Small Business Web Hosting: Ecommerce, Database and Windows Hosting
Many small businesses have Web hosting requirements that go beyond simply displaying corporate contact information. For example, suppose you wanted to build a small business Web site that:
• Let customers make purchases online; • Could provide dynamic information based on visitor input, such as store locations nearest a certain zip code; • Allowed visitors to create profiles that retained contact information.
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Though it may sound fairly simple, this Web site would include many moving parts; as a result, a versatile ecommerce Web hosting account or database Web hosting account would be required. Fortunately, many Web hosts have realized there is a market for small business Web hosting, and offer affordable packages that start below $20 a month.
Ecommerce Web hosting
Most Web hosting companies offer ecommerce hosting packages geared toward small businesses that want to sell their products online. When choosing an ecommerce Web host, it is important to make sure the Web hosting package includes:
• A shopping cart: Also known as an ecommerce storefront, a Web hosting account with a shopping cart will let your Web site’s visitors add and remove products for purchase. • An SSL certificate: An SSL certificate encrypts information exchanged between a browser and Web server. This will allow you to secure ecommerce transactions on your Web site.
You will also need a merchant account, usually offered in partnership with a financial institution, to process purchases and collect payments. Alternatively, most ecommerce shopping carts will allow you to collect payment using PayPal.
Database Web hosting: MSSQL and MySQL database Web hosting
A database lets you store information that can be recalled any time. For a small business, a Web hosting account that includes a database is important if you want to let users save information (like profiles) for later use, store contact information or provide any other feature that requires online data storage and retrieval.
Two of the most popular databases offered today are the MSSQL database format and the MySQL database format. MSSQL databases are specifically for Windows Web hosting accounts; MySQL databases are popular with Linux Web hosts (see ‘Linux Web hosting vs. Windows Web hosting’ below for more information). A program written in a scripting language, also known as a script, is usually required to exchange data with a database; most database Web hosts will provide basic scripts with their hosting accounts to make simple data retrieval easy.
Linux Web hosting vs. Windows Web hosting
When shopping for a small business Web hosting solution, chances are you will be presented with database hosting packages and ecommerce hosting packages on both Linux and Windows-based Web hosting platforms. But what does it mean when a small business Web host offers Linux Web hosting and Windows Web hosting? Will choosing one over the other affect your Web site?
Truth be told, there are few differences for the typical small business unless you have specific technical Web hosting needs. For example, the popular Active Server Pages programming language is designed for Windows-powered Web hosting accounts, while many free, functional scripts in languages like PHP are geared toward Linux-based accounts.
Putting it all together
Although we have looked at them individually, either an ecommerce host or a database host could suit the Web hosting requirements of a typical small business. Most ecommerce hosting accounts provide database access, and most database Web hosting packages include ecommerce features. If you don’t require a great deal of space or performance, you can get both types of hosting using a shared Web hosting account; just make sure the hosting package you’re considering includes everything you need before signing up.
