If you are starting or expanding your online business, you may be interested in eCommerce web hosting. Learn how to find eCommerce web hosting solutions that meet your business's needs.

Selling goods and services online, or eCommerce, has become an important part of business for many companies. eCommerce allows a business to reach a potentially world-wide audience of customers. Here are a few basic ways that businesses can create an online presence:

• Create and host their own web site on a dedicated server
• Find a web host that will allow them to assemble their own online store
• Use an eCommerce web hosting package that gives them the tools to create their own store
• Sell their products on established sites like eBay

Though there are advantages to each type of online store, eCommerce web hosting is probably most convenient for many businesses, especially if they are smaller or just starting out online. An eCommerce web hosting package includes all or most of the components necessary to create an online storefront:

• An online catalog where customers can view products or services offered
• A virtual shopping cart that allows customers to select the products they want and check out
• A payment gateway and merchant account for processing and accepting online credit card payments
• Tools for tracking sales, inventory, and web site traffic
• An SSL certificate and other security features to allow online payments to be processed with minimal financial risk to customers and businesses

eCommerce web hosting packages may also offer other features to help business owners manage their online business, like shipping tools and the ability to create online coupons.

A potential disadvantage of eCommerce web hosting is that the business owner is very dependant on the eCommerce web hosting service to provide their potential customers with a good experience. If the web host's server is down frequently, the pages are hard to navigate, or the checkout system is confusing, it can drive potential customers away. For this reason, business owners who want to use an eCommerce web hosting service should do a lot of research about the web host they are considering, and should find out about these important features of eCommerce web hosting:

• The web host should have an uptime of better than 99%. This means that their server, and your web site, will rarely be down for maintenance or other problems.
• Good customer service from the web host is very important. Customer service that is available 24/7 is best, and phone or live chat support is usually better than email.
• The web hosting service should be able to answer your questions clearly and meet whatever needs you have determined your online business will have.
• If the eCommerce web hosting package includes a payment gateway and merchant account the fees you pay should be reasonable, or about equivalent to what they would be if you set up your own merchant account and payment gateway. Consider the annual or monthly fees as well as per-transaction fees and other fees like inactive account or early termination fees.
• The tools provided by the eCommerce web host for creating the online store should be easy to use and should be customizable so that all of the businesses using the web host don't look the same.
• Online stores hosted through the web host should be easy to navigate and not frustrating to use.
• The web hosting package should be scalable, or able to expand or contract as your business needs change.
• A search for reviews of the web host, and not just those posted on their web site or with their affiliates, should be mainly positive.
• Though new eCommerce web hosts may be able to provide businesses with a good experience, it is sometimes safer to go with established hosts with very good reputations.

Businesses owners who are looking for an eCommerce web hosting service should remember that they are likely to be more expensive than standard web hosting packages, especially if they include a payment gateway and merchant account. It may be helpful to compare the price of an eCommerce web hosting package with the cost of a standard web hosting service that supports eCommerce features, plus the cost of those features, to decide which is better for your business. If business owners consider their own needs and budget and shop around, they should be able to find a web hosting solution that helps their business grow online.

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