Are you inspired by the success of Amazon and eBay? If yes then, I don’t blame you. There are many who dream of challenging eCommerce giants like Amazon and eBay, but only a few succeed.

And that’s why there are only a few big players.

Then there are quote-unquote eCommerce best practices that can give you a little advantage. Yes, you might have hired the best eCommerce store designers to create a truly magical shopping experience for your users. But there’s one question that might not have crossed your mind but is highly crucial for your eStore’s survival.

Where would you host your eCommerce website?

This question forces you to start searching for web hosting providers for your eCommerce website. With so many of them around and each making similar claims, it is not easy to choose an eCommerce web hosting provider that can fulfill your business needs.

Irrespective of how good your eCommerce website might be design-wise, it won’t benefit your business if it is hosted with the wrong web hosting provider. There could be downtime or security issues that can put off your buyers. As an eCommerce business, you cannot afford that. That is why it is important to choose the right web hosting provider. Here is how you can do that.

In this article, you will learn about seven critical factors that every eCommerce business must consider before choosing a web hosting.

1.      Cost

Don’t get me wrong. Creating an eCommerce website requires a substantial investment both in terms of time and money. Yes, you might have paid the top dollar to get an eCommerce website, but that does not mean that you should cut corners when choosing a hosting provider for your eCommerce website. Unfortunately, that is a mistake most eCommerce business owners make, and they pay a hefty price for it too. Compare the prices different hosting providers quote and analyze what features they are delivering at that price. This will give you a better idea about which hosting provider you should choose to host your eCommerce website.

2.      Performance

Have you ever visited an eCommerce website to purchase a product? What if that website takes ages to load? Would you purchase from that website? No, right. Your website page load time is an important component that influences the user experience of your website. Additionally, it will also impact sales. That is why it is important to choose an eCommerce hosting provider that can deliver buttery-smooth website performance and handle sudden surge in traffic without impacting your eCommerce website’s shopping experience.

3.      Reliability

While we are on the topic of performance, let’s discuss reliability. As an eCommerce business who is relying on your website for sales, you can not afford downtime. Even a downtime that lasts for a few hours could cost you a lot of money in terms of lost sales. That is why it is important to choose a hosting provider that offers 99.99% uptime guarantee. Yes, most of the hosting providers might claim it but only few deliver on their promises, so it is better to test their claims before signing a deal with them.

4.      Scalability

In today’s rapidly evolving business world, there is no room for static solutions. You need a solution that can not only fulfill your current but also your future needs. In short, choose a hosting plan that is flexible and scalable. Your hosting needs might grow as your eCommerce business expands and your hosting provider should be able to accommodate that. This will allow you more room for expandability and make the transition smoother.

5.      Compatibility with eCommerce Software

Check whether the content management system you are using or the eCommerce platform; you are using is supported by the hosting provider or not. If the hosting provider doesn’t support it, you are better off looking elsewhere. Instead of changing your CMS or eCommerce platform, it is easier to switch hosting providers. Let’s say. you are using Magento for your eCommerce website but your hosting provider doesn’t support it, you should have a different web hosting provider.

6.      Customer Support

Another important factor that eCommerce business must consider is the technical support. Does your hosting provider offer round the clock customer support? How effective their customer service and technical support is? Can they help you in troubleshooting problems and deliver a fast and acceptable response when you need it the most? If the answer to all these questions is yes, you can choose that hosting provider without any hesitation.

7.      Security

Customer trust is important for any business but when it comes to eCommerce business, it should be a top priority. To ensure that people buy from your store, it is important to offer foolproof security to your buyers so they can make online purchases without fear.  There is nothing worse for your eCommerce business than data breaches that steal your customers’ personal and financial information.

You are responsible for the security of your customer data you store and if you fail to fulfill your responsibility, you will lose trust and people will stop buying from you. If you want your business to succeed, you should take all the steps to curb financial fraud and data breaches. Some hosting providers offer additional security features such as encryption and SSL certificates that can help your cause.

What factors do you consider when choosing a web hosting provider for your eCommerce website? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below.