Tips to Choose the Right eCommerce Webhoster for Your Business
E-commerce is becoming more and more popular on the web. The convenience of shopping and paying with the click of a button is something customers have come to accept as a part of life.
You have two options when looking to set up shop online. You can either design a website from the ground up or create your shop in an existing web hosting platform.
Choosing which e-commerce webhoster to go with can be challenging because there’s a lot to consider– from security, storage space, price, customer support, and more.
What is e-Commerce Webhosting?
An e-commerce web hoster is a server that’s customized to build an online storefront. The server is pre-configured to support various aspects of running an ecommerce store, such as creating and managing product listings and processing orders.
Web hosting services offer various tools and kit settings that professional developers have created to help you set up a website. These include a free domain name for life, unlimited email addresses, website builder, 24/7 support, etc.
Types of e-Commerce Webhosting Services
There are two main types of e-commerce hosting; shared and dedicated servers.
Shared hosting
Shared-hosting is the cheapest and most popular option for running an online store. It involves multiple businesses sharing physical infrastructures such as servers, databases, and storage space. However, this approach has limitations, such as slower sites and less control over performance and security issues.
Dedicated hosting
The Dedicated hosting is more expensive than shared, but it provides greater performance, security, and control for your site. Dedicated hosts provide individual merchants with their own server– which they have full administrative access to.
Tips on choosing the right e-commerce webhoster for your business
Plenty of research will help you narrow down your list and choose the right host for your business.
Here are the top factors to keep in mind.
1. Consider your needs
The first aspect to consider is the type of website design you have in mind. Having a professional website with special features, such as a shopping cart, will cost you extra money and time. This is so because you must meet specific criteria before installing these features onto the site.
However, if you do not need any special features and just want a simple, professional-looking site, it will take less time and effort to build the website by yourself or hire someone else to do it.
2. Customer support is key
Another vital factor to consider is whether or not the web hoster offers any type of support for its customers. Some e-commerce hosts provide 24-hour customer support via phone, email, or secure live chat support. If this is an essential feature for you, ensure that the host has this capability before signing up.
3. How much does the service cost?
Next, calculate how much hosting will cost you. Some companies offer free hosting in exchange for banner advertisements, while others allow for hosting with paid upgrades. Also, look closely at any hidden fees that may come with the package. It is best to work with a company that charges reasonable costs and can provide top-notch customer service.
4. Security
If your website will handle payments or sensitive customer data, you need peace of mind that it’s protected from hackers and other potential intruders. However, make sure your host uses up-to-date security software and performs regular vulnerability scans.
5. Reliability
Your e-commerce site is only as good as its uptime record. A good host will have a proven track records of keeping sites up and running smoothly 24/7 all year round, so you can focus on what really matters — building your business.
6. Ease of use
Your web host should provide you with all the tools you need to hit the ground running. It should help you create a website in a few simple steps. If the store creation process feels like you are building everything from the ground up, you should try a different tool.
Final Words on Choosing a Web hosting Service
Finally, Choosing the right e-commerce hosting for your business can be a little tricky. Before making up your mind, consider factors like your preferred domain name, available features, designs, design templates, and cost-effectiveness. Always take enough time to double-check all of these factors. The more research you put into finding an e-commerce hosting provider for your business, the easier it will be.