Ecommerce stores and online service providers need a place to set up shop with the right capabilities and security measures in place to serve their customers properly. With all the hundreds of webs hosting providers available, how does a business go about choosing the right one?
The general requirements for a website host include server up time, ease of setup and use, availability of service and assistance and security. Whether you sell tangible or virtual goods or services, payment processing capabilities and a shopping cart script are required.
Special Considerations for Credit Card Processing
While there are many competent website hosting providers out there who offer little down time and ease of use, there are extra considerations when you will be taking payment information and using merchant accounts. Security is the number one factor to consider. The last thing you want is for your customers’ information to be compromised or stolen. Check for up-to-date encryption methods and server-side security back ups. Site backups performed regularly are vital for security as well.
The structure capability of a site and available bandwidth are also important for ecommerce hosting. Every retail or wholesale site needs a shopping cart program to display products and facilitate purchasing. Unlimited or at least very large bandwidth allows more customers to visit your site during sales or popular times of the year.
Implementing Merchant Accounts on a Website
When you sign up for a merchant account with a payment processing company, they provide resources to assist you in setting up the account on your ecommerce website. Most likely, you will receive codes to copy and past into the site code to include “Add to Cart” and “Checkout” buttons near your product or in the overall site navigation. If you do not have the expertise to position these correctly, contact a qualified website developer.
Choosing the best web hosting provider for an ecommerce website that includes credit card processing capabilities requires careful research of security protocol and ease of use.