Choosing online store hosting: what should you look out for?
A slow online store costs you customers and revenue. Research shows that 40% of visitors leave if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Amazon even discovered that every extra 100ms of load time cost them 1% of revenue. For an online store, good hosting is therefore not a luxury but pure necessity for your bottom line. Read more about hosting for an online store.
In this article we explain what to look out for when choosing online store hosting, which options there are for different platforms, and how to make the right choice for your situation.
Why is online store hosting different from ordinary hosting?
An online store places fundamentally different demands on hosting than an ordinary website or blog. This is due to the unique technical characteristics of e-commerce:
Intensive database use
Where a blog might do 10 database queries per pageview, an online store can do hundreds. Every product page pulls product info, prices, stock, reviews, and related products from the database. The shopping cart, checkout, and order management add even more queries. This requires a powerful database server with enough memory and fast storage.
Unpredictable peak load
Normal websites have reasonably predictable traffic. Online stores don't. Black Friday, a viral social media post, or a sale can multiply your traffic tenfold within minutes. Your hosting must handle these peaks without falling over.
Payment processing
During checkout, nothing may go wrong. A crash during checkout means not only a missed order, but also frustration and distrust from the customer. Payment providers such as iDEAL, Mollie, and PayPal also require an SSL-secured connection.
Every minute of downtime = missed revenue
If your website is briefly offline, visitors miss a blog post. If your online store is offline, you miss orders. With an average order of €75 and 20 orders per hour, one hour of downtime costs you €1,500. Reliability is therefore directly linked to your revenue.
What should you look out for with online store hosting?
1. Speed and performance
Performance is the most important factor for online store hosting. Speed affects not only the user experience, but also your Google ranking and conversion rate.
What to look out for:
- SSD storage: at least 10x faster than traditional HDD disks
- Enough RAM: at least 2GB for small stores, 4GB+ for medium-sized ones
- PHP version: PHP 8.1 or higher is significantly faster than older versions
- Caching: Redis or Memcached for database caching
- HTTP/2 or HTTP/3: faster loading of multiple files at once
Ask your hosting provider about benchmarks or average load times of online stores on their platform. A good provider is transparent about this.
2. Scalability
Your online store will hopefully grow. But can your hosting grow with it? With shared hosting you quickly run into limits: CPU limits, memory limits, database connection limits.
Ask yourself:
- Can I get extra resources within an hour during a traffic peak?
- Do I have to migrate my whole site to upgrade, or is it a matter of moving a slider?
- What are the costs of scaling up?
Cloud hosting and VPS solutions usually offer the most flexibility here.
3. Uptime guarantee
99.9% uptime sounds impressive, but is it really? Let's do the math:
| Uptime % | Downtime per year | Downtime per month |
|---|---|---|
| 99.0% | 3.65 days | 7.3 hours |
| 99.9% | 8.76 hours | 44 minutes |
| 99.95% | 4.38 hours | 22 minutes |
| 99.99% | 52 minutes | 4.3 minutes |
For an online store you want at least 99.95% uptime, and preferably higher. Also check what the SLA (Service Level Agreement) says about compensation when uptime is not met.
4. SSL certificate
SSL is not optional for online stores; it is mandatory. Reasons:
- Payment providers require it: no SSL means no iDEAL, Mollie, or PayPal
- Google ranks HTTPS higher: it is an official ranking factor
- Browser warnings: Chrome and Firefox show warnings on HTTP
- Customer trust: the padlock builds trust with visitors
Most hosting providers offer free SSL through Let's Encrypt. Check whether automatic renewal is included, so your certificate does not expire unexpectedly.
5. Automatic backups
Things go wrong. Updates that fail, hacks, human errors. Backups are your safety net. Pay attention to:
- Frequency: daily is the minimum, for busy stores preferably several times a day
- Retention: how long are backups kept? 7 days? 30 days?
- Location: are backups on a different server/location?
- Restore speed: how fast can you restore a backup?
- Self-service: can you restore a backup yourself, or do you have to call support?
6. Technical support
If your online store goes down on a Sunday evening during a sale, you want to be able to reach someone. Important questions:
- What are the support hours? 24/7 or office hours only?
- Which channels are there? Phone, chat, email, ticket?
- What is the average response time?
- Is Dutch support available?
Hosting per online store platform
Each online store platform has its own requirements. Below are the most important ones:
WooCommerce (WordPress)
WooCommerce is the most popular online store solution in the world, with more than 30% market share. It runs on WordPress and is flexible but requires good WordPress hosting.
Minimum requirements:
- PHP 7.4+ (preferably 8.0+)
- MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+
- 256MB PHP memory (512MB recommended)
- HTTPS/SSL
Recommended: optimized WordPress hosting with built-in caching, a staging environment, and automatic updates.
Magento / Adobe Commerce
Magento is a powerful enterprise platform, but also heavy. You need at least a VPS or dedicated server.
Minimum requirements:
- 4GB RAM (8GB+ recommended)
- Elasticsearch or OpenSearch
- Redis for caching
- PHP 8.1+
- Composer
Recommended: managed Magento hosting or a VPS with Magento-specific optimizations. Shared hosting is not suitable for Magento.
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is lighter than Magento and can run on good shared hosting for smaller stores.
Minimum requirements:
- PHP 7.4+
- 128MB PHP memory (256MB recommended)
- MySQL 5.6+
Recommended: shared hosting for small stores, a VPS for medium-sized to large stores.
Shopify
Shopify is a hosted solution; you don't need to arrange your own hosting. Everything is in the monthly subscription (€29-€299/month). Ideal if you have no technical knowledge, but you are dependent on Shopify's platform.
Shared hosting vs VPS for online stores
The big question: is cheap shared hosting enough, or do you need a VPS?
| Aspect | Shared hosting | VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable for | Small/starting stores (<100 orders/month) | Growing/large stores (100+ orders/month) |
| Performance | Shared with other websites | Dedicated CPU and RAM |
| Handling peaks | Limited, can lead to slowness | Better, resources are guaranteed |
| Scalability | Limited to plan boundaries | Flexibly scalable |
| Root access | No | Yes, full control |
| Price | €5-15/month | €20-100+/month |
| Technical knowledge | Not needed | Basic server knowledge handy |
Rule of thumb: start with shared hosting if you are just beginning. Upgrade to a VPS as soon as you regularly experience slowness, have more than 50-100 visitors at the same time, or make more than €1,000/month in revenue.
Tips for online store owners
- Don't start too small: saving a few euros a month on hosting can cost you hundreds of euros in missed revenue
- Test performance regularly: use tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom to monitor your load time
- Monitor uptime: use UptimeRobot (free) or Pingdom to be informed immediately about downtime
- Plan for growth: choose hosting where you can scale up without a complete migration
- Test your backups: a backup you cannot restore is worthless. Test regularly whether restore works
- Consider a CDN: a Content Delivery Network such as Cloudflare speeds up your site and protects against DDoS attacks
Frequently asked questions about online store hosting
How much does online store hosting cost on average?
Online store hosting costs on average €10-50 per month for small to medium-sized stores on shared hosting or a basic VPS. For larger stores with a lot of traffic, you should count on €50-200+ per month for a powerful VPS or managed hosting solution.
Is shared hosting suitable for an online store?
Shared hosting can be suitable for small, starting stores with fewer than 100 visitors per day and light software such as WooCommerce or PrestaShop. For Magento or stores with more traffic, a VPS is recommended. Do note: during traffic peaks, shared hosting can become slow because you share resources with other websites.
What is the difference between managed and unmanaged hosting?
With managed hosting, the hosting provider takes care of server maintenance, updates, security, and backups. With unmanaged hosting, you are responsible for this yourself. For online store owners without technical knowledge, managed hosting is recommended; it costs more but saves time and risk.
Do I need a dedicated IP for my online store?
A dedicated IP is not strictly necessary for most online stores. SSL works fine these days on shared IPs thanks to SNI (Server Name Indication). A dedicated IP can be handy if you want to use your own SSL certificate or for certain payment integrations.
How often should I make backups of my online store?
For an active online store, daily backups are the minimum. For stores with many orders, several times a day is recommended, especially of the database. Make sure backups are kept for at least 7-30 days and are stored in a different location than your store itself.
Can I move my online store to another host later?
Yes, moving an online store is possible but not always easy. The complexity depends on your platform and the size of your store. WooCommerce and PrestaShop are relatively easy to migrate with plugins. Magento migrations are more complex. Plan a migration during a quiet period and test thoroughly before you go live.
Online store hosting at Theory7
At Theory7 we offer hosting optimized for WooCommerce, PrestaShop, and other online store platforms. With NVMe SSD storage, daily backups, free SSL, and Dutch support, we are ready to keep your store online quickly and reliably.
Not sure which plan is suitable for your online store? Get in touch and we will gladly help you with personal advice.
Choosing online store hosting: technical requirements in detail
The right online store hosting must meet specific technical requirements that go beyond ordinary website hosting. An online store processes transactions, manages stock, and handles sensitive customer data.
Server specifications for online stores
An online store requires at least 2 GB of PHP memory for processing orders and product catalogs. NVMe SSD storage is essential for fast database queries; a slower disk type causes noticeably longer load times when filtering and searching products. Choose a hosting plan with at least PHP 8.0 support, MariaDB 10.6 or MySQL 8.0, and the option to enable OPcache and Redis or Memcached for server-side caching.
SSL and PCI compliance
An SSL certificate is mandatory for every online store. Without HTTPS, browsers show warnings and payment providers refuse the connection. Most hosting providers offer free Let's Encrypt SSL. For larger stores, consider an OV or EV certificate for extra trust. In addition, make sure your hosting environment complies with PCI-DSS guidelines if you process credit card details.
Online store hosting: shared hosting vs VPS vs dedicated
The choice between shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting for your online store depends on your traffic volume, number of products, and growth ambitions.
Comparison table
| Characteristic | Shared hosting | VPS | Dedicated server |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of products | Up to 500 | 500-10,000 | 10,000+ |
| Visitors/day | Up to 1,000 | 1,000-25,000 | 25,000+ |
| Price/month | €5-15 | €15-60 | €80-300 |
| CPU/memory | Shared | Guaranteed | Fully dedicated |
| Root access | No | Yes | Yes |
| Scalability | Limited | Flexible | Very flexible |
| Management | By provider | Self or managed | Self or managed |
Also read our detailed comparison of shared web hosting vs VPS for more information about the differences.
Growth path: from shared to VPS
Start with shared hosting if you are just beginning with your online store and have fewer than 100 products. Upgrade to a VPS as soon as you regularly reach CPU or memory limits, your store slows down during peak hours, or you have more than 500 daily visitors. Preferably choose a provider where you can upgrade seamlessly without migration, such as Theory7.
Optimizing online store hosting for conversion
The speed of your online store hosting has a direct impact on your revenue. Every extra second of load time reduces your conversion rate by an average of 7 percent.
Caching strategies for online stores
Implement multiple caching layers: browser caching for static files (images, CSS, JavaScript), server-side caching with OPcache for PHP files, database caching with Redis for frequently used queries, and page caching for static pages. Be careful with caching dynamic pages such as the shopping cart and checkout; these must always be up to date. A CDN helps deliver product images quickly to visitors worldwide.
Choosing online store hosting: summary and recommendation
Choosing the right online store hosting is one of the most important decisions for your online store. In summary: start with shared hosting if you have fewer than 500 products and expect fewer than 1,000 visitors per day. Upgrade to a VPS as soon as you notice shared hosting becoming the bottleneck. Always choose NVMe SSD storage, at least 2 GB of PHP memory, free SSL, and daily backups. Invest in server-side caching (Redis, OPcache) and a CDN for the best performance.
Online store hosting at Theory7
Theory7 offers optimized online store hosting for WooCommerce and other e-commerce platforms. Our plans include NVMe SSD storage, PHP 8.2+ with OPcache, MariaDB with server-side caching, free SSL certificates, and daily automatic backups. With servers in Dutch data centers we offer the lowest latency for Dutch customers. Our Dutch customer service has specific experience with WooCommerce and helps you with optimization, troubleshooting, and scalability. Start with our Business plan for online stores and upgrade seamlessly to a VPS when you grow. Take a look at our hosting comparison for more details about our plans.
Online store hosting: frequently asked questions
We answer the most frequently asked questions about online store hosting here. Which hosting type is best for an online store? Start with shared hosting for small stores and upgrade to a VPS as you grow. How much storage do I need? Count on 1 to 5 GB per 1,000 products, depending on the number of product images. Is a dedicated IP address needed? Not for most stores; a shared IP with SNI support is sufficient for SSL. How fast should my store load? Aim for less than two seconds for the best conversion rate. Do I have to manage the server myself? Not with managed hosting; the provider handles updates, security, and monitoring.
Online store hosting: conclusion
The right online store hosting is the foundation of a successful online store. Invest in quality hosting with NVMe SSD, enough PHP memory, free SSL, and daily backups. Monitor your performance regularly and upgrade proactively when you approach the limits. With the right hosting, your store loads fast, processes payments securely, and grows with your ambitions. Start today by choosing a hosting plan that suits your current needs and future growth plans.
Online store hosting: security and compliance
The security of your online store hosting is directly linked to your customers' trust and the protection of their data. An SSL certificate is mandatory for every store that processes payments. Choose a hosting provider that offers DDoS protection to keep your store available during attacks. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) that blocks suspicious traffic before it reaches your store. Ensure GDPR compliance: store customer data encrypted and process payments through a PCI DSS-certified payment provider. Make daily backups and test the recovery process monthly. A security incident can permanently damage your store and reputation.
Online store hosting: planning scalability
Plan your online store hosting for growth by anticipating future needs. Start with shared hosting for a starting store with fewer than a hundred products and upgrade to a VPS when you reach the limits. Monitor your CPU usage, memory usage, and storage space monthly through your hosting provider's dashboard. Set up warnings so you can upgrade proactively before performance problems occur. Consider a managed hosting platform that automatically scales during traffic peaks, for example during promotions or seasonal busy periods. Prepare your hosting for Black Friday and holidays by temporarily adding extra resources.
Online store hosting: Theory7 as your hosting partner
Theory7 offers online store hosting that is specifically optimized for e-commerce performance. Our servers run on LiteSpeed with NVMe SSD storage for ultra-fast load times. Every plan includes a free SSL certificate for secure transactions, daily automatic backups for peace of mind, and unlimited email accounts on your own domain name. With enough PHP memory and an optimal database configuration, your WooCommerce store runs smoothly, even with hundreds of simultaneous visitors. Our Dutch customer service has specific e-commerce experience and helps you optimize your store's performance. Start today by choosing the right hosting plan for your online store.
Invest in quality online store hosting as the foundation for your online store. The right hosting ensures fast load times, reliable availability, and secure transactions that win your customers' trust. Start today by comparing hosting plans and choose the solution that best suits the size and ambitions of your online store.
Sources and references
- Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev)
- WooCommerce, official documentation (woocommerce.com)
- Let's Encrypt, free SSL certificates (letsencrypt.org)
- Cloudflare, Learning Center (cloudflare.com/learning)
- GTmetrix, Website Performance Testing (gtmetrix.com)
- Dutch Data Protection Authority, GDPR information (autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl)
