Modernizing 13-Year Old Highly Complex eCommerce System
A large-scale data migration to re-platform ProAudioStar’s backend system from Magento 1 to Magento 2 with flawless implementation.
The Client
Our client sell Professional Audio instruments like Guitars, Keyboards, DJ Equipments, Lighting, Production and Drums. Started in 2010 with seven brands and a couple of hundred products, they’ve sold more than 20 Million musical gears since then. And Today, they offer more than 50,000 musical gears from more than 500 brands to choose from.
The Challenge
ProAudioStar’s Magento 1 platform had reached the end of its life, creating significant challenges due to outdated dependencies, including an unsupported PHP version and security vulnerabilities. As Magento 1 reached end-of-life, the risks of running an obsolete platform grew, from potential security breaches to compatibility issues that could disrupt operations.
Upgrading to Magento 2 wasn’t just an option—it was a necessity. However, this wasn’t a simple migration. It involved untangling 13 years of accumulated legacy data, including millions of customer records, order histories, and custom-built functionalities deeply embedded in the system. Every aspect of the platform, from integrations with third-party tools to custom extensions, needed to be assessed, re-engineered, or rebuilt for Magento 2’s modern architecture.
Beyond the technical challenges, the migration had to be executed seamlessly to avoid disrupting daily operations. With thousands of daily transactions, any downtime could mean lost revenue and frustrated customers. The transition had to be precise, ensuring that performance, SEO rankings, and customer experience remained intact post-migration.
- Massive Data Migration: 80,000 SKUs, 850,000 orders, and 123,000 customers.
- Multi-Channel Sales: Amazon, eBay, and Reverb were all connected.
- Warehouses in Two Locations: Brooklyn, NY, and Winchester, VA.
- Custom Code from Multiple Teams: Features built by over four Magento development teams.
- ERP Bottlenecks: Microsoft Dynamics GP was slowing down the website.
- Single Magento Instance for Everything: Handling web and marketplace sales in one place led to sluggish performance.
- Fragmented Customer Support: Calls, emails, and chat were all over the place.
- The Biggest Challenge? Zero downtime allowed!
This wasn’t just a migration—it was a high-stakes transformation, redefining how ProAudioStar leveraged eCommerce technology to scale and future-proof its business.
The Approach
We began the migration by conducting a comprehensive review of ProAudioStar’s Magento 1 store, analyzing its architecture, database, and custom functionalities. After 13 years, the system had accumulated outdated modules and inefficiencies. Some features were no longer in use, while others were critical and needed careful reengineering for Magento 2.
To ensure a seamless transition, we collaborated closely with internal teams and external stakeholders, mapping out business-critical processes, third-party integrations, and customer-facing features. A structured migration strategy was designed to move millions of records—including customer profiles, order histories, and product catalogs—without disrupting the business. Automated tools and validation scripts ensured data accuracy at every stage.
Recognizing the need for a modern, scalable solution, we optimized the new Magento 2 environment with improved caching mechanisms, a refined database structure, and enhanced security protocols. Key integrations—including payment gateways, ERP connectors, and marketing automation tools—were tested and optimized for compatibility.
This meticulous approach ensured a robust, scalable, and future-ready eCommerce platform for ProAudioStar, empowering the brand with enhanced performance, security, and long-term growth potential.
- Optimized Server Architecture: We implemented a clustered server setup to separate sales channels and improve performance. This included dedicated servers for applications, databases, files, caching, load balancing, enterprise search, and staging.
- Seamless Data Migration: In-house ETL models handled both scheduled and on-demand transfers from old to new servers.
- Enhanced Security & Performance: Cloudflare Web Application Firewall (WAF) was deployed with advanced features like CDN, rate limiting, page and API shielding, DDoS protection, and page caching.
- Fraud Prevention: Integrated advanced fraud detection tools from Signifyd and Braintree.
- Flexible Payment Options: Customers could now pay using Credit Cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Affirm, Sezzle, Zip, and Bread Pay.
- Centralized Product Management: Akeneo was introduced as the Product Information Management (PIM) system.
- Unified Customer Support: Zendesk brought all customer service channels under one system.
- Custom ERP Integration: Performance and scalability were prioritized to ensure smooth backend operations.
The Results
Since November 21, 2021, ProAudioStar has achieved 100% uptime, ensuring a seamless shopping experience. Performance optimizations led to faster page loads, averaging just 3.1 milliseconds.
Growth in Sales & Engagement:
- Page Load-Time slashed from 7.4ms to 3.1ms
- Average Order Value (AoV) surged from $575 to $852
- Conversion Rate more than doubled, jumping from 0.48% to 1.13%
- 71% of traffic now comes from mobile, driven by a mobile-first strategy
- Daily web orders range between 450 and 600
Operational Efficiency Gains:
- Hosting costs reduced by 40% with a new clustered server architecture
- Shipping costs cut by 32% through a volumetric weight-based engine for FedEx & UPS
- Order fulfillment accelerated: Shipping & handling time shrank from 4 days to just 7 hours, with 80% of orders shipped same-day
- Returns processing time dropped from 6 days to 2 days
- Customer service efficiency improved, achieving 81% first-touch resolution across all support channels
This transformation revolutionized ProAudioStar’s eCommerce operations, delivering a faster, more efficient, and cost-effective shopping experience. With near-instant page loads, optimized checkout processes, and seamless mobile accessibility, customers enjoy a frictionless and engaging shopping journey.
Operational efficiencies, from same-day order fulfillment to reduced shipping costs, have strengthened profitability while enhancing customer satisfaction. The streamlined warehouse and ERP integration ensures rapid processing, while the mobile-first approach captures a growing digital audience.
These improvements have positioned ProAudioStar for sustained growth and long-term success, enabling scalability, stronger customer loyalty, and a competitive edge in the pro audio industry. As technology and consumer expectations evolve, ProAudioStar remains well-equipped to innovate, adapt, and thrive in the dynamic eCommerce landscape.
