How to Know When Your eCommerce Website Has Outgrown its Web Hosting

Many business owners think of web hosting as a commodity similar to their monthly gas or electricity expenses. Unfortunately, web hosting isn’t something that stays the same each month, as there are a lot of moving parts that need to work together to deliver high quality service.

It might not be in your best interest to simply choose a low cost host, and the time may come that you outgrow your current web hosting provider. These signs can let you know if it is time to move on to a new platform.

Your Load Speed Slowed Down

Your load speed refers to how quickly your website loads. Load speed is extremely important for the success of your WordPress eCommerce site, most importantly, because websites that load quickly offer better user experiences than slow-loading sites. If potential customers need to wait for your page to load, they may become frustrated and look to a competitor.

Although there are many factors that can affect load speed, web hosting is one area that can get you fast results. If you upgrade to Virtual Private Server (VPS) or Solid State Drive (SSD) web hosting, you’ll dramatically improve your load speed with minimal cost.

Your WordPress eCommerce Website is Sluggish During Peak Hours

If your web hosting involves a shared server, you may start to notice your site is sluggish during peak times. Busy seasonal periods might also be a problem. This is because when you use shared hosting, all key server resources – including RAM and CPU – are distributed evenly amongst all websites that use the server. That means your site simply needs to wait in line to get the power that it needs.

With VPS hosting, you’ll pay a little more each month, but you can also say goodbye to these performance issues for good. You’ll be able to control the RAM and CPU amounts that are allocated to you, and you’ll be guaranteed the proper amount of power – even during peak times.

You Experience a Dramatic Boost in Site Traffic

If your website traffic increases dramatically, you should consider if your current web hosting method will be able to support this new influx. Shared web hosting is ideal for sites with low daily traffic – under 1,000 to 2,000 daily visits. If you experience an increase in traffic, VPS platforms with dedicated disk space and bandwidth may be a good upgrade. Unfortunately, the limitations of your shared hosting platform will only continue to impact your server performance and speed as your site’s traffic grows with time.

Your Server’s IP Address Has a Bad Reputation

If the server you use for web hosting is found to host malware or send spam, chances are good that its IP address will be blacklisted. That is bad news for you, as it can affect factors like your search engine ranking and email deliverability. There are several software programs that can help you to monitor your server’s reputation, and if you become concerned, you may want to move on from web hosting and choose a new platform.

Conclusion

When it comes to your web hosting services, you need to make an informed choice about which provider is best. By understanding the cost versus benefits of web hosting for your business, you can choose the host that will best support your WordPress eCommerce website.

Cultura Interactive agency is an award winning Fort Lauderdale web design studio, and verified WooExperts for WooCommerce, that strives to create unique and attractive websites, develop strategic internet marketing campaigns and even generate a successful mobile app business plan for our clients.

Our team of professionals specialize in web design, logo design, WordPress development, eCommerce, responsive web design, mobile apps, SEO, social media marketing, pay per click advertising and more. Learn more about our services or contact us for a personal interview.