Hosting Options for an Ecommerce Web Site

Deciding how to host your ecommerce Web site and what approach to take can be daunting. There are several approaches available, each with different advantages and disadvantages.

Storefronts

If you have a small business, you may want to consider a storefront or an online mall. For a fee, these services help you build a small Web site to sell your products. These "site in a box" Web site services include everything you need to sell online.

Features and support vary by program and can include options such as search engine placement, credit card processing, and advertising. These tend to be template services, however, with less flexibility than a custom site. Familiarize yourself with the current offerings in this area before making a final decision.

Custom Sites

If you have a business that is too large for or has outgrown the smaller storefront services, you may want to consider the more costly - but also more flexible - custom site. For the added cost you can have a unique site, receive greater support, and handle more traffic. You have the options of hiring the same company to design and host your site or using separate design and hosting services.

Hiring the same company to design and host your site.

This option involves the fewest logistics, but may come with trade-offs in design quality or host reliability. Be aware that designing and hosting require different sets of skills and expertise. When choosing a service, evaluate their experience and ask for references in both areas. Go to sites the company has designed and navigate them. Note how the sites look, how easy they are to understand, and how quickly they load into your browser.

To evaluate the company's hosting service, contact current customers and ask how pleased they are with the service. Find out how often the server is down and ask about help desk responsiveness. Also, consider how your site will be updated. Can you upload changes directly or do you have to wait for someone at the hosting company to get to it? If it is the latter, ask current customers about their experience with this process.

If you are still considering the design/hosting service after studying their design capabilities and talking to their current customers, you may also want to find out if there has been recent turnover in key personnel. An individual designer, coordinator, or account manager can make a large difference in support or design quality.

Using a separate design and hosting service.

By separating the design and hosting, you have more choices. Thus, you can have more control over both your budget and your site. Technical incompatibilities are a risk when taking this approach, however. Be sure your designer is familiar with your hosting service and it's technical capabilities. To help facilitate information flow and minimize technical problems:

Choose a short list of hosts with both the ecommerce capabilities you require and that pass "reliability" tests. Read "Don't Make These Hosting Mistakes", http://www.take-payments-online.com/ECommerceWebHosting.html , for questions to ask and other mistakes to avoid.

Find a Web designer experienced in ecommerce applications. Together, decide on the hosting service and ecommerce systems you will use.

Making the Decision

Deciding upon the right combination will take some research. One way to gather a list of hosting options is to first find ecommerce sites that you like and/or have ecommerce abilities similar to your needs, then ask about the sites' hosting and ecommerce providers.

Asking for referrals from business acquaintances is another. Many times, people are more than happy to share their positive experiences. For example, I use five different hosts and am generally pleased with all of them. When asked about hosting, however, I always recommend Lexiconn.com (my WebSiteMarketingPlan.com site host) because of the exceptional help desk service and support documentation.

Another way to develop hosting options is to look for online advertisements. The sponsored search engine ads and advertisements directly on Web sites are two places you can find these. While there's no guarantee all of the companies you find will be high quality, the willingness to pay for ads can be an indication of commitment.

Diligently decide upon ecommerce features and choose a host with those features in mind. By doing so, you are creating a smoother path to ecommerce success.

Copyright 2004 Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Bobette Kyle is publisher of http://www.Take-Payments-Online.com , an ecommerce information site. She is also proprietor of The WebSiteMarketingPlan.com Network, subject-specific Web sites designed to help you find the right information for marketing plans and marketing programs. Visit at http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com.

---

Cheap Web Hosting Package? eCommerce Web Hosting? - Choosing A Web Hosting Provider

One of the important decisions you'll make when you decide... Read More

In Search of Webhosting: First Understand the Industry

In search of a webhosting company for personal or small... Read More

Managed Vs. Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting

"Unmanaged dedicated servers" - this is a pretty uninviting term... Read More

Who Should Become a Web Host Reseller?

You're the webmaster of more than one website. You design... Read More

Choosing the Perfect Deluxe Web Site Hosting Plan

If you are looking for a deluxe web site hosting... Read More

The Web Hosting Industry 2005

For the "big things" to be build it was certainly... Read More

Budget Web Hosting - Are They All Created Equal?

Choosing a budget web hosting company can be overwhelming. In... Read More

Are Free Webhosting Accounts Really Free? - 5 Critical Things to Consider Before Choosing a Free Web

Many free web hosting accounts are free to use, however... Read More

The Problem with Free Web Hosting Plans

In my opinion, free web hosting is one of the... Read More

Switching Web Host

Moving a web site to a new host is not... Read More

The Domain Name Gold Rush

All the good ones are taken. The really good ones,... Read More

Domain Name and Web Hosting Hell

Does GoDaddy really suck?I am in the process of registering... Read More

Uptime Guarantee ? Good Idea?

When looking for a Web Host there are lots of... Read More

How to Find Good Web Hosting for Your Site!

When building your first site the main things that you... Read More

Niche Hosting

There is story of David and Goliath where Goliath would... Read More

How To Choose A Reliable Web Host For Your Website

A client of mine paid for a solo advert to... Read More

How to Know When It is Time for Your Website to Move On to Dedicated Servers

Knowing when it is time to move onto a dedicated... Read More

Shared Web Hosting Service Explained!

The next concern for you after designing and developing web... Read More

Avoid Getting Ripped Off By A Hosting Company

Chances are if you host multiple domains or websites you... Read More

Back To School Web Hosting

Every year as school starts web hosts see an up... Read More

How To Choose The Best Web Host For You

Web Hosting is a service. Auto mechanics also provide a... Read More

Overselling Web Hosting: What Does It Mean To You?

Overselling is a big trend in the web-hosting world at... Read More

Setting up Your Personal Server

There are many things to consider when setting up your... Read More

Unlimited Wealth Creation Through Reseller Hosting

Web hosting can be an exciting business start up for... Read More

How Can I Get The Web Host Services And Support I Need, Hassle-free?

Choosing a host or switching hosts can be an agonizing... Read More

What Some Web Hosts Dont Want You To Know

Many start-up web hosts in their desperate attempt to get... Read More

Unique Features that Leading Web Hosts are Now Offering

Some web hosts are offering more than others for the... Read More

Is Free Hosting Really Free?

Sooner or later, as everyone finds out, nothing in this... Read More

Thinking About Changing to a New Web Hosting Company? 5 Steps to Plan Ahead for the Move

Perhaps your web hosting company has a technical support group... Read More

What is a Web Host Reseller Account?

A web host reseller account is a web hosting account... Read More

Linux vs. Windows Web Hosting, Does It Make A Difference?

One of the most confusing decisions someone new to web... Read More

Cheap Hosting Packages and Low Cost Web Hosting - Watch For Hidden Costs

If you're shopping around for an affordable web hosting plan,... Read More

What Is Web Hosting?

Many businesses, from one-man-bands to multi-national corporations, have a web-presence... Read More