Hosting

Magento v1 and Magento v2 offer some of the most powerful functionality available within the ecommerce systems marketplace. From experience, our team of developers and systems engineers know that the dedicated server option is the most effective way to power the platform. Magento requires that scheduled tasks run constantly in the background making the platform resource intensive. Running Magenot on a shared environment puts your system at risk of:

1. Slow operation due to multiple systems hosted on the same server (in the case of some providers this can in face be thousands!)
2. Limited functionality due to shared hosting (not being able to connect as the root user)
3. Chance for your email correspondence to be blacklisted in error – this is due to other users on the shared server environment sending malicious or spam emails which will potentially block your emails from being received by your customers; a major frustration for any user

Technologies

PHP Versions: PHP is the coding technology utilised by Magento. Keeping the version of PHP as up to date as possible is key for security. Magento 1 does not have official support for PHP 7 however solutions are available. Our team of developers have access to a plugin that offers support for PHP 7 which can be setup and configured for users looking to be on the latest PHP version to enhance security and system speed.

Magento 2 does offers official PHP 7 & 7.1 support and will be able to support the newer PHP versions as and when they come online. Magento 2 is the solution recommended by our team for all new and greenfield Magento sites to ensure that your platform keeps up with the latest technologies.

Caching: Magento sites require full page caching in some form. Due to the complexity and amount of systems resources utilised, it is highly advisable to enable full page caching. This function will generate the page once (which could take 2-7 seconds depending on the page in question, the latter time being a busy category page with configurable products) and once loaded will be saved and stored for users later, so it will load in <1-2 seconds each time. Magento 2 offers support for MemCache, Redis and Varnish.

Our team of Magento Developers can configure this functionality effectively to ensure the best speeds possible for your webshop. Ultimately this will increase the speed at which customers complete the buying process and reach the checkout goal maximising your return on investment through reduction of failed transations.

SSL Encryption: Secure Socket Layer Encryption provides the users of your ecommerce site with the fundamental level of security required when making online transactions. The implementation of an SSL certificate ensures the encryption of the transactional data passing through your ecommerce system to keep your users' personal data as secure as possible. The commonly recognised green padlock in the URL address bar prove your site is secure and gives your users that piece of mind that their personal data and credit card information is transmitted in line with contemporary security standards. This level of encryption is also a starting point for ensure compliance with the GDPR regulations introduced in May 2018 across Europe and apply to any organisation, regardless of where they are based who wishes to trade with companies and individuals based in the EU.

Search Engine Optimisation is significantly damaged for ecommerce shops not utlising SSL - or indeed those who have an SSL Certificate installed which is damaged or not fit for purpose and is therefore not functioning appropriately - a major misstep for any retailer or business selling its products or services online. Appropriate certificates can be purchased for as little as £79.99 and our Project managers will ensure that the best solution to meet your requirements is sourced and implemented effectively..

Database: MySQL is the database where all your customers and orders will be stored. Magento versions 2.1.2 and later are compatible with MySQL 5.7.x, prior versions of Magento 2 will require MySQL 5.6.

Whatever the combined configuration of the database environment we will work with you to ensure that your back end database is operating efficiently and is built with scalability in mind for future expansion of the platform. When working on greenfield implementations our team of Magento Developers will ensure that the latest versions of MySQL databases are employed for maximum efficiency and scalability.

The MySQL source code is open source & written in C and C++ and is compatible with all major operating systems. Employed across a range of business environments MySQL competes with the likes of Microsoft's SQL Server and Oracle and offers systems such as Magento a highly desirable level of stability and flexibility.

For more information on the technical environments employed by Webshop Consulting or to discuss upgrade projects which your existing system requires please contact the technical project management team here who will be happy to discuss your project requirements.