Maine Hosting Solutions: WordPress Shopping Cart Solutions

Maine is one of the USA’s largest states, located at the country’s northernmost tip. Around 45 million people live there, making it the 5th biggest state in terms of population. With a GDP of over $16 billion, it’s the 4th largest economy in the country. In 2017, the state’s unemployment rate was a relatively low 4.8%. These are all strong indicators of a well-run state. If you’re looking to launch a business there, you’ll most certainly need a website.

The only problem is that developing a website in Maine can be rather expensive. The state is very cyber-friendly, with almost 95% of its residents having internet access. However, getting a SSL certificate can set you back over $500. Moreover, finding someone to host your site can also cost you. In fact, the average price for web hosting in Maine is $13 per month. For a small business, that’s a lot of money. For a medium business, it’s still quite pricey.

Fortunately, there are alternatives. Some of the most popular solutions to this problem are shopping cart software and cloud-based hosting. Let’s take a quick look at what they are and why you should consider them.

Shopping Cart Software

Most small businesses don’t have the time to master the complexities of website development, so they outsource this part. The result is that they get a fully functioning website with no knowledge of HTML or WordPress, the platforms used to create them. This is where shopping cart software comes in.

Also known as e-commerce software, shopping cart solutions are specialized tools designed for online stores. They make setting up and running an e-commerce store easy and accessible for anyone. Moreover, unlike traditional web hosts, shopping cart software comes with various add-ons and options that can help you make the most of your store.

Some of the most popular shopping cart solutions include Shopify, Big Commerce, and Wix. When it comes to security, all these platforms are highly recommended by trusted sources, such as AV-Comparatives and TrustRadius. According to the experts, Shopify and Big Commerce earn the highest scores for security, while Wix is pretty secure as well, but lacks some features needed by larger businesses.

Cloud-Based Hosting

Speaking of security, let’s not forget about it. When you host your website on a cloud-based platform, the safety and security of your data are of paramount importance. There are quite a few companies that provide such services as Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure. When it comes to price, the best part is that you don’t need to care about the hosting fees, as cloud hosting is usually included in the price of your software.

The advantage of cloud hosting is that your site will be seamlessly accessible from anywhere. You don’t need to worry about server space or bandwidth, as these will be handled by the platform’s infrastructure. The disadvantages are that setting up a cloud-based website takes a bit more work than usual, and you’ll need someone with adequate knowledge of technology to ensure that your site is up and running smoothly.

Which One Should You Choose?

Whether you decide to go with shopping cart software or cloud-based hosting, there are a number of important things to keep in mind.

The first is security. The experts at Best Web Hosting compare the safety and reliability of the most popular web hosts, indicating that Hepsia, AWS, and Bluehost are the safest, while GoDaddy, HostGator, and Liquid Web are the most reliable.

This probably comes as no surprise, considering that the first two companies are known for providing security through obscurity, while the latter three are more open about providing security through technical means. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a cheap and reliable web host that also offers a good level of security, then you can’t go wrong with any of the three mentioned above. Moreover, if you’re looking for a free domain, then you should check out Bluehost, as they offer some cool features for free.

Another important factor to consider is performance. You want your website to be fast and responsive, which is why you’re looking for a dedicated server. However, if you decide that a cloud-based host is the best option, then you don’t necessarily need a dedicated server. The advantage of a cloud-based host is that you can launch a very lightweight webserver, which can be easily scaled up to serve any number of requests.

Last, but not least, is cost. Dedicated servers are obviously more expensive than the shared ones, and setting up a cloud-based website is usually more expensive as well. But you need to remember that you don’t need to keep paying for the server whenever you have an event or whenever the site gets busy. This is where Cloud Hosting Value Adders come in. These are tools that provide extra features for free, as long as you meet certain volume requirements. For example, Rackspace Cloud Adders provide free backup and restore, as well as free domain privacy for resellers and enterprise customers. Similarly, Amazon Web Services provides free domain registration and privacy, while Google Cloud offers free domain registration and a free dedicated IP address.

In summary, if you’re looking for a web host that offers a cheap, yet reliable solution, then you should check out Bluehost. Moreover, for a dedicated server, you should look at Hepsia, as it provides a good balance between price and performance.