Total ecommerce sales in 2013 totaled $263.3 billion, a 16.9 percent increase from the previous year. Today, ecommerce sales account for 5.8 percent of total sales in the United States economy and are expected to grow in the following decade, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Commerce. As the ecommerce industry continues to grow, it’s no wonder that more businesses want to cash-in and claim their share of the pie.
Unfortunately, competing in the digital landscape is more difficult than it sounds, even for veteran business moguls. Common challenges that ecommerce businesses face include:
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Finding a niche:
In a brick and mortar store, businesses have more freedom to carry a wide variety of inventory a la Wal-Mart and similar major retailers. Online, however, consumers are more likely to finish a transaction with a niche site.
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Customer acquisition.
One of the challenges of a new ecommerce site is not only marketing it, but also bringing down customer acquisition costs. Average figures range between INR 500-1000 per customer.
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Reliable hosting.
Similar to New York City, the internet never sleeps, as visitors can browse and place orders on your site at any time of day. While reliable hosting is necessary for a successful website, the reality is that not every business is invested in a Windows VPS, especially for their online shopping cart.
About SmartStore.Net
SmartStore.net is a free resource that provides comprehensive solutions for ecommerce companies regardless of size or industry. By incorporating the latest features from the Microsoft web technology stack, SmartStore offers businesses the features necessary for multilingual and multi-currency stores. SmartStore’s shopping cart features are designed to handle discounts, coupon codes, variants, an unlimited number of products, and much more.
Some of the most popular benefits of SmartStore include, but are not limited to:
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Multi-store support.
Whether you have “sister” sites or operate ecommerce sites in different niches, SmartStore offers support for every need you have.
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Sales, customer, and inventory management solutions.
From shopping carts to customer lifecycle management, SmartStore helps ecommerce sites manage the bloodline of their digital business.
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Payment and shipping flexibility.
Consumers want payment options when shopping online. After all, ecommerce is all about convenience and shopping an open market. SmartStore gives your clients the options they want and need in order to complete a transaction.
Why Windows VPS is Necessary for SmartStore
The minimum requirement for SmartStore.Net hosting is an ASP.Net server. While this gives ecommerce businesses the ability to use this powerful tool, only Windows VPS can provide ultimate performance. By investing in Windows VPS, businesses can harness the full benefits SmartStore has to offer.
Hosting on Windows VPS provides:
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Reliability.
Windows VPS hosting provides guaranteed uptime for your ecommerce site, ensuring customers can peruse products and make a purchase at any time of day. One of the greatest threats to ecommerce sites is downtime. For every minute that your business or shopping cart is offline, your business suffers:
- Competitor infiltration
- Loss of repeat customers
- Negative brand imaging
- Loss of employee productivity
- Wasted PPC spending
These five issues not only result in financial loss, but they damage online reputations as well. Windows VPS keeps SmartStore running 24/7 so you can focus on what you do best: serving customers and ensuring their utmost satisfaction.
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Simple upgrades.
Traditionally, site and shopping cart upgrades result in downtime, which unquestionably hurt your site. However, with Windows VPS, upgrades aren’t slowed by hardware and other physical components. A virtualized data center makes it easy to upgrade SmartStore and add the latest expansions as your store grows. Business growth should be an exciting time for your ecommerce business; not something that hurts your site.
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Customization.
When it comes to online solutions, there is no one-size-fits all answer. Sites in different niches and industries will require different solutions based on the needs of the site. The key is to select an ecommerce VPS hosting solution that is customizable to fit your specific needs. Fortunately, SmartStore allows you to select your layout and design needs. However, VPS hosting exaggerates these benefits by providing even more resources.
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Optimization.
As an open source solution, SmartStore provides an incredible range of solutions that ensure intuitive functionality for the user. The key to leveraging a solution like SmartStore is to ensure a consistent experience for both new and repeat customers. VPS hosting not only ensures that your site is always functioning, but it also helps your customers always find what they need. Never again worry about misplaced orders or slow response times.
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Grow as you grow.
Providing excellent service encourages customers to perform repeat business. When coupled with new customers, repeat business results in greater growth. Similar to a brick and mortar store, when your ecommerce site grows, you’ll need more infrastructure to handle the incoming traffic and orders. VPS hosting is designed specifically to grow as your business grows. RAM and storage are guaranteed in just a few clicks. Bandwidth overage protection, network monitoring, and cutting edge routers and servers make Windows VPS the primary solution for businesses using SmartStore.
Is SmartStore Right for You?
SmartStore is available for a free, live online demo to determine whether or not it is the right shopping cart platform for your business. Easy to install, SmartStore is solution based on convenience, power, and reliability. When coupled with a VPS hosting solution, SmartStore provides the positive customer experience every ecommerce site needs to succeed.
Today, worldwide ecommerce sales are poised to jump a mammoth 20.1 percent within the next year, towering at a historic $1.5 trillion. As international competition grows, ecommerce sites must ensure they provide the greatest experience possible. Site uptime, shopping cart reliability, and intuitive design are critical to excellent performance.
With Windows VPS hosting for SmartStore, you can ensure that your site meets all these criteria for success. By opting for Windows VPS over an ASP.Net server, you will ensure the ultimate performance of your site.
Are you investing in a reliable, secure, and trusted solution for your business?
