Building an e-commerce business is decidedly a lucrative proposition, because, think of the vast ocean of opportunities it offers. While all that is fine and dandy, the truth is setting up an e-commerce business is not nearly as simple and straightforward as some people may have you believe.
So, for someone seeking to foray into the world of e-commerce must face and answer a ton of questions, but none of them as crucial as ‘Should you opt for a cloud-based or an on-premises e-commerce solution. We don’t have to tell you why that is the most important decision; the question is pretty self-explanatory.
Unfortunately, it stumps most people and for somewhat understandable reasons. On-premises solutions have been around longer and seem to be amply popular. While, on the other hand, cloud-based solutions are now starting to gain traction in the market at a rapid pace as well. To help you out a bit with this decision, we put together a handy guide to each of the two offerings, including what they are, their pros and cons, and more. So, read on.
1. On-premises solutions
When you set up a server at your facility to host your e-commerce website, it is called an on-premises model. Such solutions then translate into the business owner having complete access as well as absolute control over the infrastructure for the website.
a. Advantages
- As mentioned above, on-prem solutions offer 100 percent access and control over the infrastructure, including hardware and even code, albeit only in case of open-source software.
- With a dedicated team comprised of staff with expertise in administration and servers, one can achieve enhanced levels of performance of their e-commerce websites.
b. Disadvantages
- It is typically a costly endeavor since one needs to acquire everything individually, including hardware, software, and more.
- Scalability is challenging since it would need one to add more resources and hardware, which is not only expensive but also time-consuming.
2.Cloud solutions
Cloud-based eCommerce solutions refer to the solutions ones hosted on, you know, the cloud. Here, one subscribes to use the service provider’s servers and hardware.
a. Advantages
- It is considerably affordable since you don’t have to pay either for setting up the infrastructure nor its maintenance.
- Scalability is amazingly easy with cloud solutions since it is as simple as just paying for using additional servers.
- When you are operating on the cloud, backing up relevant data or even whole servers is very simple.
b. Disadvantages
- You still need a dedicated employee(s) to manage your cloud servers, which, in turn, is not exactly effortless.
One also has to configure it and continue maintaining it. We understand that this decision isn’t easy by any means. And, that is why it is imperative that you take out sufficient time to factor in all aspects, see how they fare for your business’ requirements, and then take the final call. This will make sure that no matter the solution you opt for, i.e., cloud-based eCommerce solutions or on-prem resources, your business will be able to flourish just as you intend for it to.