Magento, the open-source CMS for e-commerce websites, is one of the hottest things in the Internet Marketing scenario of 2014. In fact, Magento has changed the entire complexion and landscape of online shopping, holding a current market share of about 34% among the top 20 e-commerce platforms.

But Magento is not perfect…

Like many of its competitors, Magento also has its share of bugs and loopholes. But it will be wrong to cast it aside by assuming that these issues cannot be fixed. In this post, we will take a look at some of the common Magento issues, and find out their simplest solutions.

Issue #1: 404 Errors after Rewriting URLs

Both customers and search engines find it extremely difficult to decipher the content of a page if the URL is not customized properly. In Magento, rewriting URLs depend on the .htaccess file and the rewrite module. However, there are issues in Magento where a rewritten URL often shows a 404 error. In such cases, you need to make sure that .htaccess file is the site root and the rewrite module is available. If the problem still exists, then try disabling the option of rewriting URLs.

Issue #2: White Screen

This is perhaps the most common issue with Magento. It usually delivers an empty, white page instead of presenting a head information. Why does this white screen show up? According to Magento itself, this screen is the result of file compilation or encrypted module. And how can you fix this issue? Try cleaning the cache manually, and delete the XML configuration file of the encrypted module.

#Issue 3: Errors during Checkout

Checkout section is one of the most sensitive zones of an e-commerce site, and it’s a major issue if the CMS causes hindrance. Most common problems with Magento is customers getting returned to the homepage without being able to complete the purchase. Common reasons behind this are poorly written payment methods and shipment modules. Make sure that you frequently check the reports on the server log to avoid this situation.

#Issue 4: Backend Changes Invisible on Frontend

Magento users often find that the changes they made in the backend (for example, changing the theme or adding a new product) are not getting showed on the frontend. The main culprits for this error are caches and indexes. You need to update caches and indexes if you are working with Magento. Or else, caches and indexes updated long back will show you the past-updated results only.

These 4 are the most common issues with Magento. If you are facing these problems, then we have provided you with the easiest solutions. Let us know if you are having some other issues as well, and we guarantee to show how a simple fix can give you a smooth Magento experience.