The internet plays a crucial role in determining the turnaround of businesses today! E-commerce is a trend that is making headlines worldwide so much so that people have started making their shift from traditional brick & mortar stores to their very own eCommerce outlet. Reading this you might as well be quite excited to start your venture.

Now what if we told you that if you miss out on one element of your store your venture might be a distant dream? Yes we’re talking of the ‘hosting’ service that connects your platform to the World Wide Web.

But what is hosting all about? Let’s find out!

What is Hosting?

Primarily associated with the internet web hosting is a service that connects your web application or site to the internet. One of the most crucial elements of developing a website consider your hosting services provider to be your representative on the internet.

Generally provided by web hosts you can easily get your hosting in exchange for a sum of money. Once you buy a hosting plan from a service provider they’re responsible to configure maintaining and run physical servers for your website.

How Does Web Hosting Work?

As mentioned earlier web hosting is a type of service offered exclusively by web hosts who rent you their computing servers in exchange for remuneration. However it’s not just the servers as these companies also provide you with the services software and connectivity required by your website to go live. 

To give you an idea a server is a supercomputer that makes your web files live on the internet by storing them over its space.

Now you must be wondering why can’t you build your servers right? Well you possibly can!

This one is probably a name that needs no introduction! One of the leading hosting providers GoDaddy powers over 44 million websites. One of the major USPs of the provider is that they don’t have their server bay; instead they have paired with Amazon for the same making it faster and reliable at the same time. 

Further the platform also features reliable and developer-friendly tools like Python CloudLinux MySQL cPanel and multiple versions of PHP. Talking of the pricing it starts at $2.99 per month and comes with a free domain and unlimited bandwidth. Further all its multi-yearly and yearly contracts come with a money-back guarantee of 30 days.

While Wix isn’t necessarily a hosting service provider it brings you multiple functionalities over one single platform. Primarily a website building service Wix allows users to create the website of their dreams via its attractive fee range.

Further it also brings you a user-friendly editor to help fine-tune your website without seeking help from professionals. Interestingly that’s not all as Wix brings in other powerful features like numerous templates an integrated image editor and numerous website development and design styles.

To add Wix even has a free plan where users get a free domain with 10GB of storage plus a free hosting sites domain unlimited bandwidth and Google Ad voucher worth $75.

Cloudways is a prominent figure in the hosting landscape offering a suite of features tailored to cater to diverse needs. With a foundation built on reliability and performance Cloudways ensures users have a seamless hosting experience.

At the heart of Cloudways' offerings is its unwavering commitment to support. Users benefit from 24/7/365 expert assistance addressing any sort of challenges. Cloudways offers Advanced and Premium Support add-ons for an in-depth partnership. These add-ons provide enhanced assistance and direct access to Senior Support Engineers. All this makes it feel as if you have an expert team within your organization.

But support isn't the only area where Cloudways shines. The platform is designed for flexibility allowing users to customize their hosting environment to suit their specific requirements. Whether choosing from a range of infrastructure providers or scaling resources as per demand Cloudways offers the freedom to craft a hosting solution that aligns perfectly with one's needs.

InMotion is another cheap web hosting option on our list which brings you a wide plan assortment truly excellent technology and numerous other features in action. One of the best parts about using this hosting provider is the massive DIY knowledge to its customer. This way it eliminates any need for expert guidance.

However if you do their customer support is also outstanding and to top it all InMotion offers a 90-day free trial for all its new sign-ups making it one of the most extended free-trial providers on the list.

Further the UI is clean and users get better services with faster servers as they upgrade from the basic starter pack.

Another expert provider of high-end hosting solutions Liquid Web is your 360-degree solution for everything ranging from WordPress to email VPS WooCommerce dedicated servers and other similar cloud products. 

The platform operates seamlessly well and delivers beyond expectations. It allows auto-updates of WordPress and also updates the user’s plugins separately. Liquid Web's dedicated server plans and VPS add to managed hosting features as it covers multiple areas of operations. 

However it should be noted that the platform isn’t appealing for all types of users as the prices for subscriptions are higher than the average of most of its competitors. But subscribers often rate it as one of the most promising experiences for the sum it charges.

DreamHost is yet another hosting provider which offers stellar performance at affordable month-to-month pricing besides providing a robust performance. Starting at $4.95 per month DreamHost provides you with a website unlimited traffic and a free SSL Certificate making it one of the best deals on our list. 

Further besides offering an intelligent way to manage your traffic they also offer three-year and one-year contracts starting at $2.59 per month. Moreover DreamHost stands out with its customer service practices and hosting operations. 

The platform provides its users with a custom control panel for websites making it an excellent option for developers who want complete control over their websites. 

The loading speed of your website is another prominent feature that needs to be taken care of! Therefore if faster loading speed is your primary concern consider switching to Siteground for delivering speed with performance.

Further the website also offers rock-solid security primarily to the websites built using WordPress. Overall the platform is one of the best options for website owners that demand faster loading speed.

Starting at an introductory price of $3.99 the platform might seem a bit on the higher side but it has gathered quite positive reviews for the features it provides. 

One of the hosting providers on our list the HostGator is a perfect fit for businesses of any shape and size which operate over a simple website. If you’re a user who wants to keep things simple and doesn’t need a boatload of extra features from your web hosting provider this could be the choice for you.

Ideally the perfect fit single page websites and landing pages Hostgator is a simple UI as it offers an extensive list of technical support how-to’s. Further the platform also provides Windows hosting besides Linux and various options to upgrade your plan to include VPS hosting cloud hosting a dedicated server and managed WordPress.

Its plans start at $2.64/month for shared hosting paired with a three-year contract. Hostgator also has extensive customer support that makes it easy for freshers. 

Another versatile web hosting service provider on our list HostGrid brings you numerous opportunities besides its subscription. The platform provides you with a free website builder free domain and SSL as well. If you look at it the platform offers similar features as DreamHost.

However the only difference that sets this site apart is its pricing which starts at $1.99 per month. With its seamless customer support and reliable services HosGrid has established itself as another reliable web hosting platform. 

Another expert provider for small-scale businesses Host Papa is your solution for hosting two websites with the basic package. Further this independent hosting provider also offers a 30-days money-back guarantee besides giving 100GB of free space for your website. 

The platform operates seamlessly well and delivers beyond expectations. It allows some additional features like Cloudflare CDN website transfer free SSL via Let’s Encrypt Starter Website Builder and one-on-one training among others. 

However it should be noted that the platform isn’t appealing for all types of users as the platform constrains performance for high-end websites.

Another versatile web hosting service provider on our list IONOS by 1&1 brings you numerous opportunities as an eCommerce business. The platform manages 12 million domains and is home to holds 8 million customers. The platform is compatible with both Linux and Windows providing you with a free website builder free domain and SSL as well. 

However the only difference that sets this site apart is its pricing which starts at $4 per month. Considering the features and functionality that it carries it is limited to small businesses and start-ups. 

Network Solutions saves the users from the confusion of options. It brings you multiple functionalities over one single platform. This shared hosting website is an affordable and reliable option for small businesses. 

Starting at $5.99 it is a powerful platform allowing the users to install over two dozen open-source applications including Joomla WordPress Magento phpBB WebCalendar Drupal Owl SugarCRM PHPWiki and Tikiwiki. 

To add Network Solutions even allows users to go for a private registration where users get to add functionality to their free hosting sites.

A2 Hosting has a wide range of plans to choose from as well as numerous extras. Plans may be used for a wide range of purposes and you have the option of managing your own site or having the A2H experts handle it for you. When you create an account it's automatically suited for WordPress users.

Starting at a price of $10.99/month the platform brings you some of the best features provided by any of the website hosting providers. 

This one is probably a name that needs no introduction! One of the leading hosting providers Constant Contract powers millions of websites. One of the major USPs of the provider is their feature-rich platform. They offer functionalities to upgrade your website’s capabilities like basic marketing automation a contacts management tool and an online store among other similar features.

Further the platform also features an AI-based site-creator tool making it reliable for small and mid-sized businesses. Talking of the pricing it starts at $10 per month and comes with free website essentials and list-building tools. Further it also offers a 60-days free trial adding to its uniqueness in the industry.

It’s a Wrap!

Yes, choosing a service provider for your hosting service is not a decision to be taken lightly! Always be sure about what you need and expect from your provider before signing up. Lastly, with our detailed guide around the web hosting, domains and tips around their selection, we hope to have you with a complete guide for your eCom venture. All the best!