Creating an online store is not enough. You still need hosting to share the server's resources on the Internet with your potential customers. For store PrestaShop You can choose your own service provider, or you can take advantage of hosting your site under one of the available packages. Read what support your online store needs and what to look for when choosing hosting.
What you will learn from this article:
Good hosting is a must A smoothly operating online store. It increases the stability of the site, its security and contributes to customer satisfaction. Check out our article where we explain that:
- Without hosting, it is impossible to run an online store,
- You can buy hosting under PrestaShop in several ways. Each of them has its advantages, but also disadvantages,
- By opting for better hosting, you pay more for the service, but you can also earn more by improving your conversion rate.
Why do you need hosting for an online store?
To begin with, let's clarify, what hosting actually is and why you need it. In order for a PrestaShop store or any other site to be made available on the Internet, a web user must be able to communicate with the server. Hosting for the backend of an online store performs several functions:
- provides a place where the resources that make up the website, such as graphics or databases,
- allows interactive elements of the site, such as the contact form, to function properly,
- secures the site against hacking attacks and provides backups.
The details of hosting in each case are specified in the hosting agreement. It is worth carefully reading its content before signing, so that at a later stage the entrepreneur is not bound by conditions that, for example, hinder the development of the platform or compromise its security.
Shared hosting vs. dedicated hosting - how do they differ?
A hosting package is usually divided into:
- shared hosting - cheaper, but less flexible,
- dedicated hosting - More expensive, but more efficient.
Without going into technical details, it can be said that in the shared model, hosting resources are shared among several customers. As a result, for your online store there may not be enough of them relative to the current load. Dedicated servers, on the other hand, provide a unique IP address, better performance, security and control over resources.
The most frequently asked questions by our customers are about what the what type of hosting in an online store is worth deciding. As a rule, you can only benefit from the shared model for small sites that do not have a very high interest of web users. Just because the hosting works well, does not yet mean that it is good for your business. That's why for the store on PrestaShop that we create, as a rule, we recommend dedicated models. In terms of performance and security, it is definitely a better choice!
What do you gain by choosing good web hosting?
A quality hosting service is much more than just access to resources on a server. It's also the technologies that increase the stability of the site and secure it against heavy network traffic. Fast, unlimited transfer translates into higher customer satisfaction and conversion increase.
All over the world, IT security is of paramount importance. That's why when you opt for good hosting, you get antivirus and anti-spam protection, high level of Uptime in the SLA and you don't have to worry about whether your service will be running smoothly in a week, a month or a year. It also backup created periodically, to protect server resources.
PrestaShop hosting - check out the available options
You can come across hosting under PrestaShop in several different ways. Let's take a look at how the service provided "officially" by Presta, the services of third-party hosts and the option to set up your own servers differ.
PrestaShop Hosting
The simplest, though not necessarily cost-effective, solution is to use the service directly PrestaShop hosting. There are currently four pricing plans available, varying in performance and support. They are the S, M, L, and Custom packages. Each is designed for a store operating at a slightly different scale. The different packages are designed for a different daily volume of visits and use different hardware resources. Let's put together the S and L versions, for example.
Package S is recommended for small online stores, which are just expanding their business. Assumes use of up to 1,500 visits per day, daily backups, SSH and SFTP protocols. Hardware resources are CPU 16 cores, RAM 12 GB, disk 450 GB.
L package is designed for large online stores, which use external services such as ERP or CRM platforms. It anticipates up to 6,000 visits per day and offers a CPU of 36 cores, 36 GB of RAM, and a 450 GB disk.
PrestaShop hosting alternative - web server hosting company
If you don't want to use PrestaShop hosting, you can reach out to other software and services tailored to your customers' needs. Never forget that A good web hosting company is at a premium. If a site loads too slowly, even a top 3 position won't help it (if it gets one at all due to poor Core Web Vitals). When choosing hosting for online stores, pay attention to such parameters as:
- disk capacity - the larger it is, the more store resources the service will accommodate,
- resources/capacity - the more customers visit the online store, the faster the service should run,
- Technical support - usually includes monitoring, detection of threats,
- security - nowadays, SSL certificate should be the standard (it's also a ranking factor in Google!),
- Backup frequency - the more frequently backups are made, the lower the risk of irretrievable data loss,
- Additional services - this could include Varnish Cache and LiteSpeed Cache for data acceleration, or load tests,
- location of servers - if possible, choose servers located in the EU/EEA, which significantly reduces the risk of breaching customers' personal data.
For e-commerce the reliability and speed of the site is of great importance. Servers with slow transfers can do more harm than good. W 4Pixel we cooperate with jchost.pl, which has servers dedicated to working with Prestashop. It can also prepare customized solutions especially for our customers.
When to decide on your own servers?
Setting up your own servers allows you to full customization of the service to your needs. This solution is often used by large stores that can afford a large one-time expense. Over time on your own server you can also save money, since you do not incur monthly costs.
Is it possible to change my store hosting to PrestaShop?
Remember that hosting is not given once and for all. If your first year of business has shown you that the service you have chosen so far is not enough, there is nothing to prevent you from choosing a new hosting. In order to do this, you need to move all resources (e.g. export databases) and change DNS servers. Check in the contract you are terminating what help you can count on from your existing host provider in this regard.
In particular, we recommend solutions designed to work with Prestashop and VPS (English. Virtual Private Server). We configure the servers along with the environment to ensure maximum performance and security of their operation.
PrestaShop hosting - how much does it cost
Hosting service price It depends primarily on what you get in the package. On the web, you can find cheap hosting for a few tens of zlotys a year. However, if you want to offer your customers an efficient sales site on dedicated hosting, you rather have to reckon with an expense of several hundred or even several thousand zlotys per month.
How to choose the best hosting for PrestaShop store?
Looking for hosting for a store On Presta, remember not to be guided solely by price. So first of all, think about what you expect from hosting now and how quickly your business can grow. Sometimes it's better to pay extra for hosting that, although you don't use 100%, is secure or offers other features.
If you are planning to open a PrestaShop store, w 4Pixel we will prepare the whole website for you from the beginning. We can also find fast hosting at convenient terms. Check out how we can help you!
