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Thursday, 22 July 2010

Build an e-commerce site: tools from your e-commerce hosting provider

Build an e-commerce site: tools from your e-commerce hosting provider


E-commerce hosting packages will offer you a number of tools that could prove vital to the success of your e-business. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan your e-commerce site and search for a web hosting  provider.

Domain name

The very first thing you need is a name! You need a business name, of course, but you'll also need to search out a domain name that fits your product or service. Most web hosting providers provide a domain name search service; use it to test out various names. Your first choice may not be available, so be creative and be flexible. When looking for e-commerce hosting, you want a name that is easy to remember (and spell!) and gives clients an accurate picture of what you are selling.

Pick an available and creative domain name and you're off and running!

Choose a web host

Selecting an e-commerce hosting service can be an overwhelming process. Take your time and do some research. To start, check out the reviews of our top 10 e-commerce hosting companies for suggestions.

When you're looking at various web hosting providers, it is important to keep your level of experience in mind. If this is your first e-commerce hosting experience and the first time you've designed a website, you'll want to ensure your web hosting provider offers a site builder (such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage) that is easy-to-use and comes with customizable templates.

You also want to make sure the e-commerce hosting features the host offers are sufficient to meet your business plan - and make sure that you are aware of any extra fees that may come along as you grow.



Shopping cart

As your customers peruse your site, they'll want a shopping cart to keep track of their purchases. OpenCart, ZenCart, ShopSite and osCommerce are just a few of the options. Read our article on the most popular shopping carts offered by web hosting providers for more information.

Security

Your customers deserve the best in secure shopping. You can provide this through SSL (secure socket layer) security. This should be offered by most e-commerce hosting companies. While purchasing a SSL may involve a yearly subscription fee, it is essential to effectively encrypting a customer's personal and credit card data.

These are just a few of the basic tools you'll want to consider when choosing an ecommerce hosting service.

For more important points to keep in mind, read our article on choosing an e-commerce website hosting provider.

And don't forget our top 10 e-commerce hosting providers!

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