Fastest Way to Build an eCommerce Store

When it comes to choosing an eCommerce solution, you have mainly two options, viz., self-hosted, and hosted eCommerce platform.

Why Choose Hosted eCommerce Platform?

Server Space is Rented

A hosted solution will enable you to quickly build an eCommerce store. You don't have to handle the technical hassles of running your online business. When you choose a hosted solution, you only rent server space; no buying server, or looking after its maintenance.

No Handling Technical Aspects

Your website is hosted on someone else's server, which means you don't have to worry about web hosting, upgrades, and maintenance. The hosted eCommerce provider takes care of everything so that you can focus on designing your store.

Focus on Marketing

When you launch an online store with a hosted eCommerce platform, you can spend a majority of your budget and time on the most important aspect of your business - marketing. You are in a position to amplify your marketing efforts and grow your business.

Run your Business from Anywhere

A hosted solution is a cloud-based eCommerce platform, meaning the server is hosted on the Internet. This allows you to handle your online business from any Internet-enabled device. No depending on office PCs to manage your business.

Internet connectivity to your laptop is all that is needed to connect to your business. To put it simply, a hosted solution gives you the flexibility to run your business from any Internet-enabled device.

Affordable

You have to pay a reasonable monthly fee to use the hosted solution. Any customizations and upgrades to the software are delivered via the Internet. The operational cost dramatically reduces when you choose a hosted platform.

Also, hosted eCommerce platforms come with drag and drop functionality that eliminates the need for coding to design the store. Without knowing CSS and HTML, you can design the store as per your needs.

Why Avoid Self-Hosted eCommerce Platform?

High Capital

Honestly speaking, a self-hosted solution is not suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. Startups and new entrepreneurs should stay away from self-hosted eCommerce platforms. This is because a fair amount of investment is needed to launch an online eCommerce store using this platform.

Purchase your Own Server

With a self-hosted solution, your eCommerce software runs on a dedicated server that has been specifically designed for your online business. You own the server, which means you are fully responsible for its maintenance.

Server Management

The headache of managing your own server can be a daunting task. Server management includes installation, monitoring, backups, and maintenance. You will be left with no option but to hire a dedicated IT team for server management. Regular server maintenance and backups are very important to ensure website speed.

High Operational Cost

What's the point of choosing an eCommerce solution that increases your operational cost and lowers your margins?

Self-hosted solutions are typically offered on a monthly/annual licensing fee. Moreover, hosting and development requires considerable investment in IT infrastructure. The large upfront cost is one of the major disadvantages of using a self-hosted solution.

A self-hosted solution is commonly described as an on-premise eCommerce platform. This is because the server and other IT infrastructure lie within the premises of your organization. So connecting to a device that is outside your organization can be a daunting task.

On the whole, a hosted solution provides a cost-effective way to run your eCommerce business. Without handling any technical aspects, you can comfortably run your business from any laptop that is connected to the Internet.

If you want to be successful in your online venture, choose an eCommerce platform that makes it easy to manage an online business. With a hosted solution, you can spend more time on designing strategies that help you to increase the conversion rate.