Hosted eCommerce: An Interim Solution

With more than one-third of companies evaluating sell-side technologies in 2006, hosted eCommerce providers increasingly found their way onto the shortlist of technology buyers. For retailers that lack resources to manage the technology in-house, a hosted platform may be the ideal option. But with so many choices in today's market, Forrester believes that no single hosted eCommerce solution is well matched for all online retailers. Today's hosted vendors fall into one of four classes, each better suited for a specific type of merchant. Matching merchant type with the proper vendor class can make all the difference in client satisfaction. It is essential for providers to set clear expectations with prospects, because even the right hosted platform can be outgrown on the road to multichannel maturity.