Ecommerce Website Development Cost: A Comprehensive Pricing Guide

 11 Mar, 2024

ecommerce-website-cost

Being well informed about the eCommerce website cost is essential because it assists you in evaluating the investment you would require to start your online business. But the challenge is that several factors are involved in developing an eCommerce website, which all affect your overall business cost. 

Therefore, when you begin without having a clear action plan, you might easily result up overspending. But take it easy; we’re here to help you!

In this blog, we’ll be breaking down all the crucial information to give you an accurate picture of how much it does cost to build an e-commerce website, along with the different ways to prevent overspending and increase profit by hiring professional web development services

So, Are You Ready? Let’s get started.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Launching Your Online Store

Expenses associated with building and maintaining an online store are a major factor to consider. Nonetheless, it's important to pick an e-commerce platform and an eCommerce web development services that can genuinely serve your company's requirements. As an added bonus, if you lay out your requirements in advance, you can avoid overspending or buying unnecessary extras later.

Questions To Ask Before Launching Online Store

1. What do you envision your virtual shop looking like?

Before you begin construction, it is crucial to have a clear idea of the kind of online shop you want to create. When comparing product stores to service businesses, there is a clear distinction to be made. 

How many unique items or variations do you want to offer in your e-commerce platform? Do you cater to other companies (B2B) or individual buyers (B2C)? 

In this planning stage, it is important to be as specific as possible. Your online store's feature requirements may vary depending on the type of service or product you're selling. Depending on your specific requirements, you can evaluate several e-commerce solutions. To what extent, for instance, do you anticipate the need for a multilingual store? Or, you may require a shop that offers individual sign-in. These are some factors that will affect your e-commerce website development cost.

2. Will you sell your products online, or do you already operate a physical storefront?

Even more traditional stores will have an online presence by 2023. Small businesses selling their wares online can expand their reach internationally, and clients can choose between making purchases online and picking them up at their convenience (BOPIS). Both of these can increase your company's exposure and eCommerce website design cost; therefore, both factors must be considered when selecting an e-commerce platform.

You must also deal with inventory and shipping when you sell anything online. Choose an e-commerce platform that fits your current inventory management system unless you're willing to learn and implement something new.

3. How Much Does It Cost To Build an eCommerce Website?

It's easy to get lost in the sea of eCommerce platform customization possibilities once you start looking into your options. So, it's essential to have a firm grasp on your eCommerce website development budget in advance.

The total cost of a custom-designed eCommerce website development for an average-sized eCommerce business could start from $1500 to $6000. For an enterprise-level custom theme, the eCommerce website development cost with its own companion plugins could start from $10,000 to $30,000.

In order to keep your spending under control, make a list of which functions are mandatory and which ones may be done without. What more features would you find most appealing? And stick to it.

4. What are the available shipping choices?

Now is the time to plan out the shipping choices you'll make available to customers once your online shop goes live. Can you tell me how much shipping capacity you have? The question is whether or not the shipment will be handled internally. Will there be international shipping options? What you present is entirely up to you. Payment methods in your online shop should also be carefully thought out because they’ll add up to your eCommerce website price.

Factors Affecting eCommerce Website Cost

Factors Decide E-Commerce Website Cost

Website Design

There is a significant price gap between having a website designed from scratch and using a premade template.

Platform

The eCommerce website prices vary widely depending on your selected platform (Shopify, Magento, WordPress, etc.).

Functionality

Pricing is affected by the quantity and complexity of custom-built eCommerce website features and functionality.

Data Import

The e-commerce website price can go up if you need to import data, such as information about products or customers who have made purchases in the past. Make sure your database has everything you need to keep your website up and running.

SEO and Marketing

A comprehensive digital marketing strategy will increase the budget, but it could be essential for search engine optimization and visitor numbers. After your site goes live, it's a good idea to use Google Ads consultation or an SEO professional to fine-tune your search marketing efforts.

Integrations with Third Parties

Integrating an enterprise resource planning system (ERP) or other third-party systems with an online store might add thousands to the cost to build an eCommerce website.

Shipping

Logistics of shipping can be complicated for some online stores, which could lengthen the project's development time.

Responsive Design

Design that adapts to the size of its screen is called "responsive design," and it can increase production times.

eCommerce Development Services

The cost of an e-commerce website will be affected by the eCommerce website design you go with. In general, the higher-priced organization will deliver better quality work. Make sure the eCommerce website development services you use are trustworthy, has an actual office, and can be reached if you have questions before and after the website is finished being built.

When deciding on an eCommerce web design and development company, it's best to go with one that has a solid reputation and plenty of experience. They can help you with the following:

  • Web development
  • Web design
  • UI/UX design
  • Mobile app design
  • Digital strategies
  • And a lot more

Looking for Custom E-commerce Website Development Services?

  • Amplifies your Brand Voice
  • Drive Customer Engagement
  • Increase Traffic & Conversion Rate
  • Maximize your Profits

How Much Does A Professional eCommerce Website Cost?

The final professional e-commerce website cost is affected by a wide range of factors. Some online shops can be launched for as little as a few hundred dollars, while others might go into the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.

Wondering how much does it cost to build an eCommerce website? The following are extra costs that you should prepare for:

1. eCommerce Software

The eCommerce site development cost varies according to the number of preinstalled features, the type of software included, and the quality of customer support provided. One of the most significant challenges of launching an online shop is settling on a platform to run it on. Let's look at a few of the platforms that could work for you.

  • BigCommerce

BigCommerce platform is loaded with useful features, intuitive to operate, and speeds up the launch process for enterprises. BigCommerce is simple to manage after it is set up, with a straightforward storefront for adding products and handling orders.

Its headless capabilities may be appealing to developers and other back-end users. Many popular DXP and front-end CMS platforms, including WordPress, Bloomreach, Drupal, and more, have pre-built integrations with BigCommerce. 

Using BibCommerce, you can save a lot of money on e-commerce site development costs and speed up the complete process. Its start-up expenditures will be very lower, and it's not required to spend too much time applying for grants or licenses to get your business running.

  • Magento

While Magento is available in both on-premise and cloud-hosted configurations, many companies are moving toward SaaS models due to the benefits of ongoing upgrades and patches in the Magento platform. Magento necessitates the services of a developer or team of developers, as well as the assistance of a hosting partner and an integrator for your technology stack.

Magento offers hundreds of functionalities that work very well, and you’ll also save time and the overall eCommerce website development cost. So that you can concentrate more on your business instead of creating the basics.

  • Shopify

Shopify is a good platform for brands to get their feet wet regarding e-commerce. 

Shopify was developed in response to the need from small businesses for an easy-to-use platform from which to launch their own online stores. Even if you've never written a line of code, you can put together a site using the drag-and-drop features most site builders offer.

It is also an all-in-one commerce platform that simplifies the process of launching your dream business without spending too much on eCommerce development costs and beginning selling products and services to your customers, wherever they are.

In general, any of these platforms will cost you in the range of $2000 to $25,000.

2. Domain Name

Unless you're willing to pay for several years in advance, renewing your domain name will be an annual expense.

Domain Name cost

The cost varies from vendor to vendor and even by extension, accordingly affecting eCommerce website pricing. In most cases, you can expect to pay more when buying from a private party or at auction.

3. Hosting

The next step after registering a domain name is to locate a suitable web hosting provider. Hosting your website is included in the monthly fee with solutions like BigCommerce and Shopify, which are hosted in the cloud. That eliminates the need to find and manage to host through a third party.

Hosting your own online shop can cost anywhere from $80 to $750 per month.

Therefore the professional e-commerce website cost will depend on the factors like the number of visitors your site receives, the number of unique features it offers, and the presence or absence of automatic services like daily site backups.

4. SSL Certificate

SSL Certificate

The security over a network that customers will require to view and purchase on your website can be provided by this relatively modest component. Search engines are increasingly considering SSL certificates as ranking criteria. Keep in mind that this feature may be included in the price of some hosting plans; thus, various professional eCommerce websites cost.

5. Payment Gateway

Payment processing fees associated with accepting payments at checkout will change based on a number of factors, including the payment methods you choose to accept (such as PayPal or other credit cards), the currencies you'll be accepting, and the locations in which you'll be selling.

Every payment processor you use will charge you a fee. As an illustration, consider the following:

  • For PayPal purchases over $10, the fee is 2.9% plus $0.30.
  • The transaction fee for using Stripe is 2.9% plus $0.30.
  • To use Authorize.net, you'll need to pay 2.9% plus $0.30 for each transaction and $25 per month.

6. Design and Theme

Because of how crucial the initial impression is to closing a deal, you should make sure the visuals are up to par. If you want to sell online, a professional, custom-built website will convert visitors into buyers at a considerably higher rate than a website that seems like it was built by a high school student.

Also, think about your brand. Your website needs to look and feel professional if your company is huge and well-known. Since first impressions are crucial in the internet world, many business owners of online stores invest heavily in designing a visually appealing site.

Designing for mobile and tablet devices is essential if you want your website to be responsive. That will increase the project's duration and total eCommerce website prices.

Costs of a custom eCommerce website design is in the range of $0 – $100,000.

A free or low-cost template or design is the fastest and easiest way to start. This indicates the layout is complete, and all that needs to be done is to incorporate your brand's colors and logo. Even though we do not recommend this for professional online stores, it could work for you if the money is tight.

You may find eCommerce web design templates for any of the popular eCommerce platforms. Some themes may be free or cost between $60 and $200 in addition to the platform fee, while others may cost more.

7. Add-ons and Extensions

You won't find an e-commerce platform that supports every feature your store requires. Here's where extras like plugins, extensions, add-ons, and associated fees come into play and add up to eCommerce website prices.

  • BigCommerce

BigCommerce gives you the flexibility to choose between free and paid extensions. A premium extension's price can fluctuate widely and is often based on a periodic fee. 

Big Commerce's pre-built features can help businesses save money on app subscriptions by $6,000 to $30,000 per year compared to Shopify.

  • Magento

Custom development is often necessary for Magento extensions, which can drive up their cost.

You many find thousands of extensions on the Magento marketplace, and their prices range from $0 to $15.000.

  • Shopify

Merchants using Shopify have access to hundreds of both free and paid applications, the price of which varies widely depending on the app's features.

In-Depth: How Much Does Ecommerce Website Cost

1. Number of Pages

One major key consideration in determining the total cost of an eCommerce website is the total number of pages you require. Most online stores have 250+.

This means your per-page cost of e-commerce website will be far more than, say, a website that gets leads from a smaller number of pages.

But the number of items you sell will quickly offset the cost of each page.

For this reason, it is prudent for your e-commerce website to provide a dedicated page for each of its products. In fact, if things kick up and you expand, you may end up with more.

To properly display your goods, you'll also require category pages.  

Number of Pages

2. SEO

If you run an online store, you need to optimize your site for search engines like Google using these eCommerce SEO strategies if you want more traffic. It's also crucial to the long-term health of your online store. Attracting clients who make use of search engines is crucial if you want to increase sales.

You need both new and returning consumers regularly if your business is to succeed. To be successful with search engine optimization for online stores, however, a regular financial commitment is necessary. Maintaining a high search engine ranking is time-consuming and essential if you don't want to see your competition push you down the page. Thus based on your monthly SEO investment, your cost to build an e-commerce website will fluctuate.

SEO services cost

3. Responsive Website Design

Having a mobile-friendly layout is critical for every online store today. Customers will always be browsing your website from their mobile phones, tablets, and even smartwatches.

Since they account for over 50% of all Internet traffic nowadays, you should make accommodations for them.

This is what adaptive layout accomplishes. Responsive web design ensures that your e-commerce site will look great on any device. In this way, shoppers who access your site from a mobile device will have an excellent browsing and purchasing experience, thanks to the perfectly sized buttons, clean design, and comprehensive set of features.

Someone using a laptop to purchase on your site will also benefit from a fantastic, tailored experience. For online businesses, responsive design is the ultimate game-changer they've been waiting for. Hence consider beforehand how much an eCommerce website costs, for responsive website design.

You could lose as many as 50 percent of your visitors if your site is not mobile-friendly.

Responsive Website Design cost

4. Ecommerce Database

While database integration is sometimes considered a nice-to-have for standard websites, it is essential for online stores. Integrating your databases is a great way to centralize the data your business collects on customers, workers, and goods.

Database integration is necessary if you want all of your employees to have access to a central server housing company data. However, customer database integration is also necessary because customers may make profiles, select their preferences, and have a better-tailored experience, all thanks to your database.

Customer's credit card details need not be re-entered if you employ database integration to store them. Database integration is an eCommerce website development expense to factor in if you want to improve internal communication or make buying easier for your clients. So consider this factor when determining eCommerce website development costs. 

Prices per integration range from $20,000 to $25,000.

5. Website Maintenance

Your website requires regular maintenance, just like roadwork does, to ensure optimal performance. Keeping your e-commerce site updated, bug-free, and fresh necessitates constant attention to detail.

Website maintenance is crucial, even if it comes with a higher price tag than you had hoped to pay and with a delay before you start seeing results. Inevitably, problems will arise with your website if you don't perform regular maintenance. For example, you may have a problem in the checkout process, incorrect product photos, or a website that isn't mobile-friendly. You need to have someone on your side who will ensure the upkeep of your site no matter what.

Maintenance of an online store might cost anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000.

Other Ongoing Expenses to Think About

Is that it? 

Well no! There is more.

There are some expenses associated with running an online shop that is one-time only, but there are also some that must be paid on a regular basis. 

Consider the following recurring expenses when budgeting for e-commerce features:

1. Inventory Management

Even if these aspects are outsourced, an online shop still needs to keep track of stock and calculate shipping costs.

2. Security

To further safeguard your company and its data from malicious third parties, you should also invest in security software in addition to an SSL certificate. This is typically a recurring monthly charge for a subscription.

3. Promotional emails

Maintaining a steady flow of income requires constant contact with current and new consumers. According to the size of your email contact list, certain email marketing systems may provide free plans or monthly payments.

4. Marketing

SEO, PPC ads, and social media marketing are just a few examples of further digital marketing services that necessitate funding. Promoting your products will raise your company's profile and attract more buyers to your web store, and can increase your eCommerce store costs.

Want to Plan an eCommerce Website Budget?

  • Target the Right Customers
  • No Time Restrictions
  • Lower Setup and Running Cost

FAQs

1. Do I need hosting assistance?

When this is the case, it's best to go with a host that offers reasonable rates.

2. What functions should my CMS have?

Employ the industry standard if multifaceted functionality is a must. Select something simple if you just need to add a product sometimes.

3. What extent of freedom do I like to grant my users?

Going for maximal capability and database integration is the way to go if you want to give users great power over customization. Passwords and user IDs are all that need to be saved if you're looking to give up the least amount of control possible.

4. How can I know whether a web designer is any good?

The key to standing out from the crowd is to use cutting-edge design. If your goal is to just sell and compete, a cheaper option will suffice.

5. How many pages should I have for my products?

There will be a significant cost for additional pages if you require a large quantity. Save money upgrading if you only need a few.

6. How many pages should I count on if I only want to include text?

You'll need a great deal of text-only pages if you intend to appeal to a wide variety of potential customers. You only need a few text-only sites if you're OK with sticking with your present audience.

7. What sort of search engine optimization services do I require?

You'll need a lot of help from SEO experts if you want to outshine your rivals. Simple SEO strategies can get you in the game if that's all you're after.

8. Should I invest in website maintenance?

In order to keep making money and giving your consumers a good experience, you need to keep up with your website's upkeep. In essence, it's a safety net if anything goes wrong.

9. How much does an online store typically cost?

The typical cost of an online store built in collaboration with a professional web design business is between $5,500 and $25,000.

10. How can you determine how much an online store will cost to build?

Online eCommerce website cost calculators are available from some businesses, but it is only possible to determine a project's cost by thoroughly understanding those needs. The most important considerations are the e-commerce platform (Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, etc.), the number of products, the complexity of the design needs, and any data connectors that may be necessary (ERP system, shipping software, an accounting application, etc.) These are the sorts of questions you can expect to see on most online cost calculators. Just let us know what you're looking for, and we'll provide you with a free, no-obligation quote.

11. What are the ongoing expenses associated with running an eCommerce website?

The cost of maintaining your domain name will accrue annually unless you pay for multiple years in advance. The annual cost of registering a domain name is usually between $2 and $20. The cost varies from vendor to vendor and even by an extension (.com vs..shop, for example). Typically, the price you pay at an auction or from a private seller will be higher than the price you pay at a store.

Host fees will be an ongoing expense regardless of whether you choose a self-hosted, cloud-hosted, or software-as-a-service model. Depending on the specifics of your online shop, this cost might be as low as $80 per year or as high as $150,000.

A yearly SSL certificate costs anything from $20 to $70.

Fees associated with accepting payments online will be continuous expenses. There is a fee of roughly $0.30 for each transaction that is paid to the payment gateway.

12. Which of the following is the most expensive aspect of running an online store?

How much you spend on your e-commerce site's infrastructure will be most in proportion to the functionality your company requires. Domain names and SSL certificates are relatively inexpensive, but hosting prices vary widely between service providers and server operating systems. For many companies, the most expensive component of maintaining an online store is the time and money spent on the eCommerce website design and development.

Conclusion

If you know exactly what you need for your online store, you can have it up and running for far less than $1,000. Due to the varied nature of an online shop, you can cherry-pick the services you require and pay only for them.

By putting in the time and effort upfront, you can avoid any unpleasant surprises down the road regarding both initial and recurring charges. If you run your business online, you can expand your customer base and generate more revenue. Now is the time to do the math and decide if it's a good move for your company. If you have any doubts contact our experts in custom eCommerce website development services at JanBask Digital Design

Interested in our E-commerce Website Development Company?

  • Achieve Your Brand Vision
  • Drive Customer Engagement
  • Increase Traffic & Conversion Rate

18
Leave a Reply

avatar
18 Comment threads
0 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
1 Comment authors
Colin RodriguezJosue RodriguezLane ClarkPhoenix RobinsonEmerson King Recent comment authors
  Subscribe  
newest oldest most voted
Notify of

R

Rafael Lewis

Clear explanation about expenses to build a website.

K

Kyle Lee

We should check all the factors that decide the e-commerce website cost ultimately.

R

Riley Walker

Thanks for sharing the details in brief.

J

Jorge Hall

I got to know several factors that I never had a brief idea of an e-commerce website in 2023.

B

Beckham Allen

Very useful suggestions.

C

Cayden Young

I’m planning for an e-commerce website. This article made me rethink all the aspects that are necessary for the cost building of a website.

J

Jaden Hernandez

Great in-depth study

E

Emerson King

I enjoy knowing all this useful information about building a website.

P

Phoenix Robinson

For the past few days, I have been searching for articles on website development pricing. Now, everything is clear about website expenses in front of me after reading this article. And thanks for this valuable share!

L

Lane Clark

Website building expenses are really high in this crowd but the market. But, I booked your services. It’s too good at an affordable price. I really love your teamwork. Keep rocking on in this crowded industry!

J

Josue Rodriguez

Great explanation on this topic. I really like your writing style and you shared good information about website development expenses. I like learning all of this great knowledge regarding website development. Thanks for sharing the full details of website development and its expenses properly.

C

Colin Rodriguez

I don’t know more about website expenses but I am looking for a valuable article on website development because I want to know everything about it and this blog explanation is too good. Very knowledgeable and really quite impressive to know!

R

Rafael Lewis

For the past few months ago, I have been thinking about building my startup website but I am afraid of the expenses. Today, I went through your article and now I hope to build a website after knowing this expense. Thank you so much.

J

Jorge Hall

Your team is a wordsmith. I don’t know how your team comes up with half of the things your team writes about this topic of the Cost of Build An E-commerce Website. Your team has a real way with words. Your prose is gorgeous, and I couldn’t help reading this mind-blowing article.

B

Beckham Allen

I loved the part where you used your Responsive Website and language to intertwine the two characters. I don’t remember the last time I read something this good. It’s quite amazing, and I hope you publish more things soon. Thanks for sharing this.

C

Cayden Young

Your team has a way with words. Thank you for spending the time to write this topic about the Cost of Build An E-commerce Website. It’s truly beautiful and helpful. I’ve never even heard of half the words you use, and yet I seem to understand every single one of them.

J

Jaden Hernandez

You’re on my list! I’m so grateful to have had a chance to read this masterpiece from your team. I loved the part where your team described the Ecommerce Software. It’s one of the best descriptions I’ve ever read. Lots of love.

E

Emerson King

I can’t remember the last time I read something this good! You’ve made me feel things I didn’t even know were possible. Thank you for creating this article! I’ve had such a great time reading through it. Thanks for sharing this thoughtful article