How to Choose an ECommerce Web Host

Find the Best ECommerce Business Web Hosting Solution

Aug 14, 2009 Miranda Miller

Online business and storefront hosting can be handled in-house, or through companies offering dedicated or shared web hosting.

Newer or smaller online businesses usually choose shared hosting through one of the many popular online hosting providers, such as Just Host or FatCow. Shared and dedicated hosting providers offer a range of options for ecommerce companies, who in turn save money on software licensing, backup systems, bandwidth, and the hardware required for self-hosting.

What to Look For in an ECommerce Business Web Hosting Service Provider

Choosing a compatible web hosting solution is important because moving an existing online business to a new host can be quite complicated. Before selecting an ecommerce host, carefully consider:

The amount of bandwidth/data transfer included in the hosting package.
Reliability, speed, and at least 99% uptime.
Disk space (unlimited disk space is rarely required and is often used as a marketing ploy).
Features and facilities allowed - know your PHP, Perl, FTP, MySQL and other requirements and ask the provider if they allow these features within their hosting package.
Control panel or content management access for updates, modifications, etc.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) availability, to encrypt online payment processing data.
Shopping Cart, hosting and payment gateway compatibility.
24/7 technical support (including holidays) by email, chat and telephone for maximum reliability.
The inclusion of email addresses, mail forwarding, and other critical online business tools.

The perfect ecommerce web host is difficult, if not impossible, to find. More expensive web hosting is not always better; carefully weigh the features, benefits, limitations and price of each option before making a selection.

The following three ecommerce business web hosting providers are among the top rated by users at ConsumerRankings.com.

FatCow Shared Web Hosting Offers Unique Guarantees, Features, and Excellent Customer Service

FatCow is the only ecommerce web host on the Consumer Rankings Best 10 ECommerce Hosting list to offer a money-back guarantee throughout the duration of the hosting contract, as well as lifetime domain purchasing. Free set-up, multiple domains, unlimited disk space and bandwidth are all included. With 99.9% uptime and the top rated 24/7 customer service, FatCow is a great deal for a small online business at just $3.95 per month.

FatCow bonuses with purchase include Google AdWords and Yahoo Search credits, WordPress blog tools, and a Carbonite 2GB Desktop Backup.

Just Host a Leading ECommerce Business Web Host

JustHost.com received five stars from users based on their customer service, reliability and uptime, features, technical help response time, and control panel (H-Sphere). Most features and facilities are compatible, including MySQL, poll and survey software, Flash, Perl, PHP, Java and more.

99.9% uptime, unlimited bandwidth and disk space, and a money-back guarantee make Just Host a popular choice amongst ecommerce business owners.

Reliable ECommerce Web Host IPower Hosting Quick and Easy

IPower hosting includes most of the features mentioned above, with additional site-building tools, blog install wizards, new user tutorials, online business tools, and a free 60-day RatePoint membership.

At $4.95 per month in the promotional period and $7.95 thereafter, IPower is another affordable option for fledgling ecommerce entrepreneurs. IPower hosting uses the VDeck control panel and Linux operating system.

The copyright of the article How to Choose an ECommerce Web Host in E-Commerce is owned by Miranda Miller. Permission to republish How to Choose an ECommerce Web Host in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.