Understanding the Magento Agency Workflow: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you’re planning to launch an online store, you may have heard of the popular e-commerce platform, Magento. Magento is a powerful open-source e-commerce platform that can help you build a high-functioning online store. However, building a Magento store from scratch requires the assistance of Magento agencies. A Magento agency can provide you guidance, design, customization, support and maintenance for your store.
Before hiring a Magento agency, it’s important to understand the Magento agency workflow, so you can assess the compatibility of the agency with your business. In this guide, we’ll provide you with a detailed overview of the Magento Agency Workflow, which can help you make an informed decision about your Magento agency partner.
Step 1: Understanding the Client’s Business
The first thing a Magento agency will do is to get a thorough understanding of the client’s business. This is crucial because without understanding the business, the agency won’t be able to build a store that aligns with the client’s business objectives.
To gather such information, the agency will ask the client questions related to their products, target audience, marketing strategies, and the overall business plan. They will also analyze the client’s existing website to identify areas for improvement.
Step 2: Defining the Project Scope & Deliverables
Once the agency has a clear understanding of the client’s business and requirements, they will define the project scope and deliverables. This will include a detailed project plan outlining the timeline, budget, and milestones.
The project scope will define the functionalities of the Magento store and identify the customizations that are required. The agency will prepare an SRS (Software Requirement Specification) document, which outlines the project requirements, design specifications, and timelines.
Step 3: Design & Layout
The design and layout of a Magento store can significantly impact the overall user experience. Once the project scope and deliverables are clearly defined, the agency will magento agency work on the design and layout of the Magento store.
The design phase includes creating a wireframe and designing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of the website. The agency will provide the client with designs and they will work together to finalize the design that aligns with their brand image.
Step 4: Development and Customization
The next step in the Magento agency workflow is development and customization. In this phase, the Magento agency will build the store based on the designs, project scope, and deliverables defined in the previous steps.
During development, the agency will break down the project into individual tasks and assign them to their developers. This typically involves creating and setting up the store’s framework, setting up payment gateways, and integrating third-party plugins.
Customization includes creating custom modules, custom themes, and integrating external APIs. The agency will spend significant time in testing and quality assurance to make sure the store is performing optimally and is bug-free.
Step 5: Launch
Once developed, the Magento agency will conduct extensive testing to ensure there are no major bugs and issues with the store. Once the testing is successful, the agency will launch the Magento store.
The agency will configure the store for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), analytics, and other tools required to run the store. This involves setting up Google Analytics, adding important schema markup, implementing site speed optimization techniques, and more.
After the launch, the agency will provide necessary training for the client’s team to manage the store’s backend and frontend.
Step 6: Support & Maintenance
Finally, after launching the store, the agency will provide ongoing support and maintenance for the store. This includes monitoring the store, updating and maintaining the plugins, and ensuring compatibility with the latest Magento version.
The Magento agency will also work closely with the client to add features and functionalities that enhance the store and align with any changes in business objectives. This will involve working on regular projects or retainer-ship plans with the client.
Conclusion
Understanding the Magento agency workflow is vital before making the decision to hire a Magento agency. It helps ensure that the agency you select aligns with your business objectives and has the expertise to deliver the store you require. A reputable Magento agency will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the workflow and guide you through the entire process.