Hey there, fellow e-commerce enthusiasts! Let's talk about spicing up your online business game with some top-notch solutions. If you've been on the lookout for ways to boost your online store's efficiency, you're in luck! Enter Magento - the superhero among e-commerce platforms that's been hitting the mark.
Hey, savvy e-commerce wizards! Are you ready for a whirlwind adventure into the vibrant world of online selling? Picture this: you're about to embark on a quest to find the ultimate e-commerce platform that'll skyrocket your business to the stars. Today, we're spilling the beans on the hottest topic around – the top alternatives to Magento in 2024.
Hey there, fellow Magento store managers!
As the title indicates, this article will discuss everything there is to know about setting up a content delivery network (CDN) in Magento 2. However, we first need to familiarise ourselves with a CDN. What is a Content Delivery Network? The simplest way to define a CDN is that it is a group of servers that are dispersed across different geographic locations. These servers are used to cache content close to users. Today, every major website or web application uses a CDN to serve its users. The below image provides a visual explanation of how a CDN works. Source: Cloudfare As can be seen in the above image, the content is delivered to the user from the closest server rather than the origin server. This ensures minimal load on the original server as the traffic is distributed across various servers. Nowadays, the use of CDN has become quite important. The most notable example is Netflix. Did you ever wonder how users are able to watch their favourite content in high-quality without worrying about downtime or service degradation? Considering that Netflix has millions of subscribers, this is no less than an achievement. It is made possible only through the efficient use of CDN. The below image shows the extent to which Netflix relies upon CDNs. Source: Netflix Given Netflix’s growing subscriber base, it is likely that Netflix will set up more servers in the coming years. Now, before we elaborate on the steps to set up a CDN in Magento, we’ll talk about why using a Magento CDN is a must nowadays. This will give a better understanding of CDNs. Benefits of a Magento CDN Improves Loading Speed Nowadays, website loading speed has a direct impact on the user experience. If a website or web app takes longer than 3 seconds to load, users will simply move on. Most recent statistics point that the waiting time has come from 3 to 2 seconds. Naturally, as internet speeds improve, users will expect faster loading times. A CDN increases a website’s loading speed by delivering content to users from the nearest servers. Thus, if a user in Australia logs into Netflix, they won’t be accessing content from a US server. Instead, they’ll be linked to an Australian server. This localisation of content ensures minimal loading times. Scalability During promotional events, websites experience high levels of traffic. Suppose you are running a Magento store in the UK. During the Christmas period, you decide to slash product prices by up to 50%. Naturally, this will drive traffic as the audience will be looking to get a good deal. In most cases, when websites experience a sudden increase in traffic, the server goes down. It means the website won’t load for most users. Even it does manage to load, the speed will be quite slow, thereby leading to negative user experience. This is where a CDN comes into play. It helps distribute traffic across multiple servers, thereby helping online stores deal with sudden increase in traffic. By keeping the store operational during sales events, you can generate considerable sales. At the time, users will be extremely happy and reward you with positive word of mouth. Increases Ranking Google and almost every other search engine uses a website’s loading speed in their search algorithm. Thus, higher the loading speed, the better the ranking in search engine result pages. As CDNs boost a website’s loading times, Magento store owner can expect a noticeable increase in rankings. In other words, a CDN can boost your search engine optimisation strategy. However, SEO is a vast field. Using a CDN alone will not do much to improve rankings. You’ll have to come up with a comprehensive strategy which focuses on off-page, on-page, and technical SEO. You also may want to read: Top 8 CDN Providers for Magento 2 Now, let’s turn our attention to how to set up a CDN in Magento. A Step-By-Step Dive into Setting Up a CDN in Magento 2 Step 1: Log in to your Magento 2 admin panel and navigate to Stores Settings Configuration . Step 2: In the left panel under General , choose Web . Step 3: In the upper-left corner, set Store View as needed Step 4: Expand Base URLs section and do the following: In the Base URL for Static View Files field, enter the CDN URL for static view files. In the Base URL for User Media Files field, enter the CDN URL for JavaScript and CSS files. Step 5: Expand Base URLs (Secure) section and do the following: In the Secure Base URL for Static View Files field, enter the CDN URL for static view files over HTTPS. In the Secure Base URL for User Media Files field, enter the CDN URL for JavaScript and CSS files over HTTPS. Step 6: Click Save Config. Step 7: Flush the Magento 2 cache by going to the main menu, selecting System Cache Management. Click Flush Magento Cache. After flushing the cache, your Magento 2 store should now be using your CDN. Additional Tips to Keep in Mind When Using a Magento CDN If you are using a CDN with a custom domain, you will need to create a CNAME record for your CDN domain that points to your Magento 2 store's domain. You can test your CDN configuration by using a tool like Pingdom or WebPageTest. If you are having trouble setting up your CDN, you can contact your CDN provider for support. Who Should Use a Magento CDN? From an eCommerce perspective, the following Magento stores must use a CDN: Large Stores Magento stores with a large product catalogue must invest in a CDN. Since the website is filled with high-resolution product images and other media, loading times can be slow. A CDN can boost the website loading times. Geographically Dispersed Stores If a store is active in multiple regions, investing in a CDN is a wise choice. The CDN will serve users through a server closest to them. High Traffic eCommerce Stores As mentioned earlier, CDN is a perfect solution to deal with sudden increases in website traffic. If your website already enjoys a good traffic, investing in a CDN can help offset the impact of any sudden increase. Final Thoughts on Magento 2 CDN This concludes our article on setting up a CDN in Magento 2. As you can see, the steps are quite straightforward. Nevertheless, if you still face any issues, contact our support team . They’ll guide you through every step.
As a Magento 2 store owner or admin, you must have detailed knowledge about Magento 2 shipping settings. Due to the high competition, configuring the settings correctly can help you gain competitive advantage and improve your Magento store’s sales. If you are worried about your store’s sales, then we recommend that you refer to our article on how to utilise AI to boost your Magento sales . Coming back to our original topic, Magento 2 shipping settings offer various options. One is the table rates shipping method where the shipment cost is based on different variables. In other words, the shipment cost is not fixed but subject to change according to the variables such as weight, dimensions, shape, and more. This offers greater flexibility to customers and store owners. For more information, refer to our detailed guide on how to set up table rates shipping method in Magento 2 . The other option is to set up a flat rate shipping method . In this method, a uniform price is charged regardless of the item’s dimensions as long as they don’t exceed a certain limit. In this tutorial, we will see how to configure flat rate shipping method in Magento 2. Benefit of Flat Rate Shipping Method Simplified Pricing This shipping method is much simpler compared to other method. Customers know that they must pay a specific fee regardless of the product weight or package dimensions. Easier Budgeting From a business perspective, store owners can easily assess the money they must spend on shipping. This makes financial management easier. Reduces Cart Abandonment Store owners can display the shipping costs along and the product price together. Since customers know the full price upfront, they are less likely to abandon the cart. In comparison, when shipping costs are displayed at the end as in table rate shipping, cart abandonment rate is high since the total cost may exceed the user’s budget. Less Errors There’s less risk of making errors when calculating the shipping rates since the rate is fixed regardless of the variables. Drawbacks of Magento 2 Flat Rate Shipping Method Overpaying The number one drawback of this shipping method is that customers may overpay for smaller items for whom the actual shipping rate is low. The customers may perceive it as unfair. This can lead to a negative user experience and customers will be hesitant to engage in a repeat purchase. No Flexibility Another drawback is that this method is inflexible as it fails to account for different weights, dimensions, and other variables. This makes it unfeasible for businesses that sell customisable products. Magento 2 Shipping Settings – How to Set Up Flat Rate Shipping Method Go to Magento 2 Admin Area. Navigate to Stores -> Settings -> Configuration. Under Sales , select Shipping Methods . You will see all the available shipping methods. Expand the Flat Rate option . Flat Rate Shipping Method Configuration Let’s elaborate these options one by one. Enabled: Choose ‘Yes’ to enable. When enabled, the Flat Rate shipping option will be displayed in the Estimated Shipping and Tax section of the Shopping Cart and also in the Shipping Methods section during checkout. Title: The title is the name that your customers see as the name for this shipping method during checkout. Change it to something that makes sense to customers such as ‘Standard Shipping’ etc. Method Name: It is the internal name that describes the method of calculation used to produce a shipping estimate. Fixed Percentage Type: This setting is very important but easily overlooked. It defines the type of calculation to determine the flat rate. The 3 options are: None: This type sets Flat Rate to zero which means no shipping rate or free shipping. Per Order: Sets the flat rate for an entire order. Per Item: Sets a separate flat rate for each item in the cart. The total rate is calculated by multiplying the flat rate with the number of items in the cart. The multiplication is done irrespective of the nature of items in the cart. Configure Flat Rate Price & Handling Fee Price: The actual price you want to charge customers for Flat Rate shipping. This price will be displayed for an order when you choose the Per Order option or will be multiplied with the number of items in the cart if you choose the Per Item option under the Type dropdown. Calculate Handling Fee: Handling fee is the fee that covers the cost of warehouse storage, packing and shipment etc. and are charged on top of the order subtotal or shipping fee. You can calculate the handling fee either by fixed or percentage amount using this option. Handling Fee: The actual amount you want to charge to cover the handling expenses. If you have chosen the Percentage option in the Calculate Handling Fee and you want to charge $5 as the handling fee, enter 0.05, not 5%. For a Fixed amount, simply enter 5. Displayed Error Message: Enter a custom error message that you want to display when a customer chooses Flat Rate but it’s not available for some reason. Restrict Flat Rate Shipping for Specific Countries Ship to Applicable Countries: Choose All Allowed Countries if you allow Flat Rate shipping to all countries or select specific countries. Sort Order: Set the order for Flat Rate to display with other shipping methods during checkout. When done, click Save Config . Magento 2 Multiple Flat Rate Shipping Restrictions In some cases, store admins may want to create multiple flat rate shipping restrictions. In that case, you’ll need a third-party extension. Using our Magento 2 Shipping Restrictions Extension , you can easily restrict shipping options based on various variables, including specific days, time, customer groups, store views, and more. After creating the restrictions, the user can set the priority for each. Also check our ready-made solution to add in your store. Store Pickup With Locator Magento 2 Store Pickup Extension lets customers buy online and pick up from an offline store. Add "store pickup" as a shipping method, enabling customers to select the nearest shop to save on shipping time and cost. Check it out! > Conclusion In conclusion, configuring flat rate shipping method is important if you charge a uniform shipping amount. This payment method, however, does not suit most stores as well as customers because different stores sell items of different dimensions and ship them to different locations, hence they should be charged accordingly. Got Questions? If you have any issue in configuring Flat Rate Shipping Method in Magento 2, you can contact our support team by submitting a ticket here .
If you are a Magento developer, then you’ll benefit from this article greatly as we are going to discuss everything there’s to know about Magento 2 template hints. Before we discuss how to enable template path hints in Magento 2, let’s understand what Magento 2 template hints are and how it benefits the developers. What are Magento 2 Template Hints? By enabling "Template Path Hints", you can see exactly which file a particular area of the page is created from. This makes it easy to locate a particular .phtml file and update it to make changes in the specific content on the storefront. Now, let’s turn our attention towards the benefits. Why Should You Use Magento 2 Template Path Hints? Quick Debugging The topmost reason merchants use Magento is because of its customisability. Naturally, when considerable custom work is done, there are chances of bugs. Enabling the Magento 2 template hints allows developers to see which template file is used to render a specific part of the webpage. This speeds up the process of identifying and fixing coding issues. Saves Time If you need to make changes to your store, then developers require considerable time to browse through directories to find the relevant template files. When the template path hints are enabled, developers can easily pinpoint the exact file they need to modify, thereby speeding up the development process. Enabling Template Path Hints in Magento Template path hints can be enabled for either the storefront or the Admin. If Magento 2 template hints are not showing on storefront, then you can use any of the following two methods to fix this problem. Method 1: Enable Template Path Hints in Magento 2 Via Admin Panel Login to your Admin panel Navigate to Stores -> Configuration -> Advanced -> Developer Expand the " Debug " section Enable Template Path Hints for Storefront To enable template path hints for the Storefront, set “ Enable Template Path Hints for Storefront ” to Yes . To enable hints for storefront with url parameter, set Enable hints for Storefront with URL Parameter to Yes . Make sure to Clear Magento Cache if template path hints for storefront are not working. Keep in mind that after enabling the Magento 2 template path hints, your website will slow down significantly. Therefore, only enable this feature in development mode. For more information, refer to our guide on how to set Magento 2 modes . Enable Template Path Hints for Admin To Enable template path hints for the Admin , set Enabled Template Path Hints for Admin to Yes. Click " Save Config " Now Clear Magento Cache: On the Admin sidebar, go to System -> Tools -> Cache Management -> click Flush Magento Cache . If you refresh your front end view (your website) you should now see Template Path Hints enabled for you and you can easily trace the .phtml files and edit it. Method 2: Enable Magento 2 Template Hints via Command Line Connect to your store with SSH terminal, and go to the root directory of your Magento 2 store. To Enable Template Hints via CLI: php bin/magento dev:template-hints:enable To Disable Template Hints via CLI: php bin/magento dev:template-hints:disable Clear Cache via CLI: Make sure, you clear Magento 2 cache if Magento 2 template hints are not showing. Clear Magento Cache to remove all hints from the store using the following command: bin/magento cache:flush Final Thoughts on Magento 2 Template Hints That’s all about enabling template path hints in Magento 2. This is as straightforward as it seems. However, no question is a wrong question so don’t hesitate to contact us in case you have any questions related to template path hints in Magento 2 . Read More: Add Custom Variable to Email Template in Magento 2 How to Create a Gift Card in Magento 2? How to Add a Canonical URL in Magento 2? FAQs About Magento 2 Template Path Hints 1. What are template path hints in Magento 2? It is a feature that helps developers see which template file is used for a specific part on any webpage. 2. What to do if Magento 2 template hints not showing? If the template path hints are not showing, then repeat the above steps again. Ensure that you clear the cache. In most cases, users forget to clear the cache. 3. Are there any security concerns related to showing template hints? If you enable the template path hints in production mode, then users can see the internal structure of your store. This information is sensitive and can be misused. 4. Can I enable template paths for specific URLs? Yes, you can do so easily. All you need to do is set Enable hints for Storefront with URL Parameter to Yes.