5 Must-have skills of a Magento developer

The success of an eCommerce site depends on the platform on which it is built. The choice of the platform impacts the success and the lifespan of the online store. Especially, when it is all about the scaling of the business in the online eCommerce market, the first choice of website development platform is always Magento.

 Magento is a cost-effective, open-source Content Management System or CMS built in PHP. It was actually created using the Zend framework and is now considered as the most demanding and well-designed eCommerce development platform. Magento has now come up with its new version, Magento 2 which has many new and advanced features, extensions, themes, plugins, and functionalities for modern e-store development.

However, the high demand of Magento and with Magento already powering more than 34 percent of the active websites on the internet, it is important to have a highly engaging, customer-friendly, and competitive e-store today to stay ahead on the SERPs. And that's the reason why choosing a skilled and capable Magento developer is important.

Efficient development and the right use of the platform and its features, extensions, and themes need the right skills and capabilities. Here are the must-have skills of a Magento developer. Take a look.

Knowledge of programming languages:

Magento is a PHP-based platform. Hence, a Magento programmer must be capable of using all related programming languages and technologies like HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and of course PHP. Apart from these, the developer should be capable of modular development, must be familiar with the MVC structure, possess in-depth knowledge of OOP or Object-Oriented programming, knowledge of databases like MySQL, proficiency in using XML, and expertise in using NodeJs, JQuery, Gulp, Grunt, and Boostrap for excellent front-end development.

Magento 2 development:

A good Magento programmer will surely be able to work with all the versions of the platform especially the latest one that's Magento 2. Magento 2 has got many new advanced and improved features, extensions, themes, and functionalities that the developer should be aware of and should have proficiency in. The competition level is increasing on the web and this makes it important to look for a developer who can use the latest technologies and this is applicable to Magento as well. A Magento 2 website can ensure a more personalised experience for the shoppers with features like one-step checkout, quick search, etc. And this makes it essential for the developer to have expertise in using it as per the project requirements. The developer should also be able to migrate an old Magento site to its new version.

Magento certification:

Certification gives authenticity. And to test the skills of a Magento programmer, you need to ensure that he or she has qualified the Magento certification examination. If the professional is certified, you can be sure that he or she will have in-depth technical knowledge and expertise in the field.

Working abilities with Magento themes, extensions and modules:

A creative and professional Magento programmer must know the pros of using the available Magento themes, modules, and extensions. And the developer must also know how to choose and use the themes, extensions and modules as per the specific project requirements. The use of these creative, responsive themes, extensions and modules can ensure efficient, attractive, and professional Magento development.

Knowledge of eCommerce integration:

E-Commerce integration saves a lot of time and effort by automating the entire workflow and reducing the chances of data and processes redundancy. E-Commerce website development needs proper eCommerce integration and every Magento programmer must have strong knowledge and understanding of eCommerce integration with different platforms and options like different payment gateways, etc.

SEO knowledge is important:

Making an eCommerce site SEO-friendly is important to ensure a high ranking on the SERPs. When you are choosing a Magento programmer, make sure the professional has adequate knowledge of SEO techniques and strategies. Remember, an optimised website will be able to drive and engage more traffic and conversions.

Clean development and testing skills:

With many team members working on a single project, maintaining a clean coding structure becomes highly important. So, make sure the developer maintains the coding standards and structure.

Also, the developer should have the practice of testing the Magento websites repeatedly using different methods and tools. This will ensure flawless and high-performing Magento website development.

Custom CMS theme development skills:

The developer must be able to develop custom themes as well as per the project and client requirements apart from using those ready-made and in-built themes available in Magento.

Apart from these, the Magento developer must possess certain soft skills like problem-solving skills to easily fix bugs and glitches during the development process, easy and effective communication skills with the other team members and the client, and creative thinking skills, which are very important for creating an attractive and engaging eCommerce site.

Jonathan Paul is an expert and dedicated Magento developer associated with the top Magento development company in Australia, PHPProgrammers. The author has written this article to help you choose the right developer for your next Magento project considering the must-have skills.