The retail website hosting can be an extremely valuable tool that can help boost a company, business, or organization by making it more accessible on the Internet. There is no doubt that it is one of the more important aspects of an online retail business because it can help drive up the traffic, which can result in increased sales and stabilization of profits. This however can only be possible when subscribing to reliable host providers.
Any Internet expert will tell you that there is so much value in having reliable host providers like HostGator for example, which has more than a decade of experience hosting various types of websites. Any online business will truly benefit from reliable and stable retail website hosting because of its assurance of continuous up time that can translate to a huge influx of business. To be able to get the best results possible, it is necessary to have an appreciation of the value of reliable host providers.
- Dedicated server option
Businesses will need as much bandwidth and storage space as possible, especially as it begins to grow. This emphasizes the need to have full access to the available server resources, which in web hosting would normally equate to choosing the dedicated server option. The true value of the dedicated server is highlighted by the fact that online retailers will have access to the resources that they need to ensure that they are constantly up and running majority of the time.
According to the Department of Commerce of the United States, online retailing is on an upward trend. The most common fear however among online retailers is the issue of security, which can have a drastic effect on the way that they can conduct their business. There is no doubt that one of the major factors in establishing profitable relationship with customers is trust. This unfortunately would be difficult if the web server is not secure.
Part of the value of running a dedicated server is that you can implement your intrusion protection system. One of the more important considerations would be the use of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates, which will allow for up to 256-bit encryption. This means that any information sent through the server will be encrypted and will not be exposed to unnecessary scrutiny.
It is important to stress in the context of retail website hosting that although the industry standard is 128-bit, the actual level of encryption would be dependent on the capability of the web browser of the user and the web server.
- Ecommerce Software flexibility
Another potential value of having a reliable host provider is that it can provide substantial flexibility to online retailers in the selection of ecommerce software that can be used. This is a very important factor to consider especially when you take into consideration the potentially high volume of traffic that the website can generate. You will definitely need ecommerce software that can efficiently handle the amount of traffic so that the sales will not be affected.
There are some good choices of ecommerce software that will complement reliable retail website hosting. Online retailers may consider:
- Magento – this consists of a complete toolset designed specifically for ecommerce. It takes into consideration the various activities that need to be completed online such as attracting and retaining customers. This is achieved through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and customer segmentation that is combined with targeted promotions and merchandising. It also attempts to make the online retail experience seamless through layered navigation that is accompanied by powerful search capabilities. Most of all, it can be effective in fostering brand affinity by introducing reward programs and store credits, which are essential to a successful online business.
- Volusion – an ideal solution for online retailers that have adequate HTML skills. It has an advanced HTML mode that will allow customization of your website. It also incorporates excellent advanced security tools that can counteract attempts of fraud. The large feature sets of this product are one of the greatest factors for its popularity. It effectively allows for the creation, managing, marketing, and securing of potentially any type of online business. This is truly one of the more outstanding ecommerce software solutions today.
- Shopify – considered by many online retailers as one of the easiest ecommerce software to use, it consists of a customer menu that will efficiently organize customer information. This helps in the execution of marketing campaigns as well as inventory, which are both essential to any business. This feature packed software is both powerful and impressive, which makes turning profits easier, regardless of how stiff the completion in online retailing is.
- Eliminate system overloading
When it comes to retail website hosting, system overloading can be quite dangerous because it can have a negative effect on the income level that can be achieved. This is why online retailers should look for reliable host providers that are capable of VPS hosting, which may also be required by some ecommerce solutions. Essentially, VPS (Virtual Private Server) references virtualized servers, which are designed to mimic the environment of dedicated servers in a shared hosting atmosphere.
There are numerous types of web hosting accounts that can cater to the needs of online retailers. The good thing about this solution is that it is relatively affordable and comparatively manageable, even for the average Internet user. Online retailers can also consider Shared Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting aside from VPS Hosting. Dedicated resources are also available on VPS servers in the sense that specific RAM amounts are available to website owners all the time.
Once you understand the value of reliable host providers, then you will be able to get a retail website hosting service that is appropriate for your needs.