Hosting

OpenCart is less demanding on server computing resources and memory in comparison to WooCommerce and Magento. By virtue of this fact, more affordable web hosting options are available at a significantly reduced cost to the business. Standard OpenCart shops operate effectively on shared hosting platforms with the caveat that the environment supports PHP 7.

Operating on a shared shared server environment will increase the odds of an IP address being blacklisted in error if others websites on the same server have been compromised resulting in the distribution of malicious email. Therefore, a risk is present which could potentially prevent customers, suppliers and staff receiving order confirmations.

The team of DevOps Engineers and Systems Administrators at Opencart Consulting strive to avoid such circumstances and work continuously to deter such actions from unscrupulous individuals; many options for dedicated hosting environments are available to our customers should this be the preferred route.

Technologies

PHP Versions: PHP is the coding technology utilised by OpenCart. The OpenCart platforms 2 & 3 both offer PHP 7 support which will ensure that your system maintains the current PHP security patches as well as the significant gains in speed that PHP 7 offers over its predecessor 5.6. Our team of Software Engineers can undertake upgrades in both PHP versions and overall server infrastructure to support these inititives to the ultimate benefit of the customers of a specific Opencart ecommerce shop.

Caching: Whilst full page caching is not quite as important for the operational speed of users accessing specific OpenCart pages as in the case of Magento and WooCommerce - due in part to the to OpenCart using fewer technical resources - teh effectiive configuration of full page caching caching can be implemented on your OpenCart system by our team of Developers to ensure the system performs to the best possible standards with the ultimate goal of speeding up the process of a customer reaching the checkout completion goal.

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: Typically, MySQL is the database of choice utilised by OpenCart although MariaDB can be utlised if required. Whatever choices have been made 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.

MySQL: 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 OpenCart a highly desirable level of stability and flexibility.

MariaDB: Since MariaDB is a branch of MySQL. The database structure and indexes of MariaDB are identical to MySQL. This allows you to switch from MySQL to MariaDB without having to alter your applications since the data and data structures will not need to change. MariaDB does however offers some feature differences which may be useful within certain implementations.

For more information on the technical environments employed by OpenCart 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.