Best Magento Hosting

Magento hosting: How To Find The Best One!

What is the best package to look for in a Magento host? Well, there are lots of features to look for to ensure that your website will always run smoothly and is easy to manage. We’re here to tell you about what to look for and more. You’ll also learn about the terminology used in these settings to better understand the whole scenario.

Server Location

Server location is important to ensure the fast-loading of your web pages. To put it simply, we advise you to go for a Magento hosting service that has servers located in (or near) your location. So, let’s say you live in America – it would be wise to choose a hosting Company with servers in said country. Same goes for Canada, in that case you’d search for a website host in Canada. And for Australia, you’d look for a web hosting service in Australia.

Well, since users can be located all over the world, there’s another option that you can go for – and it’s called CDN (Content Distribution Network). It basically works as a proxy server between your site visitors and your Magento host – so as to still enable fast loading of pages even if the server locations are far from the end-users.

Now you see how important server locations are, right? Fortunately, a lot of Magento hosts now include a CDN service called CloudFlare. It’s very easy to set up and usually comes free with hosting packages. So, do look out for that when searching for a hosting provider.

Server Uptime

Server uptime is another important feature to look out for because it embodies a hosting Company’s reliability. We suggest choosing a Magento host that can deliver around 99.9% uptime – anything below this percentage is not that good as downtimes (even for just a few minutes) can result in losses.

SSL Certificates

These days, site security is very important – and having an SSL certificate is the best way to have that and to show your site visitors that they can trust your site. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) enables the encryption of data between your host’s server and the end-users (so as to protect their personal information).

When a website has an SSL certificate, its site URL will include an “s.” So, instead of just seeing http://www.website.com, you’ll see https://www.website.com. More and more users are now aware of the importance of seeing the “s” in the sites they visit – so, make sure that yours has one as well.

In choosing a Magento hosting provider, we encourage you to get one that carries this feature. A lot of Companies have the Let’s Encrypt service (for free SSL certificates) and you can simply activate it in your cPanel.

Speed

As mentioned above, server location and CDN are all important in ensuring your site’s speed. You can further ensure that your website always loads quickly by looking for extra features on your Magento host.

If your hosting provider is giving extra CPU resources, that will surely contribute to your site’s speed. You can even find hosting providers that provide for custom scripts especially for Magento sites (this is another speed booster).

Disk Space

While important, you only need a lot of storage space if you’re running an e-commerce site (this does take a lot of space). However, standard blogs and businesses can actually do very well with only 1GB of disk space.

What’s important is that you’re aware of these things as some hosting Companies offer cheap plans with unlimited space just to lure people into buying them. Again, while large disk spaces are good, they’re not the sole indication of a good hosting service. In fact, such features can usually be indicative of other shortcomings on the part of the web host.

Therefore, in choosing a good Magento hosting for your site, look at all the features listed in this article (not just on the disk space).

Bandwidth and Data Transfer

Both bandwidth and data transfer are important features in a hosting provider. Bandwidth represents the rate of data transfer over a particular network whereas data transfer can be seen as the flow of information through your site.

If you’re planning on having a lot of downloads on your Magento site (e.g. music, movies, etc.), bandwidth and data transfer are some of your most important necessities. If this is the case, going for a hosting Company that offers unlimited or high bandwidth and data transfer would be your best option.

Customer Support

We strongly recommend going for a Magento hosting Company that offers 24/7 customer support. Believe us when we tell you that you’re going to need it sooner or later. Those that have live chat and phone support are the best – you’ll always get quick solutions and minimize your losses.

Magento: The Details

Magento is a preferred e-commerce platform. From support for secure transactions to user-friendly interfaces, Magento facilitates building and designing websites tailored for e-commerce.

What is Magento?

Magento is an open-source platform that is specifically designed with e-commerce in mind. It is written in PHP. Currently, there are three distinct Magento platforms: the Community Edition, the Enterprise, and the Enterprise Cloud Edition.

The Community Edition—This platform is open-source, meaning it is available for free to download, use and share. It should be noted this is a full platform, rather than a free but limited trial version. The core files can be modified with plug-ins. The numerous capabilities available through the community edition are discussed in detail below. There is no hosting included with the Community Edition, so for the best hosting for Magento, check out our recommendations.

The Enterprise—This platform was developed based on the Community Edition, but because it has more features and functionalities, as well as annual maintenance fees, the Enterprise is not free. The Enterprise is ideal for larger businesses that will require ongoing technical support in addition to professional services for installation, usage, and troubleshooting. The Enterprise also does not come with a hosting solution.

The Enterprise Cloud Edition (ECE)—Released in 2016, the ECE platform makes use of cloud technology for a more robust website development and management experience. From fully customizable functionalities to scalability, enhanced security features, hosting, and managed infrastructure, the ECE platform is optimal for global businesses and websites with massive amounts of content and high traffic volume. Some consider it the best Magento hosting.

The Premium Solution for E-Commerce

The suitability of Magento for e-commerce is evident from its association with some of the largest retailers worldwide. The company was bought out by eBay in 2011 before becoming an independent company in 2015. Major retailers and global brands—such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, Burger King, and BevMo—use the platform for their e-commerce needs.

Highlights of the Best Features from Magento Community Edition

As a full e-commerce platform, Magento provides businesses with all the necessary features to succeed in the world of e-commerce.

Product Pages

Numerous features can be included on product pages for the best marketability and display of products:

• Image gallery for multiple images of a product
• Image zooming
• Options for the product (e.g. colors, sizes)
• In-stock/ Availability display
• Tiered pricing
• Similar products grouped together
• Add to wish list option
• Share via social media, SMS, e-mail

Browsing Functionalities

The catalog browsing on the Magento platform is capable of high-degrees of organization, so customers can easily identify the categories they want to shop in and find the products they’re looking for without the hassle of sifting through unnecessary information.

• Layered navigation categories
• Filters for price, relevance, date, etc
• Product comparisons
• Auto-suggest for catalog searching
• Linked, breadcrumb navigation (so customers can return to previously viewed pages)
• Designs and templates tailored for specific products or categories

From Checkout to Payment to Shipping

From a user-friendly interface for fast and simple checkout, to secure payment methods and real-time order tracking, the Magento platform provides a smooth checkout experience.

• Order review and checkout
• Saved items in shopping carts
• Checkout with account or continue as a guest
• Ship items in order to multiple addresses
• Messages for gifts (for entire orders or individual products)
• Estimates for shipping rates and taxes
• Billing and invoice details
• Flat rate or free shipping options
• Shipping fees based on size, weight, and quantity
• Payment options with multiple gateways including PayPal
• Option to accept money orders, checks or POs
• Option to “bill me later”
• Order confirmation number and tracking

Customer Accounts

Customers can easily manage their accounts, orders, payment options and more with the Magento customer account functionalities:

• Reviews and product tagging history
• Order status checking
• Purchasing history
• Subscription management
• Wish list with notes
• Default shipping and billing address
• Unlimited address slots for ship- and bill-to
• Purchase again option

Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Providing and implementing reliable and professional customer service is easy with the Magento customer service features:

• Simple contact and comment form
• Order editing and tracking for admins
• Reset password or remember username for both users and admins
• Automated confirmation e-mails

Managing Orders

The Magento platform is designed to facilitate order management for admins and customer service representatives. Capabilities for managing orders include:

• Create, edit, and view orders for admins
• Shopping assistance and call-center ordering
• Integrated shipping and labeling with major shippers including FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL
• Notifications of order confirmations and tracking via RSS or e-mail

Managing Catalogues

With the best Magento hosting platform, developers and website admins will find that organizing, displaying and managing catalogs has been perfected to a science:

• Configuring products by groups and variations
• Downloadable products (e.g. MP3s, e-books)
• Samples or excerpts
• Product attributes (for searching, browsing, or linking products)
• Separate and variable price ranges by group (e.g. account holders versus guests, retail versus wholesale)
• Pricing rules with settings for conditions and terms of service
• Updates to batches or groups of products
• Grouping products by customized attributes or products in the same group
• Inventory management with tools such as RSS alerts
• Auto-generated watermarking
• Auto image resizing (thumbnails, product display pages, etc)
• Search suggestions and/or corrections
• User-generated tags and reviews

Website and Content Management

From fully customizable themes and templates to administrative privileges, Magento puts the power in your hands for managing the backend of the website and the user interface.

• Customizable admin privileges and various admin user accounts
• One login to connect to multiple sites
• Customize themes and templates
• Proprietary content management system (CMS) for extensive design, layout, and content presentation capabilities
• Data import and export in batches (for managing orders, accounts, products, etc)
• Built-in localization on a global scale (including multiple language support, currency conversion)
• Localized tax calculations for various areas and types of customers (e.g. guest versus account holder)
• Anti-robot and/or spam functionalities with CAPTCHA
• API service applications for integrating third party software components

Designed for Search Engine Optimization

The Magento platform design is search engine optimization (SEO) friendly, so search engines can crawl through the content website with ease and make sure customers see your content pages.

• Integrated site map in XML
• Clear-cut URLs and customizable URL settings
• Meta-data in HTML of content, products, categories
• Page of trending and popular searches
• API for Google content

Analytics and Data Reportage

In addition to making it easier for customers to find your site through SEO solutions, Magento’s compatibility with Google analytics makes it easier to find out what types of customers are viewing certain pages or products, identify trends in customer behavior, and assess what leads to successful click-through rates.

• Compatible and easy to integrate with Google analytics
• In-depth reporting and data breakdown
• Reporting on all aspects of customer activity and website performance, including cart abandonment, most popular products, frequently viewed items, keywords and most searched terms, inventory, revenue, invoices, refunds, coupons, etc.

Promotions and Marketing Strategies

As an e-commerce platform, Magento comes packed with numerous, multi-tiered marketing strategies that drive customer engagement and enhance the website’s online visibility from many angles.

• Similar items displayed on each product page
• Cross-promotional suggestions for items frequently bought together
• Upsell customer purchases (e.g. “customers who bought this also bought…”)
• New item announcements
• Customizable discounts, coupons, and special pricing
• Discounts for bulk purchases
• Landing pages for categories
• Display of recently viewed products
• Surveys and polls (e.g. customer satisfaction)
• E-mail subscriptions and newsletters
• Wish lists and reminders
• Share with a friend feature

Features of the Enterprise Edition

The Magento Enterprise edition offers all the same features as the Community Edition and more. While the Enterprise does not have the perk of being a free, open-source platform, it provides the technical support and additional marketing features that are lacking in the Community Edition. The Enterprise Edition is the preferred choice of large-scale businesses that require technical assistance as well as help with installation and usage. The main features that distinguish the Enterprise from the Community Edition include

• Targeted marketing based on customer groups (groups based on demographics, shopping activities, etc)
• Abandoned cart e-mail reminders
• Limited offer sales
• Gift-ready options (including registries, gift wrapping, customized notes)
• Customer loyalty and reward programs
• Store credit
• Stay logged-in cookie settings (viable throughout multiple sessions so customers do not have to log in every time)

System Requirements

Since both the Community and the Enterprise Editions lack hosting plans, it is best to choose a hosting plan that already has been proven to be compatible with Magento platforms. Magento platforms operate on LAMP stacks, which are a collection of web server components that work together. The LAMP stack consists of Linux x86-64, Apache 2.x, MySQL 5.6+, and PHP 5.4+. It is also possible to use a Nginx1.7x for a web server.

FAQs

What are the capabilities of the Magento open-source option (Community Edition)?

The Community Edition is free for use, but that does not mean it is a limited, trial version. The Community Edition is a fully developed platform.

What is better, the Community Edition or the Enterprise?

That depends on what you expect from the platform. The Community Edition is free, so in terms of budget, it is the best Magento hosting since it also comes loaded with extensive e-commerce features. The Enterprise edition is better in terms of providing technical support and having more functionalities that are geared to support larger-scale businesses.