When we talk about reliable software for online stores, the Magento ecommerce platform is one of the first names that pop to mind.
One of the most significant advantages of the software is its open-source architecture, written in PHP. That allows end-users to create their own code and modify Magento to suit their specific needs. Merchants can choose from thousands of themes and plugins from the app libraries, designed to improve the look and functionality of your website.
The Magento community is huge, and users can always find someone to help them. You can check out our detailed article about the Magento features and advantages.
We can talk a lot about Magento’s benefits, but that wouldn’t be enough to ensure your smooth experience with the app. That’s why we’ll give you something better — the three most important steps you need to consider when hosting a Magento shop.
Magento Hosting
Your Magento hosting server is at the cornerstone of any ecommerce store. If the underlying hardware features slow processors and drives, there is no way your website would be fast and responsive enough.
Did you know that around 80% of visitors tend to leave web pages if they take more than 3 seconds to load? That’s a very high bar, and your web server is fundamental in jumping past it.
So, what’s a good measure for a reliable Magento server? Typically, you should be well-covered if the machine has the following specifications:
- Enterprise SSD drives
- Intel Xeon E5 CPU’s
- 8 GB+ RAM
- PHP 7.4 support
- MySQL 5.8 support
Naturally, Magento’s system requirements are lower, but we want to ensure optimal performance, right?
There are many accessible ways to find the right web hosting provider for your Magento website. As with choosing the perfect WordPress host, there are a few key elements to consider. We are talking about features, resource allocation, performance, support, user reviews, and, of course, price.
Ideally, you should consider hosting your website on a VPS cloud platform. The growing advantages of cloud technology combined with the dedicated server power of the VPS environment can do wonders in keeping any Magento website fast and secure.
You can also check out our guide on the difference between traditional hosting and cloud services to gather more useful insights on the subject.
Magento Security
Properly securing any Magento website is a joint effort by both client and hosting provider. By this point, we should’ve chosen a suitable host, so let’s see what we can do on our side to improve our ecommerce store security.
- Set Up Strong Passwords – ensure your password is hard to guess. We know how much easier it is to have a memorable word and use it across accounts, but hacked passkeys are among the most common ways for hacker breaches. So forget about things like “password,” “monkey,” or “123456.” Think of a login that includes lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, special symbols, and make it at least 8-10 characters long. A good idea is to utilize a password manager for managing and updating your passkeys from a single place.
- Keep Magento Up to Date – since the software is open-source, it is relatively easy for hackers to go through the code and look for possible vulnerabilities. They often breach in through old or unused applications and plugins that you’ve probably long forgotten. That’s why it is critical to always keep Magento to the latest stable version and regularly update widgets/themes as well. Make cleanup checks from time to time and delete everything you’re not currently using.
- Install an SSL Certificate – an SSL (secure socket layer) encrypts all data that passes between your server and website visitors. This is especially crucial when you have a Magento store, as delicate billing and personal information is involved. The best thing is SSL certificates are pretty cheap these days.
ScalaHosting even offers free SSL certificates from industry leaders Let’s Encrypt. Such a certificate works well for protecting your client data. Still, if you are running a commercial service and store personal information such as emails and credit cards, then a paid SSL solution might be a much better choice.
Magento Backups
Let’s be honest — even if you’re a tech wiz, mistakes happen — it’s only human. Many of us have deleted files or tampered with a database by accident, which often resulted in dreaded downtimes and costly repairs.
So, what’s the solution? Backups.
Keeping a copy of your working website is a must, even if you’re not running a Magento online shop. The more often you make a full backup — the better.
ScalaHosting saves you all the hassle. The provider keeps both daily and weekly backups of your files and databases, keeping them in a safe, offsite location. This way, you’ll always have a Plan B in case of site issues. If you ever need to restore a single file or your entire database, you can easily do that yourself at any time from the control panel.
Learn how to do that from our Knowledge Base Guide.
Final Takes
Magento might not be the easiest ecommerce store builder for beginners, but once you get the hang of it — the possibilities are endless. Starting off with this CMS, you have to consider three key elements — the perfect hosting provider, the strongest security, and the most convenient backups. Tick all the boxes, and you will surely find a reliable ecommerce solution.
Want to build a small retail shop or a huge marketplace with hundreds of merchants? Magento is there for you.
FAQ
Q: Which server is best for Magento 2?
A: Magento 2 is the next-generation platform that succeeded the popular ecommerce software. The latest incarnation from the Magento developers is faster, more secure, and tries to simplify things with a more user-friendly interface. There are a bunch of new SEO features as well, allowing you to rank your Magento websites in Google easier than ever before.
Q: Can Magento run on shared hosting?
A: Magento is an open-source software written in PHP, so any shared hosting service should be able to meet its installation requirements. Still, we recommend considering at least a VPS service if you want your website to run fast and smooth. Magento tends to consume quite a lot of server resources, which could quickly turn into a problem as your ecommerce project grows.
Q: Which is better — Shopify or Magento?
A: Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform, which is more geared toward beginners. It comes with a user-friendly interface and easy navigation, so even a complete beginner can operate it with ease. Magento is a more appropriate solution if you’re looking to build a larger and more complex online shop. Often utilized by enterprises, the CMS offers in-depth customizations and an endless choice of plugins and themes.
What is a VPS – Everything you need to know!
