The JetRails Podcast

How has the Magento Extension world evolved? Which types of extensions are in demand? How does the Magento Marketplace fit into the mix? What are the top support issues extension developers face? A few weeks ago, Robert sat down with a couple of veterans of the Magento Extension world to get answers!

Guests: Alexander Galtsow + Artem Kuznetsov of Aheadworks.com, a RaveDigital company

Host: Robert Rand of JetRails.com

Nextopia and Searchspring spent years competing head-to-head to provide eCommerce sites with the best site-search and navigation tools. They each honed their solutions to help shoppers connect with products that they were most likely to purchase.

Then they were both bought by the same company.

Now they're one company: Searchspring.

What's happening behind the scenes? Why is there tech so valuable? Why do merchants need help from a company like Searchspring to deliver better shopping experiences? We've got answers!

Guest: Thomas Turley, Searchspring.com

Host: Robert Rand, JetRails.com

Recommended Reading: https://jetrails.com/blog/3-ways-to-improve-your-magento-search/

https://searchspring.com/magento-end-of-life:-stats,-dates,-solutions-&-resources/

In previous episodes, we've discussed optimizing product data, and the term "PIM" always comes up. So we invited a guest to break down just what a good PIM does, and how product information management software can bring a lot of value to businesses with eCommerce sales channels.

Guest: Jon Marsella, JasperPIM.com

Host: Robert Rand, JetRails.com

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll probably like episode 33 on Digital Merchandising too: https://jetrails.com/podcast/?season=1&episode=33

There are more teams of web developers in the world than we can count. While they all have different strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons, what if some of them started to evolve into Public Benefit Corporations? What would change? Who would be better off?

Listen to this episode to learn why one agency is following the path of companies like Allbirds, Ben & Jerries, Bombas, New Chapter, Patagonia, and Tom's Shoes to operate as a "B Corp".

Guest: Charles "Carlos" Fry of Codexitos.com

Host: Robert Rand of JetRails.com

More about Code Éxitos: https://youtu.be/v2uKCLHsCbQ

There was a time when your users would access your entire website directly from your web hosting server. Now, if you're focused on speed, security, scalability, and reliability, you're undoubtedly using an edge network to deliver a better experience to your web visitors while doing a better job of keeping your hosting server(s) stable and safe.

How does all of this work? Will this technology give you a leg up on your competitors? What about using different vendors for CDN, WAF, and other solutions that live on an edge network? We tackle this (and more) in this informative episode!

Guest: Stewart McGrath, Section.io

Host: Robert Rand, JetRails.com

If you're migrating to a new Magento 2 website, the last thing that you want to do is lose historical SEO rankings along the way. Ideally, you want replatforming to this brand new version of your eCommerce store to lead to better results, not worse.

So, how do you make sure that you accomplish your SEO goals (and avoid common pitfalls) while moving to a fresh instance of M2? Tune in to learn what to do AND what not to do to keep your SEO rankings stronger than ever!

Guest: Rita Demyanchik, Mobecls

Host: Robert Rand, JetRails

Additional Recommended Resources:

https://mobecls.com/magento-migration-seo-checklist/

https://mobecls.com/migration-seo-control/

https://jetrails.com/blog/best-seo-backlinking-sources-for-ecommerce-sites/

https://emarsys.com/learn/blog/6-ways-web-hosting-impacts-digital-marketing-success/

Magento has been in the process of deprecating just about all of their payment gateway integrations. Why are they doing it? What impact will it have? Tune in and find out!

Guest: Alex Povolotski, CollinsHarper.com

Host: Robert Rand, JetRails.com

Recommended reading:

https://community.magento.com/t5/Magento-DevBlog/Deprecation-of-Magento-core-payment-integrations/ba-p/426445

https://docs.magento.com/user-guide/stores/compliance-payment-services-directive.html

Still on Magento 1? Learn about M1 EOL Resources: https://jetrails.com/magento-1-eol-end-of-life-quick-guide/

Public Service Announcement:

If your business is being impacted by the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis, assistance is available! We highly recommend that you take advantage of initiatives like https://keepsmallstrong.org/ and https://www.tompuchalski.com/ that focus on pairing merchants with industry experts and firms, many of whom are offering services at no charge, or at steeply discounted rates.

Having proper systems and processes to allow your eCommerce team to collaborate and produce outstanding product information can give you a leg up on the competition in multiple ways. After all, your product data impacts your site navigation, digital marketing, site search, conversion rates, your ability to sell across online channels like marketplaces, and more!

Learn where businesses get stuck in the mud when it comes to managing their product data, and how some companies are taking a more modern approach to optimize their data.

Guest: Steve Engelbrecht, Sitation.com

Host: Robert Rand, JetRails.com

Public Service Announcement:

If your business is being impacted by the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis, assistance is available! We highly recommend that you take advantage of initiatives like offline2on.com/ and www.tompuchalski.com/ that focus on pairing merchants with industry experts and firms, many of whom are offering services at no charge, or at steeply discounted rates.

We've spoken about Magento 1 End of Life (EOL) and the security implications of staying on M1 after June of 2020... but in our previous episodes, we've only mentioned PCI Compliance. In this episode, we'll dive deep into the risks Magento 1 merchants will face and the actions they should take to stay compliant. Spoiler alert! Magento 1 merchants are risking losing their ability to run credit cards on their websites.

Guest: Joe Rollinson, BestWorlds.com

Host: Robert Rand, JetRails.com

Recommended Resources

Best Worlds M1 EOL PCI Compliance Checklist: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dAFeAyebPv_V8HXU8UZgLTouBdbhTqBhfi6xdZ99N9E/edit?usp=sharing

JetRails M1 EOL Security & Support: https://jetrails.com/magento-1-eol-end-of-life-quick-

guide

M1 End of Life eBook: For a 2020 update on this topic, check out this helpful eBook: https://www.bolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Bolt-Magento-1-End-of-Life-Survival-Guide-1_compressed.pdf

JetRails FAQ on PCI Compliance: https://jetrails.com/pci-compliant-hosting/

Visa Advisory on M1 EOL: https://usa.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/global/support-legal/documents/acquirer-advisory-magento-migration.pdf

Public Service Announcement:

If your business is being impacted by the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis, assistance is available from an even wider range of the eCommerce community. We highly recommend that you take advantage of initiatives like offline2on.com/ and www.tompuchalski.com/ that focus on pairing merchants with industry experts and firms, many of whom are offering services at no charge, or at steeply discounted rates.

Cash flow can make or break a business, and eCommerce businesses are no exception. Online sellers need liquidity to pay for inventory and other expenses. In times of turmoil, merchants may need more cash on hand because revenue is lower than normal. Conversely, a loan can be crucial when you need to buy more inventory or bring in more labor to meet increased demand.

While traditional loans and lines of credit may be helpful, the tech industry has created special data-driven products just for the eCommerce market. In this episode, we look at some particular offerings specifically for online sellers, while also talking about the economic landscape that merchants are currently facing.

Guest: Alex Sklar, Payability.com

Host: Robert Rand, JetRails.com

Special Offer from Payability for JetRails Podcast Listeners/Viewers: $250 Sign on Bonus + Preferred Rates for High Volume Businesses! http://go.payability.com/JetRails

Public Service Announcement:

If your business is being impacted by the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis, assistance is available from an even wider range of the eCommerce community. We highly recommend that you take advantage of initiatives like

https://offline2on.com/ and https://www.tompuchalski.com/ that focus on pairing merchants with industry experts and firms, many of whom are offering services at no charge, or at steeply discounted rates.