The choice of hosting an online store is one of the strategic decisions, as it can significantly affect the operation of the entire trading platform. When ordering the development of an online store website, you need to take into account some factors.
In many cases, the server must determine how quickly individual products are displayed and how quickly sales-related processes are processed. In addition, the higher the interest of customers, the more server resources are required for operation.
Small online stores often have no idea what determines performance, so they also don’t know which server to choose. On the other hand, those who are a little more experienced in sales often take steps to increase customers by, for example, introducing promotions or discounts. And here the problem arises not so much whether they will have enough assortment, but whether the hosting will “cope” with data processing.
So, how do you find stable hosting for an online store that will also survive the rise in popularity, i.e. seasonality? First, it should be noted that not every hosting provider knows how to work with stores.
Hosting for an online store
The owner of the trading platform has several choices related to the type of server:
- Shared hosting.
Virtual hosting is a service through which interested parties receive server disk space from a service provider. The user then receives a certain number of gigabytes to use, as well as other limited processes, for example, in the form of an upper limit of simultaneous connections to the database. The host provider must monitor the usage of a given server to maintain its efficiency, as a server may be shared between several hundred users.
Shared hosting is primarily chosen by website owners who are just starting out and who also need basic help with server setup.
- Dedicated server.
A dedicated server for stores is a more advanced service in which the user himself decides how much memory and processor cores he needs for the correct operation of the design. As for the offer, the host should also have extensive technical support, including full server setup. It is worth noting that a possible failure leads to the fact that the site stops working, and the work will start only after the failure is removed or the data is transferred to another computer. - VPS.
A virtual private server, or VPS, is a slightly less advanced type of server in the hierarchy between shared and dedicated solutions. However, there are also wider hosting customization options, including for more demanding projects. VPS is a solution for users with “advanced level” knowledge, in turn, possible failures lead to a stoppage of the website and the store. - Cloud server.
Online stores also use cloud server services. This is a hosting service that differs from others in that, in the event of a failure, the work of the website will not stop – the load is taken over by other server spaces. A cloud server consists of not one, but at least several machines that share their usable space. This type of hosting is also technologically advanced.
Why good hosting is important for online stores?
An online store is an advanced structure that requires a lot of resources to use. However, performance is needed not only for trading platforms, but also for ordinary sites.
In the case of zero interest, the problem of low productivity will not be as widespread as when there is genuine consumer interest in the products. Promotional campaigns, as well as special days for the buyer (“happy hour”, “Black Friday”) are a great test for stores. An average server can stop even the best marketing effort. Unfortunately, the high number of customer visits increases the probability of failure and error 500 in the online store. The store does not work, the buyer is upset and often goes to competitors.
The speed of the online store is also determined by the hosting.
The speed of an online store is a component of at least several factors, including the server itself. To this, you need to add the engine of the store (PrestaShop, WordPress, Magento), its design and optimization, i.e. installation or rejection of plugins, compression of photos, correctly written store code and others. The server itself must also be of a suitable class, adapted to any requirements of the store.
One of the standards should be an SSD server base for files and databases. In addition, it is important that all software (including PHP) is up-to-date, appropriate for the class of processors and the required amount of RAM in the host hardware.
If a service provider has a problem with updating hardware and software, this is an easy way to a situation where it will not be able to meet the demands of online stores. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the most modern server technologies in the case of online stores in order to minimize the risk of overload and data processing problems.
The more efficient the hosting, the more orders the store will handle.
Every online store is built with a high level of sales in mind, so servers must be prepared 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the possible large number of potential customers. And the more technically advanced hosting is, the closer it is to this goal.
Performance includes the number of possible requests to process. Requests and requests are terms used in the IT environment, and in the case of online stores, they mean, in particular, each visit of the user and his subsequent movements – browsing products, choosing options, adding to the cart, entering discount codes and much more. The better the hardware, the more such requests the server can handle smoothly, which means trouble-free sales and profits for the company.
What are the parameters of hosting an online store?
To decide on a specific type of server for an online store, it is necessary to take into account the following factors.
Type of hosting
For novice sellers who do not “give in” to unexpected sales in the first few months, it is worth considering virtual hosting. For a brand new business, it’s a smart decision to avoid high start-up costs. However, when an online store is not new and generating some sales, you should consider more advanced options such as a dedicated server.
Server type
Before choosing a server, it is also necessary to analyze such aspects as the use of SSD drives and, possibly, new processor technologies.
Backup copies
Service owners are divided into those who regularly create backup copies and those who do not and later suffer because at the least expected moment a failure occurred with data loss. Interested parties should consider the following offers that provide backups at least once a day with the longest possible retention period.
Hosting company
In addition to the proposal itself, it is recommended to conduct an “X-ray” of the company itself and its history to date. Hosting providers in the form of individual entrepreneurs or with a lot of negative feedback from customers, such as Google, are of rather dubious quality. The hosting company’s experience and availability of machines in a given server room can be key in making the final decision.
Choosing a server for an online store should precede a detailed analysis of the available offers. Especially in the case of a large trading platform, in addition to user traffic, it is even worth taking this strategic step with the help of specialists in order not to expose your company to financial and image losses. It is definitely better then to choose a more expensive, but more stable and technological option, than to save money and get problems with the performance of the entire store.
