Creating an e-commerce website has never been so accessible and simple as it is today. And this is largely due to factors like having different website builders providing user-friendly interfaces and pre-designed templates; open-source platforms delivering free access to e-commerce functionalities and editable source code; simplified payment gateway integration; shipping and delivery options with services like FedEx, DHL, etc.; and of course, cloud-based hosting that ensures scalable and affordable e-commerce hosting solutions.
Although building such websites isn’t so much of a hustle and bustle now, establishing an e-commerce business and online space for customers comes with some unique requirements compared to other websites. How so? In general, it is because e-commerce websites handle specificalities like online transactions, customer data, card details, and other sensitive information. That’s why you must make sure your site is safe, fast, and reliable to use.
How is this guide-like article helpful? It will highlight some of the unique requirements of e-commerce websites and will show you how to select your web hosting provider.
The Tricky Part Behind The Online Business = The E-Commerce Website Requirements
Compared to other websites, building and maintaining an e-commerce website comes with certain requirements. Designed specifically for online commercial transactions, e-commerce websites have the main purpose to sell products or services directly to customers through the website. Therefore, they must be built in a way that equips them with the necessary features to handle shipping and tax calculations.
Here are the main e-commerce website requirements:
- Payment Gateways – E-commerce websites require payment gateways to process online transactions securely.
- SSL Certificate – Security is a top-priority not only for your online business in general but for getting customers to trust you with sensitive data such credit card details, personal information, login credentials, and so forth.
- Shopping Cart – having a shopping cart is a must as it allows customers to add items to their cart and proceed to checkout.
- Product Catalog – How can online customers know about your products and choose what to buy if you don’t have a nice-looking catalog with all the items you offer? E-commerce websites need a product catalog that displays product information, images, and pricing.
- Order Management – You must integrate an order management system that tracks and manages all the customer orders.
- Shipping and Delivery Options – Clarify including shipping rates, delivery timeframes, tracking information, and make sure to choose the currier service that best matches the three things mentioned above.
- Inventory Management – E-commerce websites need an inventory management system that tracks stock levels and updates product availability.
- Customer Reviews and Ratings – Your business can truly benefit from customer reviews and ratings. These serve as social proof that builds customer trust.
- Responsive Design – A website with a responsive design that works well on different devices is another e-commerce website requirement that will contribute to the success of your business.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Hosting Provider For Your E-Commerce Website
Once you’ve wrapped your mind around these, the next thing to consider is your e-commerce web hosting provider. Choosing the right web hosting provider is crucial for your online business’s success. To help you make the right decision, we’ve gathered several crucial factors that you must take into account and look for in your web hosting provider:
- Performance – Choose a hosting provider that offers fast load times, low server response times, and optimized server infrastructure for e-commerce websites.
- Features – Choose a web hosting provider that offers essential e-commerce features such as SSL certificates, payment gateways, shopping carts, etc.
- Server Security – E-commerce websites are at high risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches. That’s why the web hosting provider you select must deliver robust security features, including things like firewalls, malware scanners, and regular backups.
- Scalability – Do you expect your e-commerce website to grow? In this case, you will need a hosting provider that can scale along with your business. Choose a web hosting provider that offers scalable solutions, such as cloud hosting or VPS hosting.
- Uptime Guarantee – Providing access to your customers all the time is key. No one likes a product website that is down. Choose a web hosting provider that offers a high uptime guarantee, ideally 99.9% or higher.
- SSL Certificates – An SSL certificate encrypts sensitive data exchanged between the customer and the server, such as credit card information. It’s essential to have an SSL certificate to ensure that all transactions are secure.
Some Tips & Steps For You To Follow Before You Select A Hosting Plan
- Define your hosting needs.
Evaluate your e-commerce website’s needs and requirements, such as website traffic, storage space, bandwidth, and security features.
- Choose a reliable web hosting provider.
Research and compare different web hosting providers that specialize in e-commerce hosting, read customer reviews, and check the provider’s uptime and performance guarantees.
- See the security features.
E-commerce websites handle sensitive customer data and require robust security features such as SSL certificates, firewalls, malware scanners, and regular backups. Choose a hosting provider that offers comprehensive security features.
- Check what type of customer support they have.
You need super reliable customer support to ensure any issues are resolved quickly. The best option is to have a hosting provider that offers 24/7 customer support via different channels – phone, chat, and email.
- Consider pricing and weigh out the options.
Compare the pricing of different hosting providers, considering the unique requirements of e-commerce websites. Choose a hosting provider that offers competitive pricing for e-commerce hosting plans.
- Test the hosting provider.
How to make sure this is the right hosting provider for you? Before signing up for a hosting plan, test the hosting provider’s performance, uptime, and customer support by using their free trials or money-back guarantees.
What Makes BGOcloud The Ideal Web Hosting Provider For Your E-Commerce Site?
We always strive to deliver the best solutions, web hosting plan options. Choosing us you get:
- SSL Certificate
- 24/7 Customer Support
- VPS Hosting Plans
- System Status Report
- Cloudflare CDN
- 30-Day Money Back
- Top-Notch Security – Firewalls, Malware Scanners, Regular Backups
- Data Protection Between User Device And Service – TLS (HTTPS or VPN) version 1.2 or later; Legacy SSL or TLS (HTTPS or VPN)
- Knowledge Base With How-To Tutorials To Help You Get Started
If you want, you can read more about How We Bring the Best Value For Your Money Through Hosting Services.