Premier Web Hosting Companies - 1,022,800,000 Reasons

How Many Reasons Do You Need?

There are 1,022,800,000 reasons why you need a cutting edge website and a superior web hosting provider. That’s the number of world-wide internet users who go online at least once a week.  The U.S. has the highest number of internet users with 205,300,000 “surfers” (68.6 percent of the country’s population). More than 80 billion search engine queries are conducted by U.S. internet users every year.

The share of online users who report that the internet has vastly improved their ability to shop has doubled since 2001. By 2010, ecommerce in the U.S. is expected to account for $316 billion in retail sales (13 percent of overall sales).

Here are some additional web hosting facts to consider:

• The Internet is rising in some unexpected categories. Older people and children under the age of 10 are currently strong growth sectors.
• People are using the Internet to research their buying decisions. This proves that a having a website is just as effective as having a "traditional"store.
• Business people are more influenced by the web than any other advertising medium. More than 60% of business people surveyed said the Internet is the best way for advertising to reach them
• Desk-bound office workers can’t get enough of easy to use websites. They are a captive audience for eight to ten hours a day.  If you are in business and don’t have a website, you are losing customers by the thousands.

"Some of the earliest adopters of the internet and cell phones still love the things that drew them into this new universe a decade or more ago and they have happily evolved in their use since then," noted John B. Horrigan, assistant director of the Pew Internet Project. "They live their lives on email; can’t imagine life without a smart phone; download songs to their MP3 players; and howl at online amateur videos." 

The scope of the Internet and Ecommerce

Given the magnitude of internet users and the potentially massive sales they represent, mediocrity is not an option for ecommerce owners who want to excel in the online commerce world. Small businesses in particular cannot afford to the make the mistake of having a mediocre or outdated web site. A knowledgeable web host can help you maximize your site’s potential whether your business is large or small.

So what kinds of services are provided by the best ecommerce hosting companies? Here are a few to consider:

• Superior customer service. The premier web hosting companies have technical experts who are available 24 hours a day so you can call or chat anytime you have a question or concern. (If your web hosting service does not offer this, leave them and find someone who does.)  
• Technological expertise.  As a business owner, you need to fully understand the products and services you offer, but you don’t need to understand the ever-growing verbiage of cyperspeak. Top-shelf web hosting companies are user friendly in their approach to communication with their clients.
• Safety. Just as a brick and mortar store has a security system your web host has systems in place to protect your site from unwelcome viruses and intruders. Additionally, they have privacy guards that assure your customers that their personal and financial information remains safe.
• Continuity. They keep your store up and running. The most important thing a web host can provide, especially for small businesses, is maximum “up” time. Almost anything can be forgiven as long as your site is up and running as close to 100% as possible. Every single feature provided by your web hosting company should be working properly all the time. Having a web site with frequent downtime is guaranteed to confuse and annoy your customers and send them running to your competitors.
• Level playing field. Even the smallest business can have a sophisticated global presence when they are in the hands of a superior web host.
• Honesty.  Ethical web hosting companies do not "oversell" their services. They will not offer a huge plan (example: unlimited web storage space and 500 GB of monthly transfer) if they cannot support it.  Reputable web hosting providers offer services that are within the reasonable bounds of competence. They clearly represent their level of knowledge and limit their services to that level. They make realistic statements about their web hosting expertise and are up front about their practices related to ecommerce and all other issues. 

Web Hosting - an investment

 Similar to valued employees, a good site is a strategic investment that can provide great returns when deployed effectively. Companies need to ask themselves if their site is attracting new visitors, and then offering them what they need. Well-hosted sites will convert visitors into leads and sales. And with 1,022,800,000 online users that could translate into a tidy sum for savvy ecommerce owners.

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