Easy Solutions for Your Slow Magento 2 Ecommerce Website
With the fast moving and rapidly changing world, people have very less time to spend on any operations and even their attention span is decreasing. Online shopping is gaining much popularity because it saves a lot of time and effort in the entire process. So, any ecommerce website should have a very good loading speed and offer great performance to remain competitive in the market. And when we are talking about the performance of your Magento 2 website, it is not only about page load speed, but it includes every process and function of the site that the customer has to go through.
So, performance optimization becomes an integral part of the Magento development and any issues that crop up should be immediately fixed.
Magento 2 is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms and is fully featured to offer the best functionalities to an ecommerce website.
Some reasons why your Magento 2 website is running slow:
- Your site may be in a developer mode that has bundle/JS merge/CSS /minify enabled in it.
- The hardware is running slow
- Full page cache and other caches are turned off
- SSD is not used
- In any case, the performance of the third party extension is interrupted
In the above cases, it is really annoying to wait for the site to load and so simple fixtures should be tried to enhance the speed of the site.
Move to PHP7: Though Magento 2 works at 5.6 PHP also, but it is better not to use anything lower than PHP7. This will enhance the performance by about 25% and most of the companies install PHP 7 in order to maintain the VPS and server.
Disable CSS/JS merge/bundle/ minify: CSS and JS files are actually used to make the frontend look very attractive, but at the same time it has an adverse effect on the speed of the site. Fortunately, you have a means to tackle this issue without having to compromise on the fancy display of your site. You can easily merge the CSS and JS files to increase the speed of your site and to change the settings, you have to go to the backend and then select the configuration from the stores icon and then further open the developer tab from the advanced header. It is here that you have to change the JavaScript settings to “Yes” for “Minify JavaScript” files and “Merge JavaScript” files. Similarly, you have to do this for the CSS settings also.
Server resources: The complex system of Magento 2 needs a powerful hardware when it is especially in the developer mode. Virtualizations should also be avoided and a minimum of 2G of RAM needs to be allocated to M2.
Using the SSD disk is a must and you can also use a less expensive VPS like linode that costs less. Thus, a decent setup of Magento ecommerce development can enhance the performance of the site and also bring in great success.
Some other fixes that will enhance the performance of the site are:
Optimizing the images: An ecommerce store is usually full of banners or images and it is very important to ensure that the images are not affecting the performance of the site. So optimize them accordingly and the images that are present on the main site should be compressed so that they use less data and also load the pages very easily. The product images should be in the JPEG format, PNG and the SYG format is recommended for the layout and logo of the site.
Audit of any third party extensions: Though Magento 2 website is easily expandable with plugin, modules, but with core functionalities, average programmers can easily develop third party extensions. In order to improve the performance of the site, make a list of all the plugins and then disable those that are not required.
“A faster Magento 2 ecommerce site always offers a better conversion rates than any slow website. With the above solutions, you can now easily enhance the performance of your website and improve the results.”
Guidelines for Data Security of Your Magento Store That Ensures GDPR Compliance
Rapid advancements in technology have helped us to connect in a way that we have never been connected before. Today, we generate more data in our business and also entrust more data to social networks, connected devices and applications. And with big data comes the responsibility of building trust and ensuring that the organizations to whom we send out data are transparent, accountable and do not misuse the data for any reason. If in any case the organization does not follow the rules, we as regulators and individuals have the right to take action against them.
GDPR or General Data Protection Regulation will soon come to effect from 25th of May 2018 and it will bring all variations of the present data protection laws under one roof that will surely simplify things for the sellers and the purchasers. Here in this blog, I will share with you some important tips that would be helpful to manage your Magento website.
Magento security tips to protect websites and data:
Website security is the prime element for any ecommerce business and when online shoppers purchase any products or services, they have to share their personal data with the sellers. So, it is very important that the organization that they are sharing their data with is reliable and trustworthy.
Strict authorization policy:
Simple password combination is always easily cracked by using modern automated tools. Having complete control over the passwords that the users choose is a great means to secure your Magento website. You can add specific validation rules in order to sign up that will ask the user to create unique login ids and passwords that are usually hard to break. You can also implement two factor authentication for more protection on your website.
Improve the administration’s security:
The admin area, like the one we have in Magento is always an easy target for the cyber criminals. It is by using any automated techniques and standard configurations that they can easily hack the website. In order to get rid of the default credentials in the admin area, it is important to change them and this will restrict the work of potential hackers. Creating a whitelist of IP addresses, so that only users who are authorized can gain access to the admin panel and assigning different roles and permissions to the admin also helps. The local security policy is also very important, so protect your internal network with a good firewall.
Keep regular data backups:
The risk of losing your data of your Magento website is always there if you are not careful. This can happen anytime not only because of hacking, but also because of the hardware malfunction or just any other cause. Performing regular backups on a regular basis will increase your ability to restore the data. So, create a backup schedule and run manual backups or even make use of the combination of both based on your needs and resources.
Keep Magento updated and reduce sensitive data stored:
Magento releases regular system patches and updates to resist potential hacker’s attacks. So keep your Magento website update to the latest version. In case you are using any third party plugins, then keep a track of the updates also. Try to keep less personal data on your website and avoid storing payment card details. Use reliable third party payment providers like PayPal and this will help you to free your database and also make all your transactions secure.
Check for vulnerabilities and other suspicious activities:
Regular checking of your Magento website for any loopholes is a good practice. You can perform the PCI scanning and also do a penetration test to develop and protect sensitive areas. It is also very important to have a good alerting system so that you receive notifications about any doubtful activities like any user performing some repetitive actions from a same IP address or repeated mismatch of credit card information.
“So, in a nutshell, I can say that data security is the prime aspect that needs to be considered to be a GDPR compliant. And adhering to the best data security practices that I have shared above will help you to cultivate the trust and reliability among your consumers.”
SharePoint Vs Dropbox – What’s The Right Solution for You
A silent battle continues to wage between the IT personnel and business users on how important business documents can be shared at work. Many small to medium businesses rely on Microsoft’s huge array of products to function properly and maintain collaboration while others turn to some other popular platforms. On one side, we have about 200 million business users who voted to use Dropbox, which is a simple but unsecure solution. Again on the other hand, we have about 135 million enterprise users who prefer to use Microsoft SharePoint, which is a hard, but secure solution.
In this blog, I will discuss with you what is the right option for you. Is it convenience and ease of use or is it security and governance? Yes, the answer of course depends on your business objectives and requirements and no one solution fits all needs. Here are some of the main considerations that you need to weigh before taking any decision for your organization.
Cloud / on-premise storage:
Are you looking for a cloud storage device or do you depend on your corporate services that are under the control of your central IT team? This is an issue that depends on the specific industry, corporate culture, legal requirements and etc. Dropbox is strictly cloud based, but SharePoint offers great flexibility to be either on premises or on cloud or even the mixed hybrid model. The hybrid model that offers greater flexibility is a good choice for many organizations.
Security and safety:
Are you concerned about encryption, document access control, password protection and all? It is very important that the document sharing solution that you choose offers proper security and safety for setting up document storage and access rights. Dropbox doesn’t offer any and so the services have to be augmented before making them secure. SharePoint on the other hand, offers high security for documents storing and sharing, especially for the web and the desktop. For mobile devices, you have to add capabilities like MDM or any third party SharePoint app to make it a secure and practical solution.
Data leakage:
Data can leak in various ways like any unsecured links that is shared with unintended recipients, unencrypted documents that are lost or stolen, unsecured storage and documents that are intercepted in transit and etc. Business can be highly affected from compromised documents and this can be very significant. SharePoint wins this situation. It is noted that business that have used unapproved sharing services have always experienced some negative consequences and have faced a severe loss in business to costly penalties.
Metadata:
It is very important that you categorize a document by using the metadata, else your document will get lost in the black hole forever. With more and more documents to store and share, things will become very critical. SharePoint development offers a rich and robust set of tools that not only categorize the document, but also help to find them later.
Universal access:
With technology changing every now and then, people are more and more shifting to smartphones, tablets and of course to the cloud. So, do your services allow you to share the documents from all the devices that you access or share? Dropbox offers universal access to this via an extremely easy to use interface, but SharePoint falls short here while gaining access to all platforms. It is only through a complex web interface that is difficult to use, that SharePoint can offer this. But good third party solutions can help to fill the gap.
Both Dropbox and SharePoint are two most popular platforms that help businesses to collaborate, store documents and create social networks and more. Based on your specific requirements, you can choose any one, but though SharePoint may be a little complex to use, it offers highly secured features that make the organization safe from outsiders.
Avoid The Common Mistakes While Choosing a Software Outsourcing Company
There are various reasons why business organizations are taking the advantage of hiring software outsourcing companies to get their job done. Ranging from the flexibility that it offers, the cost effective services to the ease access to special skills, outsourcing has become a booming industry in the past few years. However, not all business owners are able to take the advantage of it, they make some serious mistakes while on their outsourcing journey and this gives them all sorts of headaches.
Today, in this blog, I will share with you the most common mistakes that people make while choosing their software outsourcing company so that you can avoid them once you plan to outsource your business job.
Considering low price too much:
Selecting your service provider on the basis of low cost and hoping to get the highest quality of work is one of the prime reasons why most business owners experience discrepancy between what they achieve and what they anticipate. Cost is certainly a point for consideration, but organizations should also consider the best deal. It is only after a careful analysis of their experience, strength and operating model, that you would be able to choose the best provider who can deliver value to your project.
Unclear vision of the project:
It is seen that often business owners are not very clear about their requirements and begin their project. This unclearness often results to misunderstanding of the work by the outsourcing team and it takes time and money to fix. A clear vision of your requirements and a proper plan how to attain it is of utmost importance and this also allows you to clearly communicate your needs to the team and help them to see exactly what you want.
Having a short term thinking:
Many companies don’t even think of establishing a long term relationship with their trustworthy outsourcing partner. The longer they work, the more cooperative they become. But during the initial approach, they often look for the lowest price and take a hasty decision and this goes against the long term goals. Successful partnership for a longer time period is often the most important factor and an essential ingredient for a fruitful client-vendor relationship.
Poor contract management:
Preparing a contract has often been a crucial task that needs great knowledge so as to avoid any loopholes that could result in a series of change request sometime in the future bringing in additional cost. Understanding the contract clearly is crucial, else you could face unnecessary expenses, complex transition period during your project work. Since systems and services are constantly on the change, you should choose outsourcing services in India carefully to avoid any technological issues later on.
Not putting much emphasis on security:
You will find various outsourcing deals before you that are lucrative, but it is highly recommended that you choose the outsourcing company that comes with legal coverage of outsourcing projects. Include documents like non-disclosure agreement and ask your vendor to explicitly mention their approach to code quality, security of business data in the contract.
Not considering the differences between countries:
It is true that dedicated software developers can be hired at cheaper rates depending on the location. But every time you hire a team from a new location, consider some factors like the time zones, their language, availability of specialists and etc. Improper management of offshore team can turn into a disaster and make you really frustrated with the task.
Not knowing the modern trends:
While selecting an outsourcing company for your project, it is very important that you are aware of the latest trends in the market. And for this, you have to do some research work and choose a company that has enough knowledge on the latest technologies and tools. They should be aware of the technology trends and look for new solutions to deal with certain business challenges.
Summary:
Software outsourcing comes with great benefits as well as some challenges. Understanding the common mistakes that startups usually make will prevent them from repeating and make the offshore experience successful and smooth.
IDS Logic Pvt Ltd 