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Hosting Options For An Ecommerce Web Site
Hosting Options For An Ecommerce Web Site
By by Bobette Kyle, Sat Dec 10th
Deciding how your Web site will be hosted can bedaunting. There are several approaches available, each withdifferent advantages and disadvantages. Online Storefront If you have a small business, you may want to consider astorefront or an online mall. For a fee, these services help youbuild and will host a small Web site through which to sell yourproducts or services. These "site in a box" Web site servicesgenerally have options that include everything you need to sellonline.
Features and support vary by program and can include optionssuch as search engine placement, credit card processing, andadvertising. They tend to be template services, however, withless flexibility than a custom site. Familiarize yourself withthe current offerings in this area before making a finaldecision. Custom Sites If you have a business that is too large for or has outgrown thesmaller storefront services, you may want to consider the moreflexible custom site. For added cost you can have a unique site,receive greater support, and handle more traffic. You have theoptions of hiring the same company to design and host your siteor 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 withtrade-offs in design quality or host reliability. Be aware thatdesigning and hosting require different sets of skills andexpertise. When choosing a service, evaluate their experienceand ask for references in both areas. Go to sites the companyhas designed and navigate them. Note how the sites look, howeasy they are to understand, and how quickly they load into yourbrowser. To evaluate the company’s hosting capabilities,contact current customers and ask how pleased they are with theservice. Find out how often the server is down and ask abouthelp desk responsiveness. Find out what order related issues -if any - they have experienced. Also, consider how your sitewill be updated. Can you upload changes directly or do you haveto wait for someone at the hosting company to get to it? If itis the latter, ask current customers about their experience withthis process. If you are still considering the design/hosting service afterstudying their design capabilities and talking to their currentcustomers, you may also want to find out if there has
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beenrecent turnover in key personnel. An individual designer,coordinator, or account manager can make a large difference insupport 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 yoursite. Technical incompatibilities are a risk when taking thisapproach, however. Be sure your designer is familiar with yourhosting service and it's technical capabilities. To helpfacilitate information flow and minimize technical problems: (1) Choose a short list of hosts that offer the ecommercecapabilities you require and pass "reliability" tests. Read"Don't Make These Hosting Mistakes" athttp://www.take-payments-online.com/ECommerceWebHosting.html forquestions to ask and other mistakes to avoid. (2) Find a Webdesigner experienced in applications. (3) Together,decide on the hosting service and systems you willuse. Making the Decision Deciding upon the right combination will take some research. Oneway to gather a list of hosting options is to first findecommerce sites that you like and/or have abilitiessimilar to your needs, then ask about the sites' hosting andecommerce providers. Asking for referrals from business acquaintances is another.Many times, people are more than happy to share their positiveexperiences. For example, I use five different hosts and amgenerally pleased with all of them. When asked about hosting,however, I always recommend Lexiconn.com (myWebSiteMarketingPlan.com site host) because of the exceptionalhelp desk service and support documents. Another way to discover hosting options is to look for onlineadvertisements. You can generally find these designated as"sponsored" listings in search engines and on informational Websites. While there is no guarantee all of the companies you findwill be high-quality, the willingness to pay for advertisementscan be an indication of commitment. Diligently decide upon features and choose a host withthose features in mind. By doing so, you are creating a smootherpath to success. About the author:Bobette Kyle is publisher of the information sitehttp://www.Take-Payments-Online.com . She is also proprietor ofThe WebSiteMarketingPlan.com Network, subject-specific Web sitesdesigned to help you find the right information for writing andimplementing your marketing plan. Visit here:http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com
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