Presumably, the reason you’re in the market for an eCommerce web hosting plan is that you’d like to make some money with it, so let’s look at several of the absolutely crucial aspects of an eCommerce web hosting provider that must be in place in order for you to see any money at all!

While features abound on most ecommerce plans these days, from the latest in shopping cart technologies to the ability to calculate and fulfill orders, to the ability to set up complete transactional sequences, shipping and more; there remains the need to make sure that the backbone of your site is sound, or you will suffer the inevitable downtime that will not only torpedo present sales, but possibly future orders as well.

You need to find an ecommerce web hosting company that is reliable and dependable. This is not as simple as it might seem. When bombarded with hype surrounding any web hosting solution, (usually engineered by the host themselves!) you can find yourself badly in need of some truth. Take reviews on these hosts with a grain of salt; many were written by the host themselves or their affiliates, who stand to profit if you buy this hosting.

Probably the best way these days is to find some untainted opinion, and the best ground for this is in the various internet marketing forums. Some of the better ones are The Warrior Forum, SitePoint, DigitalPoint and Web Hosting Geeks. Asking around on these will get you a good sampling of experiences, some good; others not so good. Make sure to view things in balance, before rendering judgment. One or two bad experiences may not be totally reflective of the quality of the hosting overall.

Be sure to evaluate, as closely as you might, the level and quality of the support team. Support is important for any website, but on an ecommerce site open 24/7 for orders, site issues make for lost sales. Phone support is critical, and someone on call 24/7 is preferred, since leaving things to the next day can be disastrous, and you might be well down the list of issues they need to deal with, taking you far into the day. Make sure you get into the help pipeline ASAP!

When choosing an ecommerce web hosting plan, it’s important to note that while price is a factor, it should not be the deciding one. Small hosting companies may offer what seems to be terrific pricing, but you later find that essential elements are considered “add-ons”, and must be added to the total, drastically affecting the overall price.

Make sure you know what items you need going in and shop around. There are a number of great web hosting companies out there, and securing hosting for your new ecommerce site should not be a problem. Just hold their feet to the fire, and see who doesn’t burn!