The Magento Marketplace is vast – the number is extensions that store owners have to choose from is nearly limitless. It is great that store owners have so many options. The flipside of that coin is that the marketplace can seem confusing. Many extensions offer the same services or solution, often with very similar branding and messaging to each other. There are over 20 different extensions to handle things like cart functionality, SEO functions, and more – how do you know which is the best one to choose for your store? What should you be asking yourself before introducing a new module to your store?
1. What are you trying to achieve?
Many store owners get carried away with too many extensions that are not necessary for the functionality they want to have in their store. It is important to make a clear list of goals you want to hit before sitting down to choose which extensions are right for you. Your goals should be specific, easily measurable and realistic. No extension should promise you the world – and at the same time, you should not be relying on one module to be a magic cure-all for your business.
Once you have decided what you want to accomplish, you can begin looking into the modules themselves…
2. Is the publisher a Magento Partner? What sort of reputation do they have? What is their history?
You can see which companies are Magento Partners in the Magento Partner directory. If the provider of the extension is a Magento Partner, they are certified by Magento to provide extensions (and other services).
Check online reviews for the company – on Magento Connect, on social media, and forums, this is a quick and easy way to spot any red flags.
You should also look into how long the company has been active – are they are a high rated, experienced company, or someone brand new to the scene?
3. Live Demo & On-Going Support
Before committing to purchasing any module you should check out a live demo – this will allow you to see how the module works, if it runs smoothly and efficiently, if it was difficult to configure and what the front end design looks like.
Another important thing to consider is the support you will have after purchasing the module. Is the company continuing to develop the module? Continuing to support the module through different Magento patches? Do they have support available to you if there is a problem?
Once you have found the perfect extension that meets all your needs – it is important to install a version of the extension on a test server to make sure that everything functions as intended and does not break your website before installing on your live server. Need help choosing, installing and maintaining extensions on your Magento eCommerce site? Customer Paradigm could be the perfect fit for you! Call 303.473.4400 or visit here to have a real person contact you now >>