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How much does web hosting cost in 2026?
How to fix a slow website: A guide for eCommerce stores
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How much does web hosting cost in 2026?

Key takeaways:

The price of web hosting varies widely based on the hosting type (e.g., shared, dedicated) and the resources and features you need.
Your total cost can increase with additional expenses like domain registration, SSL certificates, premium themes, and other third-party integrations.
The best way to manage costs is to select a hosting plan that is the right fit for your website’s specific size, traffic, and performance requirements.

Shared hosting typically costs $2–$10 per month to start, but prices often increase when your plan renews. According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), 82% of small employers have their own website, making hosting a common business expense.

If you’re exploring what web hosting is and planning your website budget, this guide breaks down web hosting costs by hosting type, the factors that affect pricing, renewal rates, and ways to save on your hosting plan.

How much does web hosting cost?

Web hosting costs depend on the type of hosting, server resources, and features included in your plan. Prices can also vary between introductory offers and renewal rates. The table below compares typical monthly costs to help you choose the right hosting option for your website.

Web hosting cost by type

Hosting type	Intro price (per month)	Typical renewal (per month)	Best suited for
Free hosting	Free	N/A	Personal projects and testing
Shared hosting	$2–$10	$10–$20	Small websites and blogs with low to moderate traffic
WordPress hosting	$10–$50	Varies by plan	WordPress websites that need optimized performance and security
Website builder hosting	$10–$50	Varies by plan	Beginners who want to build a website without coding
Cloud hosting	From $10 (pay-as-you-go)	N/A	Websites with changing traffic and resource needs
VPS hosting	$20–$80	Varies by plan	Websites that need more resources, performance, and control
Dedicated hosting	$100–$500+	Varies by plan	Large websites with high traffic and resource demands

Note:_ Prices are estimates for comparison only and may vary by provider, plan, billing term, and promotional offers. Actual renewal rates and additional fees may differ. Check your provider’s current pricing before purchasing._

Website hosting costs in detail

Each hosting type comes with different pricing, features, and resource limits. Here’s what you can expect to pay, what each option includes, and who it’s best suited for.

Free hosting

Free web hosting lets you publish a website without paying hosting fees. Providers may display advertisements, limit resources, or offer paid upgrades to generate revenue.

Free hosting works for personal projects and testing, but its performance, security, and customization options are often limited.

Pros:

Zero cost: Host a basic website without paying monthly fees
Easy setup: Suitable for testing ideas or creating simple personal websites

Cons:

Limited resources: Restricted storage, bandwidth, and processing power
Advertisements: Providers may display ads on your website
Poor performance: Slow loading times and frequent downtime may occur
Limited customization: Fewer features and less control over website settings
Security risks: Fewer security protections than many paid plans
Limited support: Customer assistance may be restricted or unavailable
Domain restrictions: You may need to use a provider’s subdomain instead of your own
Data risks: Limited backup and recovery options can increase the risk of data loss.

Shared hosting

Shared hosting typically costs $2–$10 per month, making it the most affordable paid hosting option. Your website shares a physical server and its resources with other websites, keeping costs low.

It’s a practical choice for small businesses, blogs, and websites with low to moderate traffic. However, high resource usage by other sites on the server may affect your website’s performance.

Introductory rates often increase to $10–$20 per month at renewal, so check the regular price before purchasing.

Pros:

Low cost: An affordable way to get your website online
Easy to use: Providers handle most server maintenance and technical tasks
Simple management: Control panels make it easier to manage website files and settings
Quick setup: Get your website running without extensive technical knowledge

Cons:

Variable performance: Heavy traffic on other websites may affect loading speeds
Limited control: Restricted access to server configurations
Shared security risks: Security issues on the server can potentially affect other websites
Resource limits: Storage, memory, and processing power are shared
Possible downtime: Server outages can affect all websites hosted on it

Explore our shared web hosting plans to compare features and find an option that fits your website.

WordPress hosting

WordPress hosting typically costs $10–$50 per month. It’s designed for websites built with WordPress and may include pre-installed software, automatic updates, backups, and security features.

This hosting type simplifies WordPress management and can improve performance through server configurations optimized for the platform.

Renewal prices depend on the provider and plan, so review the ongoing costs before signing up.

Pros:

Optimized performance: Server configurations designed to support WordPress websites
Simplified management: Automated updates and backups reduce maintenance work
Enhanced security: Security features designed to address common WordPress threats
Customization: Access to WordPress themes and plugins for adding features

Cons:

WordPress dependency: Designed specifically for WordPress websites
Plugin conflicts: Incompatible themes or plugins may cause technical issues
Higher costs: Typically more expensive than basic shared hosting

See our WordPress hosting options to find a plan that supports your website

Website Builder hosting

Website builder hosting typically costs $10–$50 per month. It combines web hosting with a drag-and-drop website builder, allowing you to create and publish a website without coding.

The platform handles hosting and many technical tasks, making it suitable for beginners and small businesses that want a straightforward setup.

Renewal rates vary by plan, and some advanced features may require upgrades or additional fees.

Pros:

Ease of use: Drag-and-drop tools simplify website design
No coding required: Build pages without programming knowledge
All-in-one platform: Website creation and hosting are managed in one place
Quick setup: Templates and built-in features help you launch faster

Cons:

Limited customization: Fewer design and development options than some traditional hosting setups
Platform dependency: Moving your website to another provider may be difficult
Ongoing costs: Subscription fees and paid upgrades can increase expenses
SEO limitations: Some platforms offer less control over advanced SEO settings

Try our Website Builder to create and manage your website in one place.

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting starts at around $10 per month, with pricing often based on resource usage. Instead of relying on one physical server, it uses interconnected servers to distribute workloads and improve availability.

Cloud hosting allows you to adjust computing resources based on traffic and demand. This makes it suitable for websites with changing traffic levels or growing resource needs.

Unlike fixed-rate hosting plans, pay-as-you-go cloud hosting costs can fluctuate depending on usage.

Pros:

Scalability: Increase or reduce resources as traffic changes
Reliability: Redundant infrastructure can reduce downtime caused by server failures
Flexible pricing: Usage-based billing lets you pay for the resources consumed
Performance: Resources can be adjusted to handle changing workloads
Backup options: Many providers offer automated backups and recovery features

Cons:

Complex setup: Configuration and resource management may require technical knowledge
Variable costs: Unexpected usage spikes can increase your monthly bill
Security responsibilities: Cloud configurations and access controls require proper management
Limited hardware control: Physical infrastructure remains under the provider’s management

VPS hosting

Virtual private server (VPS) hosting typically costs $2-$18 per month. It divides a physical server into isolated virtual servers, each with its own allocated CPU, RAM, and storage resources.

Unlike shared hosting, VPS hosting provides greater control over server settings and more predictable resource availability. It’s suitable for growing websites, applications, and businesses needing more flexibility.

Renewal rates depend on the provider, allocated resources, and management level. Check the regular price before choosing a plan.

Pros:

Increased control: Greater freedom to configure server settings and install software
Allocated resources: Dedicated resource allocations provide more consistent performance
Scalability: Upgrade CPU, RAM, and storage as your website grows
Improved security: Virtual server isolation reduces exposure to other hosted websites
Cost efficiency: More control and resources than shared hosting without the cost of a dedicated server

Cons:

Technical requirements: Self-managed plans require server administration knowledge
Higher costs: More expensive than shared hosting
Shared physical hardware: Virtual servers still operate on the same physical machine
Resource limits: Performance depends on the resources allocated to your VPS

Explore our self-managed VPS hosting if you need more control over your website’s server environment.

Dedicated hosting

Dedicated hosting typically costs $100–$500+ per month. Unlike shared or VPS hosting, it gives your website exclusive access to an entire physical server.

This option is designed for large websites, high-traffic applications, and businesses with demanding performance or configuration requirements. You can customize server resources and software based on your needs.

Renewal prices vary depending on server specifications, management services, and contract terms.

Pros:

Maximum resources: Exclusive access to server CPU, RAM, and storage
Complete control: Greater flexibility over software, configurations, and server settings
Enhanced security: Server isolation reduces risks associated with shared environments
Consistent performance: Resources aren’t shared with unrelated websites
Customization: Configure the server to meet specific application or business requirements

Cons:

High cost: More expensive than most other hosting types
Technical expertise: Server administration may require advanced technical knowledge
Maintenance responsibilities: Unmanaged plans require you to handle updates, security, and server upkeep
Excess capacity: Smaller websites may not need the resources of an entire server

What affects the cost of web hosting?

Web hosting prices vary based on the resources, services, and level of support included in your plan. Here are four factors that affect what you pay:

Managed vs. unmanaged hosting: Managed plans typically cost more because your provider handles server maintenance, security updates, and backups. Unmanaged hosting costs less but requires you to manage these tasks yourself.
Server resources: Plans with more CPU cores, RAM, and storage generally cost more, especially with VPS and dedicated hosting.
Contract length: Annual or multi-year plans often have lower monthly rates than month-to-month subscriptions but they require a longer commitment.
Customer support: Plans that include access to human support may cost more than those that rely mainly on automated chatbots or self-service resources.

Other costs of running a website

Your total website expenses extend beyond hosting fees. From domain registration to marketing tools, these additional costs should be part of your full website budget. Here are the costs you need to look out for:

Domain name
SSL certificate
Extensions and integrations
Themes and templates
eCommerce features
Marketing tools

Domain name

A domain name typically costs $10–$35 per year, depending on the extension (.com, .net, etc.), registrar, and demand for the name. Premium domains can cost significantly more.

You register a domain for a set period, usually one year, and renew it to keep using it. Additional costs may include domain privacy, domain transfers, and registering multiple domains to protect your brand. For a closer breakdown, see our guide to domain name pricing.

Keeping your domain and hosting with one provider can also simplify setup. As Michael Chattan, our Senior Director of Domain Operations, explains, “If you’ve purchased your domain and hosting separately at different providers, then it complicates things. Avoid doing so at all costs.”

When you register a domain with us, you also get free tools, including a Coming Soon Page, Link in Bio Page, Customer App, and Social App & Marketing Calendar App. These help you establish an online presence immediately as you prepare to launch your proper website.

Find the perfect domain

Ready to register a domain name? Check domain availability and get started with Network Solutions today.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate

An SSL certificate encrypts data exchanged between your website and its visitors, helping protect sensitive information such as passwords and payment details.

Many hosting plans include free SSL certificates. Paid options can start at around $8 per year and range into the hundreds of dollars for advanced certificate types. Costs depend on the certificate type, validation level, and provider.

SSL also supports search visibility. According to Google Search Central, Google generally prefers HTTPS pages over equivalent HTTP pages when selecting canonical URLs for search results.

An SSL certificate helps secure your website and build visitor trust. Check if your hosting plan includes one before paying separately.

Extensions and third-party integrations

Extensions and integrations add features to your website, such as contact forms, photo galleries, payment options, and email marketing connections.

Basic extensions are often free, while premium plugins typically range from free to about $50+ per extension, depending on their features and licensing terms. Some require annual subscriptions or additional fees for updates and support.

More complex integrations may also require developer assistance. Review both the initial and ongoing costs before adding new functionality to your website.

Themes and templates

Themes and templates determine your website’s layout and design. Many platforms offer free options, while premium themes typically cost $20–$200 as a one-time purchase.

Paid themes may offer more design options, customization features, and support. Custom design work or ongoing theme updates can increase your expenses.

Choose a theme that meets your website’s needs without paying for features you won’t use.

eCommerce features

Selling online adds costs for payment processing, inventory management, security, and shipping services. Some eCommerce platforms start at around $10–$15 per month, while advanced features may cost more.

Other expenses to consider include:

Payment processing: Transaction fees charged by payment providers for each sale
Inventory management: Software for tracking stock levels, orders, and product availability
Security: Tools for protecting customer information and securing transactions
Shipping: Services for calculating delivery rates, printing labels, and managing orders
Store extensions: Additional plugins for subscriptions, promotions, and other selling features

Review these costs alongside your hosting plan to get a clearer estimate of what running your online store will cost

Marketing tools

Marketing tools help attract visitors, track website performance, and convert traffic into customers. Costs typically range from $10–$150 per month per tool, depending on the platform and features.

Common expenses include:

Email marketing: Platforms for creating campaigns, managing subscribers, and tracking email performance
SEO tools: Software for keyword research, performance tracking, and improving your website’s search visibility
Social media marketing: Tools for scheduling posts, managing accounts, and measuring engagement
Paid advertising: Campaign budgets for search and social ads, typically charged per click or impression
Analytics: Free or paid tools for measuring website traffic, user behavior, and conversions
Content creation: Costs for producing articles, graphics, videos, and other marketing materials

Start with tools that support your immediate marketing goals. You can add more as your traffic, customer base, and budget grow.

How to save money on web hosting

You can reduce your web hosting costs without giving up the features your website needs. Here are four ways to keep your expenses in check:

Pay annually: Annual or multi-year plans often cost less per month than monthly subscriptions. In some cases, a shared hosting plan billed monthly can cost several times more than the same plan purchased on a longer-term contract. Compare the total upfront cost and confirm current pricing before you commit.
Check renewal rates: Introductory discounts don’t always apply when your plan renews. Review the regular price before signing up so you can avoid unexpected increases later.
Choose plans that include SSL or a domain: Some hosting plans include a free SSL certificate or domain registration for the first year. Check what’s included and what you’ll need to pay for separately.
Start small and scale: Choose a plan that meets your current traffic and storage needs. You can upgrade as your website grows instead of paying for resources you don’t use.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average cost of web hosting?

Shared hosting, the most affordable paid option, typically costs $2–$10 per month to start, with renewal rates often increasing to $10–$20 per month. VPS hosting generally costs $20–$80 per month, while dedicated hosting ranges from $100–$500+ per month. Your actual cost depends on your hosting plan, provider, and resource requirements.

Can I host my website for free?

Yes, free web hosting is available, but it often comes with limited storage, slower loading speeds, advertisements, and fewer security features. It’s suitable for testing or personal projects, but paid hosting is generally a better choice for business websites.

Should I pay for website hosting?

Yes, especially if your website supports a business. Paid hosting offers several advantages over free plans, including: * More reliable website performance * Stronger security features * Greater control over website resources * Access to customer support * A more professional online presence Paid hosting gives your website more room to grow while reducing the limitations associated with free services.

Should I pay for hosting monthly or annually?

Annual or multi-year hosting plans typically offer lower monthly rates, while monthly billing provides more flexibility. If you’re confident in your hosting plan and expect to keep your website long term, annual billing can help you save money. If you’re testing a new website or idea, monthly billing may be the better option.

Can I switch hosts to keep getting introductory prices?

You can, but website migrations take time and carry some risk, including downtime, configuration issues, or broken files. Before switching, compare the potential savings against the migration effort and the provider’s renewal rates.

What is the most affordable way to host a website?

Free hosting costs nothing but comes with advertisements, resource limits, and fewer features. For business websites, shared hosting is generally the most affordable reliable option, typically starting at around $2–$10 per month. [Compare web hosting plans](https://www.networksolutions.com/hosting) to find an option that fits your needs and budget.

Pick the best web hosting for your website needs

Web hosting costs vary based on the hosting type, server resources, and features your website needs. Beyond hosting fees, remember to budget for domain registration, SSL certificates, and the other tools and services that support your website.

The best approach is to choose a plan that meets your current needs while leaving room for growth. We offer hosting options for different budgets and requirements, from shared hosting for smaller websites to VPS hosting for businesses that need more control and resources.

Compare our web hosting plans to find the right fit for your website and budget.

The post How much does web hosting cost in 2026? appeared first on Network Solutions Blog.

• Email to a friend •

How to fix a slow website: A guide for eCommerce stores

Key takeaways:

Website speed affects search rankings, customer experience, and sales, and Google’s web.dev notes that slow sites hurt revenue while fast sites can lift conversion rates.
Common issues include large images, messy code, weak hosting, too many scripts, and poor caching, all of which slow load times.
Improve performance by compressing images, using lazy loading, cleaning code, enabling caching, monitoring Core Web Vitals, and upgrading hosting.

A slow eCommerce website can cost you more than a few impatient visitors. When product pages take too long to load, shoppers may leave before browsing your products or completing a purchase.

In a Deloitte study summarized by Google’s web.dev in 2020, a 0.1-second mobile speed gain was associated with 8.4% higher retail conversion rates. Poor website performance can also affect user experience and search engine visibility.

If you’re wondering how to fix a slow website, the first step is identifying what’s causing the delays. The problem could come from oversized product images, inefficient code, caching issues, or a hosting plan that struggles to keep up with your store’s demands.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to measure your eCommerce website’s performance, identify common causes of slow loading times, and apply practical fixes to help your store run faster.

Speed up your store with reliable hosting

Your online store needs a strong foundation to keep shoppers browsing. Give it the support it deserves with Network Solutions Web Hosting, designed for speed, reliability, and easier website management.

Optimized infrastructure designed to support fast page loading.
99.9% uptime SLA to help keep your store accessible.

See hosting plans

What makes an eCommerce website slow?

An eCommerce website can slow down because of large product images, too many apps or third-party scripts, inefficient hosting, poor caching, or a cluttered database. These issues can affect how quickly shoppers browse products, view inventory, and complete purchases.

Large product images: High-quality photos help shoppers evaluate your products, but oversized files can increase loading times. Category pages with dozens of product images can become especially slow when those images aren’t properly optimized.
Apps, plugins, and third-party scripts: Features such as customer reviews, live chat, pop-ups, analytics, and social media integrations add code and requests that browsers need to process. Having too many running at once can delay page loading.
Overloaded category pages: Can make browsing slower, particularly when they display too many products at once. Dividing your catalog into smaller, manageable pages can reduce the amount of content shoppers need to load at one time.
Poor hosting performance: Can become a problem when your server struggles to handle website traffic, large product catalogs, or sudden spikes in visitors. A cluttered database can add to these delays by slowing access to product information, inventory, and customer records.
Missing or poorly configured caching: Can force your website to repeatedly retrieve or generate content instead of reusing stored resources, increasing loading times.

Identifying which of these issues affects your store will help you prioritize the right improvements rather than making changes that have little impact on performance.

How to measure your eCommerce website speed

Before learning how to fix a slow website, you need to know where the slowdown is happening. A speed test can help identify whether the problem comes from image files, code, hosting, third-party scripts, or your page structure.

Start with your most important eCommerce pages: your homepage, top category pages, best-selling product pages, and checkout flow. These are the pages shoppers rely on most, so their performance can directly affect the shopping experience.

Google PageSpeed Insights is a good starting point because it evaluates website performance on both mobile and desktop. It also provides recommendations for improving page speed. Google Search Console can help you monitor performance over time through its Core Web Vitals report.

Tools like GTmetrix and Pingdom offer waterfall charts, which show each file your page requests in the order it loads. They’re particularly useful for spotting oversized images, slow scripts, and other resources that delay loading.

What are the key metrics to measure website speed?

Core Web Vitals are Google’s metrics for measuring real-world website performance. They assess how quickly your page loads, how responsive it feels, and whether its layout remains stable as shoppers interact with it.

According to Google’s web.dev, a website should meet the following performance targets at the 75th percentile of page visits:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures how long it takes for the largest visible content element to appear. On an eCommerce site, this could be a product image, hero banner, or featured product section. Aim for 2.5 seconds or less.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability, such as whether an add-to-cart button unexpectedly moves while a shopper is about to click it. Aim for a score of 0.1 or less.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Measures how quickly a page responds to interactions, such as selecting product variations, applying filters, or adding an item to a cart. Aim for 200 milliseconds or less.

These metrics help you look beyond page loading time and understand how smoothly shoppers can interact with your store. For a deeper explanation, read our guide to website performance metrics.

How to fix a slow eCommerce website

Once you’ve identified what’s slowing down your eCommerce website, you can start addressing the issues affecting its performance. Start with the biggest issues, whether that’s oversized product images, inefficient code, missing caching, or an underperforming server.

Here are five common website speed problems and how to fix them:

Large images: Optimize your image files.
Missing caching: Set up browser caching, server caching, and a content delivery network (CDN).
Heavy code and scripts: Minimize and optimize your code.
Weak hosting: Choose the right hosting plan and improve server response time.
Cluttered database: Optimize your database to reduce unnecessary processing.

Large images: Optimize your image files

High-quality product images help shoppers see what they’re buying, but oversized files can affect page load speed. The goal is to maintain clear, detailed visuals without adding unnecessary weight to your website.

Here are some ways to optimize your product images:

Compress images before uploading them: Reduce file sizes as much as possible without making product details look blurry or distorted. Image compression tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh can help.
Use the right image dimensions: Keep thumbnails small enough for their display area while ensuring main product images are large enough for shoppers to zoom in and examine details.
Match images to their placement: Avoid uploading full-size product photos for small previews. Use appropriately sized images for product listings, thumbnails, and banners.
Choose efficient image formats: Use JPEG for product photography, PNG when transparency is needed, and WebP or AVIF, which may provide better compression than JPEG or PNG.
Keep category pages manageable: Avoid displaying too many products and images on a single page. Divide large product catalogs into smaller pages to reduce the number of images shoppers need to load initially.
Enable lazy loading: Add loading="lazy" to images below the fold so they load only as shoppers scroll near them. Don’t lazy-load hero or other above-the-fold images, which should load right away.

These adjustments can reduce the amount of image data your website loads, helping product and category pages display more quickly without sacrificing visual quality.

Missing caching: Set up browser caching, server caching, and a CDN

Every time someone visits your online store, their browser requests the files and information needed to display your website. Without proper caching, your server may have to repeatedly process the same requests, slowing down page loading times.

Caching helps by temporarily storing copies of website resources so they can be retrieved more quickly. Here are three ways to use it:

Enable browser caching: Allow visitors’ browsers to store and reuse files, such as product images, stylesheets, and JavaScript. When shoppers return to your store or visit another page that uses those files, their browsers can load them without downloading everything again.
Set up server caching: Store frequently requested content or generated page results on your server to reduce repetitive processing. Depending on your website platform, you may be able to enable this through your hosting control panel or a caching plugin.
**Use a **content delivery network (CDN): A CDN stores copies of eligible website resources on servers in different geographic locations. When shoppers visit your store, these resources can be delivered from a server closer to them, reducing loading delays.

Keep in mind that not every page should be cached the same way. Shopping carts, checkout pages, and account information contain customer-specific details that need appropriate caching restrictions to keep information accurate and private.

Check your website platform or hosting provider’s caching settings to see which options are available and how to configure them for your store.

Heavy code and scripts: Minimize and optimize code

Your website relies on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to display content and power interactive features. However, excessive or poorly optimized code can slow down loading times, especially when browsers must process multiple scripts before displaying a page.

You can improve performance by reducing unnecessary code and making existing files more efficient:

Remove unused apps and plugins: Review the tools installed on your website and uninstall those you no longer need. For example, an old promotional pop-up or unused product review plugin may still load scripts even when you’re not actively using it.
Minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: Minification removes unnecessary characters, such as extra spaces and comments, to reduce file sizes without changing how the code works. To get started, check your website platform’s performance settings for built-in minification options. If you’re using WordPress, plugins like WP-Optimize can automate the process. Enable HTML, CSS, and JavaScript minification one at a time, then test your product pages, shopping cart, and checkout to make sure everything works correctly. If your platform doesn’t offer these options, ask your developer to configure minification.
Defer noncritical JavaScript: Allow important page content to load without waiting for scripts that aren’t immediately needed, such as certain analytics or third-party widgets. A developer can help determine which scripts are safe to defer.
Enable Gzip or Brotli compression: These technologies reduce the size of text-based files before they’re transferred to visitors’ browsers. Check your hosting settings to see whether compression is already enabled.
Limit third-party scripts: Review external tools such as live chat, advertising trackers, and social media widgets. Keep those that provide value and remove unnecessary ones to reduce the amount of code your website loads.

After making changes, test your product pages, shopping cart, and checkout process to ensure everything still works correctly. Some scripts support important shopping functions, so removing or delaying them without testing could affect the customer experience.

Weak hosting: Choose the right hosting and check server response time

Your web hosting provider plays an important role in how quickly your website responds to visitors. If your hosting plan has limited resources or struggles with high traffic, shoppers may experience delays when browsing products, searching your catalog, or completing purchases.

Choosing the right hosting plan and monitoring server performance can help you identify whether your website has the resources it needs.

Hosting plan types

Different hosting plans offer varying levels of resources, flexibility, and control. Here are four common options:

Shared hosting: Multiple websites share server resources, making it an affordable option for smaller eCommerce stores with relatively modest traffic.
Virtual private server (VPS) hosting: Provides allocated server resources and greater control over your hosting environment. It’s a potential option for growing stores that need more flexibility and can manage their own server configurations.
Cloud hosting: Uses cloud infrastructure to host websites and applications. Depending on the provider and configuration, it can offer flexible resources for stores with changing traffic demands.
Dedicated hosting: Provides an entire physical server for one customer. It’s generally suited to businesses with demanding workloads, specialized configurations, or extensive technical requirements.

Network Solutions web hosting offers optimized infrastructure backed by a 99.9% uptime service-level agreement (SLA). For businesses that need greater control and allocated resources, our VPS hosting includes NVMe SSD storage and a 99.99% uptime guarantee.

Server response time

Even with optimized images and code, your website may still load slowly if the server takes too long to respond.

One way to investigate this is by checking Time to First Byte (TTFB), which measures how long a browser waits before receiving the first byte of a response from the server.

According to Google’s web.dev, most websites should aim for a TTFB of 0.8 seconds or less.

Here’s how to check your website’s TTFB:

Open Google PageSpeed Insights and enter your website URL.
Run the analysis and look for the TTFB metric in the real-user performance data, if available.
Check your homepage and important product or category pages to see whether the issue affects multiple pages.
If TTFB is consistently high, review your server caching, database performance, and hosting resource usage. Ask your hosting provider to investigate if you can’t identify the cause.

A slow server can also affect how AI-powered shopping assistants access your website’s content.

As Joe Mueller, Search Engine and AI Optimization Manager at Network Solutions, explains:

“When a page takes too long to load for an AI agent they will often close their connection to your server… If certain elements on your site (like price) are dynamic and load sometime after the initial page load then an AI agent might index your page before those elements have a chance to render.”

If server response times remain consistently high after you’ve addressed other performance issues, your hosting resources may need attention. Consider whether it’s time to upgrade your hosting.

Modern protocols (HTTP/2 and HTTP/3)

Modern web protocols can also improve how efficiently browsers receive website resources.

According to MDN’s guide to the evolution of HTTP, HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 are multiplexed protocols. That means browsers can make parallel requests over the same connection.

Check whether your hosting provider supports HTTP/2 or HTTP/3. You can also use your browser’s developer tools to inspect which protocol your website uses when loading resources.

Cluttered database: Optimize your database

Your eCommerce website relies on a database to store and retrieve information such as product details, inventory, customer accounts, and orders. Over time, unnecessary records and inefficient database queries can slow down how quickly your website retrieves information.

Regular database maintenance can help reduce these delays and improve website performance. Here’s where to start:

Remove unnecessary data: Clear outdated drafts, expired temporary records, and other data your website no longer needs. If you’re using WordPress, plugins like WP-Optimize can help clean up unnecessary database entries.
Optimize database tables: Check whether your website platform or hosting control panel offers database optimization tools. For WordPress, a database optimization plugin can help maintain tables without requiring manual SQL commands.
Review installed plugins: Some plugins create and store database records even after they’re no longer needed. Remove unused plugins and check whether they leave behind unnecessary data.
Schedule regular maintenance: Review your database periodically, particularly after major website updates or changes to your product catalog. Larger stores may also benefit from having a developer identify and optimize slow database queries.

Before making changes, back up your database. This helps protect important customer, product, and order information if something goes wrong during cleanup.

Frequently asked questions

How do I fix a slow website?

Start by testing your homepage, category pages, best-selling product pages, and checkout using Google PageSpeed Insights. Identify the biggest performance issues, then prioritize compressing oversized images, enabling caching, removing unused plugins and scripts, and optimizing your code. If your server response time remains high, review your hosting resources and configuration.

What affects website speed the most?

Large images, excessive scripts, weak hosting, missing caching, and cluttered databases are common causes of slow websites. Their impact depends on your site’s configuration, so run a speed test to identify which issues need attention first.

What is a good page load time?

Aim for [Google’s Core Web Vitals thresholds](https://web.dev/articles/vitals): Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of 2.5 seconds or less, Interaction to Next Paint (INP) of 200 milliseconds or less, and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) of 0.1 or less, measured at the 75th percentile of visits. These metrics assess loading performance, responsiveness, and visual stability rather than total page load time alone.

Does website speed affect search rankings?

Yes. [Google states](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/page-experience) that “Core Web Vitals are used by our ranking systems,” although good performance scores don’t guarantee higher rankings. Improving website speed can support a better page experience, but relevant, helpful content and other SEO factors remain important.

How often should I check website speed?

Check your website speed regularly and after significant changes, such as installing plugins, updating your theme, or adding new features. You should also test your store before major sales events to catch performance issues before increased traffic puts additional pressure on your website.

Can improving website speed increase conversions?

Yes, and [Google’s web.dev](https://web.dev/learn/performance/why-speed-matters) notes that fast sites can increase conversion rates. Faster loading pages can make it easier for shoppers to browse products, add items to their carts, and complete purchases without unnecessary delays. While speed improvements don’t guarantee more sales, they can reduce friction during the shopping experience and support better conversion rates.

Don’t let a slow website put your sales on hold

Every second your website keeps shoppers waiting is another opportunity for them to lose interest. From browsing products to completing checkout, a faster website helps create a smoother shopping experience and keeps customers moving toward their next purchase.

The good news? Improving website speed doesn’t always require a complete overhaul. Start by addressing the issues that matter most, whether that’s optimizing product images, cleaning up unnecessary code, enabling caching, or improving your hosting performance. Small improvements can make a meaningful difference in how shoppers experience your store.

And if your current hosting plan is holding your website back, it may be time for an upgrade. Explore Network Solutions Web Hosting for a stronger foundation, or create your online presence with our Website Builder.

Keep your shoppers browsing, not waiting.

The post How to fix a slow website: A guide for eCommerce stores appeared first on Network Solutions Blog.

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