Do you want to choose the right Magento 2 extension for your store?
It might look overwhelming to find what you are looking for – a custom solution or pre-packaged extension.
There are 8000+ free and paid extensions available to install in the Magento marketplace. Add the 3rd party vendors and custom services, and your option increases.
You will, however, need the Magento extension at every corner. Choosing the right extension will have a direct impact on your business.
Choose the right Magento 2 Extension.
So how do you pick up an extension for your Magento store? It’s a five-step process:
- Clarify your purpose
- Identify the solutions
- Shortlists the extensions
- Compare the features
- Testing on Stage
#1 Clarify your Purpose
It isn’t easy to find if you don’t know what you are looking for. The first rule is to clarify your problem and the solution you want.
The best way to write down your pain points and how you can resolve them.
- What is the purpose of the extensions?
- Why do you need a Magento extension?
- What are the actions you hope extension to take?
- What are the functions you are looking for?
- What is your budget for the extension?
- Are you tech-savvy and don’t need customer support?
Some extensions are general and can be installed in any Magento store. Other extensions have more specific functionalities, and only specific stores use them.
Several common Magento extensions are:
- Top 6 Best Magento 2 GDPR Extensions in 2023
- Best Magento 2 SEO Extensions to Boost Organic Traffic of your Store
- 5 Best Magento 2 Blog Extensions of 2023 (Free and Paid)
Extensions not everyone needs:
- Top Best Magento 2 Barcode Extensions
- Best Magento 2 Social Login Extensions (Paid & Free)
- Best 5 Magento 2 Layered Navigation Filter Extension (Free & Paid)
Good research can solve half of your problem and make it easier to decide which extension to go with.
#2 Identify the solutions
By solution, it means finding the extension and extension provider.
Some independent developers build extensions, and there are entire businesses developing extensions. Research into the extension providers and extensions can help you make informed decisions.
Several things you should consider are:
Check Updates Frequency:
The extension should be kept updated to stay compatible with the latest Magento platform and tech. You should always look if the developer is updating the extension regularly.
- Is there a team that fixes the bugs?
- Are the new releases frequent and regular?
- Are developers listening to the customers to bring new changes?
The regular updates display the activeness of the developers. Sometimes the team drops the project and starts working on something else. In that case, you would not be getting any updates, and you could end up in extension lock-in.
Read Customer Reviews:
Always read the customer’s reviews and ratings before making any software purchase.
Places you can find the review of Magento extensions are:
- Magento marketplace
- Vendor’s websites
- Bloggers doing reviews
- Youtube video reviews
- Social media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
- Google reviews
- Reddit and other forums
- Ask your Magento friends
- Read blogs of businesses that do not sell extensions (breeze.io/blog)
There is too much misinformation regarding Magento extensions – fake reviews, paid reviews, promotional reviews, partnership reviews, and bot reviews.
You have to keep a critical mind while checking out the reviews.
Also, a vendor could have an extension with 5 stars and other extensions worth 1 star. Sometimes the vendor support is not good, but the extensions are first class.
Judge everything while reading the reviews.
Contact Provider:
Communication is the key. Get in touch with the extension provider, and see how they respond.
- Are they quick to connect?
- Does the team understand your query?
- Are they eager to make sales?
There are various ways to be in contact with the vendor:
- Live chat
- Social media messages
- Social media mentions
- Emails
- Phone calls
- Video calls
Ask away all of your questions about post-purchase support, ticketing, service agreement, pricing, and delivery. The first impression sets up the stone for future service, and you will be able to make a better decision.
#3 Shortlists the extensions
Once you identify the solutions and check as many extensions you like – you will end up with several extensions looking good to you.
Those are the shortlisted extensions. Now you have to dig deeper than before and find the most suitable one of them.
#4 Compare the features
You have all the extensions that you find useful.
Price is an important factor when looking for extensions. The lower-priced extensions having the same functions as the higher-priced extensions seem an attractive option.
But there is more to look for.
- Features you need: You don’t need everything an extension offers.
- Quality of the features: Are the features seamlessly integrated within the Magento.
- Learning curve: Is the extension easy to learn and use?
- Refund period: Typical refund time is 60 days.
- Support service: Is there a live chat system, ticketing system, and proper documentation? Or a dedicated manager?
- Support period: Usually, the support period is 60 days.
- Upgrade policy: Upgrades are free.
- Installation charges: Installation is not free. But if you can get it for free, it’s a good deal.
- Recurring support charges: Support charges could be expensive, and if you need regular support – you have to pay for it.
Free options are not always good. You have to spend lots of time managing and maintaining the free Magento extensions. Match your pain points with the features to find the most compatible Magento extension.
As you know, the price always plays an essential, decisive factor when choosing any product.
#5 Testing
Finally, you have to test the Magento extension. As a Magento store owner, you should always test the changes on the stage.
Building stages, however, require an engineer or developer. But not anymore. Breeze Magento hosting platform allows you to create a stage (a replica of your store) with a click.
You can install the selected extension on the stage and try out the functions. Run the tests to see if the features work as the extension claims.
If everything is positive, you can then deploy the stage to live in a click.
- If there is a demo or trial, you should take it first.
- If there is no trial, test the extension within the return period. You can refund the extension if it does not work as you expected.
Testing out the extension will show you:
- Ease of configuration
- Extension settings
- How does the extension become part of the store?
- Compatibility of the extension with the store
- Any effect on the store’s speed and performance?
Please keep in mind that the Magento extension is not built specifically for your store. It is created for the average Magento store that everyone can use.
You have to make changes and customization to make it work for your Magento store. This means your engineers have to communicate with the extension provider.
Precaution and Tips
It was the process to choose the right Magento 2 extension for your store. Here are a few tips and precautions to ease the process:
Product Customization:
The extension should be customizable. There should be flexibility to modify the code to customize the functions.
If the extension provider offers custom Magento services like developing themes and extensions – good chances are the extension could be customized.
Support Duration:
Support is never free. Usually, support comes for 60-90 days with the first purchase, but you have to buy it.
If you need regular support – check out the extension with good support, documentation, ticketing options, and live chat. Pricing should also be affordable.
Magento Developer Approved:
Your Magento developers, engineers, and CTO should have a say in choosing the Magento 2 extension. They are involved with the store and know your store’s technical shortcomings and opportunities.
Magento developers are also better judges of code quality, and CTO can ensure the extension’s compatibility.
Importance of Testing:
Once again, I push the testing. Test the Magento extension on the stage first.
Creating a stage may be an obstacle if you depend on the developers – that’s where the Breeze platform can help you out. You can create the stage in a click to run your tests.
Security, scalability, functionality, performance, effects – test everything on the stage.
Wrap Up
Choosing the right Magento extension from the 1000s of extensions is a task that requires research and decision-making. Magento is doing a lot from their end – by evaluating and analyzing the quality of the extensions before listing them to the Magento extensions.
Moreover, there are other options – like the Breeze blog – where we shortlist the best Magento extensions as per the functions.
This article shows you the process to choose the right Magento 2 extension. You will find it easier than running around testing the Magento extensions if you follow it.
If you encounter any issues, feel free to leave a comment.
