Magento Developers

Choosing the Top Magento Developers

A Walkthrough of Our Evaluation Methodology

If we were to summarize our process, we’d say that it starts with a thorough website visit and ends with uncovering the agencies’ pricing plans. It’s important to note that we employed the same method to every agency we vetted to make sure we stayed as objective as possible. 

Website Visit

The first (and probably most obvious) step is checking the Magento developers’ websites. Once we land there, we look for the elements listed below:

Magento Certifications

We identify the number of certifications they have, as well as the different types. Magento has an official certification system and partnership program designed to recognize experienced Magento professionals with special credentials. These include Magento Certified Solution Specialist, Certified Developer, Front End Developer Certification, and Developer Plus. Such accreditations mean the agency adheres to Magento’s strict quality codes and has passed Magento’s training. Additionally, a Magento designer has access to exclusive tools, resources, and more. 

Experience & Expertise

When it comes to Magento, experience matters more than one would think. That’s why our next step is to determine how long the agency has been around. Magento designers operating for at least three years are more likely to have gained the right experience developing and maintaining ecommerce stores.

Then, we go through each portfolio to learn the quality of the services a Magento company provides. The ideal company needs to have substantial experience developing fully functional websites with custom solutions, be agile in Magento theme and module development, and more. To prove this is the case, we take a look at their previous work. We go beyond the name of the clients — we look for results.

What About Magento 2?

Released in 2015, Magento 2 succeeded Magento 1 and came out with an improved performance, better back-end UI, better front-end codebase, and reduced number of conflicts between modules. You will find only the Magento development companies that are certified with the M2 version on our list.

Services & Specialties

A full-service agency provides end-to-end design and development services. Usually, these agencies aren’t a one-person band but have a dedicated team that handles different workloads. Not only is this more time-efficient, but it also ensures high-quality service. So our next step is to determine whether the Magento agency is a full-service provider. 

Proficiency in the Key Languages

Magento is written in PHP, so that’s the most important back-end language that a Magento developer should master. Knowing MySQL is also necessary due to Magento’s compatibility with this relational database. A great Magento provider would also be familiar with MVC architectures, Zend Cache (and other cache techniques), XML, Linux BASH, and Varnish.

As for the front-end languages, Magento developers should have experience in the basics such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. However, they should also know Grunt, Node, Gulp, and Bootstrap. Additionally, being familiar with Jquery and Prototype framework systems is also needed.

Custom Module Development

Custom module development is an important part of every project built on this platform. Luckily, Magento offers great flexibility in terms of customization. It has more than 25,000 ready-made solutions with different functions like managing reward points, loyalty programs, and affiliate networks. However, professional Magento developers need to be able to create new modules built specifically according to the client’s specifications. 

Custom Theme Development

The theme is what the end-user will see when they open your site. The website developers listed here are evaluated against our custom criteria for web development specialistsi, which means they are proficient at creating appealing themes that will deliver high conversion rates and user engagement. They’re able to adjust the functionality of the theme to the specific client’s requirements while making sure each part reflects their brand.

Mobile-First Approach

Magento 2 is optimized for modern browsers and devices and has a touchscreen-friendly interface. Plus, it comes with a mobile-friendly Admin panel. We want to make sure that the Magento website designers on our list put mobile at the forefront of their development strategy.

Integration

Any professional Magento developer needs to be able to integrate Magento with other apps, systems, and third-party services depending on the client’s needs. This practice can help in anything from boosting the customer experience and improving order processing to enhancing accuracy and data visibility.

Magento Migration

Regardless of whether you want to migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2, from Magento Open Source to Magento Commerce, or from another platform to Magento, the agency you choose needs to be able to help. That’s why, when selecting the best Magento developers, we take note of whether they’re apt in migration. Once we establish they are, we factor in the cost-effectiveness, data security, and speed of execution.

Project Testing and Quality Assurance

Magento has complex software that needs to be tested in order to reduce the possibility of errors and bugs, which can cause severe profit loss for the client. Quality assurance involves product evaluations that ensure the quality requirements are met. We’ll only favor a Magento web development company with a dedicated QA team. They’ll help developers deliver the product within the set deadline and detect any issues that might affect the quality of the product and UX. This includes performance testing of the UI, storefront functionalities, payment processing, and more. 

Security

We favor Magento development companies that know all the safety guidelines and make security a priority. Although Magento updates itself, we make sure to choose agencies that implement the latest security updates, provide protection against hacker attacks and threats, install the latest security patches, regularly check for vulnerabilities, and block unwanted bots.

Post Deployment Maintenance & Support

Even the slightest glitch in your Magento store can cost you a lot of money. What’s more, a poor customer experience can affect your sales in the long run. This is why you need a reliable Magento website designer available around the clock to provide support for any complex Magento environments when a problem appears.

Additional Services

Once we determine that a Magento developer offers fundamental services, we check for any additional features they can provide. 

Website Content

The content on your website is not only important for engaging potential customers but also for search engines. We look for Magento web developers with an in-house team of content marketers that can provide you with top-notch content.

UX Design

We put special focus on evaluating the agency’s ability to design custom websites that are geared toward delivering the best possible user experience. Of course, hiring a UX design expert is also an option, but on our list, you will find agencies that provide high-performing, scalable designs in addition to their development services. 

Hosting

We make sure to look for Magento ecommerce developers that provide a dedicated hosting space that ensures good speed while minimizing lags for the end-user as websites of sorts involve a lot of product data and images.

SEO & Other Types of Digital Marketing

Magento is SEO-friendly and packed with some great features. For example, it generates SEO-friendly sitemaps and URLs, enables you to define metadata easily, and provides advanced tools and plugins.

However, we try to find Magento SEO experts that can provide actionable insight into the best practices of ecommerce. Of course, there’s more to digital marketing than SEO, so companies who provide additional services typical for the top digital marketing agencies, including PPC, social media marketing, or email marketing, get more positive points with us.

Training

More often than not, the client won’t have more than basic knowledge of Magento. While official courses constitute a suitable way to learn more about the platform and get comfortable using it, it might be more time-efficient to hire Magento consultants that can offer an in-house training program. That’s why the companies that give clients the knowledge and tools to operate their site and keep their ecommerce game ahead of the competition get extra points in our evaluation process.

Project Management

Project management will guide the team in building a successful project, which is why it’s an important aspect to assess when shortlisting these Magento companies. Below are the key points we consider.

Agile vs. Waterfall

Agile project management encompasses a variety of approaches that use sprints, which are essentially work cycles. Each sprint uses mini-phases to define, build, test, and release the deliverables. On the other hand, the waterfall method uses subsequent phases—one after another—to build, test, and release the deliverables. Each phase needs to be fully completed and approved before the team can move on to the next one. Our vote would go in favor of the Magento developers following the agile method because it provides better project control, stable releases, a faster ROI, and minimal turnaround.

Do They Take a Collaborative Approach?

Any professional Magento web developer needs to know how to collaborate with the client and everyone else involved in the project. Also, we appreciate companies that are good communicators and transparent about any challenges faced, as well as the possible solutions. They should do this all while regularly notifying clients about their progress.

Reviews & Testimonials

Learning more about the experiences clients have had with each Magento development company can make or break the deal. We check third-party sites, as well as the agency’s social media profile, to find out more about any potential problems clients faced, how the agencies coped in pressure situations, and how open they were to discussions. We also uncover what their strong suits are and what they do best. It’s important to note that we don’t eliminate Magento certified developers unless the negative reviews outweigh the positive ones.

Pricing & Cost Estimation

Before finalizing the evaluation process and making our final choice, we review the pricing plans they offer. Any Magento ecommerce development company worth their salt would be transparent about this process. We try to get a price estimation per hour or by project or both and check what the charges for additional work are. Then we compare these prices with the industry standard.

Key Points to Consider Before Locking Down the Deal

Now that you know the lengths we go to make sure we list only the best Magento experts, it’s your turn to single out your ideal candidate. Below are the key points to consider before choosing which company to hire.

Analyze Your Requirements & Specify Your Project

Sit down and think about what you want. Think about what elements you want on each page and the features you want to be included. Will you enable multiple payment options? Will you accept orders from outside your country? These are important questions that should filter out the agencies that aren’t able to meet your requirements.

Set an Approximate Budget

When it comes to your budget, it’s best to set a range of what you feel comfortable spending on your Magento project. Keep in mind that Magento ecommerce developers charge between $20,000 and $60,000 for a website with basic functionality.

How Will You Communicate with the Agency?

An important thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is the type of communication the agency engages in. Ensure that you’ll be appointed a contact person who will be available when you need them. Ask them about what hours they’re reachable, as well as their preferred types of communication: phone calls, emails, Skype, and so on.

Try a Paid Test Project

Finally, to ensure the potential Magento developers you’ve shortlisted are suitable for the task, consider trying a test project. This is especially beneficial if you have a huge assignment. Although you’d have to pay for it, a test project will save you a lot of time and money down the road. Plus, it will give you peace of mind knowing that you’ve chosen the right candidate.