The flexibility of Magento is one of the most appealing factors for businesses looking to adopt the platform. Not only does it come with a lot of functionality out of the box, but it also allows businesses to augment that functionality to meet their very specific business needs.
One way businesses are able to do this is by adding modules to their Magento store. With the release of Magento 2, the ability to add modules remains and has, in my opinion, been improved. In this post we will discuss what modules are, the benefits of adding them to your store, and some things to consider when adding modules to your Magento store.
What are modules?
With Magento you have the ability to add modules, independent pieces of software that can be installed and activated to provide a desired functionality not available by default. Modules are also referred to as extensions or plug-ins.
Pricing can range from free to thousands of dollars - the typical price is around $70. If you think of a feature you would like to have on your website, the likelihood is high that it has already been developed and exists in the form of a module that can be installed.
Benefits of modules
Modules allow businesses to customize their eCommerce website to meet company needs. Depending on business needs, they can be added and removed, allowing the website to adapt to changing requirements.
There are many different types of modules available. There are modules that allow businesses to connect their website to other important business systems like an ERP or Accounting system. There are modules that allow website managers to exercise greater control over customer and product data, helping them market to customers more effectively.
Concerns with modules
While modules can bring considerable benefit to a Magento site by enhancing its functionality, there are a few things to be aware of when installing modules. Occasionally, modules can conflict with other modules or the theme being used on your website. Also, some modules are no longer supported and do not work on newer versions of Magento. If your business is dependent upon functionality provided by a specific module that is not supported or available for newer versions of Magento, you may not be able upgrade your Magento store without losing that module.
How to choose modules
Consider the following questions when looking into modules:
- Do you fully understand the functionality of the module? When selecting a module it is important to fully understand the functionality will bring to your Magento store. Sometimes merchants purchase a module, install it, and begin using it, only to realize it doesn’t provide the functionality they thought.
- Is it supported for your version of Magento (Community, Enterprise, version number)? As new versions of Magento are released, modules are often also updated, but this is not always the case. It is important to confirm that the module you are looking at is compatible with version of Magento you are using.
- How often has the module been updated? Updates generally occur to bug fixes, apply security patches, or add feature enhancements. Updates happen at various frequencies, but looking into how frequently a module has been updated can give you a good idea as to well supported the module is by the developer.
- Are there any subscription costs related to services provided? Occasionally business see a module that appears to provide the exact functionality they want, but they don’t realize there is a monthly subscription for the service. Consider a free module to enhance your store’s search abilities - often there is a monthly fee associated with the volume of searches being conducted on your site. Be sure to fully understand all of the fees, not just the initial fee for the module.
- How many times has the module been downloaded? Generally, modules that have been downloaded a lot are good modules. The volume of downloads indicates they provide a functionality that website managers desire. Modules that prove problematic are often avoided.
- How many reviews have been submitted and what is the general quality of the reviews? A module that has a perfect five-star rating may not be that good if only two people reviewed the module, and both people are the developers that made the module. Often, the most helpful reviews are the ones submitted by customers that have experienced problems. Those types of reviews can alert you to potential problems you may experience while using the module. You can often find interesting feedback in the reviews about the support companies have (or have not) received when encountering problems with the module.
In part 2 we will discuss where you can get modules, including the new Magento Marketplace, and how to install them.
