Prestashop maintenance mode

Although many do not know it, there are some functions in PrestaShop that can be very useful in specific moments of the creation of our online store. And it is better to maintain absolute control of the movements and actions that will make us stand out from the competition. Otherwise, we could fall into catastrophic mistakes, which would make us lose much of what we have gained with great effort or, in case we are just starting, will make us start with the wrong foot.

In the following text we will talk about what it is, what it is for and how to use the maintenance mode in PrestaShop. We hope you implement it, you will realize that everything is much simpler than it seems, that way you will begin the path to achieve the goals you have always set.

what is the maintenance mode in PrestaShop for?

It is normal that from time to time we want to make some changes to our PrestaShop store. Either to improve the image of the business or with the desire to implement new features. Regardless of the reason, some of these changes can affect the performance of the page and result in a bad experience for users.

For that reason, it is always important to let people know and stop for as long as necessary. That way, your customers will know that you are working on the site and you will avoid possible problems generated by a bad user experience.

In this sense, PrestaShop offers you its maintenance page, which you can use every time you want to make a change. This is an excellent option to communicate what we are doing and avoid possible conflicts. In the following text we will talk about how to activate it and other issues that are important for you to know.

when to use maintenance mode in PrestaShop?

We must understand that, in some ways, a virtual business is not much different from a physical one. In the latter, when you want to carry out a renovation, paint the walls, change the floor or any other issue, you will have to close for a few days during the work and plan the time when you will reopen your store.

In the same way, we must do when we are generating any kind of change or improvement in our virtual store. At this time, we can not let customers browse the page, especially because they can find a bad experience and end up playing against you.

You can activate PrestaShop maintenance, for example, if you update your product catalog, when you install or update a module on the platform, when you make changes to the database, when you change the template, when you redesign the website or when you create new sections.

By activating the maintenance page, your customers will be aware of your actions and will not take a bad image of your business, and most likely they will be eager to discover the new changes, so it becomes a way to keep people coming back to your site. In any case, try to maintain communication through other means; for example, social networks. That way, there will be no misunderstandings of any kind.

Finally, you can activate the maintenance mode in PrestaShop if you have not yet completed the development of your online store, or if you have just hired a PrestaShop hosting, and you do not quite know how the final design of your online store will be. That way, while you figure out which elements to incorporate, and the shape the whole thing will take, you will have everything deactivated and you will avoid any action that is not yet available.

Maintenance tasks you can perform

As an entrepreneur you should be aware that the planning of maintenance activities in your online store is something very important to which it will be necessary to pay close attention. Otherwise, it is normal for problems to arise. Here are some of the maintenance tasks you can perform.

One of the most common is to upload new products to the database. This includes photos, description text, prices, etc. In case you have a considerable amount of products, the best thing to do is to make an import from Excel to your PrestaShop store, in case you don’t have your company’s database synchronized.

Another action is to fill in product information. A lot of stores would work better if the people in charge, instead of just exporting the information of their products from Excel, would worry about filling in all the fields. This includes the image to the details of the items and, of course, an SEO description.

In the same way, a revision of the prices up or down is important. For an online store, a very crucial part is that the prices are correct. In case of making mistakes in this section, once the user has made his purchase, we will have to deal with returns and develop procedures that will take time and often end up with the loss of the customer.

Now, one of the essential maintenance activities is the creation of offers and discounts. Just think of the endless offers and discounts that are made every year. These are done due to the season or a special date, but regardless of the occasion, they should clearly be reflected on your website.

Whether it’s free shipping days, discounted product blocks or the promotion you plan to run, all of these require much more direct attention so that your PrestaShop store has a life of its own and features that are tailored to your customers. Remember that many people are on the hunt for promotions and stores should keep this in mind and use this to your advantage.

how to set maintenance mode in PrestaShop?

Actually, the process of setting maintenance mode in PrestaShop is quite simple. So, whether you do all the work yourself or you hire someone to help you, it won’t be complex in general. And this is because you won’t need any modules, nor will you need to introduce any kind of code to your website. The process is so simple that without any previous preparation you will be able to do it at any time.

First of all, what you need to do is to access the PrestaShop administration panel or backoffice. In the side menu that you will find, go to the Configure section and click on “Store settings” and then “Configuration”.

Now, once you have done this, a new screen will appear. In it you should select the “Maintenance” tab and set the configuration to put PrestaShop in Maintenance mode. After that, you will have to take some things into account to make the management and navigation of the people working on the site much easier.

For example, it is important that you create a maintenance IP. This is done so that both you and the team working on the website can browse the online store without the PrestaShop maintenance mode screen appearing. For this, PrestaShop gives you the option to set the IP addresses from which you can work.

Similarly, and this is an option that will help you a lot to communicate the work you do to your audience, you can customize the text that appears on the maintenance page. Just write what you think is best, all the necessary information and you can even add a date or time when the store will be available again. If appropriate, add a contact number and email for those who need something urgent.

Once we have finished working on our virtual store or ecommerce platform, we must not forget to activate PrestaShop. Similarly, we recommend that you make a backup copy in your Hosting to prevent your data from being lost and have, likewise, the most updated version of our website.

Conclusion

As you can see, activating the maintenance mode in PrestaShop is extremely simple, especially because you can do it from your own administration panel in your online store, without the need for long and tortuous processes or the installation of any special module.

Remember that it is essential that you put your online store in maintenance every time you are going to make a change or improvement that temporarily affects the operation of your business. Also keep in mind that the form and maintenance activities should be very well planned, with a clear objective to provide the results you are looking for. This is something that is reflected in the interaction that customers have with your store and the way they relate to it.

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