“How to choose the best hosting for an online store?” This is a question that worries many entrepreneurs. In one of the previous blog posts, we explained why an SSL certificate for a modern site is not a luxury, but a necessity. In this article, we will share recommendations on how to choose hosting for an online store or other commercial platform on the Web, what to avoid and what to pay attention to. Forward!
Don’t Consider Free Hosting Options
Note: Let’s clarify right away that we are talking about completely free solutions, and not temporary promotions or free test periods of hosting.
“Why pay for something when you can not do it?” — perhaps you might think so. But if for a forum or a personal blog this option is acceptable, then for a commercial site it is a bad idea. If you still have the idea to host your online store on such hosting, just go back to this article and look at the gif above.
Among other things, such hosting options have a number of limitations:
– unstoppable ads. Third-party advertising on a commercial site will immediately show potential buyers that you are not doing very well and you have to use free hosting. Of course, there are people who won’t notice, but for a younger, more progressive (and likely more affluent) audience, this will be a “red flag” that will turn them off.
– the inability to bind your own domain (for some WordPress hosting providers 2022). You will have to use the web address provided by the host. A domain today is as much a branding element as a beautiful logo and a modern website design. Without it, you will lose a great marketing tool.
– low priority for technical support. If your sites stop working, the hosting provider will not seek to solve all your problems in the first place. Obviously, users with paid tariffs are of greater interest to him.
Estimate the possible load of the site and decide on the type of hosting
There are not as many categories of paid hosting as you might think, and it is easier to understand them than in the types of lightsabers from Star Wars.
1. Shared hosting: Relatively cheap (from $2 per month) and easy to manage. But it also has its limitations: hosting providers often set limits on the number of sites that can be hosted, and also limit the average daily load rate. The latter means that if your site is overloaded (a large influx of visitors, heavy scripts, plugins, etc.), it can be blocked.
2. VPS: A more flexible solution where you can host an unlimited number of sites, databases, and install the necessary software. The main disadvantage of VPS is that such services are more expensive than virtual hosting, and to manage such a server you will need system administration knowledge.
3. Dedicated: A service with maximum performance. Dedicated will be the best solution for owners of large resources with monthly traffic of tens and even hundreds of thousands of users. You get full control over both the software and the hardware of the server.
Everything here is the same as with buying a car or a musical instrument: for the first time, it does not make sense to take the most expensive model of a car or a guitar. You simply cannot appreciate all the benefits. Therefore, the best option to start would be shared hosting with affordable rates. And only then, when your store gains an audience, you can think about upgrading.
Read more from Reddit : Good web hosting services for 2022 Reddit
Choose a service with the right OS
By analogy with desktop PCs and smartphones, various operating systems can be installed on hosting. These are either Unix-like operating systems – FreeBSD, Linux, or Windows.
In the case of operating systems, many inexperienced users make the mistake of ordering hosting with Windows, believing that it will be more convenient to manage it. But it’s not. Any virtual hosting is managed through the control panel – Cpanel, ISPmanager and other similar software. Therefore, regardless of the OS, the management of your hosting will be the same.
Windows hosting must be ordered in cases where the online store is developed using special technologies from Microsoft (MSSQL database management systems or ASP.NET web application development platforms). In all other cases, if you want to create a store on 1C-Bitrix, WordPress or any other popular CMS, Linux hosting will be a good solution.
Find out more about the hosting provider
Specifications, varieties, OS – that’s not all. The hosting company and his reputation are important. Study if the site is convenient, if the rates are transparent, how professional the technical support is. Also read reviews on specialized forums, ask other entrepreneurs, look at the answers of support staff in official groups on social networks, ask how long the company has been on the market. From these details, you will get an overall picture of the company, and it will be easier to make a decision.
If you notice that hosting services from a provider are too cheap, this is also a reason to think. It often happens that start-up or unscrupulous companies offer a service at a very favorable price, but in the end they cannot provide users with the declared capacity, and customer sites work with errors or do not work at all.
Pay attention to the additional services that come with hosting as a gift
In addition to the service itself, companies also often offer bonuses and gifts for purchases. For example, A2 or Bluehost, you will receive free domains, along with hosting, as well as an SSL certificate.
Choosing a hosting is a task that should be taken very seriously. This is the basis of the project and, in particular, depends on it whether your business will fly like a rocket or barely lag behind. Choose the right tools, start at maximum speed and make your online store the leader in its segment!