Introduction to Magento Platform

Overview

• Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform owned by Adobe.
• Primarily a B2C platform, but also has B2B extensions.
• Allows businesses to set up online shops and manage e-commerce activities.

Magento Products

• Magento Commerce (Enterprise Edition):
  • Paid license with additional features not found in the open-source version.
  • Includes features like Payment Bridge, PCI compliance, and Magento support.
• Magento Open Source:
  • Free to use open-source license.
• Commerce Cloud:
  • Includes Magento Commerce features plus Amazon hosting.
  • Managed by Magento.
• Extensions and Systems:
  • Order management back-end and detailed business reports available.
  • Additional extensions by third-party developers to extend functionality.

Magento Features

• Multi-site, Multi-country, Multi-language, Multi-currency:
  • Supports different settings, integrations, and payment gateways per country.
• Security:
  • Regular security patches and updates.
  • Widely tested and used, ensuring robust security.
• Customization:
  • Extensive customization options for businesses.
  • Built-in features for taxes, product types, and APIs.

Magento Versions

• Currently on Magento 2.2.5 (as of August 2018).
• Both Magento 1 and Magento 2 have open-source and paid versions.
• Magento 2 includes additional features and enhancements over Magento 1.

Using Magento Backend

• Dashboard:
  • Displays lifetime sales, recent purchases, order summaries.
• Product Management:
  • Supports simple, configurable, group, virtual, bundle, and downloadable products.
  • Offers extensive product customization, pricing, promotions, SEO options.
• Customer Management:
  • Edit customer info, view order history, assist in purchases.
• Sales and Order Management:
  • Manage orders, shipments, invoices, and returns.
  • Customizable order views and export options.
• Marketing and Promotions:
  • Catalog and cart price rules for promotions.
  • Customize transactional email templates.

Content and Design Management

• Handle page content, layout, design elements, and banners.
• Multiple site design configurations possible.

Reporting and Business Intelligence

• Basic sales, marketing, and product reports.
• Advanced business intelligence reports available for an additional fee.

Configuration Options

• Extensive configuration for products, store settings, payment, shipping, tax, and currency.
• Strong capabilities for both single and multi-site setups.

Conclusion

• Magento is a powerful eCommerce platform suitable for businesses requiring customization and robust features.
• Comprehensive set of tools and configurations for managing online stores effectively.

Additional Resources

• Series of detailed videos available for learning specific features on Astro Web's YouTube channel.
• Further inquiries and support available through comments or direct contact.