Holiday Traffic: Five Questions eCommerce Merchants Should Ask Hosting Providers

[mandy]

Carolers are singing. Partridges are in their pear trees. Visions of sugarplums abound. Chestnuts are on the open fire. The holidays are a time of peace and tranquility for all. A time that most everyone heaves a collective sigh of relaxation. That is until your Web site nose-dives.

Online retailers can typically expect a 30-percent increase in traffic during the holidays and should plan accordingly. I recall a project that I worked on some years ago. Our client's product was going to be featured on Oprah Winfrey's Holiday Show. Clearly it was imperative that her Web site be able to withstand the huge traffic surge that this media opportunity presented. Here are the five questions we asked the hosting provider. Even if you're not going to be interviewed by Oprah, you can ask these same questions to ensure that your Web site holds up during the holiday havoc.

1. Do you offer automatic upgrades?...
2. If you offer automatic upgrades, how long does it take for the changes to take effect?...
3. If you don't offer automatic upgrades, how can I monitor my bandwidth on my own?...
4. Can you perform a Web site performance audit for me?...
5. Do you offer holiday support hours? If so, what are they? If not, what are my support options?...

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/solutions...hp/3650161