Ecommerce hosting differs from standard Web hosting in that a number of features and functionalities are required to manage and run a commercial website. This includes SSL, database support, shopping cart software, payment processing services, and additional ecommerce software and security initiatives. Ecommerce hosting is an option offered by many Web hosting service providers. In addition to supplying ecommerce functionality, they will also provide Web space (Web server) to host your website, an email server or email support, technical support and other standard Web hosting features for businesses. Ecommerce hosting is designed to basically provide entrepreneurs and businesses with all the tools and services required for them to set-up, manage and conduct an ecommerce business.
E-commerce hosting usually includes providing templates for building virtual storefronts or online catalogs, providing software for customized electronic "shopping carts," taking and filling customer orders, arranging for secure credit-card purchasing, and providing tools for tracking and managing inventory. In addition to supplying ecommerce functionality, they will also provide Web space (a Web server) to host your website, an email server or email support, technical support and other standard Web hosting features for businesses.
E-commerce hosting firms customarily manage all the technical aspects of creating and maintaining a commercial Web site for its customers. To ensure secure payment processes, these providers also usually assist with setting up Internet merchant accounts, which are bank accounts, established to process Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit-card transactions. Some hosting providers will register a company's domain name as part of the package. For smaller companies, this is often more effective and cost-efficient than setting up and managing their own e-commerce site themselves since they are essentially sharing the cost of expensive equipment and Internet connections with other companies.
If you search for finding an ecommerce hosting provider, it probably won’t take you long to realize there is whole new world of standards, phrases and terms to learn. Before you begin your ecommerce hosting provider search, you should become familiar with the common lingo so you can understand what each web hosting service provider is offering.
