e-Commerce has become one of the fastest booming industries in today’s time. With the fast internet, smartphones, busy schedule and online availability of almost everything, the e-commerce websites have become the hot selling cake of the era. For the companies who are selling their products online, a good e-commerce website with easy-to-use admin as well as the user interface is a must. Magento is without a doubt the best e-commerce system available right now.
Since its launch, Magento has evolved in a much-advanced application. The developers of the community often create extensions to give additional features to the website. The team behind Magento Commerce has developed a separate marketplace for these extensions which is known as Magento Connect or Simply Magento Marketplace. There are many extensions available to add different functionalities to the website.
Why use Magento Connect?
When a website is developed using Magento, you get the simple admin panel which allows you to add a limited number of functionalities. Every site has different functions and different requirements. You cannot develop all the e-commerce websites with the same set of features. That is where Magento connect comes in handy. It allows you to find the extensions based on your requirement and install them to activate different functionalities.
How does it work?
The process is fairly simple and straightforward. Once you have decided which functions you want as add-ons on your website, you need to go to the marketplace https://marketplace.magento.com/. This link will help you find all the extensions that are available for free or at a reasonable price. There are nine main categories with further sub-categories from where you can find the right extensions. These categories are:
- Accounting and finance
- Customer care
- Sales
- Marketing
- Payment and security
- Shipping and fulfillment
- Content and customization
- Reporting and analytics
- Site optimization
Choosing and installing extensions
- First of all, select the category from where you want to choose the extension.
- When you click on the category, you will find the list of extensions and subcategories.
- Read about the functionalities of the extension and choose the right one.
- Select the right version of Magento installed.
- Click on add to cart.
- Go to the cart.
- Click on checkout.
- Make sure you are logged in.
- Get the extension key.
- Now login to the admin panel of your website.
- Go to System > Magento Connect > Magento Connect Manager.
- Add the extension and activate the functionality.
- Check the options and make the required changes.
Pros and cons of using Magento Connect
Pros
You will get access to many extensions which are available for free. Most of the functionalities that you might be looking for do not cost a penny. However, the similar functionalities are available with additional features at a price which may range from $1 to $500 or even more.
Every extension available in the marketplace is appropriately categorized. If you want to find a particular functionality, it will not take much time.
Installation of the extensions is straightforward. You can add features to the website in no time.
Cons
Installing free extensions can harm your website by slowing it down. Most of the free extensions do not come with updates which again can create issues.
Also Read – What are the benefits of Magento 2 marketplace solution?
In the last few years, the penetration of e-commerce websites in the market has come to the level where every store wants to have some share in it. There are numerous e-commerce websites which run on Magento. The marketplace is also known as Magento Connect offers free and paid extensions that can enhance the features of the site.
Purpletree is a team of experienced ecommerce developers. At Purpletree we are extremely passionate about developing high-quality and user-friendly software products with a focus on customer delight.
Author Bio:
About Michelle Joe:Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on twitter: @michellejoe524