Ecommerce | Ecommerce News

These days, compliance with the industry's security practices is one of the most significant concerns regarding ecommerce hosting. In the year 2004, an association of credit card providers developed the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. While they were at first only recommendations for keeping consumers' personal information secure, they now have the force of contract in most merchant agreements. And since customers are more willing to deal with a company which protects their credit information, these guidelines are helpful to everyone involved.

Today's standards are comprised of twelve main regulations, each divided into numerous sub-regulations. These range from technology guidelines to carefully defined administrative practices. One of the technology regulations involves the encryption of information during its storage and transmittal. A firm must also maintain control over both physical and digital access to the information.

PCI standards should be followed by any company that processes, transmits or stores credit card information. For smaller companies, this is not the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. To assist them, there are many PCI-compliant ecommerce solutions available to them and range from online shopping cart software to ecommerce hosting. These options insure PCI compliance and take the burden off of the sellers and allow them to focus more on making sales.

Ecommerce hosting ratings can be found at opinion sites throughout the Web. However, an opinion from an unknown is no guarantee of satisfaction; you need solid references as well. You will be doing business with them for a long time. Is your hosting provider PCI-compliant? Are they trustworthy? Do they have a good reputation? Demand and check references.

While security is certainly a major factor to consider when looking at ecommerce hosting, you should also check out the other benefits ecommerce solutions have to offer. Hosting firms often pair up with their clients to offer online shopping cart software too. It is extremely helpful if your hosting provider has software expertise, since this can often result in better technical support for you. In the end, that means your site will be down less often and your customers will find their shopping experience a more comfortable one.

Starting an ecommerce business that makes money is not simple. It is easy to obsess over the interesting side of things, choosing what you will sell and how you will advertise. However, far more important to most people is the understanding their information is secure from prying eyes. Similarly, you have obligations enabling continued use of credit cards.