Starting an eCommerce website for your budding business might seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Hundreds of web hosting companies are available across the world, but some are better suited than others to handle eCommerce websites.
HostGator
Offering shared hosting, dedicated servers and reseller hosting for reasonable prices, HostGator is among one of the most popular web hosting choices for eCommerce websites. The company, which boasts 99.9% uptime, offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth for all accounts as well as unlimited MySQL databases and 39 popular scripts that are available to be installed via Fantastico, as well as thousands of lesser-known but helpful other installations. Users have access to cPanel for their entire web hosting needs as well as SiteStudio to design their websites. Support is superb at HostGator. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. Chats, faxes and forums are other popular ways to find support. The company runs on wind power and has a 45-day money back guarantee.
FatCow
A company that runs entirely on wind energy, FatCow is the perfect option for the environmentally-friendly eCommerce website builder. Believing that one plan fits all, the company offers unlimited space and data as well as a free website builder and e-store builder, making it truly eCommerce-friendly. Other features of the company’s hosting include blogs and forums, hit counters and wizards to help with the installation of open source applications. Each hosting package includes a free domain name. System hardware and software is monitored around the clock. FatCow uses its own control panel with a convenient shortcut menu. In addition to a knowledgebase and a variety of tutorials, the company also offers 24/7 phone support, email help and live chat.
GoDaddy
Perhaps the most widely known name on the list, GoDaddy is one of the cheapest hosting companies available for building eCommerce websites. The plan that offers the best value includes 150GB of disk space and 1500GB of bandwidth. The company’s hosting connection section has more than 50 applications that can be installed simultaneously with the click of a button. Several pre-installed software applications are also available for free. GoDaddy owns and operates their own data center, allowing them to provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee. They use their own control panel which does require viewing some ads for their other products during the navigation process. Phone support and email support is available in addition to a searchable help center.
Lyndsi Decker is a freelance writer currently promoting Who is hosting this. She enjoys blogging, and all things web. In her free time she is training for a marathon.