11 benefits of PrestaShop 8

In late October, PrestaShop 8 was launched, providing users with numerous enhancements. This blog post highlights over 11 reasons why upgrading to PrestaShop 8 will result in greater flexibility and growth.

If you are already on PrestaShop 1.7, upgrading to PrestaShop 8 is not a major undertaking. This is because you have already done all the redevelopment of your shop during the upgrade to 1.7. The only thing to keep in mind is a few minor front-end updates for your custom components during the upgrade.

Why should you upgrade to PrestaShop 8?

If your webshop is not yet on PrestaShop 1.7, it is important to note that PrestaShop 1.6 is no longer supported by PrestaShop itself. This means that certain addons and modules can no longer be used safely, and no new modules will be developed for 1.6. Additionally, your shop is running on outdated software and therefore not well-protected. The risk of hacking or a data breach is increased. Furthermore, maintaining development and custom components is becoming increasingly difficult. In short, your shop is no longer future-proof, so we strongly recommend upgrading. We are happy to assist you in safely redesigning your webshop to the latest version.

The key improvements in PrestaShop 8

The key improvements in PrestaShop 8 include a completely new technology stack, featuring PHP 8 (and higher), Symfony 4, and an enhanced templating system. Additionally, the fundamental checkout process has been expanded, and there are numerous other enhancements such as a more user-friendly administrative interface, better search engine optimization, increased third-party integrations, improved performance, and a simplified sales experience.

11 benefits of PrestaShop 8:

1. PrestaShop 8 is built on the latest PrestaShop framework, offering greater flexibility and ease of use.

2. PrestaShop 8 features a new dashboard for administrators to gain deeper insights into their store's performance.

3. PrestaShop 8 leverages a new set of web tools such as React and Webpack, providing developers with even more options to customize their store.

4. PrestaShop 8 boasts a streamlined theme editor, making it easier to create new pages.

5. PrestaShop 8 introduces a new search engine optimization feature, allowing merchants to better promote their products.

6. PrestaShop 8 offers more flexibility in managing products, categories, and prices.

7. PrestaShop 8 has an optimized checkout process for an improved user experience.

8. PrestaShop 8 provides enhanced security with better protection against hackers and secure handling of customer data.

9. The PrestaShop API has been greatly improved, making it easier to integrate custom components.

10. PrestaShop 8 is developed by the community, meaning faster development and greater compatibility with other components such as PHP. The intention of the community is to release a new version of PrestaShop with every PHP update.

11. PrestaShop 8 features new password options, making the login process even easier.

In conclusion, PrestaShop 8 shows great promise. Our team is excited to work with it and further optimize our clients' webshops. Our developers are already hard at work creating modules for the addon store. However, we will wait until the second version of PrestaShop 8 is released in the spring before offering it to our clients. If you would like more information or to explore the possibilities that the upgrade will offer your webshop, please don't hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to assist you.