When it comes to setting up an online business, having a reliable eCommerce hosting provider is crucial. After all, your website is your business. The right hosting platform can provide you with the necessary tools and features to create a successful eCommerce site. Without a properly functioning and secure website, your customers will be less likely to buy from you, eventually shutting down your website and possibly your business.
Running an online store is much more involved than running a website that is used to display information or media. You are responsible for inventory, customer information, data processing, and creating an easy-to-navigate website.
Determining what makes a good eCommerce host is different than what makes a good host in general. But what exactly makes it different, and what should you be looking for?
Understanding eCommerce Hosting
eCommerce hosting refers to the specialized hosting solutions tailored specifically for online businesses. Unlike regular web hosting, eCommerce hosting provides features and functionalities that cater to the unique requirements of running an online store. These include advanced security measures, robust infrastructure, and scalable resources to handle high traffic volumes.
Types of eCommerce Platforms
There are various eCommerce platforms available, each with its own features and capabilities. Popular options include WooCommerce, Magento hosting, PrestaShop, and BigCommerce. Consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, customization options, and integration with payment gateways and shipping providers when choosing the right platform for your eCommerce site. InMotion Hosting offers seamless integration and support for various eCommerce platforms, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.
Prioritizing Security
eCommerce sites are often targeted by cybercriminals due to the sensitive customer information they handle. Implementing robust security measures is paramount to protect your business and your customers. Look for hosting providers that offer advanced security features such as malware scanning, firewalls, regular backups, and DDoS protection. Additionally, make sure your eCommerce hosting provider keeps up with the latest security updates and patches to stay ahead of emerging threats.
Another fundamental element for any eCommerce site is an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. An SSL certificate ensures secure communication between a website and its visitors by encrypting sensitive data, such as customer information and payment details. This layer of security not only safeguards your customers’ data but also builds trust and credibility for your online business.
You can tell if a site has an SSL certificate by looking at the address bar of your browser. If there is a little lock, and the URL begins with https://, that site has an SSL certificate. If it doesn’t, don’t buy from that site as it is not secure.
Leveraging NVMe Storage for Optimal Performance
When it comes to eCommerce hosting, fast loading speeds are essential to ensure a seamless shopping experience. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) storage is a state-of-the-art storage technology that significantly improves website performance. With NVMe, your eCommerce site can handle high traffic volumes, process data faster, and provide quick page load times. This can directly impact customer satisfaction, conversion rates, and search engine rankings. InMotion Hosting’s NVMe-powered infrastructure ensures optimal performance and responsiveness for your online store.
Ensuring High Uptime
Uptime is a critical metric for any eCommerce site. It refers to the amount of time your website is accessible and operational throughout a year. While 100% is basically impossible, you want to get as close as you can.
Downtime can cost you potential sales and damage your reputation. Therefore, partnering with an eCommerce hosting provider that guarantees high uptime is essential. Look for providers that offer at least 99.9% uptime to ensure your website remains available to customers around the clock.
Caching and Performance
Caching plays a crucial role in optimizing the performance of your eCommerce site. By storing frequently accessed data and serving it quickly, caching helps reduce load times and improve overall responsiveness. InMotion Hosting utilizes advanced caching techniques to ensure maximum performance for your eCommerce site, allowing your customers to enjoy a fast and smooth shopping experience.
Backups
Backing up a website is important and should be done for any website. When it comes to an eCommerce site, however, backups need to happen more often. Ideally, you want a host that can offer daily backups. With orders happening daily, hourly or by the minute, it will benefit you and your customers to have ongoing backups if something happens and causes a loss of data.
Using the cloud to do an additional backup or even backing up your site manually is recommended. You need backups for your backups, and you’ll be happy that you do if you ever need one.
Support
Running a website, upgrading it, managing it, and everything else that comes with a website is hard to do alone. Having customer support that understands the process of running a website is a huge help. It’s even better when they are available 24/7.
Different avenues to reach your support team such as phone, live chat and ticket should also be on your list when looking for eCommerce hosting. InMotion is a firm believer in providing awesome customer support because we want you to feel at ease if you ever run into an issue. This is why our support team is industry-leading, and always available.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right eCommerce hosting provider is crucial for the success of your online business. By focusing on key elements such as performance, NVMe storage, uptime guarantees, backups, and robust security measures, you can create a solid foundation for your eCommerce site. InMotion Hosting understands the unique needs of online businesses and offers comprehensive eCommerce hosting solutions to help you build and grow your online store securely and seamlessly. Make an informed decision, prioritize your customers’ experience, and set yourself up for eCommerce success with the right web hosting partner.
