Website hosting, Ecommerce website hosting, what’s the difference?
Ready to talk website hosting? We are making great progress. This section should be dear to every type of website owner. Whether you have a personal website, a new business on the web, or an existing business that you are bringing to the web. Having a dependable website host is of paramount importance.
What exactly is a host? It is simply a service provider that
maintains and provides a means by which your website is available via
the internet. Basically it is your website’s home. Your
domain name is
your address.
When
someone types your domain name into a web browser, they are
directed to your website on a server or host computer.
A server is like your home computer (sorta). A server will contain thousands of websites, all with a unique address connecting them to the web.
Though similar, website and ecommerce hosting services are not the
same. If you are building your first website, knowing this
distinction
could save you time and money.
Both types of hosts rent out space on the host’s server, to be used
for both storage and other website related services. However,
ecommerce
hosting involves not only storing a company’s information, but
providing an online store.
With an ecommerce website your focus is more on showcasing products
and their features. In
addition, an ecommerce website must be transaction friendly.
Meaning
that it will require a system (shopping cart) which allows for the
processing of transactions.
This system must be secure and the methodology should be capable of accepting customer information and processing transactions. Packages can be designed by ecommerce hosting companies to simplify this process.
Choosing a Host
These days there are hundreds of website/ecommerce hosting companies. They offer a variety of services ranging anywhere from building your website, helping with the purchase of your domain name to hosting your website.
So how do you choose a web host? Simply, you need a host that
reliable, reliable and reliable. Your business counts on it. If
you
website host is down, you are temporarily out of business.
Not good. Now obviously there are additional requirements but reliability and tech support are the first things that you should look for. The best way to get a feel for some of the hosting website is by word of mouth. Check some of the forums. See who is hot and who is not.
Once you have decided on a few website hosts, begin to narrow your selection down even further based on your hosting and business needs.
Hosting plans/ Services
Ask yourself, what are your current needs? Where do I see my
business going? Your website host should be able to accommodate your
current needs as well as its future growth.
Make sure you understand and read all the related info with regards to your service packages. You should be mindful of the rates for add on services. It is very important that you know from the start what services you will be receiving and the all inclusive costs. Many times there are additional costs.
Disk Space
How much disk space will you need? The actual web page itself will take up a small amt of space. Anything added to those pages such as picture or music will increase site requirements. Depending on the type of website that you make, 50MB should be good enough.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is a measure, the bits per second, or the rate of data transfer via the internet. When you type in a request for information / any website address, that data is transferred from a server somewhere to your computer. High traffic websites will require large amounts of bandwidth.
Email?
Some websites provide email account along with the websites. How many will you need?
Website hosting setups?
Website and ecommerce site hosting - shared
This is the most common type of web hosting. Shared website
hosting
simply means that your website shares server resources with
others.
Compare to dedicated hosting, shared is very cheap. Just keep in mind;
you don’t want a service that is too cheap.
It is likely to attract a lot of customers as a result of the price. Since you share the server, a lot of traffic will tax the bandwidth and potential affect those trying to access your website.
Website and ecommerce site hosting - dedicated
With dedicated hosting you have a full server dedicated to your website. It is much more expensive but you do have room to plenty of room to grown. Unless you are a large company it is unlikely that you will need this option.
Site hosting will play vital role in your business’ success or
failure. Your credibility depends on it; your business’s
credibility
depends on it. Take your time to research your hosts.
Choose one that
is reliable, provides a flexible plan base upon your needs and provides
good tech support.
