What is OpenCart?

OpenCart is an open-source eCommerce platform that provides a user-friendly solution for building and managing online stores. Known for its lightweight design, OpenCart is easy to install and navigate, making it a popular choice for small businesses and beginners.

It supports a wide range of extensions and themes, enabling users to customize their stores according to their needs. While OpenCart offers essential eCommerce features, advanced functionalities may require the addition of third-party plugins.

What is PrestaShop?

PrestaShop is a feature-rich, open-source eCommerce platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers extensive customization options, a wide array of built-in tools, and support for multi-store management.

PrestaShop’s modular design allows users to enhance their stores with both free and premium add-ons, making it highly adaptable to various business requirements.

However, its advanced capabilities may come with a steeper learning curve and higher resource demands compared to OpenCart.

Comparing PrestaShop vs OpenCart

When evaluating OpenCart and PrestaShop, it’s essential to understand how these platforms align with your specific goals and business requirements. Both offer unique benefits and cater to different types of users, making it important to weigh their features, scalability, and usability against your needs. This comparison will help you identify the platform best suited for your eCommerce venture.

Ease of Use

OpenCart: OpenCart is well-regarded for its beginner-friendly interface. Its setup process is straightforward, and the clean admin dashboard makes managing products, orders, and customers easy. For users with minimal technical expertise, OpenCart provides a solid foundation for launching an online store. However, advanced users might find its customization options somewhat limited without coding knowledge. Additionally, certain features may require installing extensions.

PrestaShop: PrestaShop offers an intuitive back office with more built-in features compared to OpenCart. This makes it an excellent choice for small to medium-sized stores. Its multi-store management capabilities are a notable advantage for businesses managing multiple brands or locations. However, the abundance of features may result in a slightly steeper learning curve, and complex configurations often require technical expertise or professional help.

Verdict: OpenCart is ideal for beginners, while PrestaShop offers more depth and flexibility for businesses willing to invest time in learning the platform.

Features and Functionality

OpenCart: OpenCart is a lightweight platform known for its fast performance. It supports multi-store functionality and integrates with a variety of payment and shipping providers. While it has a wide array of extensions to enhance its functionality, some essential features may require paid add-ons. Its scalability is also somewhat limited for very large stores unless significant customizations are made.

PrestaShop: PrestaShop’s feature set is comprehensive, making it a robust option for medium to large-sized stores. From product management and analytics to marketing tools, it covers nearly every aspect of eCommerce. It’s also highly scalable and supports advanced customizations, but this can lead to increased resource demands. Many premium modules enhance its functionality but can add to the overall cost.

Verdict: PrestaShop’s advanced features make it better suited for larger, more complex stores, while OpenCart’s simplicity is ideal for smaller businesses.

Customization and Themes

OpenCart: OpenCart offers a decent range of free and paid themes, suitable for small to medium-sized stores. The themes are simple and clean but may lack the depth and flexibility found in competitors. Customization often requires coding skills, which could be a barrier for non-technical users.

PrestaShop: PrestaShop excels in customization with a wide variety of highly flexible themes. This allows businesses to tailor their store to their specific branding needs. However, premium themes and advanced customizations may require developer assistance, which can increase costs.

Verdict: PrestaShop’s customization capabilities are superior, but OpenCart provides enough options for smaller businesses with simpler needs.

SEO and Marketing

OpenCart: OpenCart includes basic SEO tools for managing meta titles, descriptions, and URLs. While it supports extensions to enhance SEO and marketing capabilities, these often come at an additional cost. Its marketing tools are limited compared to those offered by PrestaShop.

PrestaShop: PrestaShop offers excellent built-in SEO and marketing tools, including automated email campaigns, discount coupons, and cross-selling options. Its advanced SEO features, such as structured data and URL rewriting, provide an edge in optimizing your store for search engines. However, some advanced tools are only available as paid modules.

Verdict: PrestaShop leads in SEO and marketing, making it a better choice for businesses focused on driving organic traffic and conversions.

Performance and Hosting

OpenCart: OpenCart’s lightweight design ensures quick loading speeds on most hosting environments. It works well on shared hosting plans, making it a cost-effective option for small businesses. However, as traffic and database size grow, performance can degrade without proper optimization.

PrestaShop: PrestaShop is scalable and capable of handling larger stores with high traffic. It supports caching systems to improve performance but is more resource-intensive than OpenCart. As a result, it may require VPS or dedicated hosting for optimal performance.

Verdict: OpenCart is better for smaller stores on shared hosting, while PrestaShop is ideal for larger stores with the budget for advanced hosting solutions.

Community and Support

OpenCart: OpenCart has an active community forum where users can seek help and share solutions. Affordable developer costs make customizations more accessible. However, the platform lacks official customer support, leaving users reliant on community forums or paid services.

PrestaShop: PrestaShop combines community support with paid support plans. Its extensive documentation and tutorials make it easier for users to learn the platform. However, the cost of paid support plans may be a deterrent for smaller businesses.

Verdict: PrestaShop offers more structured support options, while OpenCart relies heavily on its community.

Cost

OpenCart: OpenCart is free to use with no licensing fees, making it an affordable option for small businesses. However, some essential features may require paid extensions, and its theme library is not as extensive as PrestaShop’s.

PrestaShop: PrestaShop is also free and open-source, but its premium modules, themes, and hosting requirements can make it more expensive. It’s best suited for businesses with a budget for advanced capabilities.

Verdict: OpenCart is more cost-effective for small stores, while PrestaShop provides greater value for businesses with larger budgets.

Which One Is Right for You?

Choosing between OpenCart and PrestaShop largely depends on your specific business needs, technical expertise, and budget. OpenCart shines as a lightweight and cost-effective solution for smaller stores and beginners, while PrestaShop offers advanced features and scalability for growing businesses and complex operations. Let’s dive into the key reasons for choosing each platform to help you make the right decision.

Reasons to Choose OpenCart

1. User-Friendly for Beginners: OpenCart is ideal for those new to eCommerce, offering a clean interface and straightforward setup process.
2. Cost-Effective: With no licensing fees and compatibility with shared hosting, it’s a budget-friendly choice for small businesses.
3. Lightweight Design: Its efficient design ensures faster load times and reduced resource consumption.
4. Wide Extension Support: A large library of extensions allows users to add specific features as needed.
5. Multi-Store Management: OpenCart’s built-in support for managing multiple stores makes it versatile for businesses expanding into different niches.

Reasons to Choose PrestaShop

1. Comprehensive Feature Set: PrestaShop comes with a robust array of built-in tools for product management, marketing, and analytics.
2. Advanced Customization: Highly flexible themes and modules allow for extensive branding and functional adjustments.
3. Scalability: Designed to support medium to large stores, PrestaShop handles high traffic and complex operations effectively.
4. SEO and Marketing Tools: Superior SEO features and integrated marketing tools provide an edge for businesses aiming to grow organically.
5. Multi-Store Capabilities: Its multi-store functionality, combined with powerful customization options, makes it an excellent choice for businesses managing multiple brands or regions.

Final Verdict: Which Should You Choose?

• Choose OpenCart if you’re a small business owner looking for an easy-to-use, lightweight, and cost-effective solution. Its simplicity and affordability make it ideal for beginners or stores with modest needs.
• Choose PrestaShop if you need a feature-rich platform capable of handling a larger and more complex store. Its advanced features, scalability, and customization options make it a strong choice for growing businesses.

Both platforms are excellent in their own right, but your choice will depend on your business’s size, budget, and technical expertise. With the right platform, you’ll be well-equipped to build a successful online store.

A2 Hosting offers a variety of eCommerce Hosting options to fit any need, including PrestaShop Hosting and OpenCart Hosting. All of our hosting comes with premium hardware optimized for the best performance and reliability. Plus, you get our no-risk money-back guarantee and 24/7/365 in-house Guru Crew support. Get started today with OpenCart, PrestaShop, or another popular eCommerce platform.

The post PrestaShop vs OpenCart: Which eCommerce Platform is Right for You? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

However, there are a maze of options. Finding the best hosting for your eCommerce needs can be tricky. We’ll outline what types of hosting will suit your business, highlight important features of an effective hosting provider, and introduce you to the leading eCommerce hosting services.

Plus, we’ll share insights on why certain providers might be the perfect match for your operation. Our goal is to equip you with knowledge, not just options, so you can make an informed decision that fuels your business’s growth and satisfies your customers.

Best Types of eCommerce Web Hosting

While you can get started on any hosting plan, the most suitable type of hosting for your business will depend on the specific resources and features you need, as well as your budget. Let’s take a look at the options available:

Shared Web Hosting

Shared hosting is like renting a workspace in an office building. It’s an entry-level, cost-effective option where you share resources, like storage, processor power, and memory, with other websites on the same physical server. It is an ideal choice for small or newly launched eCommerce sites.

While shared hosting is wallet-friendly and simple to set up, most hosting providers don’t have the power to handle sudden surges in web traffic, which could slow down your site temporarily.

Our Shared Web Hosting plans shine here, offering free SSL certificates for secure transactions and SSD storage for faster access to your site.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

As your business grows, you might need more resources and features, similar to moving from a shared workspace into your own office suite. That’s where VPS hosting comes in.

It provides dedicated resources on a server shared with fewer users, enhancing your site’s performance and security. It’s a fantastic middle ground for medium-sized businesses or those experiencing growth.

You gain more control over your hosting environment, which means you can tailor it to fit your needs while still being conscious of your budget.

A2 Hosting’s VPS Hosting is designed for speed and scalability, ensuring your e-commerce store can expand without a hitch.

Dedicated Hosting

If you need maximum resources for your eCommerce store, dedicated server hosting is like owning the entire office building.

Your website is hosted on its own server, giving you the best performance, top-notch security, and complete control over your resources. It’s best suited for large eCommerce platforms with high traffic volumes.

Our Dedicated Hosting plans offer the most resources and full root access for the best performance and customization.

Your eCommerce store can handle even the heaviest traffic spikes while still delivering a smooth shopping experience for your customers.

eCommerce Hosting

While the hosting types above support eCommerce, there’s also specialized eCommerce hosting tailored fro accepting online payments. It aligns perfectly with various eCommerce platforms, such as WooCommerce, Magento Open Source, Drupal, and others, offering quick and easy setups.

With A2 Hosting, you can get a specialized WooCommerce Hosting plan within our Managed WordPress Hosting services. This plan comes with many useful add-ons and features, such as:

• WooCommerce pre-installed.
• Premium RapidSSL certificate.
• Daily automatic backups.
• Performance Plus Traffic Surge Protection.
• Unmetered bandwidth.
• And more eCommerce features!

“For those just starting, our WooCommerce Hosting offers a great balance of simplicity, features, and scalability. It’s an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses focusing on performance, growth, and customer satisfaction.” – Aaron Campbell, Director of Product at A2 Hosting

We also support virtually all eCommerce storefront software. Select the hosting plan that fits your needs and install whichever platform you choose.

What To Look For In A Web Host That Supports Business Success

Choosing a web hosting provider can be hard, especially if you’re just starting your online business and you’re not familiar with hosting requirements – but don’t worry!

We’ve gathered the most important features you should consider for eCommerce hosting. Let’s begin!

Self-Hosted vs Hosting eCommerce Solutions

First, it’s important to note the difference between self-hosted and hosted eCommerce platforms.

Hosted platforms like Wix and Squarespace allow you to create stores, but they offer very rigid site templates. While you can add certain sections or content features, there is only so much you can do to customize your site.

With self-hosting stores, you choose the hosting plan that best fits your needs and install the eCommerce software you are most comfortable with. While there are certain templates and potential limitations, this is a much more flexible opinion for building a web store for long-term growth.

While hosted platforms have their advantages, we are focusing solely on the best self-host plans for eCommerce sites.

High Storage For All Your Store Data

When you run an online shop, you’ll gather tons of data – like product details, customer information, high-resolution images, and sales records. Having enough space to store all this is key, so look for a host that can handle this information and allow you to upgrade storage as needed.

For example, with A2 Hosting’s entry-leve Shared Web Hosting plan, you get 10GB storage which is more than enough to keep your data safe and easy to reach. And if you go for our dedicated server plans, you get 2X1 TB SSD Storage.

In addition, our Turbo plans use next-generation NVMe instead of regular SSDs, which means your site will load much faster. Faster loading times for your pages and searches can make a big difference. If you don’t have enough storage, your site might slow down as your business grows, which means you won’t be able to scale properly.

High Uptime To Keep Business Operations Going

It’s important for your store to be available whenever customers want to shop. This availability is measured in uptime, which is vital not just for making sales but also for building trust with your customers and keeping your store’s reputation strong.

To give you peace of mind, every A2 Hosting plan comes with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. This commitment applies to any unscheduled downtime of your website for more than 0.1% of the total time per month. We will also provide a service credit in the amount of 5% of the paid fee for the month for every hour that your website is unreachable due to an internal network or equipment failure.

Guarantees Fast Page Load Speeds For An Optimal Customer Experience

Fast page loading keeps visitors happy, helps your site show up better in search results, and can significantly improve conversion rates.

At A2 Hosting, we take speed very seriously, and you can witness that for yourself with our Turbo Plans. These plans use LiteSpeed Servers, which are way quicker than other options like Apache and Nginx.

Besides that, we offer the A2 Optimized WooCommerce plugin, which sets up your site to load faster by handling things like compression and caching without you having to lift a finger.

You also get our exclusive TurboHub WordPress control panel. Improve your store performance in as little as one click. Plus, you can manage site security and maintenance from one easy-to-use dashboard.

All this means you can focus on your business, knowing your store is fast, friendly, and ready to impress your customers.

Supports Various eCommerce Platforms With One-Click Installs, Pre-Installed Software, and Control Panels

For your store to run smoothly, you need a hosting provider that supports a wide range of content management systems and eCommerce platforms. Flexibility is essential for small businesses online because you might start on one platform and then decide to move to another when your needs or budget changes.

Our WooCommerce Hosting comes with the plugin already set up for you. But that’s just the start.

And if you don’t work with WordPress, you can easily add other major software like Drupal and Joomla with one-click installs via Softaculous.

Need something a bit different? Magento Open Source, PrestaShop, and OpenCart can be installed in just a few clicks.

Another piece of software that is crucial for online shops is control panels. Managing your online shop should be straightforward, not a headache, and control panels help with that. It’s like the dashboard of your car, putting all the important controls in one easy-to-access place. You can manage inventory, track orders, and customize your site without jumping through hoops.

Managed Hosting Options For Automated Backups And Other Technical Maintenance

Managed hosting is like having a tech-savvy friend take care of all the behind-the-scenes work for your online store. This service is fantastic because it handles all the technical stuff for you, such as keeping your site backed up and running smoothly.

With managed hosting, you won’t have to worry about losing your latest updates or customer data; everything is backed up automatically. It’s perfect for eCommerce owners who prefer to focus on growing their business while the experts are keeping your site safe and sound.

SSLs, CDNs, And Other Essential Security Measures For Businesses

Strong security is a must for any online business, especially when it comes to protecting your customers’ transactions. SSL certificates are your first line of defense, encrypting data to keep customer information safe. A2 Hosting steps up by including a free SSL certificate with all our hosting plans, ensuring your site is secure from the get-go. For those on the WooCommerce Hosting plan, A2 goes even further by offering a premium RapidSSL certificate with an even higher level of security for your online transactions.

Apart from security, you also need to ensure your data reaches visitors fast, and that’s where Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) come in.

They make sure that your website’s content is available quickly, no matter where your customers are. All of our hosting plans are CDN-compatible, helping your site load faster for everyone, everywhere.

Scalable Plans For eCommerce Stores Facing Growth

As your web store grows, your hosting needs will change. It’s important to have the flexibility to move from shared hosting to more powerful options like VPS or dedicated server hosting with as little hassle as possible. This kind of growth is a good thing; it means your business is thriving!

We get this! A2 Hosting offers scalable plans that grow with you, ensuring you can upgrade your hosting environment without missing a beat. Plus, if you’re moving your site from another host to A2, we’ve got your back with a free migration service. This means you can switch to faster, more secure hosting without worrying about downtime affecting your sales or customer experience.

Reliable Support For Your Operations

Running a store comes with its own set of challenges, and having a support team ready to help 24/7 is crucial. There might be a software issue, or you might need to figure out a specific feature.

In these cases and more, it can be very useful to have a team of experts always on standby, ready to solve any technical issues you might face, day or night.

Our Guru Crew support team is available 24/7/365 by phone, chat, and more to help you when you need it most.

Exploring the Best eCommerce Hosting Solutions

InMotion

InMotion Hosting has built a strong reputation for its reliable performance and exceptional customer service, making it a solid choice for eCommerce businesses looking to establish or grow their online presence.

Their offers include:

• Free website migration service.
• A wide range of hosting plans, including shared, VPS, and dedicated servers.
• InMotion’s Max Speed Zones, which optimize site performance based on the geographic location of the site’s visitors.
• A variety of eCommerce tools and the ability to integrate with popular platforms, such as PrestaShop, OpenCart, Drupal, and custom-built stores.

This blend of reliability, service, and versatile hosting solutions makes InMotion an appealing option for eCommerce sites looking for growth and performance.

A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting provides ultra-reliable hosting with unlimited bandwidth and support for all eCommerce platforms. From shared hosting plans perfect for startups to dedicated servers designed for high-volume traffic stores, A2 Hosting has something for everyone.

We support virtually all eCommerce software, including WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento Open Souce, OpenCart, AbanteCart, and many more.

Here is why we can be your perfect partner in eCommerce:

• You can one-click install any eCommerce platform on any of our hosting plans. Our Sell plan, which is a tier on our Managed WordPress Hosting, is specifically for WooCommerce and comes with additional features such as Protection Plus Traffic Surge Protection.
• A2 Hosting offers up to 20X faster Turbo plans across all hosting types. These plans are built on LiteSpeed servers and come with other advanced features like limited occupancy, upgraded server hardware, advanced caching software, and optimized configurations. Faster loading times can greatly enhance the shopping experience, reduce bounce rates, and ultimately lead to better sales conversions.
• We offer scalable plans that accommodate increasing traffic volumes with minimal fuss. Upgrading plans is a straightforward process, ensuring that your hosting evolves in step with your store.
• Every plan comes with a 99.9% Uptime Commitment, so businesses can rely on their store being available around the clock, minimizing potential downtime and maximizing opportunity.
• The Guru Crew is available 24/7/365 by phone, chat, ticketing system, or email to address any eCommerce hosting concerns. Plus, we have a rich knowledge base of topics to help you customize your store, install new features, and improve security or performance.
• Every plan includes free SSL certificates for encrypted connections and secure data transfers. This protects your store and your customer’s data. You can also offer several other types of SSL certificates for enhanced protection and more trust with your customers.
• We also offer a comprehensive security suite with robust features to keep your store safe. Key features include malware scanning, DDoS and brute-force protections, and more.
• If you’re using WooCommerce or building your small business website in WordPress, then you’ll have access to our exclusive TurboHub control panel. It offers an at-a-glance site health check and offers personalized recommendations to further optimize site performance.

Besides, we’re so confident in our quality that we offer a hassle-free, 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try any hosting plan with absolutely no risk! Get a full refund for 30 days and a pro-rated refund any time after that.

IONOS

IONOS offers a range of eCommerce services, including hosting, store builders, eCommerce store design, shop integrations, and social buy buttons. Their hosting plans are suitable for all major platforms, such as WooCommerce, Drupal, and Shopware.

Main features include:

• Daily backups, DDoS protection, and data recovery options.
• The ability to export product listings to major online marketplaces.
• A set of pre-installed plugins for their WooCommerce hosting plans.
• Unlimited product listings and categories.
• Dedicated customer support via phone, email, or chat.

IONOS is a great option for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution, with their website builders and designer services.

Shopify

Shopify is a popular all-in-one platform that caters to eCommerce businesses by bundling hosting, shopping cart functionality, and customizable templates into one package.

Its user-friendly interface is a big draw for individuals or businesses with little to no technical background, making it easy to set up and manage a store without the need for coding knowledge. However, while Shopify simplifies many aspects of running an eCommerce site, certain integrations and the use of alternative payment gateways can incur additional fees, something that cost-conscious users might want to consider.

While Shopify’s hosting is seamlessly optimized for Shopify stores, offering reliability and speed, this tight integration might limit those who seek greater control over their hosting environment and deeper customization options.

Despite this, Shopify’s expansive marketplace of third-party apps allows users to greatly extend their store’s functionality, providing tools for marketing, SEO, and more, helping to round out its offering as a versatile platform for eCommerce entrepreneurs.

TMDHosting

TMDHosting is a fully managed hosting service, taking the technical load off your shoulders so you can focus more on your business and less on backend worries. This approach is especially appealing for eCommerce site owners who prioritize ease of use and reliable support.

Its main features include:

• Daily backups and real-time monitoring.
• Cloud and SSD technology to boost your website’s performance and speed.
• Global data centers.
• Support for WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento Open Source, and OpenCart.
• Staging and cloning tools available.
• Website tools like SpamExperts, CloudFlare integration, Memcache management, and backup restoration tools.

Get Started With A2 Hosting’s eCommerce Hosting Plans

Choosing the right eCommerce hosting provider is a big decision for your business, so remember to consider all the features provided by the different options and think about what is best for you in the long term.

With A2 Hosting, you can start small, even with a tight budget, and then expand as your business grows. Our hosting plans are tailored to fit any eCommerce need, from startups to large enterprises looking for high-performance and top-notch security.

Our eCommerce plans are built on powerful servers that allow for high-speed CPU loads and give your website the ability to handle significantly more traffic, which can happen at any time if you have a sudden traffic spike due to a successful marketing campaign or social media.

For those who prefer WooCommerce, our dedicated WooCommerce Hosting plan is unmatched. It’s specifically optimized to get the most out of your WooCommerce site, combining speed, security, and ease of use into a single, powerful package.

Check out our eCommerce hosting plans today to explore what we offer and how we can elevate your store to reach its full potential!

Best eCommerce Hosting FAQs

What are the key factors I should consider when choosing eCommerce hosting?

Choosing the right eCommerce hosting involves several critical factors to ensure your store operates smoothly and efficiently.

Here is what you should be looking for:

• Uptime Guarantee: Look for hosting with a strong uptime record. Your store should be accessible around the clock.
• Speed: Fast loading times are essential for keeping customers engaged and reducing bounce rates.
• Scalability: Your hosting should be able to grow with your business, offering easy upgrades to handle increased traffic.
• Security: Robust security measures, including SSL certificates, protect your data and build customer trust.
• Customer Support: Responsive, 24/7 support is crucial for resolving any issues quickly.
• Compatibility: Ensure the hosting is compatible with your chosen eCommerce platform for a smooth operation.
• Price: Consider the hosting cost relative to the features and support provided.

What is the best web hosting for eCommerce?

Identifying the best web hosting for your eCommerce store depends on your specific needs. Most of the time, new business owners will need high-quality and fast support for technical issues and queries, fast servers to make sure their websites are performing as they should, and the opportunity to scale up as their store and customers grow.

A2 Hosting, known for its speed and reliability, offers plans specifically for eCommerce sites that you can scale up with no issues. Shared hosting starts around $2.99/month, with specialized WooCommerce plans for more robust needs.

Can I host my own eCommerce website?

While it’s technically possible to host your own eCommerce site, it demands a significant investment in infrastructure, security measures, and ongoing maintenance. If you want to focus on your business and product development, it’s recommended that you look for fully managed hosting solutions so that you don’t need to deal with the technical complications of running and maintaining a website.

If you’re an experienced developer and want to have control over technical aspects, then we recommend choosing an unmanaged hosting service such as the unmanaged VPS. This will give you full control over the hosting environment, as well as command line and root access.

Can my eCommerce hosting scale with my business?

Scalability is the key to your eCommerce success. Most providers offer a range of hosting options, but not all make it easy to scale your plan or services as you grow.

Look for a hosting provider that allows you to easily scale to other plans or add resources when you need them. This flexibility is key for handling increased sales and traffic.

A2 Hosting makes growing your store easy. Our team can migrate you to faster Turbo Servers or move you to VPS or Dedicated servers for even more resources.

How much does it cost to host an online store?

The hosting cost for an online store varies widely based on the platform and the plan’s features.

Basic shared hosting can start as low as $10 to $15 a month before special offers and incentives. However, you can usually get discounts as low as $1.95 per month.

VPS hosting, offering more resources and better performance, might range from $35 to $100 a month. For larger stores, dedicated hosting plans provide the utmost in performance and security, with prices starting around $100 per month and going up significantly from there.

How Does A2 Hosting Support Small Businesses?

A2 Hosting takes pride in supporting small businesses. We are happy to support and celebrate Small Business Week and all of Small Business Month.

From Katie Davis, author, and entrepreneur, to the Pyrenees Cycling Company in France, to music producer Gemtracks.com, we celebrate the backbone of our company, the small businesses that make us who we are. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have small businesses supporting us along the way.

Our CEO, Bryan Muthig said, “Small Businesses are so important and we’re trying to do everything we can to give them the prices and plans they need to flourish, everything we do is with the intention to help our customers thrive online.” We love our small businesses here at A2 Hosting and we’re committed to providing the speediest solution available for your business to thrive.

Speed might not seem like an obvious way to support small businesses, but website speed directly influences a business’s conversion rate and profitability. Also, speed isn’t a preference but an expectation. More than 45% of consumers expect pages to load in 2 seconds or less. After 2 seconds, many users leave to find another fast-loading page.

In fact, for every additional second of loading time after 2 seconds, conversions drop by 7% and continue to drop by intervals of 7% for every consecutive second.

Amazon performed site speed tests that concluded they would lose $1.6 billion every year if their site slowed down by one second. Now, Amazon isn’t a small business, but as a small business owner, you can’t afford to lose money. Sure, it’s not going to total a $1.6 billion loss, but any loss is a loss for your business.

For small businesses, a one-second improvement in page load speeds leads to $70 more revenue per day (over $2000/monthly) for sites earning $1000 a day.

As a small business, you won’t have the traffic of larger corporations like Amazon or Etsy. Your needs are smaller and it’s important to choose a plan that correctly matches your needs.

Start a fast, reliable eCommerce store with the best plans from A2 Hosting for as low as $1.95. Whether you want WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart, or another storefront, we offer premium hosting with the resources you need to be successful. Choose an affordable eCommerce Business Hosting plan today and get started in as little as five minutes.

Hero Photo by RDNE Stock project / Pexels

The post Who Has the Best eCommerce Hosting for Small Businesses appeared first on The A2 Posting.

An Introduction to eCommerce Platforms

eCommerce platforms provide the infrastructure needed to create and manage online stores. They provide tools for everything from listing products and processing payments to managing inventory and fulfilling orders.

While there are many different eCommerce options, all of them fall into two main categories: hosted and self-hosted. With hosted platforms like Shopify, you host your store directly through the platform. Solutions like Magento and WooCommerce are self-hosted, which allows you to add them to any hosting plan you choose.

About Magento Open Source

Magento Open Source is a comprehensive eCommerce solution offering a high level of customization, scalability, and advanced features, making it suitable for businesses that need a robust, flexible solution.

Whether you choose the open-source or enterprise version, Magento empowers businesses to create unique, powerful online stores that can grow with their needs.

Adobe acquired Magento in 2018. They continue to develop Magento as an open-source product but also offer a propriety version branded as Adobe Commerce, formerly Magento Commerce.

About WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a powerful, flexible eCommerce plugin for WordPress that is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. First launched in 2011, WooCommerce is developed by Automattic.

Its ease of use, customization options, and integration with WordPress make it a popular choice for store owners who want complete control over their website and eCommerce experience.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow your online presence, WooCommerce provides a solid, scalable foundation for building an online store.

Magento or WooCommerce: Which One Should You Choose?

Both WooCommerce and Magento Open Source are powerful, scalable, and relatively user-friendly tools. But there are also a number of key differences to consider.

Payment Gateways

A payment gateway acts as the middleman between the customer and your store, safely processing payments.

While you technically only need to offer one payment gateway, offering several convenient options can improve customer experience and satisfaction.

Magento and WooCommerce both offer a variety of options to make purchases fast, safe, and simple.

Magento supports Authorize.net, Braintree, and PayPal by default. Plus, you can add extensions for 2Checkout, Google Checkout, Skrill, Stripe, and several others.

The default gateways for WooCommerce are PayPal and Stripe. With plugins, you can add support for Alipay, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Square, and more.

Ease of Use

When it comes to ease of use and managing your store, WooCommerce has the advantage. It is generally considered easier to use than Magento, especially for users already familiar with WordPress or who have less technical skills.

WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress, which is known for its user-friendly interface. If you’re familiar with WordPress, setting up and managing WooCommerce is straightforward.

Just follow the guided setup wizard to configure your store, add products, set up payments, and manage shipping with ease.

While WooCommerce allows for customization through themes and plugins, it does not require extensive coding or development skills to get started.

On the other hand, Magento is a more powerful and feature-rich platform. It is highly customizable and scalable, which makes setup more complicated.

That doesn’t mean that beginners can’t use Magento. But the learning curve can be much higher, especially if you are not so technically savvy.

Still, Magento is often better suited for medium to large businesses with the technical knowledge and resources to manage your store efficiently.

Customization and Flexibility

Having the flexibility to customize your store is important for some. From themes and styles to features and options, both Magento and WooCommerce are extremely flexible.

Many of these features are built into Magento, reducing the need for additional extensions or plugins. This includes marketing and SEO tools, enhanced search and catalog settings, support for multiple languages, robust pricing and promotions options, and much more.

Extensions allow you to customize Magento even more. For example, you can connect your store with other platforms or add more nuanced features.

WooCommerce offers flexibility through the use of third-party plugins. Simply add the features you want with the right plugins. It is also based on WordPress, allowing you to customize your store relatively easily with their design tools.

Themes are also available for both eCommerce platforms, although more options are available for WooCommerce than Magento Open Source.

Security

No matter whether you choose Magento or WooCommerce, it’s important that you security seriously.

Both stores are open-source platforms. While they are both reliable and secure, you need to be proactive in protecting your store and your customers.

Make sure you keep your store up to date to protect against security threats. This also means you need to update plugins and extensions too, since they may pose additional security risks.

Since WooCommerce relies more heavily on plugins than Magento, it may put you at a slightly higher risk. As such, we recommend turning on automatic updates to prevent issues and limit vulnerabilities.

Outside of updates, you should also consider the security options included with your hosting plan. Look for a host that offers a comprehensive security suite with real-time threat protections.

Scalability

Another important factor to consider is scalability. If you plan to grow your store, you need eCommerce capabilities that can scale with you.

WooCommerce is an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses. It can handle a decent volume of products and transactions, but its performance and scalability depend largely on the limitations of your hosting plan.

More often than not, you will outgrow WooCommerce’s features before you need to worry about hosting issues.

Out of the box, Magento is built to scale. While you can use it for small storefronts, it’s meant for moderate to enterprise-level stores with extensive product catalogs and high traffic.

While you may need to commit more development resources to your store, Magento will allow you to scale virtually endlessly.

Hosting Requirements

You can’t talk about scalability without talking about hosting requirements.

Most basic web hosting plans are fine for starting a small store with a few products. However, you will likely require dedicated resources, more powerful processors, and more storage as you grow.

WooCommerce is often the go-to choice for entry-level hosting because it is a quick and affordable option for starting a web store. But Magento can also perform reasonably well on even the most basic hosting plan.

It really comes down to your needs, the number of products you are selling, your site traffic, and the features or plugins you are using.

Magento can perform better than WooCommerce, especially if you are using a lot of WordPress plugins. On the other hand, a streamlined WooCommerce store can handle more products with lower hosting resources than Magento.

Whichever eCommerce tool you choose, look for a hosting provider that allows you to scale your site easily with minimal downtime.

Marketing & SEO Options

When it comes to running an effective store, you need to think about marketing. Both eCommerce platforms offer great marketing tools, but they handle them differently.

Magento has a built-in suite of marketing tools that are included for free. Every page and product includes powerful SEO features to help your store and products appear in searches.

You can easily email customers about abandoned carts, promotions, and more. And the advanced targeting and personalization allow you to customize each visitor’s experience to boost sales.

You can also add extensions for specific features or allow you to connect your store with other platforms. These extensions may come with separate fees.

WooCommerce also supports robust marketing features through WordPress plugins. Easily add support for SEO, email marketing, personalization, and more with any number of plugins.

However, too many plugins can impact WooCommerce’s performance. Not to mention that many of these plugins come with recurring costs.

Community & Support

As free, open-source platforms, both WooCommerce and Magento have active support communities.

WooCommerce benefits from the enormous WordPress community, with countless forums, tutorials, and third-party developers available to offer support. Additionally, WooCommerce has its own extensive documentation and dedicated support services for users who need assistance.

Similarly, Magento has a stronger developer community. Although smaller than the WordPress community, it is highly specialized and an invaluable resource for businesses needing complex customizations or technical help.

You should also consider the level of support from your hosting provider. 24/7/365 support is relatively standard within the hosting community. Look for a host that offers reliable phone and chat support. Also, look for hosts with extensive knowledge bases about eCommerce stores, themes, and additional plugins.

Pricing

Strictly speaking, WooCommerce and Magento are both free, open-source eCommerce solutions. You can install them on most hosting plans at no cost and launch a store relatively quickly. But there are things to consider for both options.

Magento offers robust features that are included by default. But you can still install extensions that may come with subscriptions or recurring free. While Magento Open Source is free, Magento Commerce, now known as Adobe Commerce, is not.

The Adobe solution is a paid, hosted eCommerce storefront. With Adobe, you are paying to use their proprietary version of Magento. Those costs include your website and the software to manage and maintain your products and web store.

WooCommere is also free, but it relies more heavily on third-party plugins than Magento. This means you are more likely to pay for premium features like SEO plugins, email marketing tools, etc.

Another price consideration is the cost of your web hosting. Basic web hosting usually starts between $10 and $20 per month, although it may cost as low as $2 with discounts and incentives.

However, you may need higher-tier plans with more system resources to be competitive.

Which Platform is Right for You?

Both WooCommerce and Magento have their strengths, but they have different features, technical requirements, and costs to consider.

WooCommerce is best for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a cost-effective, easy-to-use solution with a familiar WordPress environment.

It typically requires less technical knowledge to get started. WooCommerce offers great flexibility through plugins and is suitable for businesses with moderate growth goals.

However, too many plugins can slow down your site. While WooCommerce is free, many of these plugins are paid add-ons. Remember to consider your needs and the costs associated with them.

Magento Open Source is the go-to choice for large businesses and enterprises needing advanced eCommerce functionality and the ability to scale.

Its robust features and superior customization options make it perfect for complex, high-traffic stores, though it may require more technical expertise. But that doesn’t mean you cannot use it for a small store.

Despite the higher learning curve, it can save you on recurring costs in the long run. However, Magento can require more server resources, leading to higher hosting costs.

Ultimately, the choice between WooCommerce and Magento depends on your business’s size, goals, and technical capacity. Both platforms can help you build a successful online store, but choosing the right one ensures that your store can grow and thrive.

Whether you want WooCommerce Hosting or Magento Hosting, we have affordable hosting options with one-click eCommerce installation to get your store up and running fast.

Not sure WooCommerece or Magento is right for you? No problem, we support many different eCommerce Hosting solutions, including OpenCart, PrestaShop, AbanteCart, and more.

Our entry-level Web Hosting plans offer a premium hosting experience at low, affordable monthly rates. Easily scale your store as you grow with our Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Dedicated Server plans.

No matter which hosting plan or eCommerce store you choose, you always get 24/7/365 support from our in-house Guru Crew via phone, chat, ticketing system, and email. Plus, we have an extensive knowledge base full of tips and how-to guides to help you set up and manage your Magento or WooCommerce store.

Hero photo by PNW Production / Pexels

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What’s the Difference Between Hosted and Self-Hosted eCommerce Sites?

All eCommerce hosting may look the same, but there is a subtle yet significant distinction. There are two key differences between hosted and self-hosted eCommerce platforms.

First is the level of control you have over your website. With hosted eCommerce sites, you can change colors, layouts, and maybe even your theme, but not much else.

If you choose a self-hosted eCommerce store, you can control every aspect of how your store looks. But there can be some technical considerations to contend with. More on that later.

Second, is who manages the hosting infrastructure. Hosted eCommerce sites take care of all the server maintenance and upkeep, claiming they are safer and more reliable than self-hosted websites. To some degree, they have a point.

With self-hosted platforms, you might need to manage your own hosting environment. But, in most cases, your hosting provider will handle that for you. So, this really isn’t as big of an upsell as hosted platforms make it out to be.

What Is a Hosted eCommerce Website?

A hosted eCommerce website refers to an online store that’s built and managed using a platform hosted by a third-party provider. They offer a streamlined platform that allows you to quickly create, launch, and manage an eCommerce site.

These platforms provide an all-in-one e-commerce solution that includes hosting, a shopping cart function, and technical support.

Your monthly hosting cost usually depends on the size of your store or the number of products you sell. You also typically pay per sale on top of the monthly hosting fees. Most platforms offer discounts if you pay for several months in advance.

With a hosted solution, everything from web hosting to security, updates, and server maintenance is handled for you. These platforms provide users with a suite of tools to design and manage an web store easily, often with drag-and-drop builders, themes, and integrated payment gateways.

All you need to do is add your store name, logo, and products. While there are some options to customize your store, these hosted eCommerce sites can be pretty cookie-cutter. That might be fine for some stores or products, but you may find these limitations a little too constraining.

Examples of Hosted Websites for eCommerce

Here are some of the most popular websites for hosted eCommerce stores:

• Shopify – A popular, all-in-one hosted eCommerce site that allows you to easily build, manage, and scale an online store with no technical expertise required. Shopify offers a wide range of built-in features, integrations, and payment gateways. Shopify is also available as a plugin for self-hosted web stores.
• BigCommerce – A flexible hosted eCommerce website designed for growth, offering robust features for scalability, customization, and multi-channel selling. It’s a great choice if you are looking for advanced functionality without the need for extensive coding knowledge.
• Wix eCommerce – An easy-to-use website builder with integrated eCommerce capabilities, Wix eCommerce is perfect if you looking to create a simple, attractive web store with drag-and-drop customization.
• Squarespace – A visually-focused website builder with built-in eCommerce features. Consider Squarespace if you want to prioritize design and user experience. It offers a range of templates, making it a good choice for creatives and small online shops.

Advantages of Hosted eCommerce

Hosted eCommerce sites offer several advantages, the biggest one often being how easy they are to get started. Here are the pros to consider when looking at hosted web storefronts:

1. Ease of Use: Hosted platforms are designed for users with little to no technical knowledge. The setup process is usually simple and intuitive, with easy-to-use tools for creating product listings, managing inventory, processing orders, and handling payments. You don’t need to worry about configuring servers or troubleshooting hosting issues, as that’s all managed by the provider.
2. Maintenance-Free: Hosted platforms take care of all the technical maintenance, including updates, backups, and security patches. You’ll never have to worry about your website being outdated or vulnerable to security threats, as the platform’s team ensures everything runs smoothly.
3. Reliable Customer Support: Hosted platforms generally offer customer support, often available 24/7, to help you resolve any technical or platform-related issues. This can be a lifesaver if you run into trouble and need assistance quickly to avoid downtime.

Disadvantages of Hosted eCommerce

Hosted stores also have some disadvantages to consider, including higher costs and fewer options for customizing your site.

1. Limited Customization: While hosted platforms offer a variety of templates, themes, and plugins, your ability to customize the site is limited to the options they provide. If you want highly specific features or a completely unique design, you may find hosted solutions restrictive. Modifications outside of their ecosystem could also be costly or unavailable.
2. Additional Costs: Hosted eCommerce platforms usually come with a monthly or annual subscription fee. Additionally, many of these platforms charge transaction fees for each sale, which can add up, particularly for larger businesses with high sales volumes. While the upfront costs may be low, the recurring or hidden costs can add up over time. These can include the payment gateway charges, plus an upcharge for the eCommerce host. Yep, they can make extra money off of each one of your sales.
3. Vendor Lock-In: Since your website is built and hosted on the platform’s infrastructure, migrating to another provider can be difficult and time-consuming. If the platform changes its pricing or policies, you may feel stuck with limited flexibility to make a switch.

What Is a Self-Hosted eCommerce Platform?

A self-hosted eCommerce website gives you complete control over your online store. With this option, you choose your own hosting provider and install eCommerce software.

Almost all hosting providers offer one-click installation for popular storefronts like WooCommerce, Magento, or OpenCart. This makes starting your store almost as easy as a hosted option.

And some hosting providers even sell plans with eCommerce options pre-installed, making it just as simple to get started.

Depending on the hosting plan, your service provider will also handle all the maintenance.

Hosting providers usually bill monthly for your hosting service. In some cases, you can launch your store for between $10 and $20 per month before current incentives.

You also need to pay your payment gateway for each transaction, but that is a separate charge. Hosted plans usually include this in their monthly fees, so it seems like this is an additional fee.

Unlike hosted platforms, self-hosted websites allow you to manage every aspect of the website, from the software it runs on to its design and functionality.

Examples of Self-Hosted Sites for eCommerce

There are many different self-hosted platforms, but these are the most widely used:

• WooCommerce –  An open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress, WooCommerce gives you full control over your online store’s customization and features. It’s a great option if you want a scalable and highly flexible self-hosted solution. It also easily integrates with WordPress, making it the perfect choice if you already have an existing WordPress site.
• OpenCart – A user-friendly, open-source platform that offers a cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized businesses. OpenCart provides a simple way to create a customizable web store with multiple extensions and themes.
• Adobe eCommerce (formerly Magento) – A powerful, open-source eCommerce solution geared towards medium to large businesses. Magento offers extensive customization and scalability, making it suitable if you want to get started fast, but scale up to a complex, feature-rich web store.
• PrestaShop – An open-source eCommerce storefront known for its flexibility and scalability, PrestaShop is designed for merchants who want to customize every aspect of their online shop while managing a variety of features, including inventory and shipping.
• AbanteCart – An open-source eCommerce solution focused on ease of use and performance. AbanteCart is ideal for small to medium businesses looking for a simple yet flexible platform that offers built-in features for selling products online.

Advantages of Self-Hosted eCommerce Solutions

From lower costs to better customization, there are several reasons to consider a self-hosted eCommerce store.

1. Full Control and Customization: With a self-hosted solution, you have complete control over every aspect of your store. You’re not limited by platform-imposed restrictions, so you can customize your site to suit your specific needs. You can add any third-party tools, features, or plugins you need to enhance functionality, and you have the ability to modify your site’s code directly.
2. No Platform Restrictions: Since you’re not tied to a particular platform, you’re free to use any software, framework, or tools you prefer. This is particularly beneficial if you want to integrate custom solutions, design elements, or specific marketing tools that aren’t available on hosted platforms.
3. Lower Long-Term Costs: While there are upfront costs associated with hosting, domain registration, and possibly web development, there are fewer ongoing fees compared to hosted solutions. You don’t have to worry about platform subscription costs or transaction fees, which can make self-hosting more cost-effective over time, especially for larger businesses.

Disadvantages of Self-Hosted eCommerce

As with the hosted options, there are some cons to consider with self-hosted eCommerce stores. That said, nearly all of these disadvantages are less troublesome than you might think.

1. Somewhat Harder to Setup: Building a self-hosted website takes more time than a hosted platform. From choosing a hosting provider to setting up the software, configuring security, and maintaining performance, self-hosting is more complex and time-consuming. It’s important to weigh this investment in time against the benefits of greater control. However, most hosting companies streamline this process for you with one-click setups and easy-to-use site builder tools. Unless you want to make to completely custom site, setup really only takes one or two more steps.
2. Possibility for Maintenance Requirements: While hosted platforms handle updates, backups, and security automatically, you may need to manage some of those responsibilities with a self-hosted website. Typically, your hosting provider handles all of the server maintenance, including security. Whereas, you need to keep your eCommerce software, plugins, and themes up-to-date. Most of the time, that is as simple as hitting the update button.
3. Some Technical Knowledge Required: Managing a self-hosted eCommerce site also may require some technical skills. But it comes down to your needs. If you want to develop custom features, you will need to understand servers and have some coding skills. However, the standard modules are just as easy to use as they are on the hosted sites. If you do have an issue, most hosting companies offer 24/7/365 support to help out.

Self-Hosted vs Hosted eCommerce Hosting: Choosing the Right One for Your Needs

Still not sure whether you need self-hosted or hosted eCommerce hosting? Both are reliable hosting options to sell items online or start a web store.

Here are some last-minute considerations to help you choose before starting your eCommerce business.

• Hosted: Hosted eCommerce sites are often marketed as the fast, low-cost way to create a web store. And they may have a point. But, they can come with some major limitations and potentially hidden fees.
• Self-Hosted: Self-hosted eCommerce websites are usually easier to set up than they seem but can be overwhelming for some. However, they come with some significant advances like lower overall costs and more flexibility.

So, which is the best option? Well, it really comes down to your needs. If you have one or two custom items you want to sell right now, a hosted web store might be the most cost-effective way to get started.

But if you know you plan to offer more products or grow your business in the future, a self-hosted website could be the more reliable, less expensive option.

In most cases, they both include a range of features like:

• Easy site setup
• User-friendly interface
• Content management system
• SEO tools
• Social media marketing plugins

Hosted plans also offer features like:

• Streamlined sign-up to get started super fast
• Simple store templates for quick store launches

While self-hosted plans include additional features like:

• More options to customize your site layout
• More control over your product listings
• Choice of integrated payment systems

With A2 Hosting’s eCommerce Hosting options, you can start your web store in just minutes. After choosing the right hosting plan, checkout takes less than five minutes.

Then log into your hosting account and choose your eCommerce platform. With our one-click install feature, you are ready to go in seconds. Add your store name, create your products, and start selling!

Our premium Web Hosting starts as low as $1.95 per month. Upgrade to Turbo Hosting for up to 20X faster page load speeds or choose WooCommerce Hosting, built specifically for WordPress.

No matter which plan you choose, you always get our ultra-reliable 99.9% uptime and our risk-free money back guarantee. Plus, if you have any issues, our Guru Crew is available 24/7/365 by phone, chat, ticking system, and email to help!

Hero image by Negative Space.

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With so many provider plans to choose from, every website owner needs to understand they get on a shared hosting plan before making their decision. Don’t worry, though – we’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll explore the main features, advantages, and drawbacks of shared plans. We’ll also give you the scoop on shared hosting alternatives, so you can find the best fit for your online venture.

What is Shared Hosting?

Shared hosting is a web hosting service where multiple sites share the same physical server and its resources, such as CPU, RAM, and bandwidth. The most common type of web hosting, it allows individual users to start and maintain a website without the cost of paying for the upkeep of a full server.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Shared Web Hosting?

There are several benefits that make shared hosting an excellent choice for many websites. No hosting plan is 100% perfect of course. Here are the pros and cons to consider when looking at shared web hosting.

Pro: Cost-Effective

Shared hosting is one of the most cost-effective hosting options. Multiple websites share resources on the same server, making it much cheaper than dedicated or VPS hosting. It’s a cost-effective option for anyone just starting out.

Pro: Easy to Use

A further advantage of shared hosting is its user-friendliness. Many shared hosting providers offer intuitive control panels like cPanel, which make it easy to manage your website files and databases.

These control panels offer one-click installations for popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. This allows you to launch your website quickly and easily, even if you have limited technical knowledge.

Pro: Maintenance and Management

When you opt for shared hosting, you benefit from your provider’s expertise in server maintenance, security updates, and technical support.

It is your hosting provider’s responsibility to monitor for security threats, update software, and address technical issues. This allows you to focus on creating content, growing your business, and engaging with your audience, without worrying about the technical aspects.

Con: Less Control and Flexibility

One of the main drawbacks of shared hosting is the limited control and flexibility you have over server configurations and customizations.

The shared nature of the server can make performance optimization challenging and may prevent you from installing custom applications required for your website.

You still have complete control over your website, but you cannot make specific changes, like the specific version of PHP the server uses. This usually isn’t an issue for those just starting, but it can be a limitation as you grow.

Con: Limited Resources

With shared hosting, you’ll be sharing the same system resources like RAM and CPU with other websites on the same server.

Those resources are divided between users, so your website may load slower during high-traffic periods. Slow loading times can negatively affect your visitor’s experience and even your SEO rankings.

Hosting companies typically balance their shared servers by putting several low-traffic websites and only one or two moderate-traffic websites on the same system.

This usually prevents slowdowns due to traffic spikes, but the limited resources can still impact your page load speeds.

Con: Security Risks

Although rare, there is still an increased risk of malware and virus infections. Since your website shares the same server with others, a security breach in one site could potentially compromise the security of all websites, including yours.

Hosting providers have comprehensive security measures in place to limit these security risks. But it is something you should consider, especially if you collect personal information or store sensitive data on your website.

What to Look for When Choosing a Shared Hosting Plan

When shopping around for a hosting company, you should evaluate the following options before deciding.

Uptime

Uptime is the amount of time the server – and your website – are accessible on the Internet. Conversely, downtown is the time your website is not accessible from the Internet

Low or inconsistent uptime can negatively impact your website. Not only will your visitors have a hard time loading your site, but frequent stretches of downtime can cause your site to appear lower in search results.

A standard benchmark for most hosting providers is 99.9% uptime. Putting that in simple terms,  your website might not be available for roughly 45 minutes over the course of an entire month.

But even that much downtime is unlikely and it’s even more rare that that you would see even a few minutes of consecutive downtime. In most cases, the actual amount of downtime is almost unnoticeable.

However, you should always look for an uptime guarantee. It’s a trust signal that your host is committed to providing consistent, reliable service.

A2 Hosting offers a 99.9% uptime commitment to ensure your website is always accessible.

Customer Support

Customer support can significantly impact your overall hosting experience, especially when issues arise.

Obviously, your website not loading is a significant issue and most support teams can address and resolve those issues quickly.

But it’s more likely that you will have issues where your website loads, but not exactly how you want it to.

This is where a knowledgeable support team is important. They can help solve your problem so your website looks great and works for your visitors.

Look for a host that has great reviews specifically about their support team. They should also have a comprehensive knowledge base so you can troubleshoot minor issues on your own.

Our in-house Guru Crew customer support team are available 24/7/365 by phone, chat, ticketing system, and email to help resolve any issue. Plus, we have a robust knowledgebase with tips and how-tos on almost any topic.

Scalability

Scalability is key for allowing your website to adapt to changes in traffic or resource needs. A scalable hosting plan lets you grow without interruptions or complicated migrations.

Whether you need more system resources for better site performance or want to launch more websites, look for a host that allows you to easily upgrade your plan.

A2 Hosting offers several Web Hosting plans that allow you to balance your needs with the cost. If you need better performance, we have Turbo Hosting plans that are up to 20X faster.

For more control over your hosting environment, we also offer Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Dedicated Server plans.

You can quickly and easily upgrade your service anytime with virtually no downtime or interruptions in service.

Performance and Speed

When choosing a shared hosting plan, consider the hosting infrastructure, including server hardware, and whether they use SSD storage and caching tehcnology.

Factors greatly impact your site’s speed and performance and visitors are more likely to leave your site if the pages load too slowly.

Speed also affects SEO, as the average loading time for a first-page result on Google is 1.65 seconds—much faster than the overall average of 2.5 seconds.

A2 Hosting uses premium hardware like ultra-fast CPUs and SSD storage and includes LiteSpeed Web Servers with all hosting plans.

Choose a hosting provider like A2 Hosting, which offers fast and reliable services, including NVMe SSD storage and caching systems. NVMe SSDs are significantly faster than traditional SATA SSDs, using the PCIe interface for more bandwidth and lower latency. This translates into superior performance for your website.

Storage

Sometimes still called disk space, storage is another important thing to consider when choosing a web host. You want to look at the amount of space included as well as the type of storage.

Between 5 and 10 GB is usually plenty of storage space for even the most robust website or WordPress blog. You really only need unlimited storage if you are hosting extremely large files or have a huge database of information.

Perhaps more important than the amount, you also need to check what type of storage the host uses. Spinning disk-based hard drives (HDDs) are becoming obsolete in hosting because they are much slower than modern alternatives.

SSDs, or solid-state drives, offer faster read/write speeds, which means your website loads faster than traditional HDDs. If speed really matters, look for ultra-fast NVMe storage, that offers up to 3X faster read/write speeds.

Our Web Hosting plans start with 10 GB of storage, with many unlimited plans available. We use SSD storage for all files, databases, and software on our basic hosting tier. Our Turbo Hosting plans use NVMe storage for significantly fast page load speeds.

Transfer Limit and LVEs

Another thing to consider when choosing a host are transfer limits and LVEs.

Sometimes called bandwidth, the transfer limit is the maximum amount of data your website can use each month. While limits were common years ago, most hosts now offer unlimited transfers.

LVE (Lightweight Virtual Environment) allows services to isolate resources in shared web hosting. Not all hosts list their LVEs, so it’s important to read the specifications carefully.

A2 Hosting includes specs on our servers and our LVE limits in our web hosting comparisons for full transparency.

Security Features

Security should be a priority when picking a shared hosting plan. Look for features like malware scanning, DDoS protection, and firewalls. Not all hosting companies offer the same level of protection.

SSL certificates are another security feature to consider. Most hosts offer free Domain Verification certificates, but you may need to upgrade to another type of SSL for better protection and trust with your site visitors.

A2 Hosting provides comprehensive security protection and a free Domain Verification SSL certificate. If you need additional encryption, we offer all levels of SSLs as add-ons for all hosting plans.

Email Hosting

If you need email accounts for your website, check what the hosting plan includes.

Some plans include a fixed number of email addresses, while others include unlimited accounts.

Also look for specifics about features like webmail access, spam filters, and email forwarders.

A2 Hosting’s shared plans come with unlimited email accounts, allowing you to create as many addresses as you need for personal or business use.

You can log in to your accounts through webmail or use standard IMAP or POP3 to sync messages with popular email programs.

Value

Many hosting providers focus on the price of their plans, but you should consider the value of the features offered.

Consider how much you will pay for the resources, performance, and support you get. You should also take into account promotional pricing and renewal costs.

A2 Hosting offers a premium hosting experience at a highly competitive price point. All of our plans are built for speed, performance, and reliability.

How to Know When to Upgrade Your Hosting Plan

As your website grows and evolves, there may come a point when your shared hosting plan can no longer meet its demands. Here are some indicators that it might be time to consider an upgrade to VPS or dedicated hosting:

• Resource demands: The first sign it’s time to upgrade is you run out of resources. If your site regularly loads slowly, you need more system resources like CPU and RAM. Higher-tier plans offer dedicated resources that will significantly boost performance.
• Security concerns: If security is a primary concern, upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting can offer better isolation and control over security measures. With dedicated resources, you can implement advanced security protocols and have greater control over software updates and patches.
• Customization needs: If you need specific software configurations or administrative control, shared hosting can be too restrictive. VPS or dedicated hosting provides greater flexibility to install custom software, modify server settings, and tailor the environment to your unique requirements.
• High traffic: Shared plans are designed to handle a lot of traffic, but there may come a time when you have too many visitors. High traffic can create a poor user experience. Upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting can provide the necessary resources and performance to handle increased traffic.
• Business growth: As your business grows, your website may outgrow the limitations of shared hosting. Upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting can accommodate increased traffic and resource needs, and ensure your website can continue to scale and support your business’s growth.

Should you find yourself outgrowing your shared hosting plan, A2 Hosting offers expert migration assistance to help you transition to a VPS or dedicated hosting plan that better suits your needs.

If you are ready to get started with premium web hosting, A2 Hosting has affordable plans to fit your needs.

Explore our Shared Web Hosting plans now, starting as low as $1.95 per month with current incentives.

All our plans include premium hardware and enough resources to launch a successful website. If you need better performance, consider our Turbo Hosting options, with up to 40%faster CPUs and ultra-fast NVMe storage.

If you are not sure that shared web hosting is right for you, we also offer VPS and Dedicated Hosting at competitive prices.

The post What Are the Pros and Cons of Shared Hosting? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

So, how much does it cost to keep a website running? Well, at the very least, you have the cost of website hosting and domain name renewals. But unless you are doing all the updates yourself, you need to account for regular website maintenance costs.

When you think of website maintenance, you are probably thinking of updating plugins and software. But it also includes renewing domain names and SSL certificates and even creating more content to help your business grow. Here is everything you need to know about website maintenance costs and how much it could cost to keep your website running.

Does It Cost to Keep a Website Running?

With rare exceptions, every website has a monthly upkeep cost. Exactly how much does it cost to keep your website running? Well, it really depends on the type of website you have.

Website maintenance costs for basic brochure websites are extremely low. You basically have the cost of your website hosting and your domain name renewal. The total cost could easily range from $65 to $120 per year, depending on your needs. That’s roughly $5 to $10 a month.

But that doesn’t take into account the cost of premium plugins, eCommerce systems, email hosting, search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, content creation, and so much more. Not to mention regular website maintenance tasks like updating software and plugins.

The more tools, features, and support you need, the greater the cost of keeping your website running. As a small business, you might need to budget between $25 and $100 per month. Medium and larger businesses might cost upwards of $1,500 to $5,000 per month or more.

And a note about those rare exceptions. Yes, there are so-called free website options out there, but they usually come with significant limitations. They might work if you are setting up a personal site to share limited information with friends and family. However, they are not a reliable option for businesses.

What Is a Reasonable Budget for a Website?

There are a variety of different costs associated with keeping your website running. From hosting and domain renewals to site maintenance, plugins, themes, and content, you can spend anywhere from less than $15 a month for a personal or hobby website to well over $1,000 for an enterprise business site.

That said, most hobbiests, small businesses, and beginner eCommerce sites can expect to spend between $25 to $100 a month. Medium to large businesses can spend upwards of $500 a month and major eCommerce sites and large businesses will spend anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 or more.

But before you start worrying about your website budget, it’s important to review all the potential costs and determine which apply in your circumstances.

We have a detailed list of potential maintenance and recurring costs associated with websites below. They explain what the service includes, why it’s important, and what you can expect to pay for them.

Website Maintenance Costs to Include in Your Budget

To estimate the cost of upkeep on your website, you need to look at all the factors and evaluate your needs. Here are the most common ongoing website maintenance costs you may need to pay for:

Domain Name Renewal

The domain name is the URL or address that directs visitors to your website. The cost of a domain name ranges from $12 to $75 for the first year because of sales incentives. However, you can expect to pay between 50% and 80% more each year afterward.

The total cost also depends on the top-level domain (TLD) you choose. This is the domain extension after your unique name, for example, .com, .net, .io, or .shop. Certain TLDs are more expensive than others.

Domain name registration is one website maintenance cost you need to include in your budget. You don’t have a website without a domain name, so there is no getting around the cost.

While most website maintenance fees are monthly, you usually pay for domain names yearly. You can expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $250 a year for your domain registration renewal. The exact price depends on your TLD, the term of the renewal, and other add-ons like domain privacy.

Web Hosting

Like domain renewals, website hosting is another inescapable maintenance cost. While yearly rates are available, monthly hosting charges are more common.

The exact cost depends on your needs. Shared web hosting usually costs between $5 and $25 per month, while virtual private servers (VPS) and dedicated hosting start around $50 and go up from there.

Hosting costs include storage space for your website along with various tools and systems to easily build, maintain, and update your website. Plans vary by hosting company, so check what is included in your package.

The average maintenance cost for web hosting ranges from $5 a month for a basic plan to over $500 per month for a high-powered dedicated server plan.

Website Updates and Maintenace

Another cost factor to consider is regular website updates and maintenance. Even if don’t need to update any of the information on your website, you might still need site backups or updates.

Thankfully, updating your CMS, plugins, or theme is usually relatively easy for basic web hosting packages. However, some systems are more complex. If you are on unmanaged VSP or dedicated hosting plans, you are responsible for maintaining your own web server. And that can take some specialized skills.

Developers may charge flat fees or low hourly rates for basic hosting maintenance but expect to pay higher hourly rates for detailed server maintenance. Assuming you do yearly maintenance, costs can range from $50 or $100 to well into the thousands.

More frequent maintenance might be more affordable upfront, but you will ultimately pay more overtime. That said, some services may offer discounted rates or incentives to sign up for regular system maintenance packages.

SSL Certificate

Although not required, an SSL certificate is strongly recommended for both security and to improve your ranking in search engines. A secure sockets layer, SSL for short, is a digital security certificate that encrypts data transferred between your visitors and the web server.

Many hosting companies include basic Domain Validated (DV) SSL certificates with their hosting plans. However, this provides the lowest level of trust for your visitors.

Higher-level SSLs can increase trust with your customers, but they come with monthly or yearly maintenance fees. And, like domains, you have to renew them every year.

Depending on the type of SSL certificate you need, the average yearly maintenance cost is between $50 and $2,500 or more.

Content Management System or Website Builder

Content management systems (CMSs) and website builders are tools that make designing and updating a website easy. While they are very similar, CMSs usually offer more robust features and customizations than website builders.

Most hosting plans include a free website builder, and nearly all of the main CMSs, including the extremely popular WordPress CMS, are available for free. That said, some tools do cost extra.

Specialty and eCommerce CMSs, premium add-ons and packages, and certain tools have recurring monthly maintenance costs that increase the overall cost of your website.

Depending on your needs, basic tools start at a few dollars per month. However, enterprise solutions typically cost tens of thousands of dollars to set up and may include recurring monthly fees.

Plug-ins, Themes, and Extensions

The biggest benefit of using a CMS is that they are extremely customizable. Plug-ins, themes, and extensions make doing so many things easier- usually with very little technical know-how.

From image optimization to custom social widgets, there is usually a tool for everything. While some of them are free, the most helpful ones have a yearly cost or a monthly subscription fee.

Strictly speaking, you do not need any of these tools, but they can offer significant advantages. Costs vary widely from developer to developer.

You can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $100 or more per premium tool, so weigh their pros and cons before purchasing.

Email Hosting

Some website hosting plans include a few custom email addresses and a simple email tool for sending and receiving email messages. However, these are extremely basic accounts and tools that lack the features most businesses need.

Email hosting plans offer the tools, flexibility, and mailbox space that most organizations and businesses need. They offer the resources and credibility you need to stand out.

Depending on your needs, monthly email hosting costs range from as low as $3 per month. The cost of larger enterprise plans is usually based on the total number of users.

eCommerce Transaction Fees

If you are selling items on your website, you need to account for your eCommerce transaction fees in addition to the cost of hosting. These fees are usually based on a percentage of the sale plus a fixed transition cost.

It’s also important to note that these transaction fees are separate from the cost of eCommerce hosting. With eCommerce hosting, you are paying for specific website tools that allow you to operate your web storefront. These fees are for each individual sale.

The monthly cost of website maintenance for eCommerce transitions depends largely on how many items you sell. Most services charge around 5% of the item cost and a flat fee of 50¢ to $1 per transaction. While you should account for these fees when pricing your goods, be aware this can easily add hundreds or thousands to the cost of running your website every month.

Also, if you sell items on your website, you should consider an Organization Validated (OV) SSL certificate. Extended Validation (EV) certificates are recommended for larger eCommerce stores.

Content Creation and SEO

Another regular website maintenance cost you should consider is SEO strategy and content creation. To a certain extent, you might be able to create your own content for free. There are also plenty of free SEO resources available. However, not everyone has the time or skill to run an effective content marketing strategy.

Blog articles usually start at $25 to $50, while photo and video content can easily cost $50 to $100 or more. SEO and content strategy costs vary widely based on the scope of the project, the level of expertise, and other factors. However, you can easily spend $250 to $1,500 a month or more.

The total monthly website maintenance costs associated with content creation and SEO range from as low as $50 or $100 to well into the thousands.

What Website Maintenance Includes:

How Much Does It Cost to Maintain a Website?

So, how much does it cost to run a website? Well, it varies widely based on your needs. At the bare minimum, recurring website maintenance costs include web hosting and domain name renewals.

Other common recurring costs include SSL certificate renewals, premium plugins and themes, eCommerce transaction fees, content creation, SEO strategy, and more.

With all these different website maintenance charges to keep in mind, here are the estimated costs of running a website for some of the most common types of sites.

It’s also important to remember these are only estimates. You should research your needs, then compare prices for tools and features for the most accurate estimate.

Also, remember that you can always start with entry-level hosting plans, features, and tools, then scale up your services as you grow. And if you already have and established site, remember to review your website costs every year and adjust them to fit your needs.

Personal Websites and Blogs: Less than $15 per month

Running a personal site or blog typically costs less than $15 per month. That cost includes your monthly hosting fee and your domain name. In some cases, you may want to pay for a premium website theme or plugin, which can raise the monthly total depending on your needs.

Hobby Blogs and Special Interest Websites: $25 to $50 per month

Hobby blogs and websites for small special interest groups usually cost between $25 and $100 per month. The costs include hosting and domain name, along with one or two premium features like a website theme, specialty plugins, or an OV SSL certificate.

Small Business Informational Website: $25 to $100 per month

The cost of a simple informational, brochure-style website for a small business will usually run between $25 and $100 per month. This includes the hosting plan and domain renewal, along with an upgraded SSL certificate and a few specialty themes or plugins.

Small Business eCommerce Website: $75 to $300 per month

Small businesses with an eCommerce website can expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $300 a month or more, depending on your sales. The costs include eCommerce website hosting, domain renewal, and transaction fees at the minimum. However, you may also need premium shop themes or plugins that cost extra. Again, the total monthly operational cost depends primarily on the volume of your sales.

Small to Medium Business Website: $200 to $1,000+ per month

Running a small to medium business website costs around $200 and goes up depending on your specific needs. The basic costs are your hosting plan, domain name, email hosting, and upgraded OV SSL certificate. You are also likely to need one or two premium plugins or extensions. While you might be able to use a premium theme, you also might want to pay for a custom theme to set your business apart. Your total cost will scale as you grow, upgrading to higher-tier hosting plans, more email users, premium features, and additional website tools.

Medium to Large eCommerce Websites: $300 to $3,000+ per month

Pinning down specific operating costs gets more complex as the size of a business grows. Medium to large eCommerce businesses might only need to pay for eCommerce hosting, annual domain name and SSL renewals, transaction fees, and a few premium tools. In the same regard, you could also need custom themes, proprietary web solutions, or enterprise-level email hosting. As such, your monthly website maintenance costs could range anywhere from $300 on the low end up to $3,000 or more.

Corporate Websites: $300 to $5,000+ per month

Similar to the larger eCommerce monthly web costs, there are a lot of variables in hosting a corporate website. VPS hosting with an OV or EV SSL certificate and yearly domain renewals may cost as low as $300. However, upgrading to a managed dedicated webserver with premium plugins and tools can cost $5,000 a month or more. Your total cost depends on the services you need, so consider your options carefully.

Government, Non-Profit, or Organization Websites: $100 to $5,000+ per month

Some government, non-profit, or organization websites can cost as low as $100 per month for web hosting and domain name and SSL renewals. But more than likely, you will need at least some premium features. And depending on the size of your organization, you might need enterprise-level products and services. That can dramatically increase how much it costs to run your website. Again, review your options and choose wisely to get the tools you need at an affordable cost.

When it comes to how much it costs to run a website, getting started can be extremely overwhelming. But that is why we made scaling with our hosting plans so easy.

Whether you are just getting started with Shared Web Hosting, a specialty business that needs eCommerce Hosting, or a corporate website that needs Managed Dedicated Server Hosting, we have a plan that fits any need. Plus, you can scale your hosting services up or down as your business changes.

Plus, we make it easy to add all the services you need. Easily add Domain and SSL Certificate registration, a site builder or popular CMSs like WordPress, or email hosting to any service.

With A2 Hosting, you also get our free migration services, money back guarantee, 99.9% uptime commitment, and 24/7/365 Guru Crew support to ensure you get the maximum out of our hosting plans.

Hero Photo by Markus Spiske / Pexels

The post Understanding Website Maintenance Costs: How Much Does It Cost to Keep a Website Running? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

At its most basic, SSL is a security feature that helps protect data as it travels across the Internet. Websites use an SSL certificate to verify they are using the proper safety protocols.

From why they are important to how they impact your security and SEO performance, let’s explain what SSL is and why an SSL certificate is important for your website.

What Is SSL?

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a protocol that establishes an encrypted connection between a user’s web browser and a web server. This encryption ensures that any data transmitted between the two is private and secure. SSL specifically protects login credentials, credit card information, or personal details that cyber thieves are after.

SSL was first developed in the mid-1990s to provide a secure way for websites to communicate with users. Over time, SSL has evolved, and its successor, TLS (Transport Layer Security), has become the standard for secure communication on the Internet. Despite the shift to TLS, the term “SSL” is still commonly used to describe these certificates.

Transport Layer Security and SSL create a secure session for website visitors. This ensures that all of the data transferred during that session — the period of time the visitor is on a given website — is encrypted. This encryption is especially important during online transactions when customers are providing personal data like credit care numbers.

What Is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate or SSL cert is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. When you visit a website with an SSL certificate, your browser can trust that the site is legitimate and that any information you share is protected.

An SSL certificate works by binding a cryptographic key to an organization’s details. When a browser attempts to connect to a secure site, the SSL certificate provides the necessary keys to establish a secure connection. This process, known as the SSL handshake, happens almost instantaneously, ensuring that data can be exchanged securely without any noticeable delay.

Also, certificates are only valid for a specific period of time, typically one, two, or three years. You then need to renew your SSL before the period ends to continue your protection. Some services may also offer monthly payments with automatic renewals.

Your certificate expires for two reasons. First, it limits the risk that it is compromised. Although rare, it is possible that cybercriminals could crack your encryption key. And as soon as they have the key, they can access all the data you think is secure.

And second, SSL and TSL are constantly evolving to address new security threats and improve encryption standards. Basically, a 10 to 20-year-old certificate wouldn’t protect you from modern security threats. So, regular SSL cert renewals ensure that your website is using the latest security technologies, keeping your website – and visitors – safe from potential vulnerabilities.

Types of SSL Certificates

There are several types of SSL certs that provide different levels of protection. While A2 Hosting recommends that all websites use SSL, not everyone needs the same level of certification. Here are the types of SSL certificates and who should use them:

1. Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificates: These are the most basic type, verifying that the certificate owner controls the domain. DV certificates are meant for websites that do not collect personal information, have a visitor login, or sell products directly from the site.
2. Organization Validation (OV) SSL Certificates: These require more extensive validation, including verification of the organization’s identity. Any website that needs a higher level of customer trust or that operates small eCommerce stores should use OV certificates.
3. Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates: These offer the highest level of trust, displaying a green address bar in the browser to indicate that the site is highly secure. EV certificates offer the highest level of protection and a best suited to large eCommerce sites, banking institutions, and companies that need the highest security.
4. Wildcard SSL Certificates: These cover a domain and all its subdomains, making them ideal for sites with multiple subdomains. Wildcard certificates are specialty SSLs that are used if you have multiple subdomains like blog.yourwebsite.com, sales.yourwebsite.com, etc.
5. Multi-Domain SSL Certificates: These secure multiple domains with a single certificate, useful for businesses with several different sites. Another specialty SSL cert that protects companies or organizations that operate several different websites.

Understanding Free and Paid SSLs

When it comes to Transport Layer Security and SSLs, there are both free and paid options. In most cases, free SSLs offer domain verification (DV) for basic security protection. This is likely enough protection for personal or hobby websites, but most businesses need additional protection – which requires a paid SSL.

A2 Hosting offers free DV SSL Certificates with automatic renewals for most plans. Our team sets up the SSL and keeps it current to ensure you have basic DV-level protection. We also offer a variety of paid SSL options for advanced encryption and security.

We have a detailed article that further explains the differences between free and paid SSLs.

Why Do Websites Need SSL Certificates?

While security is often the biggest reason to use SSL, there are actually several advantages to getting a certificate for your website.

Improve Security

The most common reason to use SSL certificates is to protect sensitive data from being intercepted by malicious parties. Without SSL, data sent between the user’s browser and the web server is transmitted in plain text, making it vulnerable to interception by hackers. SSL encryption ensures that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be read or used by unauthorized individuals.

SSL certificates also prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, where an attacker intercepts and alters the data between the user and the website. By ensuring that the data cannot be tampered with during transmission, SSL certificates maintain the integrity of the information exchanged.

Trust and Credibility

SSL certificates also play a critical role in building trust with users. When a website has an SSL certificate, browsers display a padlock icon in the address bar, signaling to users that their connection is secure. This visible sign of security can significantly boost user confidence, making them more likely to engage with the site, complete transactions, and share personal information.

Conversely, websites without SSL certificates are flagged as “Not Secure” by browsers like Google Chrome. This warning can deter visitors and damage a website’s credibility.

Improves SEO

In addition to security and trust, SSL certificates offer SEO (search engine optimizations) benefits. Google has made SSL a ranking factor, meaning that websites with SSL certificates may receive a boost in search engine rankings. This makes SSL not only a security measure but also a key component of any website’s SEO strategy.

Legal and Compliance Requirements

Many industry regulations, such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), require websites that handle sensitive information to use SSL certificates. Non-compliance with these regulations can result in severe penalties, making SSL certificates a legal necessity for certain types of websites.

How to Obtain and Install SSL For Your Website

Choosing the Right SSL Certificate

The first step in securing your website with SSL is choosing the right type of certificate. Consider your website’s needs—whether you need to secure a single domain, multiple domains, or subdomains—and select a certificate accordingly.

A2 Hosting recommends DV certs for websites that do not collect user data, OV certificates for businesses and organizations that need more advanced protection and credibility, and EV SSL certificates for any website that sells products or allows users to create accounts and publish content.

Review our types of SSL certificates article for more information about choosing the right one for your needs.

How To Obtain an SSL Certificate

There are several ways to obtain an SSL certificate, but these are the most common and reliable options for increasing your website’s trust and security:

• Purchase from a Trusted Certificate Authority (CA): You can purchase SSL certificates directly from a certificate authority, which includes companies like Let’s Encrypt, DigiCert, GlobalSign, and IdenTrust, among others. However, you do need to work with your hosting company to install your SSL.
• Purchase from a Hosting Company: Another option for getting your SSL cert is through your hosting company. They partner directly with one or more CAs, allowing you to bundle your services. As an added benefit, they also streamline the SSL setup process.
• Purchase from a Domain Registrar: Like hosting companies, many domain name registrars also partner with a CA to offer certificates. While this does allow you to bundle your services, you still need to work with your hosting provider to set up your SSL cert.

Less common options are to buy SSL certs from resellers or through website plugins, apps, or software. A2 Hosting strongly recommends buying from a reputable source and working with your hosting provider to set up and install your SSL.

At best, cutting corners or adding unnecessary layers of support will make troubleshooting issues more frustrating. And at worst, they can seriously compromise your site security.

A2 Hosting offers SSL certificates through DigiCert and their subsidiaries RapidSSL and GeoTrust. We have a range of SSL options to fit your budget and security needs.

Installation Process

After obtaining the certificate, you’ll need to install it on your web server. The exact steps vary depending on your hosting provider and server configuration, but most hosts offer guides or support to help with installation.

If you purchase your SSL through A2 Hosting, our 24/7/365 Guru Crew support team is here to help you install your certificate. We also have extensive SSL installation documentation in the A2 Knowledgebase if you purchase your certificate from another source.

Renewal

As mentioned above, you must periodically renew your SSL certificates, typically every one to two years. Most certificate authorities, hosting companies, and domain registrars offer automated renewal, ensuring that your site remains secure without manual intervention.

A2 Hosting offers automatic SSL renewals to ensure you have the protection you need. Your SSL will renew based on the original term period for your certificate.

Common Misconceptions About What SSL Is and How Certificates Work

SSL vs. TLS

A common misconception is that SSL and TLS are different protocols. In reality, TLS is the successor to SSL, offering enhanced security features. However, the term “SSL” is still widely used in website hosting and Internet security, which can lead to some confusion.

SSL Certificates and Performance

Some website owners worry that SSL certificates will slow down their website. While SSL does introduce a small amount of overhead due to encryption, modern servers and browsers handle this efficiently, making any performance impact negligible.

An SSL certificate is an important part of keeping your website safe and secure for visitors. It protects sensitive data like passwords and credit card information and plays a key role in building trust with visitors and improving your SEO rankings.

With the increasing emphasis on online security and privacy, SSL is not just a nice-to-have feature—it’s a necessity. Whether you’re running a small blog or a large eCommerce site, an SSL certificate is essential for your success. If you don’t already have an SSL cert, now is the time to get one.

If you are an existing A2 Hosting customer, you probably already have a basic DV SSL certificate as part of your hosting plan. New customers also get the same entry-level certificate with new plans.

However, we also offer several other options for SSL certs so you can customize your security protection. Existing customers can upgrade through your MyA2 dashboard. New customers can add enhanced DV, OV, EV, and Wildcard SSL certificates to their hosting plan when checking out.

Hero Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

The post What Is SSL and Which Certificate Is Right for You? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

But TurboHub, our exclusive dashboard for WordPress sites, gives you a snapshot of your security status and makes detecting vulnerabilities and updating your protection as easy as one click.

Whether you take care of your own website or are an agency or web developer who manages dozens of sites, TurboHub makes reviewing security status and making the necessary updates a breeze.

Advanced WordPress Security From One Easy-To-Use Dashboard

The TurboHub security tab is the fastest and easiest way to keep your site safe. Whether you manage one website or 1,000, it is vital for monitoring site health and security.

Loaded with features to keep you secure, you can quickly review potential threats in one convenient place. Verify your SSL certificates, make sure malware detection and proactive defenses are enabled, and review potential threats.

Plus, TurboHub recommends actions to eliminate security vulnerabilities. From salt key status to inactive plugins or themes, you can take immediate action directly from the control panel. In most cases, you can enhance your security with one click.

What Is TurboHub?

TurboHub is A2 Hosting’s exclusive control panel for WordPress sites. Designed to make managing and protecting WordPress sites easier, it offers comprehensive metrics about the performance, health, and security of your websites.

Improve your efficiency and workflow by reviewing all of your A2 Hosting WordPress sites in one place. Easily view current performance and security snapshots, review recommendations, and make improvements and updates across all of your sites.

TurboHub Security Features

WordPress site security is one of the core features of the TurboHub control panel. From proactive defense to security best practices, it puts the top security features at your fingertips.

SSL Status & Proactive Defense

When it comes to website security, you need to be proactive. TurboHub’s SSL status and proactive defense indicators ensure your SSL certificate is valid and your malware and proactive security defense are active.

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is the industry standard in data encryption for information transferred between a web server and a web browser. It protects online transactions and personal information, ensuring data privacy over the Internet.

A valid SSL certificate tells web browsers – and your customers – that your website follows SSL protocols for secure data transfer, keeping them safe.

Malware and proactive security defenses protect your website against malicious attacks that can hijack your website or steal customer data.

Advanced Website Hosting Protection

TurboHub allows you to instantly validate the status of your firewall and DDoS and brute force protection. These ensure you are safe against attacks designed to gain access to your web server.

A firewall is a digital barrier that blocks unauthorized access to your sites from cyber threats. When active, they block malicious traffic based on predefined security rules.

Reinforced Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection prevents malicious attempts to attack your website and take them offline. DDoS attacks use multiple compromised computer systems to slow down or even crash websites, preventing access to legitimate users.

Brute force protection shields against relentless attacks attempting to log into your system. Attackers will systematically try to guess passwords, encryption keys, or other secret information. Brute force attacks are typically automated, allowing them to rapidly test millions of combinations.

A2 Recommended Actions

TurboHub also includes a number of A2 Hosting recommended security actions, like locking editing abilities on plugins and themes or bcrypt password hashing. These recommendations improve your overall website security, lowering the risk that hackers can access your site data.

Common recommendations include:

• Locking the editing for plugins and themes from WP Admin to prevent the misuse of built-in editing capabilities for malicious purposes.
• Deny direct access to configuration files to block bots and web users from directly accessing and potentially exploiting WordPress config files.
• Remove old wp-config.php backups to eliminate unnecessary files with potentially sensitive information.
• Use bcrypt password hashing for a more secure password storing and hashing method.
• Disable XML-RPC services to close a possible entryway a hacker could exploit your site.

You can easily toggle these options on or off from the TurboHub security panel to fit your security needs and keep your website data safe.

Best Security Practices

TurboHub also analyzes your website to ensure you are following the best security practices. You can identify potential vulnerabilities at a glance and take action to secure your sites. Simply review the recommended security updates and follow the instructions to implement these improvements.

When necessary, TurboHub will recommend the following actions:

• Regenerate salt key passwords to protect your account even if your login cookies are compromised.
• Check for and remove insecure SQL backups and files that could be accessed by hackers.
• Reduce potential vulnerabilities and improve site performance by removing unused plugins and unused WordPress themes.

Just follow the steps associated with each best practice to protect your site.

More TurboHub Features Coming Soon

Committed to the fastest and most reliable hosting solutions, A2 Hosting developed TurboHub to streamline WordPress site performance and management.

From personal sites and hobby projects to agencies and developers managing client sites, it offers features that simplest updates and makes everyone a performance and security expert.

But we aren’t done yet. We have an exciting lineup of advancements that will enhance your workflow and your websites.

A2 Intelligent Performance

Optimize your site’s performance with the power of AI. A2 Intelligent Performance monitors critical performance indicators to keep your site performing at its best. Easily review the data and make the most informed decisions about your site’s speed and reliability.

A2 AI Assistant Inside WordPress

Launch new websites quickly and easily with our AI co-pilot. Exclusive to TurboHub, our A2 AI Assistant for WordPress writes content, generates images, and can even design page layouts. Trained on WordPress help documentation, it will answer common questions and help you get the most out of your WordPress site.

Enhanced Staging

Our upcoming enhanced staging feature makes developing, testing, and deploying website updates a snap. This robust tub maximizes compatibility by recording changes on both staging and live sites. And the advanced 2-way sync ensures changes are mirrored in both environments.

Enhance Your Website Security With TurboHub

Enhance site security and improve your site performance with TurboHub for WordPress from A2 Hosting. Quickly review potential security risks and easily make improvements to protect your website. Streamline your WordPress site management today. TurboHub is available on all A2 Hosting WordPress hosting plans.

The post WordPress Security Made Easy With TurboHub appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Many artists have transitioned and began to find new ways to share their talents in order to stay afloat when in-person events and programs were put on pause.

Finding the right hosting plan for your website is essential when starting an e-commerce business. As more people transition to online shopping, especially during a year like 2020, selling goods and services online has become critically important to stay afloat in the modern economic climate. For the music industry, the last year has been a difficult time to connect and create due to lockdowns and limited public events. Many artists have transitioned and began to find new ways to share their talents in order to stay afloat when in-person events and programs were put on pause.

Jesse Neo, a DJ, and entrepreneur, decided to combine his musical and technological talents to create a platform where artists can connect and collaborate online in a new way. Gemtracks is a music and singing website that provides a range of song instrumentals and articles, as well as an exclusive online store that produces unique backing tracks for bands, singers, and songwriters.

Through Neo’s story, you will learn how a man with musical talent, technological skill, and a powerful dedicated server was able to shift the way musicians collaborate and create music digitally.

A Business that is Changing the Tune of Musical Collaboration

Jesse Neo has been blogging and developing web content since 2006. His vision to create Gemtracks, a music-industry marketplace best known for buying and selling instrumental backing tracks (also known as beats), began when he was in college. He wanted to create an online store so that he could sell the tracks that he was composing. When he first began his store, he was selling his music on a first-come-first-sold model and his customers would have full ownership and copyrights placed in their names.

In 2019 Neo moved to Los Angeles and, through the advice from the local talent there, realized that this e-commerce business model might be very lucrative long term. He transitioned his small business from a private store into a public marketplace for freelance musicians to sell their own songs. He also created the capability for artists to book recording studios and submit their songs to other curators that might be interested in the artist. “I am the sole founder of Gemtracks. I personally programmed, designed, and marketed Gemtracks from scratch,” said Neo. “From time to time, I take on interns and contractors, but the major bulk of the company is done with my own two hands.”

Building a Musical Digital Presence

Finding the right hosting provider for Gemtracks was critical when Neo first began to envision his company. “Everything about Gemtracks depends on the website. Without a website, Gemtracks would not exist. This is why I was very concerned about where my server was hosted.”

When he first began searching for a hosting provider, Neo had a few server requirements that he felt were essential to the eventual success of his site, including ensuring sufficient processor capacity to meet business demands, great support, uptime, and reliability. He originally learned about A2 Hosting off of a recommendation from a friend back in 2006. “I remember a friend operating a small blog telling me she paid only a few dollars a month for hosting. She gave me the name of A2 Hosting – and I have been a loyal customer ever since,” said Neo. “ I have also developed friendships with some staff at A2 Hosting; that has also contributed to my reason for staying.”

When asked about his experiences over the years dealing with A2’s support, Neo commented, “I have worked with support many times, to the point I even remember them, and I’m pretty sure they remember me too. A2’s support has always been fast, and I usually get the first reply within an hour.”

Why Dedicated Hosting Works for Gemtracks

Since Neo was a technical user who was able to anticipate rapid growth and lots of content, a dedicated server was the best solution for his burgeoning company. “Gemtracks has turned into, almost like, a service-as-a-product kind of business, where the choice of hardware and architecture that runs my server is very important,” said Neo. “The #1 requirement was to have enough CPU power. I needed to make sure that there was enough CPU and resources to handle sudden influxes of visitors. This was because, based on experience, as soon as the number of visitors went up, so did the number of searches visitors would make on my website. This strained the database, CPU, and slowed down the website.”

Neo also needed to make sure his business stayed at peak performance as he scaled and matured. “My server needed to be compatible with all the latest networking trends, such as content delivery networks, and long polling to ensure seamless delivery.” He required resources that were dedicated just to his website, so he wouldn’t have to worry about “neighbors” potentially interrupting his website’s speed or reliability. “The worst thing that could happen was the website going down during the most profitable hour.” A2 Hosting offers a 99.9% uptime commitment. This gave Neo the peace of mind he needed to start his company on one of our dedicated plans.

Lessons Learned

When reflecting on his digital and entrepreneurial journey, Neo shared advice for other small businesses starting out. He said one of the biggest lessons he learned is how important support has been since his business is based solely online. “Whenever I have issues, the support team will always investigate for me, which includes seeing which script is taking up all my resources and what I can do about it,” he said. “It’s comforting to know that the support team at A2 Hosting has the knowledge and skills, not only to solve problems but to help investigate them too.”

The post Gemtracks: Striking a Chord with the Online Music Community appeared first on The A2 Posting.

A fast and reliable website is very important for small business owners, so choosing the right plan for your business is essential for long-term success.

Managed VPS plans, powered by Virtuozzo, can be a great tool to help businesses level up their digital presence as they outgrow the resources available on shared hosting plans. With additional power, security, support, and flexibility, migrating to our Managed VPS plan is easy with the assistance of A2 Hosting’s Guru Crew support. This case study will share the story of Greg Houston, a successful architect with nearly two decades of experience whose website was beginning to experience some lag in speed with the growth of his company, GMH By Design. Read his journey about how choosing the right Managed VPS plan for Greg’s website improved his user experience for his customers.

An Architect on a Mission to Bring His Designs to Life

Greg Houston founded GMH by Design, a residential and commercial architecture practice based out of Denver, Colorado, because of his love of architecture and his passion for working with clients to help bring their visions to life. His company specializes in quality workmanship, simple design, and modern convenience. “We offer the benefits of a large firm at the cost of a small design office,” said Greg. “We work with residential and commercial clients to envision and design their space to suit their needs as we guide them through the process.”

Improving Greg’s Digital Experience

“Our website showcases the work we’ve done, who we work with, and our vision. It’s our salesperson twenty-four hours a day,” Greg shared. “It’s important because it’s the primary way we share our work with potential clients.” His website is one of the main ways his clients find his business, which makes its pictures and content important when optimizing for search engines. As his website has continued to grow over the years he noticed that the speed of his site has been on a steady decline. This led Greg to start looking into changing hosting providers to find a better plan that would improve the performance of his website. Greg shared, “The front end and the backend of our website have been slow which made it hard for our potential clients to navigate and for us to update.”

GMH by Design is currently on WordPress. Greg initially tried to combat the site speed issues with a caching plug-in as well as some other optimization plugins he found. This helped a bit, but it was not enough improvement for his company’s site long term. Because of this, he set out to find a new solution.

When searching for a new provider and plan Greg had some specific requirements he was looking for. “First is reliability, then speed. The website needs to be up for our potential customers to reach and it has to be fast, even with the large images we use on our site to showcase our work. We need to rank well and we want customers to feel the site is professionally hosted,” said Greg.

GMH by Design was looking for a new host that offered stability, speed and was affordable. As a small business owner, Houston wants to prioritize time to devote to his business rather than worrying about the stability of his site or the speed of his page load times.

Greg was initially referred to A2 Hosting by a friend that was already working with us. “I was hesitant to move providers at first because I was worried about the migration process. I eventually decided on A2 because my friend who was a current customer with A2 Hosting recommended your plans. I also read reviews and while searching I saw you had a reputation for fast servers.” He evaluated a few other shared packages with rival hosting companies, but in the end, decided on an A2 Hosting’s Managed VPS plan.

Transferring to a VPS Plan with A2 Hosting

When asked about his experience getting started with A2 Hosting, Greg commented, “It was very easy. The free migration was simple and fairly hands-off and my experiences with the support team so far have been great.”

Greg was interested in A2’s Managed VPS plans (powered by Virtuozzo) because he knew he needed more power overall to improve his website. “I would say investing in a Managed VPS over a Shared Hosting plan had several advantages that I wasn’t aware of, speed being the primary one.” Not only do VPS plans offer more resources over a shared hosting package, but they also can provide GMH by Design with more independence from noisy neighbors on the server who could affect Greg’s site’s performance when they get heavy traffic. “I wasn’t aware of how beneficial dedicated resources can be for a site,” Greg said. “With a VPS the overall function of my website on average is increased because of not sharing resources with other business sites.” VPS servers offer users their own disk space, RAM, and CPU. They come with significantly more space to store website-related files, images, and folders. This is something that will be important for Greg as he continues to work on new projects and post large images to his site.

Lessons Learned

“My best advice would be not to wait to migrate your site to a faster host, even if it seems like it will be a lot of work before you get there,” Greg shared. “I thought migration would be difficult or time-consuming but it wasn’t. If I had known, I would have moved my site much sooner.” Greg’s overall migration took less than a day with no downtime. “Since the move, my website has been faster and much easier to manage.”

The post GMH by Design: Architecting the Perfect Hosting Solution appeared first on The A2 Posting.