the features of Magento(Adobe Commerce).
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Amit is a Content Marketing Manager at Hevo Data. He enjoys writing about SaaS products and modern data platforms, having authored over 200 articles on these subjects.
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