| Are you an online merchant shopping for a good | | | | operations using only open source software. A good |
| ecommerce hosting provider? With the emergence of | | | | ecommerce web host should be able to merge an |
| so many hosting companies offering various products | | | | efficient shopping cart to your existing system or |
| these days, anyone can get lost. Before you plunge | | | | create a new one that allows customers to purchase |
| deeper in your search and make comparisons from | | | | with the least clicks possible. |
| one web host to another, see if they have everything | | | | Security and Integrity |
| that you need using this checklist I provided: | | | | There are few ecommerce web hosting providers |
| Customer service | | | | who cannot provide enough security for your online |
| Great customer service is about the closest thing you | | | | store. Security should run in all aspects of your |
| can get to long term ecommerce success. If your | | | | business, from your database encryption to credit card |
| ecommerce hosting provider doesn't measure up, how | | | | details being input, to tracking down customer location |
| can you trust doing business with them? See 7 Best | | | | (IP geolocation). Look into SSL security certificate and |
| Tools for Providing First-Rate Customer Service to | | | | other anti-fraud tools. This will help you get the better |
| find out if they have all that you need to reach them | | | | of credit card frauds and chargebacks. |
| when you get in trouble. | | | | Automation |
| Product catalogs, Inventory, Back orders | | | | Automation in most ecommerce processes is a must |
| Your ecommerce host should be able to be offer | | | | since time is essential. Does your ecommerce host |
| flexibility depending on the number of products that | | | | automate the billing, accounting, report generation, and |
| you offer, and whether you intend to increase the | | | | email response (autoresponder) processes? |
| products that you intend to sell in the future. Many | | | | Remember that the little things that take your time can |
| providers offer hundreds of gigabytes of web space. | | | | affect your business in a big way too. |
| Your online store should also be able to handle huge | | | | Payment processing |
| traffic despite a humongous web space. This is when | | | | Does your ecommerce web hosting company offer a |
| bandwidth and server reliability matters. Your database | | | | merchant account with the ability to accept payments |
| should be able to house a huge number of products | | | | in various methods? Will you be able to accept foreign |
| and customer information so you can efficiently | | | | currency as well as payments in e-check, debit cards, |
| manage your inventory. When products run out of | | | | and even MOTO? This is extremely important |
| stock, you should be able to coordinate with your | | | | especially to merchants doing business internationally. |
| shipping company and retailers through your web host. | | | | The more payment types you can accept and |
| A plus would be your provider's ability to host multiple | | | | process, the more likely your business will profit. |
| domains. | | | | Your choice of the perfect ecommerce hosting |
| Ordering | | | | provider will always be dictated by the needs of your |
| The first thing that comes to mind is an ecommerce | | | | online store. The more comparisons you make, the |
| shopping cart. Shopping carts need never be | | | | better you will know which is best for you. Some |
| complicated or expensive. Anyone can customize a | | | | merchants also seek recommendations from other |
| shopping cart that matches his ecommerce store's | | | | merchants, so why not do the same? |