Apollo\u2019s e-store is one of Estonia\u2019s best-known online shops, where thousands of people shop every day. However, the existing solution had started to become outdated: official support for the e-commerce platform had ended, and adding new features was becoming increasingly difficult. In collaboration with Opus, Apollo\u2019s e-store went through a comprehensive upgrade, resulting in a secure and modern shopping environment.<\/p>\n
Extensive negotiations preceded the project, as Apollo wanted to bring in a partner with a fresh perspective, and several technical and business issues needed to be resolved. \u201cApollo\u2019s e-store was running on the Magento 1 platform, which had reached end-of-life and had become risky to use. In addition, the solution was technically outdated, and adding various features required commissioning separate and costly development work,\u201d explained Opus CEO Margus Eha.<\/p>\n
When selecting a partner, Opus\u2019 long-term experience in building large and flexible online stores was decisive. \u201cWe already had expertise from similar projects, which allowed us to accurately estimate how much time and resources such development would actually require,\u201d said Eha.<\/p>\n
The core of the development work was migrating Apollo\u2019s online store to the modern and improved open-source Magento 2<\/strong> platform. \u201cIn addition to resolving security risks, the new platform ensures the store\u2019s long-term cost efficiency \u2013 while earlier even small changes often required development work, now the store\u2019s manager can handle them independently,\u201d said Eha.<\/p>\n Thanks to the new Magento version, Apollo\u2019s e-store gained several new features. \u201cFor example, Apollo wasn\u2019t satisfied with its previous search system, which was limited to an overlay search and inconvenient for customers. In the updated version, we built a completely new drop-down search, where products can also be quickly found by category,\u201d Eha explained.<\/p>\n For front-end development, Opus chose the Next.js<\/strong> framework, suitable for larger and more complex online stores that require flexibility for various business needs. \u201cAnother advantage is user convenience \u2013 the store is rendered on the server instead of the customer\u2019s device, which ensures faster loading speeds and thus better visibility in search engines,\u201d added Eha.<\/p>\n Next.js also made it possible to create a fresh front-end independent of the back-end. \u201cIf the back-end needs upgrading in the future, the user interface won\u2019t need to be touched. This solution gives the client more freedom and reduces development costs by at least a fifth in the long run,\u201d said Eha.<\/p>\n Throughout the development process, Opus followed the principle of decoupling. Much of the store\u2019s functionality was moved out of Magento into standalone modules, reducing the risk of system downtime and making platform management significantly simpler:<\/p>\n A PIM system, Akeneo, was introduced, allowing suppliers to manage their own products in the portal.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n For content management, an external CMS was integrated, offering a much more convenient experience compared to Magento\u2019s default capabilities.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Searches were migrated to the Elasticsearch platform, ensuring that large data volumes wouldn\u2019t overload the server and searches would remain fast.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Image management was moved to a CDN, reducing server load and improving loading speed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n According to Eha, the biggest challenge of the project was balancing strict internal quality standards with deadlines. \u201cFor large-scale projects with significant financial investment, it is crucial to ensure the system is sustainable in the long term. We rely on thorough code reviews, clear development standards, and automated processes for implementing and deploying changes,\u201d said Eha. \u201cWe did not compromise on quality, and the project was completed by the original deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n Another important aspect of large projects is involving the client\u2019s staff. \u201cPeople who will later manage the store must feel that it was built specifically for them. This requires close communication and flexibility in creating different features, many of which we implemented in Apollo\u2019s project,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cApollo\u2019s e-store is now ready for the challenges of the next decade \u2013 the system is secure, fast, user-friendly, and technically flexible. The new online store supports Apollo\u2019s business growth and delivers a better shopping experience for thousands of customers,\u201d concluded Eha.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Apollo\u2019s e-store is one of Estonia\u2019s best-known online shops, where thousands of people shop every day. However, the existing solution had started to become outdated: official support for the e-commerce platform had ended, and adding new features was becoming increasingly difficult. 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No Compromise on Quality<\/b><\/h2>\n