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Title: How Cloudways Helped Us Build a Pop-Up Boutique for a Client Fundraiser
We are thrilled to have you back for another exciting installment of our WordPress for Beginners blog series! Today, we explore the impact of the managed hosting provider Cloudways on a boutique build project we completed. Some concepts we will cover may seem intimidating if you are unfamiliar with them. That said, dust off your Google if you need to close the loop.
Note: Setting up web hosting, WordPress, and WooCommerce is not always straightforward. If you're starting your journey and are still looking to establish a strategy for your projects, you might be better served by first understanding how to promote content and engage audiences through a blog.
With that (Tip of the hat, wag of the finger), selecting the right hosting provider for the job is always mission-critical. Now, buckle up and strap in—maybe we shall impart something new along the way!
Mission Ignition (Fits and Starts)
So, the client required a members-only digital storefront that could be quickly established and dismantled within a quarter (90 days) while also being scalable to handle any spikes in traffic. Suffice it to say that when our client presented us with this distinctive challenge, we quickly realized the importance of finding a hosting solution tailored to their unique requirements. The objective was clear: the client aimed to establish a WooCommerce pop-up boutique for their annual fundraiser. This e-commerce initiative would empower our customer's audience to purchase products, with all the proceeds benefiting the fundraiser. This project went beyond the ordinary online store; it called for exact specifications, an aggressive timeline, and a solution that was not only cost-effective but also capable of evolving/expanding with future needs.
Our hosting solution? Cloudways. Below, we will share some of the challenges we faced, how Cloudways solved them, and why we recommend them as the ideal platform for similar use cases. But first, let's get to know the overarching goals.
The Breakdown (The Project Requirements)
Here is what the client needed:
- A separate site on a subdomain: They did not want to disrupt their existing website or hosting infrastructure.
- Short-term deployment: The boutique was supposed to run for 90 days only, including setup and teardown.
- Scalable hosting: We were anticipating the traffic would ramp up during the campaign, so the hosting had to handle spikes without crashing.
- Cost control: Since this project was temporary, the client wanted to avoid unnecessary long-term hosting costs.
- WooCommerce support: The platform had to support WordPress and WooCommerce seamlessly.
We needed a hosting solution that met these requirements while simplifying the technical and administrative burden. Enter Cloudways.
Why Cloudways Was the Perfect Fit
Key Features that Powered the Build.
1. 1-Click App Deployment for WooCommerce
Time was of the essence for this project, and Cloudways' 1-click app deployment made setup effortless. With a few clicks, we launched a WooCommerce-ready WordPress instance on a dedicated server. This feature streamlined the setup process, saving hours of manual effort and optimizing the website installation for e-commerce from the very beginning.
Cloudways also allows you to run unlimited apps on a server, so if the client wanted to add another app for a related campaign or purpose, it would have been as easy.
2. Multiple Cloud Providers for Flexibility
Cloudways offers hosting through five top-notch cloud providers:
- AWS
- Google Cloud
- DigitalOcean
- Linode
- Vultr
In this case, we selected DigitalOcean for its affordability and performance, which was ideal for our short-term boutique. Shout out to MainWP as well (while we did not use them in this instance): Both Cloudways and DigitalOcean integrate seamlessly into their API Backups Extension, so the ocean and the cloud are always welcome in our deployments.
Considering all of that, each service provider has its merits. It is also worth noting that the flexibility to choose a provider tailored to specific needs—such as scalability, reliability, or cost—is always invaluable. High-five.
3. Scalable Hosting for Traffic Spikes
One of the most remarkable aspects of Cloudways' services is its flexibility to scale up servers. During the fundraiser peak traffic periods, we were able to scale up resources (RAM, CPU, bandwidth) to ensure a smooth shopping experience for users. Once the traffic died down, we set about scaling back the server to control costs for the client.
It is worth the double-dutch to say that this on-demand scalability was critical for handling the initial traffic ramp-up. However, know that this server scaling is permanent. With that in mind, to pull off the job, we needed to clone the server to scale down for the eventual decline after the campaign ended.
Did you know? Server scaling typically happens in two ways: Horizontal Scaling and Vertical Scaling.
Horizontal scaling is like adding more turnstiles at a metro station—each new turnstile can handle a separate flow of passengers, reducing crowding during peak hours. Conversely, Vertical Scaling is akin to upgrading a metro car to carry more passengers. Instead of adding more cars, you enhance the capacity of the existing ones to meet the rising demand. Cloudways excels at vertical scaling with no downtime, allowing you to boost server resources quickly. Doing this ensures your site can always handle traffic surges during crucial times.
4. Pay-as-You-Go Pricing
Cloudways operates on a pay-as-you-go pricing model (I love this), which was perfect for this short-term project. Instead of paying for a full year of hosting on a pricey VPS or other e-commerce-worthy infrastructure, the client only paid for the resources they used during the campaign flight.
More importantly, for a 90-day fundraiser, this pricing structure kept costs predictable during spikes and low throughout the lulls, aligning perfectly with the client's budget constraints.
5. Cloudways partnership with Cloudflare CDN for High Performance
E-commerce sites cannot afford to lag, especially during high-traffic periods. For those who know, Cloudways used to have a built-in CDN (Content Delivery Network) that ensured fast load times for users, regardless of their geographic location.
While the internal CDN service was closed down in 2022-2023, Cloudways did, however, partner up with Cloudflare to fill in the gap. At Softworks Interactive Inc., we are big fans of Cloudflare, so this was an excellent turn of events for us. Also, setting things up and providing the client with resources to learn the basics of Cloudflare was relatively easy. With Cloudflare, you can choose your plan from Free to Enterprise, flip a few switches hither and thither, and voilà, off to the races.
Ultimately, with the boutique pooling from a global membership audience, the Cloudflare CDN network distributed content efficiently, reducing latency and improving the overall user experience.
With that in mind, whether you're using Cloudflare or another CDN for your project, understanding the role of common DNS records in configuring secure and efficient hosting is necessary for an advanced deployment like ours.
6. Free SSL Certificates
Security was a top priority for our client, and that is especially true for an online store handling payments. Cloudways provides free SSL certificates, which allowed us to set up two-way encrypted communication between Cloudflare and Cloudways servers. This hybrid setup ensured that all data/transactions were secure, and the added presence of SSL helped foster trust with customers.
The overall SSL setup was frankly point-and-click easy. More importantly, this ease-of-use security feature natively provided under the hood saved the client from any potential additional costs.
7. Managed Backups and Security
Cloudways' managed backups and security services provided unparalleled peace of mind during the campaign. With daily automated backups and the option for on-demand restores, we knew that in the unlikely event of a server issue, we could recover our server instance quickly and avoid disruptions.
Additionally, robust security features, including regular patches and Cloudflare firewall (WAF) integration, protected the boutique from potential threats. Given a short-term deployment like ours, these features were invaluable and significantly reduced the stress of managing an e-commerce site.
8. 1-Click Operations for Efficiency
Cloudways excels in 1-click operations, such as:
- Server launch: Deploying the new server was profoundly easy.
- Server/app cloning: If the client wanted us to replicate this boutique for future fundraisers, we could clone the setup in seconds.
- Monitoring: Real-time server performance monitoring allowed us to make data-driven decisions during the campaign.
I will add that the Cloudways Application Performance Monitoring toolkit (APM) proved quite handy. We gleaned insights at a glance that helped us make experiential decisions on the fly. I love this feature. For example, if you were (say) managing multiple sites yourself (hello), you could quickly isolate a resource hog and push them to a new server. Can I get a sha-wing?
9. Developer-Friendly Tools
For our team, Cloudways' streamlined staging environment deployment has consistently transformed our workflow. In this case, we tested updates and changes in a staging environment before deploying them to the live site, ensuring that the boutique ran smoothly at all times.
For more advanced needs, Cloudways also supports GitHub automation (if that is your jam) and team collaboration features, making it an excellent choice for agencies managing multiple projects.
Leveraging Cloudways as your hosting platform can elevate your website's performance. With its seamless scalability, robust security features, and user-friendly interface, Cloudways empowers you to deliver a faster, more reliable experience for your audience.
The Results
Real-world Example of Squirrly's Impact
Using Cloudways, we delivered a seamless, high-performance WooCommerce pop-up boutique that met all the client's requirements:
- Zero disruption to their existing website and hosting.
- On-budget hosting for the 90-day campaign.
- Flawless performance during peak traffic periods.
- A secure and user-friendly shopping experience, resulting in increased engagement and successful fundraising.
To top it all off, the boutique exceeded the client's fundraising goals and set a new standard for how their business approaches annual campaigns.
Why We Recommend Cloudways
Straight up, Cloudways offers a unique combination of power, flexibility, and cost efficiency for agencies, businesses, or individuals looking to host short-term or long-term projects. Whether you are running a WooCommerce pop-up boutique, testing a new application, or hosting a temporary event site, Cloudways makes it easy to:
- Deploy apps quickly.
- Scale resources as needed.
- Pay only for what you use.
Key Features Recap
- Launch WordPress & WooCommerce in 1 click.
- Unlimited apps on a single server.
- Multiple cloud providers for tailored performance.
- Free SSL and easy Cloudflare integration for security and speed.
- Managed backups and robust security.
- Deploy staging environments for safe testing.
- Pay-as-you-go pricing to control costs.
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