What level of VPS resources (or virtual hosting) is required for a website that experiences over 50,000 visitors every minute?
Note: This is a WordPress e-commerce site (currently under construction) that utilizes only a few essential plugins and additional features.

High visitor counts mean that the server will receive a substantial number of requests simultaneously. Each visitor interacting with an e-commerce site typically triggers multiple server requests, such as retrieving product images, fetching data from the database, loading CSS and JavaScript files, and processing transactions. Therefore, planning for the expected visitor interactions is critical.

For CPU resources, a minimum of 8 virtual CPUs (vCPUs) is advised. This amount ensures that the server can handle several simultaneous requests efficiently. When a large number of users access your site, particularly during peak sales periods, the ability to process multiple threads will help avoid slowdowns or crashes, ensuring a smoother customer experience.

Regarding RAM, a minimum of 32GB is recommended, with the possibility of scaling up to 64GB or more for optimal performance. RAM is crucial for running applications smoothly. WordPress, combined with e-commerce functionality, can be resource-intensive due to various plugins and dynamic data retrieval from the database. Sufficient RAM greatly enhances the server's ability to cache frequently accessed data and manage numerous active sessions without running into memory limitations.

Storage should primarily involve SSD (Solid State Drive) technology over traditional HDD (Hard Disk Drive). A minimum storage capacity of 1TB SSD is suggested. The speed of SSDs allows for significantly quicker read and write times, which is crucial for database queries and file access—critical components of website performance. A high-performance storage solution will dramatically reduce load times and enhance overall user satisfaction.

When planning for bandwidth, a monthly allowance of 10TB to 20TB is advisable, contingent on the nature of your content. If your e-commerce site has many high-resolution images or videos, the bandwidth consumption could escalate quickly. Adequate bandwidth ensures that users experience consistent loading speeds. Additionally, employing a Content Delivery Network (CDN) can help alleviate some of the load on your server by distributing the content globally, decreasing latency for users accessing your site from different geographic locations.

Implementing a load balancer is also beneficial. This allows you to distribute incoming traffic efficiently across multiple servers. Load balancing not only optimizes resource use but also provides redundancy, ensuring that if one server becomes overloaded or fails, others can take over to maintain uptime and performance.

Caching mechanisms are essential for high-performance e-commerce sites. Solutions like Redis or Memcached can be used to cache frequently accessed data in memory, minimizing the need for repetitive database queries. Moreover, utilizing WordPress caching plugins, such as W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache, can drastically reduce load times for users by serving static pages rather than dynamically generated content.

Database optimization is another crucial aspect. It's advisable to set up a dedicated database server if feasible. This separation ensures that database operations do not compete for CPU and memory resources with web server operations. Streamlining database queries, optimizing indices, and possibly using solutions such as SQL replication can drastically enhance performance.

On the topic of monitoring, employing tools like New Relic or Google Analytics can provide insights into traffic patterns, resource usage, and potential bottlenecks. Continuous monitoring will empower you to understand when your resources are nearing saturation and allow you to scale preemptively.

I would suggest considering Amazon Web Services for your infrastructure needs. It's particularly advantageous for websites that experience heavy traffic and high workload demands.
AWS offers scalability and reliability, making it an ideal choice for managing significant user activity effortlessly. Additionally, it provides a broad range of services that can elevate your site's performance and support future growth.

I highly recommend exploring Bluehost. Not only do they provide excellent hosting services, but they also offer a lucrative affiliate program.

By promoting their services, you can turn your traffic into a secondary source of income, making it a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to monetize their website or online presence.