The CNMC ( National Commission for Markets and Competition ) is clear: e-commerce has already surpassed €84.000 billion in Spain. E-commerce in our country has been experiencing gradual but steady growth. According to this independent public body, Spanish consumers primarily purchase online products and services related to travel and fashion.
Although GDP has decreased considerably this past year (the closure of many businesses being one of the factors contributing to this decline), there are still small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are staying afloat thanks precisely to their online sales . The direct communication that social networks, such as Facebook and Instagram, foster between their users and the brands themselves has driven the digitalization of businesses . In fact, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business has had to extend until December 31st the application deadline for the financial aid provided by the Digital Kit to businesses that want to establish an online presence.
In this article, we explain what it takes to create an attractive and functional online store with cheap hosting.
e-commerce, a two-yolk egg
To create an online store, in addition to having an electronic device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) with an internet connection and software that allows you to configure it (these days there are platforms for creating websites in just a few clicks ), you also need to register a domain and a hosting service . Domains are the names that identify websites so that customers can easily find the company's online store. Loading has been registering domains and providing web hosting for over two decades.
Who owns the domain?
Every domain consists of two parts: the website name itself (in the case of an online store, this is the store's name) and the domain extension, preceded by a period: .es, .com, .net, .org, and .info are some common examples. When choosing a domain for your online store, simplicity is key: the name should be short, catchy, memorable, and easy to spell.
On the other hand, when selecting a domain extension , it's best to choose one of the ones mentioned above. Since they are so common, customers will easily remember them. For online stores specifically targeting consumers in a particular geographic region, it's recommended to choose an extension related to that country: .es (Spain), .eu (European continent in general), .cat (Catalonia), .mx (Mexico), .gov (US Government), etc.
El owner of the online store domain is the one who registers it in the company that sells domains. Loading allows you to choose between several extensions: .es, .com, .net, .org, .cat, .eu, . Info, .biz, . Us y .name. The time it may take for the domain to become effective depends on the payment method. If the transfer is immediate (credit/debit card or PayPal), The online store will have its instantly active domainIf it is by bank transfer, it may take up to 48 hours.
Buy hosting quality
The Spanish equivalent of hosting es web hosting. Apart from the domain, the online store needs a place where all the information that composes it (text, images, audio, hyperlinks and any other kind of files) is stored correctly. services hosting that Spanish companies like Loading The hosting services they provide can be classified into several types. Depending on their specific features, these accommodations can be more or less economical. For online stores, the types of hosting most recommended They are dedicated servers, VPS, hosting WordPress and the hosting PrestaShop.
However, regardless of which of them is chosen, it is advisable that they have the following characteristics:
- El hosting must provide the free SSL certificate. In this way, without having to pay an additional amount, the self-employed person or entrepreneur would have an online store officially recognized as a reliable website. The acronym SSL, which stands for Secure Sockets Layer, They apply only to websites that encrypt your information, which is essential to ensure a safe shopping experienceThe SSL certificate is, in short, a sign of quality and security for the client.
- It is recommended that they be servers in SpainIn this way, aspects such as data processing or the conditions of contracting services would be subject to the legal regulations of the country.
- It is also very important that the supplier of hosting offer a 24/7/365 technical service, so that the online store remains active at all times. In addition, Loading offers the website migration free of charge. In this way, if the company has a online store already created (even with its own domain), and wants move the hosting a Loading, you can do this without having to pay any more money.
- It is key that the hosting have security systems and a filter spam advanced, to avoid cyber attacks and massive advertising bombardments. In this way, the website is protected against malicious codes (malware).
- Finally, it is advisable for the supplier to use NVMe drives and ensure the periodic implementation of Backups o backup.
Types of hosting for online stores
All the services described below are available in Loading.
Dedicated server
Dedicated server hosting services are the most expensive. However, the advantages they offer over other types of web hosting are significant. Their exclusivity lies in the fact that the company's online store is the only website hosted on the server, meaning it doesn't have to share the web hosting with any other e-commerce site. This results in online stores hosted on these servers loading very quickly.
VPS
El hosting VPS (Virtual Private Server) It is a middle ground between the dedicated server and the shared server. It combines the more affordable budget of the shared server with the efficiency of the hosting dedicated. Although the websites that hire hosting VPS If they are hosted on the same server as others, they have exclusive resources for themselves. Each online store thus has its own RAM and a reserved space of disk storage.
Wordpress y PrestaShop
So much Wordpress , the PrestaShop are platforms to create personalized online stores. Both offer pre-designed templates that can be adapted to each particular case, plugins which provide extra features to the website (for example: subscription buttons to content), compatibility with the most common payment methods among customers, etc. The main feature of the hosting Wordpress and hosting PrestaShop is that the professionals responsible for hosting are specialists in both content management platforms and e-commerce management.
Cloud hosting
Although their features are similar to those of VPS hosting , cloud web hosting services are easier to scale. This means that users can modify some aspects of the hosting service themselves without having to contact their provider directly.