1. Hosting P6

2. When setting up an e-commerce site, there are two issues of hosting which need to be decided - who will host it and which ISP to use.
Hosting

3. If the site is to be hosted in-house, the business has to make sure its staff has the skills required to design a professional-looking, fully functioning website.
This may mean employing another member of staff, or several, depending on the size of the site and the desired functionality.
Keeping it in-house should result in lower costs, but businesses can fall into the trap of giving responsibility to employees who lack the necessary design or technical skills, resulting in amateurish websites that do not instil confidence in customers.
Who will host?

4. Subcontracting means the business will pay another company to create the website.
It depends on the deal as to how much is done by the subcontractor- it could be just the design, then the site is handed over to the company to maintain.
Sometimes the subcontractor has full control long term.
Although the latter option can be expensive and there can be communication issues between business and subcontractor - for example over design elements, with each having a different idea of how something should look - it is likely to result in a more professional website with more reliable functionality than using in-house resources.
Who will host?

5. A decision also has to be made as to the location of the web server
A decision also has to be made as to the location of the web server. Will it be secure and safe in the business?
Can the business afford to buy their own server or is it better to rent a server, or part of a server, from a professional service?
Who will host?

6. Secondly, the business needs to decide which ISP they will use.
They need to decide whether they change their existing one and choose the type of Internet connection they want.
If they have been using a low-speed broadband line, they may need to purchase a bigger line, perhaps a dedicated line that gives them continuous guaranteed access at all times.
Which ISP?