Table of contents

6 key features of ecommerce hostingTypes of ecommerce hostingHow to chooseFAQsGetting startedHosting optionsAdditional resources

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What is ecommerce hosting?

Ecommerce hosting is a type of web hosting that provides the tools, infrastructure, and support needed to run an online store. It’s what makes your website available to customers on the internet—and it includes the speed, storage, security, and uptime necessary to sell products online safely and reliably.

Think of it as the foundation of your online store. Whether you’re selling handmade soaps or hundreds of digital products, you need a secure space to store your website files, process payments, protect customer data, and deliver a fast shopping experience to visitors around the world.

Some ecommerce platforms, like Shopify or BigCommerce, come with built-in hosting so you don’t have to manage the technical setup. Others, like WooCommerce or Magento, require you to choose your own hosting provider—giving you more flexibility but also more responsibility.

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6 key features of ecommerce hosting

There’s a big difference between general website hosting and ecommerce hosting. Let’s walk through the features that set ecommerce hosting apart.

1. Performance and speed

Online shoppers expect fast websites. If your pages take more than a few seconds to load, people will leave (and likely won’t come back). One study found that,

“A site that loads in 1 second has an e-commerce conversion rate 2.5x higher than a site that loads in 5 seconds.”

Ecommerce hosting uses high-performance servers, caching technologies, and content delivery networks (CDNs) to keep your store running smoothly, even during sales or traffic spikes.

Performance affects more than just user experience. It also impacts your search rankings on Google and your conversion rates. A good ecommerce host will include SSD storage, optimized server configurations, and scalability to maintain fast speeds as your store grows.

2. Security essentials

Online stores process sensitive data like customer names, addresses, and credit card details. That means you need serious security.

Key security features to look for include:

SSL certificates, which enable secure HTTPS connections
PCI compliance, required for processing credit card payments legally
Secure payment gateways, like Stripe or PayPal
Malware scanning and firewalls, to prevent attacks
Daily backups, so you can restore your site if something goes wrong

Ecommerce hosting plans should include these by default or make it easy to add them. If they don’t, keep shopping.

3. Scalability and flexibility

As your business grows, your hosting needs will change. Maybe you start with 10 products and grow to 1,000. Or maybe you see big seasonal traffic spikes during the holidays.

Scalable ecommerce hosting gives you room to grow without replatforming. VPS, cloud, and dedicated hosting plans allow you to expand your bandwidth, storage, and memory when you need to. This ensures your site stays online and responsive no matter how big your audience gets.

4. Ecommerce platform compatibility

Some hosting plans are built specifically for WordPress and WooCommerce. Others are designed for Magento or PrestaShop. And some are platform-agnostic but still offer helpful integrations.

When choosing an ecommerce host, make sure they officially support the platform you’re using. Features like one-click installation, auto-updates, and server-side optimization for your platform can make your life much easier and reduce bugs or downtime.

5. Dedicated ecommerce support

Running an online store involves more moving parts than a regular website—payments, shipping, tax rules, and customer accounts, just to name a few.

That’s why dedicated support matters. The best ecommerce hosts offer 24/7 support from staff who understand ecommerce platforms and issues. Whether it’s a slow checkout page or a plugin conflict, you want someone who can fix it quickly when revenue is on the line.

Managed hosting plans take this further by handling updates, security, backups, and more so you can focus on selling instead of server maintenance.

6. Uptime and reliability

If your store goes offline, you lose sales. Plain and simple. Even an hour of downtime can cost tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars in lost sales. (Not to mention trust.) That’s why uptime is a non-negotiable feature of ecommerce hosting.

Look for hosts that guarantee at least 99.9% uptime. Some offer 99.99% or higher, backed by service level agreements (SLAs). Bonus points if they include uptime monitoring tools and transparent incident reporting.

Types of ecommerce hosting

Not all ecommerce hosting is the same. The best option for you depends on your budget, traffic levels, and technical comfort.

Shared hosting

Best for: Small stores with low traffic and limited budgets

Shared hosting means your store shares server space with other websites. It’s the cheapest option and often marketed toward beginners.

Pros:

Very affordable (sometimes under $10/month)
Easy to set up

Cons:

Slower performance during traffic spikes
Limited control over server settings
Less secure due to shared environment

If you’re launching a very small shop and just want to test the waters, shared hosting can work, but you’ll likely outgrow it quickly.

VPS hosting

Best for: Growing stores that need more control and speed

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting gives you an isolated slice of a server with your own resources. It’s more powerful than shared hosting, and more affordable than dedicated hosting.

Pros:

Faster performance and more stability
Isolated environment means better security
Root access for advanced configuration

Cons:

Costs more than shared hosting
May require basic server management skills unless fully managed

VPS is a solid choice if you’re growing steadily and need more horsepower without jumping to a dedicated server.

Cloud hosting

Best for: Stores that experience big traffic spikes or need lots of flexibility

Cloud hosting spreads your store’s data across multiple servers. If one server fails, another takes over, so uptime and speed stay consistent.

Pros:

Extremely scalable
High availability and redundancy
Pay-as-you-grow pricing models

Cons:

Can get expensive with high traffic
May be overkill for smaller stores

It’s worth noting that, while cloud hosting became popular over the past decade, its limitations have been felt recently. Cloud repatriation has become a trend in the last few years, where businesses are moving off the cloud to save money.

Dedicated hosting

Best for: Large ecommerce stores with complex needs

With dedicated hosting, you get your own physical server. It’s the most powerful option and, thus, the most expensive.

Pros:

Full control over server setup
Maximum performance and customization
High-level security and isolation

Cons:

Requires technical expertise or a managed hosting provider
Higher monthly cost (usually $100+)

Dedicated servers are ideal for stores making serious revenue, handling sensitive data, or running custom backend systems.

Hosted ecommerce platforms (SaaS)

Best for: Beginners who want an all-in-one solution

Platforms like Shopify, Wix, and BigCommerce come with hosting included. You pay one monthly fee and get everything: the website builder, ecommerce features, and hosting.

Pros:

No need to manage servers or updates
Fast setup with templates and apps
Support often included

Cons:

Less control and customization
Transaction or app fees can add up
Harder to migrate away later

These platforms are great for entrepreneurs who want to start selling quickly without learning hosting or web development. Note that if you plan to grow, however, vendor lock-in can become a serious issue.

How to choose the right ecommerce hosting

Choosing your hosting provider is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your online store. Here’s a beginner-friendly checklist to guide you.

1. Know your store’s size and needs

Are you launching a one-product store or a marketplace with thousands of items? Do you expect a few hundred visits per month or several thousand per day? Think about:

Your product catalog size
Expected traffic
Any special technical needs (like custom features or APIs)
Your comfort level managing servers

And think about where you hope those same metrics to be, in six, 12, and 24 months. Migrating an ecommerce site to a new server when you’ve outgrown a starter hosting plan can be a big project.

2. Compare hosts and platforms

Make a list of reputable ecommerce hosting providers and see how they stack up on:

Total cost of ownership
Server performance
Built-in features like backups, caching, and security
Specific support for your platform (WooCommerce, Magento, etc.)

3. Evaluate performance, uptime, and support

Aim for hosts that guarantee 99.9% or higher uptime and have a reputation for reliable performance. Check whether support is 24/7 and whether you can reach them via chat or email.

4. Focus on security

Make sure your plan includes:

An SSL certificate
Daily or automatic backups
Malware protection
DDoS protection
PCI-compliant infrastructure

Security features should never be optional for ecommerce hosting.

5. Check managed services and test their support

See if the hosting provider offers fully and/or partially managed services. If you’re new to hosting, a managed plan is a good idea. Even if you don’t need fully managed support, offering it means that hosting provider has experienced support team members on-hand.

And don’t be afraid to test the host’s support before signing up. Pop a question in the chatbot and see how fast and helpful the response is.

Ecommerce hosting FAQs

Ecommerce hosting is a type of web hosting built specifically for online stores. It includes the storage, speed, security, and support required to run a successful online shop, along with integration for ecommerce platforms and payment processing tools.

It depends on your store size and needs:

Shared hosting is fine for beginners on a budget.
VPS or cloud hosting is great for growing stores.
Dedicated hosting is ideal for large stores that need full control.

Pricing varies by type:

Shared hosting: $3–$15/month
VPS hosting: $20–$80/month
Cloud hosting: $50–$200+/month
Dedicated hosting: $100–$500+/month
Hosted platforms like Shopify: $39–$399/month

If you want fully managed support, those prices will go up a little bit (but it’s worth it if you’re new to servers and hosting).

Next steps for understanding ecommerce hosting

Ecommerce hosting is the foundation of your online store—it powers your site’s performance, security, scalability, and shopping experience. Choosing the right host can make or break your ecommerce success.

If you’re just starting out, take time to think through your platform, expected traffic, and budget. From there, you’ll be able to narrow down the best hosting type and provider for your specific needs.

The next step is to choose a hosting solution that fits your needs, and that’s where Liquid Web comes in. We offer the industry’s fastest and most secure VPS and dedicated servers—specifically set up for WooCommerce or Magento. We also offer cloud hosting for WooComm and Magento through our partnership with Nexcess

Click below to explore options or start a chat with one of our hosting experts now.