Which Web Hosting Service Is Best for Your Ecommerce Business?

Setting up an online store may seem like a daunting task, especially if you don't consider yourself a tech whizz.

One of the first steps to take is deciding which web hosting service is right for your online business. You shouldn’t even begin to build your ecommerce website until you figure out web hosting. It's a critical component of storing your site so others can find it.

Let's explore the top web builder options, various types of hosting, and determine which one is the best fit for your ecommerce business.

How does web hosting work?

Here’s an example to help you understand how web hosting works:

A party typically consists of a host and guests. The host provides the venue, while the guests make up the party. Without a venue, the party can’t happen. Similarly, web hosting is like the host providing space on the internet, and the website’s files are the guests. These website files need a place to live, and web hosting provides that space. A website can’t exist without web hosting.

Web hosting vs. web builder

Web hosting is the service that allows your website to exist. Meanwhile, a web builder helps you create a professional website. It may involve predesigned templates or drag-and-drop functionality to create a custom look. Some web builders even offer comprehensive AI tools to assist with designing your website.

Many web builders include hosting as part of their services. They may also offer additional features, such as robust ecommerce tools, email hosting, and a content management system for blogging. Consider whether you need these features when picking a hosting provider or web builder.

Web hosting vs. domain name

Going back to our earlier example, if your web host is a house, a domain name is the address to that house. Your browser uses the domain name to find the server, locate the website, and display it to you.

There are two different types of domains. A custom domain is an address that you own and fully control. It helps to establish your brand identity. A custom domain typically appears as www.example.com.

If you don't have a custom domain, you end up with a subdomain. The address will include a mention of your hosting provider. It looks like this: www.yourbusiness.hostingprovider.com.

Free web building platforms, such as Wix or WordPress, typically offer a subdomain with their free plans. This enables the platform to gain greater visibility while providing users with an affordable web builder.

How to pick a web host

Multiple factors influence which web host is best suited for your website. Some web hosting features to consider:

• Support: 24/7 technical support can provide quick and knowledgeable assistance. You may want to check if the web hosting services offer support via phone, live chat, or email.
• Control panel: Opt for a user-friendly interface, especially if your team lacks technical expertise. For more complex environments, you may need to hire an expert to manage them.
• Scalability: As your online business grows, your website must be able to keep pace. Ensure you select a hosting provider that can handle increased traffic and data on your site.
• Security: Protect your site from cyberthreats with robust security measures, including firewalls, SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and regular automatic backups.
• Performance and uptime: A website that loads slowly will cost you customers. Look for a 99% uptime guarantee to ensure your website is accessible.
• Storage space: Check storage capacity for your website. If you plan to post images and videos, ensure that your site has sufficient space for them.
• Bandwidth: Bandwidth determines the amount of traffic your website can handle. Unmetered bandwidth is ideal for handling traffic fluctuations and preventing a slow website.
• Shared vs. dedicated hosting: You can share a hosting server with other users, which reduces your costs. But it may limit your bandwidth. A dedicated server means you get the space all to yourself, but it's a pricey choice.

Shared hosting

Shared hosting means multiple websites share the same server resources. The main benefit of shared web hosting is its cost-effectiveness for low-traffic sites. Small businesses and personal websites may operate normally on shared hosting. Additional benefits include your provider managing the server with no technical expertise needed from you.

Since you share processing power, other sites on your server could slow your website if they have traffic spikes. Likewise, if your site gets heavy traffic, your hosting provider may throttle performance to manage server resources.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting

VPS hosting is similar to shared hosting. The difference is that VPS hosting creates separate partitions for each website. Each site receives a dedicated reserve of processing power, storage, and memory. Unlike shared hosting, websites are less likely to impact each other if any of them experience a sudden surge in traffic.

VPS hosting has more configurations and controls than shared hosting. You may welcome the customization, but it does require technical expertise. Overall, VPS hosting is best suited for medium-sized businesses that require features such as ecommerce and blogs.

Cloud hosting

Instead of physical servers, cloud hosting uses multiple virtual servers. Large businesses benefit from cloud hosting because there's little downtime. If your site experiences an increase in traffic, the other virtual servers will step in to ensure the site remains operational. Another benefit of cloud hosting is the scalability. It can grow or shrink as your website's needs change.

Dedicated hosting

Dedicated hosting means your site gets an entire server, so there’s no need to fear other sites crashing your party. Your dedicated host server has you covered. It allows businesses to have complete control over server configurations. Large sites will find dedicated hosting ideal for reliability and uptime.

WordPress hosting

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS), but it requires a hosting service. A dedicated WordPress hosting provider can offer easy site management, enhanced security, and optimized performance.

Some platforms that offer WordPress hosting include GoDaddy and Hostinger.

FAQs

Bottom line

Web hosting may be included if you use a reputable web builder to create your website. This is the easiest option, but make sure that it can scale as your business grows.

Shared hosting is an excellent option if you're just starting out and plan to run a smaller online store. Medium to large businesses may want to consider VPS hosting or a dedicated server to avoid bandwidth limitations and accommodate higher traffic volumes.