Technology

5 frequently overlooked “Go Live” checklist items: Magento edition

Posted by Pixafy Team

 

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Last week, we compiled a list of 6 of the most commonly passed over “Go Live” checklist items for WordPress. As promised, this week we’re showing the same love to one of the most popular eCommerce platforms: Magento!  Our staff of expert Magento developers have compiled a list of five of their most headache-inducing “Go Live” pain points, as well as a quick-and-dirty list of how to best avoid them. [series_block]

This post is part of a series on “Go Live” pre-launch checklists:

[/series_block] 5 frequently overlooked “Go Live” checklist items: Magento edition

  1. Switch the payment method from test mode to live mode, checking ALL card types for proper error handling. Few things make online shoppers abandon their shopping carts faster than problems with payment processing. Not only does shaky payment processing waste your customers’ time, it also makes them question the security of purchasing on your site — a MAJOR problem. Be sure payment processing runs smoothly and that proper error handling protocol is in place!
  2. Clear out all test orders, customers, and products. Test products, even though they may not exist in any category, can still be searched for and crawled by Google and other search engines if they are not deleted before launch. You definitely don’t want your customers hitting test products when Googling your site. Be sure to clear it all out before launch
  3. Edit the default 404 error page. This is wholly crucial but commonly overlooked. In addition to being unattractive, the default page also references the Magento store, giving your customers an unnecessary glimpse “behind the curtain” of your site. No bueno. Additionally, you definitely want to take advantage of the hidden opportunity to turn a negative into a positive and re-engage with your customer. Be sure the copy and design of your 404 page is representative of your brand’s voice, provides a clear message, and guides your customer back to where they need to be.  Be creative with it!

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  • Bugs got you down? Whether you need a blog, an eCommerce store, or anything in-between, we have you covered! Check out our development services for creating Magento stores, WordPress sites, and more!

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  1. Disable the Magento Newsletter Subscription emails if they are also being sent by a 3rd-party email marketing service. Often, store owners will work with 3rd-party email marketing clients to manage their mailing lists such as Constant Contact or  MailChimp. If this is the case, it is essential to turn off the Magento Newsletter Subscription emails to avoid inadvertently spamming your customers with redundant emails.
  2. Turn on caching. This is usually one of the first things you turn off during development; be sure to turn it back on before your site goes live!

We know there are a million and one items that go into the development and launch of a website. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you have a stringent list of checks in place before you “Go Live” to make sure everything is up to snuff!  These five items are essential to the successful launch of your Magento site and should most definitely be a part of your comprehensive “Go Live” checklist — they’re definitely part of ours!

Anything you’d like to add?  What are the 5 most important items on your checklist? Share with us in the comments or tweet us @Pixafy!