If you set up an e-commerce or dropshipping store on Shopify, you will be faced with the choice of a host and domain name, while protecting your personal data! Shopify offers its own hosting system and the purchase of a domain name. However, this is not necessarily the best solution. I’ll explain how to get these two “extensions” from your website other than with the Shopify host. Then I will make the comparison in order to deduce the advantages and disadvantages.
Shopify host: What is a web host and a domain name?
When you create your website, whether it is a showcase site or an online store, it must be stored and accessible 24 hours a day! For this, we use servers. They are simply machines similar to computers and with different configuration that allow you to store your site’s information and make it work. Service providers then offer a space on their servers that can be shared with other sites or dedicated only to your website! This is called hosting offered by a web host.
Then, to access your site, you have to type a name in the address bar with a .fr, .com or other. This is where the domain 🙂 name comes in For my part, mine is … 🙂
It must be evocative for your visitor and you are free to choose any one as long as it is not offensive or it is not theft of image of another brand!
Shopify host: The advantages of buying your domain name and hosting on Shopify
When you create your store with Shopify, you have of course the option to buy your domain name and host your online store at Shopify. Here are the advantages:
- This is included in Shopify’s subscription price.
- It is very easy to set up, there is just to buy the domain name in the interface of your online store.
- It’s very fast and available in a few hours.
So what are the disadvantages of this superb solution?
- Even if the speed is already very good and will be more than enough for small and large shops. Having a faster server allows you to have a site that loads faster and therefore, it avoids scaring away its visitors and also having a better natural referencing!
- If you want to recover the domain name and no longer work with Shopify, the procedure is a bit annoying to set up and you risk losing juice/traffic.
I want to reassure you, my e-commerce sites have always worked very well under Shopify and I have almost always opted for this solution.
Shopify host: Existing alternatives with storage space
All you have to do is buy a domain name and/or hosting from another provider! The list is long, just search for “buy a domain name” on Google to see the amount of services available. Here are some of them I’ve worked with and recommend:
- Online.net, that’s what I use for my guitar lessons on mymusicteacher.fr
- 1and1 or 1&1 which has excellent value for money for the first year. Pay attention to the fees over the following years, this is the case of my online ukulele course site.
- OVH which has a flawless reputation and which will bring you complete satisfaction. 💎
Then, if you’re wondering how to link your new domain name to your shopify store, just go to your shopify store settings and follow their built-in tutorial to link your store to your new domain name. Otherwise you can very well buy a hosting and a domain name from someone else and install your Shopify directly there!
Shopify host: What better host for your site in 2020?
Several people set up their web platform. However, it is very important to find for your site a reliable and quality host. With the panoply of hosts available, it is difficult to find the ideal host especially for beginners. Thus, I offer you a ranking of the safest hosts to use in 2020. This ranking takes into account offers and features like safety, performance, price and many more. Indeed, the choice of its host is important to limit the risk of losses. Here is then present the most efficient hosts to use in 2020 for your website.
Hostinger
It represents one of the best hosts of 2020. Indeed, it was created in 2004. Subsequently, it was able to have a preponderant place in the very tough market of hosts. It also has about 30 million users worldwide. In addition, it is a reference in the field thanks to its security, speed, and price. The tool has a wide range of servers that you can choose according to your needs. No matter what requirements you have, it will give you satisfaction. In addition, one of the other qualities of Hostinger is to offer you a Lite Speed server, regardless of the offer you have subscribed to. Thus, the performance will experience a great improvement compared to other competitors. With data centers available in nearly 7 countries, you have 99% uptime.
When it comes to pricing, Hostinger is keen to keep prices very competitive. However, the prices on the platform represent prices related to the call and are found on most subscriptions. However, to benefit from the best offers, you must commit to at least 3 years. No matter what happens, you’ll have 30 days to try or you’ll get a refund. In this case, you can stop with the services at any time if they disappoint you. In addition, everyone has the opportunity to use Hostinger’s services. Thus, whether you are a professional webmaster or a beginner, you have the opportunity to find for your account. This with web, VPS, cloud hosting and very attractive corresponding prices. Hostinger represents a very advantageous solution to try in your webmaster career.
PlanetHoster
In this description of the most successful hosts, we also find PlanetHoster. The latter is a Canadian host with data centers in Canada and France. It has a quality service justified by the many positive feedback from users. PlanetHoster’s most striking product is nothing but its hybrid service called Hybridcloud. Indeed, you will have part of a server for your site to be able to benefit from the best performance. The loading of the pages of your site or answer as well as the statistics of the tool are very satisfactory. Indeed, you have the opportunity to improve your resources. This feature is offered to you for free and can only be used for 48 hours for each month. If you decide to start with the implementation of your web platform, the word offer of PlanetHoster will please you. It has a very good performance, cheaper and with the possibility of hosting several sites.
In addition, PlanetHoster’s customer support is very efficient. Indeed, when you have a problem, you benefit from a great customer support. Thus, PlanetHoster offers you this customer service with which you get satisfaction to all your worries. The waiting time after contact is about 15 seconds. Indeed, the answers provided are accurate and very fast with significant attention and listening. For all its qualities, the tool deserves its ranking in the best web hosts. For users, PlanetHoster has the ideal alternatives at the right prices. It is not advisable for those who are just starting out and do not have many needs. On the other hand, it is very interesting for professional webmasters with very important needs.
O2switch
In the ranking of web hosts we can not avoid talking about Os2witch a French host. It offers adapted offers that meet the expectations of webmasters. The offers are entirely French. In addition, they have its servers in France with a completely French team. It represents the best Web host of the French type. The major advantages of O2switch are the offer and the performance it has. Indeed, in opposition to other hosts who offer several offers O2switch has decided to propose a simple offer. This is one of the strengths of the host. Thus, for those who want to launch a site for the first time, the possibility of not ending up under the offers will be beneficial to them. Offer at the price of 5 euros per month you have the possibility to install an unlimited number of sites without any limit for disk spaces.
In addition, this hosting has proven that it is very efficient. In addition, you can activate options to temporarily boost your use, especially during unexpected traffic peaks. In all, you have everything you need to guarantee you an optimal and successful use. The tool’s customer service can be reached by phone and provides support every working day of the week. In addition, it also offers you the possibility to chat online while respecting the same schedules as phone calls. With O2switch you have the possibility to control your device remotely. In addition, if you have problems with the manipulations that their team offers you, they have the opportunity to solve the problem directly by taking control of your machine. With the particular offer it offers it is useful for beginners. The latter can withstand significant traffic.
Shopify host: What hosting choice to make?
To get started with hosts, it is very important to determine the type of hosting you want to do. These different types of accommodation are advantageous, but also have disadvantages. It is then up to you to find the most suitable type of accommodation for you. Here are the different types of accommodation available.
This type of accommodation is the most classic. Indeed, all web hosts offer this type of hosting to get started with your first site. The main feature of this type of hosting is that it allows you to share a server with other clients. Thus, depending on the offer to which you have subscribed, you are limited in the power allocated to you. Its very attractive price will allow you to use it even with few means. Even if it represents a good alternative to start, it also has its limits. Indeed, if other customers record traffic peaks, at your level your performance will decrease. In addition, from a security point of view, if one of the hosted sites is hacked, then the entire server is vulnerable. In this case, your site may be compromised.
VPS hosting
With this type of hosting, you are granted a server section based on the choice of resource you have made. With this type of hosting, the performance is better compared to the previous type. In addition, the mistakes of other customers will not affect you. However, the price is higher compared to the first type of accommodation. In addition, at the time of a peak in traffic, the performance of your site suffers.
Cloud Hosting
It is experiencing a rise in notoriety among customers. It works according to the principle of Cloud Computing. Indeed, it is a question here of connecting several servers to allow the use of a website. Thus, performance is improved for the site especially if it wants to bring its traffic internationally. Setting it up is simple and unforeseen traffic spikes are limited. This if your cloud hosting is very well managed. However, compared to the other two types, its price is significantly high especially for platforms that generate much more traffic.
Dedicated hosting
This type of hosting is a solution or the entire test server fully dedicated. Thus, you will be the only one to use it and you alone support any problems that arise. It is very powerful and able to be configured to match user expectations. However the price at which it is offered is very high.
