web hosting for eCommerce site 
Software Solutions

Things you need to consider before picking the right web hosting for eCommerce site.

Purnima

Things you need to consider before picking the right web hosting for eCommerce site

In this fast moving world, if you don't have a website for your business then you soon might get out of business. The business world is getting more and more competitive therefore, to gain that extra edge over your competitors it is important that you take your product or services directly to the customer's hand through smartphone.

To sell your products online, you need to have an ecommerce website which is fast, reliable and user friendly. Making this type of website is not tough if you have the best web hosting for ecommerce website so, how do you make sure that you have the right web hosting? Well, we have put down a list of points that you should consider before purchasing a web hositng for your ecommerce website.

An E-Commerce Site Needs To Load Fast

Speed of any website especially eCommerce website is very important in the fast-moving world. Good speed translates to a better user experience for your customers and better UX means satisfied customers.

Better UX also helps to build brand credibility. Customers who have a good time on your site are much more likely to return in the future or recommend your business to others. Not many visitors will tolerate a slow-loading site, as a user will browse through product pages until they find something they want to buy. With today's standards, every millisecond counts and another important aspect of speed is that it also affects your site's SEO.

In the e-commerce realm, ranking higher than your competitors on the search engine makes all the difference. Last year, Google added a 'Speed Update' which now factors mobile speed into its ranking algorithm. The faster your mobile website speeds, the better your SEO rankings. In a nutshell, a slow website means poorer maintenance, greater page rejection and lower SEO rankings. A fast website means better visibility, lightning-quick transactions and higher conversions.

A Technology Partner, Not Just A Host Provider

Every e-commerce site deserves a provider that's more than a basics hosting service. It's not just about finding a web hosting server for your site. What you should be looking for is a partner in technology. Like any good partner, you want a web hosting for eCommerce that is dependable through the highs and lows. The best web hosting for eCommerce website should have:

24X7 Customer support

At times of crisis, you'll often be turning to third-party support. You need to know your host support team is dependable 24/7.

Reliable

Even the biggest online stores can be overwhelmed by an unexpected surge of traffic. You need to ensure you have the resources to survive your busiest days.

Lends a sense of security

E-commerce sites are the number one targets for malicious attacks. Just as you have a responsibility to protect your customers, so your host should be looking out for you by providing a solid line of defence and helping you protect yourself.

Freedom & Room To Grow

Whether or not you understand the basics of server technology which can get very technical, you should still always feel that you as the boss and have total control over your e-commerce site. That means being able to manage it in a way that suits your business and your level of expertise.

You should feel a sense of freedom and possibility of having room to grow, and with the option to switch plans or providers at any time. In other words, a true technology partner should enable you to do things your way. Not every entrepreneur comes from a tech background, and a good web hosting for eCommerce website should understand this for example, by providing an intuitive control panel, or by giving you the flexibility to use your favourite eCommerce software.

How We Choose A Good Ecommerce Hosting

Below we have mentioned 6 important factors that you should consider before selecting the best web hosting for eCommerce website.

  • Speed of the web hosting for eCommerce

  • A good host needs to deliver excellent speed. This is non-negotiable.

  • The best web host for eCommerce will be geared for speed in both its hardware build and software add-ons. Things that you should look out for:

  • Does the host have data centres that are well distributed across continents?

  • Does the host offer CDN services?

  • Does the host offer proprietary caching technology?

  • Always check the speed of your web hosting for eCommerce as this will help you to measures how quickly a server responds to a request from anywhere in the world.

Reliability

The 'best' method to offer customer support is a matter of preference; it can be a live chat, phone, and a ticketing system.

However, the best web hosting for eCommerce to not only offer you 24/7 support but must have a team that is highly qualified to solve issues quickly. That way, your queries won't have to go through multiple escalations.

Uptime is also a vital point that makes reliable web hosting. A good host will take all measures possible to minimise downtime. Look out for hosts with an uptime guarantee of at least 99%, and who can validate their claims with third-party reviews.

Security

  • Having a well-secured web hosting for eCommerce is not limited by the following:

  • SSL certificates & integration – SSL helps ensure that sensitive data is transferred over a secure network. Look out for hosts that offer it automatically or affordably and enable easy SSL integration.

  • Proactive monitoring – The best web host allows its user to monitor the system to identify and resolve issues automatically.

  • Backups – Best web hosting for eCommerce offer automatic daily backups because they know the value of your data.

Software compatibility

As you might know by now that different hosts offer a different bundle of software and integration. Some hosts include e-commerce features, but if you already have preferred 3rd-party tools like Magento, Prestashop or WooCommerce, all you need to check that your host supports them or not. Whilst the best hosting for eCommerce is the one who covers ever e-commerce software, at least the best. However, be on the look-out for hosts that offer the cPanel interface.

Scalability

Every business wants to grow and your host should certainly not hold you back. The general rule of thumb is to start with an average host plan and upgrade along the way. For small/medium or new e-commerce sites, shared hosting is often the way to go. It's great for keeping costs low when you're just starting, as resources are shared with other sites on a server. However, once your traffic starts to grow, you're likely to want to look into VPS dedicated server or cloud solutions.

A great host can accommodate this sort of future growth. Ask yourself, can this web host easily upgrade my plan to allow for more storage and bandwidth? If the answer is no, you might end up having to switch host later in the future. Much better if your host can simply scale their solutions as you grow.

Value for money

A good web hosting for eCommerce will be worth your money. Well, prices vary a lot between different hosts and plans. Whichever you choose, you want to get full value for your money.

Things you need to find out that hosts offer a slew of value-add services like:

  • A plan that includes Email hosting included – Email addresses that match a domain generally look more legitimate to customers.

  • Top features that you will be getting in your plan – Ask yourself what will I get any free domain registrations? Do I get additional storage or bandwidth?

  • Always ask for a trial period – Most hosts offer a money-back trial so you can test if they're a good fit, risk-free.

Follow us on Google News

What are some great free online tools for entrepreneurs?

How To Earn Money Through Google Blogger?

What is the difference between Mutual Funds and Stocks?

Get Productive! Top Google Docs Features Explained

What is a business plan?