Web development and Magento development now go hand in hand. This is something the top web companies are already well aware of. Now that Magento, an open source e-commerce platform, has become so popular, website development professionals should find the most effective Magento developers.
The interview process is crucial in this regard. There are some basic questions that must be asked and some advanced questions as well. Companies that are looking to hire dedicated Magento developers will certainly want to read on and learn more about what to look for in a candidate.
1. What Technology Is Utilized by Magento?
This is the lead-off question that should be asked in just about every interview. Magento uses a wide range of technologies, and the best candidates should be able to explain all of them.
Can the candidate explain the data components and the web server components? What do they know when it comes to the hypertext preprocessor (PHP) scripting language that is going to be used?
These are all questions that need to be answered in full before the interview can proceed. While the web server is created with the use of the aforementioned PHP scripting language, MySQL takes care of the database. The best candidates can explain the ins and outs of both.
2. What’s the Difference Between Flat Model and EAV?
Data is stored with both of these models. However, the strategy and schema are much different, and candidates should be able to tell you how.
With an entity attribute value (EAV) data model, all column values are stored in the corresponding data table. Developers have to join several tables in order to receive the necessary details, adding a greater level of complexity to their approach.
Meanwhile, the flat model allows users to rely on a singular table instead. This model is not normalized, unlike the EAV. Complex join queries are not needed when the user is trying to receive product details. The top Magento development professionals are able to explain these differences in greater detail and provide helpful tips for web development.
3. Why Are Handles So Important?
The concept of handles is a crucial one that needs to be discussed in full. The top web development companies are always going to ask to hear more about handles from any prospective Magento development professional who they are considering.
Handles are associated with the structure of the page and decide the blocks that need to be displayed in each location. Multiple product handles are needed to manage the product pages. Ask the candidate to explain the manner in which handles are going to be generated. This lets the interviewer know if they are ready to move on to the more advanced questions.
4. Which Two Session Types Are Available in Magento?
Checkout sessions and customer sessions are the only sessions required in Magento, so these are the two types that a Magento development firm will need to explain. These sessions are also utilized in a separate manner, making it easier for the orders to be placed.
How is customer data going to be kept locked during these sessions? What about the data that is related to the checkout session? These are questions that must be answered. Having two different sessions is best, but be sure to ask for examples as to how this will take place.
5. How Can Magento Performance Be Enhanced?
No two clients are going to have the same experience as far as their Magento performance is concerned. That is why it is important to ask a prospective partner how they can enhance it on a case-by-case basis.
Will they be able to disable the modules that are not being used? Is Magento caching going to be enabled by the time the client is ready for the platform?
What about image optimization? A lack of proper image optimization can cause serious issues from a search engine optimization (SEO) standpoint.
The best candidates will also be able to teach their clients how to disable the Magento log, enable necessary compression, and provide commentary on the finer points of caching MySQL queries.
6. What Are the Top Ways To Optimize the Environment?
There are a number of ways for a developer to optimize their client’s Magento environment, and the top web development companies know what to look for in a response to this question.
Cloud computing can be used for optimization purposes, and it is important to ask about the ins and outs of this process. The same goes for the merging of cascading style sheets (CSS) and JavaScript.
Any candidate who hosts files on a web server should be removed from consideration. Regular updates to the latest version of Magento are also recommended. Thanks to the complex databases that Magento has to offer, there is no need for a dedicated server. Performance remains the same.
7. Do You Want the Magento Developer To Add/Create a Blog?
Adding a blog is a great way for businesses to boost their signal and increase their level of search engine optimization. Well-written content is always going to lead to a major boost in organic search engine rankings. A default blog extension is available to all Magento users.
Some clients will want to create their own customized blog modules, though. Web development is all about finding the simplest ways to maximize an audience. Magento developers share the same principles, especially important for businesses that are looking to add a sales blog to this platform. Ask which course of action is best for the web development company.
Hire Only the Best
It is very important to ask some of the basic and advanced questions of interviewees when hiring a dedicated Magento developer. Asking these questions will help you in many ways to have idea about the skills and experience of developers, and to choose the best candidate.
