In a physical store, your storage is the empty space/shelves that hold all your products. The storage process and arrangements allows you to seamlessly meet the needs of your clientele. In e-commerce, the equivalent is the web hosting plan. The right webhosting solution allows you to guarantee a seamless user experience for your consumers by providing you with a secure, fast loading online store where people can quickly find what they are looking for and complete payment in seconds. So how do you choose the right one?
Look at the Hardware Thoroughly
If the hardware is not fast and reliable, your online store is already on shaky ground. Of course there is more to a robust website performance than the hosting hardware but without the best, it is highly unlikely that you will get the level of user experience you had originally envisaged. When analysing hosting hardware for your brand, focus on brands that have the latest hardware. Look for tier 4 data centres. They are the most reliable and can guarantee up to 99.99% of uptime. Additionally, the best e-commerce hosting solutions have multiple data centres to minimise the chances of your website going down with the loss of a data centre. They also have flexible cloud storage solutions that further ensure adequate protection for all your critical data. So, spend time to understand the hardware of a hosting brand in relation to your business before you sign up.
Compatibility with Software Options
When it comes to e-commerce software, there are lots of options available to you. If your business is a small one, some of the more common options reviewed here can serve your needs. For bigger e-commerce businesses, however, the focus should be on enterprise-level options such as IBM Websphere, Hybris and Oracle’s ATG Web Commerce. Regardless of the software option you choose to go with, the best webhosting solution will allow you to deploy it seamlessly.
Quality of Support
With an excellent support team, you can reduce the chances of downtime as a result of problems that can be quickly remedied. The best web hosting solution providers offer support round the clock. Try the support of your chosen provider on weekends or holidays to be sure that they provide true round the clock service.
Number of Happy Clients
Most good webhosts are happy to show off their past clients. Go on their page to see how many of them are listed and then contact the clients personally to ascertain the quality of the service. This may not always be possible but when the option is there, you shouldn’t pass up on it. If the current clients are unhappy and seeking to move, there is a high chance that the situation will be the same for you when you finally sign on.
Pricing Matters
Regardless of the number of boxes ticked by your preferred hosting solution, it should still be cost-effective. Remember, there are dozens of good e-commerce hosting solutions so do not remain fixated on any particular one for long.
