How To Select A Hosting Solution For Magento

If you want the best solution for e-commerce, Magento would be the perfect fit. But Magento has higher server demands compared to other open source programming languages and platforms.

Magento

The up-side here is that this programming platform is quite flexible when it comes to hosting solutions. Thus, Magento developers find it easy to extend its use as well maintain the flexibility. You can easily trust this hosting solution for a fast working website any time.

If you are keen on working with Magento, you have to invest on getting a web host for Magento. Here are few types of web hosting for Magento, which will help you understand the many options to choose from.

Shared Hosting

This is the cheapest option you can get from many of the hosting companies. They have nominal rates like $5-20/month range. Having this in your hand, you can simply host thousands of websites on the same server, with the other components required being CPU, disk drive and RAM. While hosting websites on a server, the performance of the server highly depends on the number of websites. This will also depend much on the bandwidth used by the resources and how much your neighbor is using it. Hence it should be done with care.

Hardware is just a part of it. You have other common operating systems and server environments which are shared by other users. This will set a limit on the rights to change the settings of the server. For instance, there are certain PHP libraries which are not given in the environment by default. Here you need to change the setting as per your requirements.

Recommended Read:8 Reasons Magento is the Best Choice for eCommerce

As said earlier, Magento has the capability to work well in this environment but practically you cannot expect many connections to run fast at the same time. One simple trick is that if you are hosting fewer sites and there are not much visitors at your website at a time, then you can go ahead with shared hosting. But if you are planning to host an e-commerce website then you will surely have plans to increase the traffic. At such times, try going for separate hosting.

Dedicated Server

Dedicated servers are anytime better and faster than shared ones. Here, it means that your site is the only site on the server. It is not being shared by any other websites. You have the freedom to set any operating system of your choice and customize all the settings as per your requirement and choice. There are numerous advantages of having a dedicated server, one of them being flexibility and performance.

Although you have to spend large bucks here, you can anytime see its worth. You will have to spend about $50/ month if you want only the basic configuration. For the others, sky is the limit. If you are hosting products which will have a large number of visitors on a daily basis, then a dedicated server is the best option for you. On the other hand, you can also plan to go for a shared one for now and then later on switch to a dedicated one in the near future.

Virtual Private Servers

This is another type of server which is also known as a Virtual Dedicated Server or VDS. This is a virtual server shared physically with other ones. For one server, you can have several VPS nodes, each having its own operating system. There are several discounts on this server which will help you to get them at cheaper rates instantly. If yours is a small business then this type of hosting is simply perfect for you. Likewise, they give a decent performance and flexibility in terms of settings.

Read Also:6 Major Companies That Provide Magento Extensions

Cloud Hosting

This is one of the most popular and highly recommended hosting types used these days. Here you can increase or reduce the capacity as and when required. The cloud hosting can be either generalized or Magento-optimized. Many of famous companies such as Amazon make use of cloud hosting. This type of hosting is pre-configured and all you need is a system administrator to manage and configure it. Companies which are new in this market and are working towards success should surely make use of this hosting type.

Thus, choosing the type of hosting perfect for you and tour business is indeed a task. All you have to do is weigh the pros and cons of each of the Magento hosting types so that you don’t end up having an inappropriate one for your product.

6 Major Companies That Provide Magento Extensions

Magento is a powerful e-commerce platform that delivers amazing results. This platform has numerous extensions that make Magento development service easy.  These extensions help a lot in adding functionalities to ecommerce websites.

With Magento extensions, it’s possible to upgrade online offerings and reap benefits out of it. Even though online stores differ in functional requirements, ultimately customer satisfaction is the goal.

Magento

Each company that provides Magento Extensions has got wide range of solutions and special area of expertise. While choosing one for Magento Extensions, you must be well aware about the best that is available.

There are a lot of companies that provides Magento Extensions, but there are always some considered to be better than the rest

Checkout some major companies that provides Magento Extensions

  1. Aheadworks

Aheadworks is an energetic provider of Magento extensions.  The site is neatly organised with wide range of extensions. Sales motivation, user experience, customer care, admin tools are the chief priorities of Aheadworks. The service provided by Aheadworks doesn’t compromise on quality.

  1. Amasty

Amasty aims at client satisfaction and quality. The site consists of varied range of Magento extensions. Amasty is available at an affordable price. Amasty is committed to full understanding of customer needs and meeting their expectations.

  1. Mirasvit

Mirasvit is a passionate provider of extensions for Magento-based online stores. They are capable of solving all e-commerce related tasks. Mirasvit helps in sales motivation and advanced Magento search. The site is budget friendly. The price range of the extensions comes for $100-$150.

  1. WebShopApps

WebShopApps is best for those with complex shipping needs with the web-store. The site helps e-commerce merchants to the core. WebShopApps functions according to individual needs or business types, making it more reliable among the rest. The average cost of their extensions range is about $200, but WebShopApps extensions are certainly worth the money.

  1. MageWorx

MageWorx is known for providing excellent customer service. They take good care of problems instantly. MageWorx offers list of Magento SEO products, including comprehensive SEO Suite extension which costs about $400. The company offers large number of extensions within $100.

  1. WebTex

WebTex is expert in providing extensions oriented to gift registry and gift cards. The company provides great support for its customers. Their services cover free post-delivery bug fixing, caring customer service and high quality.

#Properly selected Magento Extensions can be a powerful for e-commerce. Your business can benefit a lot out of it. With a reliable Magento development service, things become simple for your ecommerce store. Choose the right set of smart extensions that can help you leave the competition behind.

How to Start a Magento Website?

Magento is loved by big entrepreneurs as well as developers as it is powerful as well as customizable. It is extremely well architectured, scalable, and amusing to work with. Magento development service is the perfect platform for global brands and starting a Magento website is quite uncomplicated.

“Magento is a feature-rich, professional open-source eCommerce solution that offers merchants complete flexibility and control over the look, content, and functionality of their online store. Magento’s intuitive administration interface contains powerful marketing, search engine optimization and catalog-management tools to give merchants the power to create sites that are tailored to their unique business needs. Designed to be completely scalable and backed by an extensive support network, Magento offers companies the ultimate eCommerce solution.”- That’s Magento in their own words.

The installation process is completely automated. The guideline to start a Magento website is as follows:

1. The first step is to download Magento setup from magentoecommerce.com/download and chose your preferred format.

 You can easily accomplish installation through siteGround servers. SiteGround cPanel -> Site Software contains automatic installation script which leads to setup within seconds. You can also try XAMPP Lite, a Take-Run-Delete-Forget-it package which doesn’t need any installation. It is a small edition of XAMPP which contains almost everything for Magento Installation. Next step is to create an admin account by entering your personal data and login information. You can leave the ‘Encryption Key’ field blank.

Recommended Read:Why Move to Magento from OsCommerce

2. Select Localization and your currency before doing configuration. Everything can be left as it is under ‘Configuration’.

Magento

After completing your Magento site configuration, consider a custom template that goes well with the design requirements for your website. Once you are ready with template adjust the main page for your Magento site. For installing a theme for your website, there are platforms like “Magento Connect”. Magento’s theme has got a dominant role in the visual output of the site. You can switch between default theme that comes with Magento and the one your personalized version side by side.

While making their purchase, a website visitor should feel safe so it is extremely important to include SSL to your Magento website for secured transactions.

3. Last but not the least adjust your Magento website to make it Search Engine Friendly.  Magento is one of the most search engine friendly e-commerce applications by default.

If you have a Magento site and just want to transform your host, SiteGround offers website transfer freely.

Read Also: How To Select A Hosting Solution For Magento

By learning these fundamentals of Magento’s design terminologies, you can easily setup a Magento website. Enter into the world of enterprise-class features and tools that attract more prospects, promote products and gain more profit by creating the next generation e-Commerce platform-Magento. Magento is tailored to satisfy your unique needs in e-Commerce which allows to add functionality as your needs grow over time.

Magento enterprise edition includes merchandising tools that enhance conversion rates; incorporated Google Tag Manager that helps you to effortlessly tag your site for campaigns and reporting. It grants a wider reach and sales by providing a mobile app toolkit.

WordPress or Magento Development Services: Which is better for Ecommerce?

With so many ecommerce platforms such as WordPress or Magento, it is hard to figure out which one is right for developing an online store.

Most often, retailers get confused in choosing the right platform for developing their online store. Choosing the right ecommerce platform is often a hectic job. While developing ecommerce websites, often confusion occurs as to whether to choose WordPress or Magento development services.

Magento

What Makes Them Similar?

Both the platforms are content management systems that enable users to add, modify, and manage your content in a simple yet effective manner and may seem similar in certain terms such as

  • They are highly customizable
  • Both are Open Source tools and are free
  • They can add products
  • They can integrate blogging to their functionality
  • Very SEO friendly
  • Can be extensively themed and
  • Feature a strong online support community

In addition, of course, they are both essentially content management systems, enabling you to add, modify, and manage your content in a simple yet effective manner. However, the differences become obvious when their core purpose is examined.

Objective matters

If the goal of the site is to sell products, Magento is the most recommended option and if the objective is to post content and blog, then WordPress CMS will suit the purpose.

Administrators may find it difficult to navigate ecommerce website with lot of information. Magento development services can help them by making it easy to access any page at any time.

Let us evaluate these platforms in detail.

WordPress Magento
WordPress is a publishing platform but is extended to support some basic ecommerce functionality through a number of third party plug-ins.  The main thing to keep in mind is that Magento is developed specifically for ecommerce. World’s leading brands, ranging from small websites to large multinational businesses rely on this platform for their online business.
For a website that is content-driven with news updates and with few sale events, WordPress ecommerce plug-ins will work. This open source technology offers powerful features that provide retailers with the flexibility and control to create online stores. 

Most recommended ecommerce plug-ins include

  • WooCommerce
  • Jigoshop and
  • Shopp

Features include:

  • Multi-store management
  • Mobile commerce
  • Marketing-friendly
  • Business reports
  • Search engine optimization and
  • Catalogue-management tools

However this CMS is not as secure as Magento, as it has been hacked frequently. A new CMS template page can be created in WP just by creating a new template file, while in Magento a whole new module should be created. Reliability of third party plug-ins is also a matter of concern for selling products or tickets. Very safe and secure. It also accepts all kinds of money transaction accounts and credit cards. 
With an easier learning curve, working with WP is proven to be pretty easier than Magento. Unlike WP, a site constructed using this platform requires constant attention and maintenance 
But developing an online store with plenty of products in WP can be a hectic job, and so it’s better to choose an alternative platform available. Similar to WordPress, this CMS also facilities support for the creation of complex content pages, version control, and menus. Magento development services will help to import the entire product list easily and the changes can be made without affecting the website.

It is almost clear that though these platforms serve unique purposes, Magento is strictly an e-commerce platform while WordPress is a content management platform.

Level of functionality and customizability of Magento makes it an ideal platform for ecommerce stores. This platform, with the backing of eBay and PayPal is fully featured and recommended alternative to WordPress’ ecommerce plug-ins.

If you are a full-fledged ecommerce store, Magento development services from a reliable company should be your choice as it is far more comprehensive platform. It is much more user friendly and safe as well. For a smaller scale store with very few products and limited budget, WordPress would be ideal.

Why WordPress Rules the World of CMS?

WordPress is the world’s most popular CMS. This article evaluates the reasons behind its popularity.

CMS types are many – WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Typo3, Quick.Cms. WordPress, the world’s most popular Content Management System (CMS) is the publishing platform used for building websites and blogs. First released in 2003 as a basic weblog tool, this open source CMS has conquered the world of web designing as well as development.

According to the 2015 CMS Usage statistics report, WordPress tops the list with 267,959 million websites using this CMS type. Top sites using this system include: Ebay, Yahoo, Digg, Wall Street Journal, Ford, People Magazine, Sony, Samsung, New York Times, and Mozilla Firefox.

Integrating this CMS platform with Magento ecommerce stores often requires assistance from reliable Magento development services. This easy to install extension combines the functionality of WordPress while being fully integrated into Magento and the Magento theme.

Most web designers and web developers use this platform for various reasons. Let us check those reasons.

No rocket science- It is easy to use

An ideal choice for beginners, the user need not be a technical genius to use WordPress. This CMS does not require PHP nor HTML knowledge unlike Drupal, Joomla or Typo3. The process of updating pages, images and/or posting blogs on WordPress is literally as easy as editing a Word document. Its backend administrator interface is visually easy to navigate and very effective. The user can not only add written content, but also easily publish videos, photos, galleries, and slideshows. They can add buttons, new pages, blog posts and news updates.

Search engines love it

WordPress coding is very clean and simple that makes it easy for search engines to read and index a site’s content. Focusing on SEO, each page, post, and image in WordPress sites have its own meta tag keywords, description, and title, making it easier to optimize for specific keywords and allowing for very precise optimization of search engines.  User can also use tags to further enhance SEO efforts.

Ideal for E Commerce Sites

WP’s ecommerce plug-ins such as WooCommerce allows customizing the functionality of the online store. Great features of this plug in include complex shipping options, sales and inventory charts, credit/debit payment integration, customer reviews, follow-up emails and much more. Other ecommerce systems include Magenta and Zen cart. Magento development services can help Magento WordPress Integration which is the easiest way to get blocks, sessions and products from your Magento store.

Responsive support

This popular CMS support responsive web designs that adjusts the layout of elements on a webpage according to the width of the device being used to view the page. It is now rare to find a WordPress theme that does not use responsive design. With WordPress and responsive theme you will not have to worry about how your site appears on mobile devices.

Easy to transfer

It is also a simple process to transfer your website from another platform to WordPress. WordPress includes the ability to transfer websites from Google Blogger, Joomla, Drupal, and many other popular platforms. Without much work, you can migrate your existing website to WordPress.

Attractive menu choices

This CMS type makes the site more attractive and easy to navigate than Drupal or Joomla.  Depending on the business requirement, user can rearrange the menus and pages.Menu can also be modified to include categories, pages,and more.

It is free to download and install

This CMS is free to install and anyone can use it. Almost 13000 no cost plug-ins and themes are available in this Open Source platform to choose from, making it much affordable. Paid premium themes and plug-ins are also available, which is often not required for beginners. With the support of a large community surrounding WordPress, any developer can work on a WordPress-based site to update it, make changes, etc

Integrating WordPress and Magento allows online retailers to benefit from both platforms. Magento WordPress Integration is the easiest way to get blocks, sessions and products from your Magento store. It can also be integrated with Magento ecommerce stores by getting assistance from reliable Magento development services.

Why Magento Is The Perfect Platform For Your E-Commerce Business?

Magento is without doubt one of the most powerful open source E-commerce software platforms, and has earned the trust of leading brands in the world.

Online E-Commerce businesses require a smart CMS platform. Magento is an open-source PHP and MySQL platform that has the enterprise-class features and the flexibility you need to create an E-Commerce solution tailored to your unique needs. According to the report from W3Techs, Magento is used by 24.2% of all the websites, which is a content management system market share of 60.4%.

Magento

A number of Magento development services  prefer working with Magento too, as it is a feature rich platform that is also user friendly. Along with its rich features, this platform offers users with unparalleled flexibility to manage the content, looks and functionality of their online store. Unmatched among its competitors, Magento offers more than 1,900 themes, along with thousands of modules available for download.

     Recommended Read:How to Start a Magento Website?

Reasons to choose Magento as the CMS for your next e-Commerce website:

  • Created Specifically For E-Commerce – Compared to other CMS, Magento has all the features and specifications necessary to create an amazing online store. This is the major reason why Magento scores over WordPress, WooCommerce, Drupal and Drupal Commerce combos.
  • It is SEO Friendly – Magento also offers tools for online marketing and SEO. These tools will help to promote your E-Commerce store and thus get higher positions on various search engine results pages (SERP). Its SEO tools include 
    • Metadata for products and categories
    • Site maps for Google and other search engines
    • Full control over URLs
  • Cost Effective – This open source PHP based e-commerce platform is completely free to install, modify and use. While its Community Edition is a free version, especially for smaller shops, Enterprise Edition is a premium pay for use version mainly for larger merchants. Businesses can also benefit from a library of extensions in the Magento’s website, both free and pay for use. This can enhance functionality of your E-Commerce store. Experienced Magento development services will provide you the right services at right costs.
  • Robust And User Friendly – This platform is dynamic and fast, making it extremely easier for buyers to search and buy products through website. Its advanced features ensure an enjoyable online shopping experience. Magento E-Commerce platform can also be conveniently integrated with your existing online shopping website. Its dynamic interface not only sells and compels, but also offers an out of the world User Experience to your visitors.
  • Security – This full featured E-Commerce software provides secure payment processing. Magento Secure Payment Bridge enables merchants to efficiently attain PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance and also offers stronger data encryption. Customers can choose from multiple payment-processing options offered by this platform or use their preferred payment gateways such as Simple Pay, PayPal, Amazon Payments, Google Checkout, and Authorize.net.
  • Includes Analytics And Reporting– With this Open source platform, you can also measure your online store’s performance with full analytics and reporting. Its options include 
    • Traffic monitoring with Google Analytics integration
    • Ability to generate detailed sales reports, shopping cart reports, most-viewed and best-purchased product reports, stock and inventory reports, search term reports, coupon usages, best customers, and many more

          Read Also: Things to Consider While Planning a Magento Store

  • High Performance – The speed of a site is important for all internet users, especially online stores. Any delay in processing user requests can slow down the E-Commerce website’s potential to convert site visitors into customers. This platform with high-end caching techniques such as Varnish and other DB optimization techniques ensures error free and timely results.

The success of your online store also depends on your choice of Magento development company. With professional Magento development services, it is easily possible to handle your website design, hosting, functionality and features. While choosing a developer, make sure to evaluate their portfolio, evaluate the development team and check out the costs.