average online store

[bigj2552]

realistically, how much comfortable web space would you need to run opencart/zencart software ?

enough so it wont get bogged down if it has a lot of jpg's ect

[Paul]

500mb would be good for my needs :)
but on other side of my needs 5gb :)

[Haze]

I was about to ask the same question :biggrin:

I am looking to start selling my own photographic images on products, rather than offering personalised items. I would also like some advice on where to find a reasonable priced hosting site to attach opencart, and how much webspace I'd need to ensure I can upload lots of my own images? Would opencart or the host likely to have a limit on number of images allowed?

Thanks

[smitch6]

drop me a pm Haze i'm sure we can sort something out
and i have a huge server :)

steve

[bigj2552]

drop me a pm Haze i'm sure we can sort something out
and i have a huge server :)

steve

lol...steve boastin about his manhood again :biggrin:

[Haze]

drop me a pm Haze i'm sure we can sort something out
and i have a huge server :)

steve

Will do Steve, been awhile since I had such a tempting offer :rolleyes:

My day has been more fun than Xmas so far, just unwrapped my 1st BMS stock order (thanks Martin & co) can't wait to start putting my cute piggy photos etc on all the bits and bobs, mind you it'll probably be next Xmas before I get around to selling anything!!

[JSR]

It's not necessarily about how much webspace you need (that'll depend on how many pictures you'll have on there more than anything, I'd imagine). Rather it's more about how much memory (RAM) is available, how fast the server is, how much the bandwidth is contended, which versions of PHP, Apache, and MySQL are running, whether you can change settings to accommodate the software, etc.

Check the minimum and recommended system requirements of the software you want to install and then check what's being offered by your chosen webhost. If the information isn't available, look elsewhere because many cheaper hosting providers cram many websites onto one machine (this isn't a problem for simple websites, but if you're expecting a good number of customers then you won't want your site bogged down by a thousand people running hobby sites on the same server).

One of the common issues I've seen with OpenCart is that it may baulk with PHP memory errors, requiring you to lift the limit a little on how much is allocated to PHP. If you can't do that and your host is unwilling to do it, you'll just have to look elsewhere.

If you want to use an SSL certificate to protect data such as customer details going to your website (which you should), make sure that your host can accommodate this (they'll need to provide a dedicated IP address and the ability to install the SSL certificate). They may say they'll only do this if you buy the certificate through them, and they'll charge an arm and a leg for the privilege.

Also, consider that you'll need to update your chosen software when a new version comes out. If the new version requires a more modern version of PHP, or Apache, or MySQL, then you'll need to know that your host is willing to upgrade their server when necessary otherwise you'll be left with an outdated version of your chosen software in the future - that's a recipe for security breaches and hacking.

In short - it's not all about disk space. Talk to your host. If he won't talk to you, give him the elbow.