How much does an ecommerce website cost?
Online shops start from £2,000. Here's what changes the price, what you pay for besides the build, and how I quote, so there are no surprises.
Roy SheppardFreelance web designer and developer in Watford
Online shops start from £2,000
That is the starting point for a shop built around your products and how you sell them. Where your shop lands above that depends on what it needs to do.
I don't price from a menu. After we talk about your business I send a written quote, so the figure you see covers the work we've actually agreed.
What changes the price
- How many products you sell
- Ten products and a thousand products need different work. A bigger catalogue means more to organise, more to import and more ways for customers to filter and search.
- A ready-made platform or a custom build
- A ready-made platform gets a straightforward shop live sooner. A custom build costs more but suits shops with unusual needs, such as made-to-order products or trade pricing.
- How your products are sold
- Simple one-price products are the quickest. Sizes, colours, bundles, made-to-measure options or subscriptions all add work.
- Payments, delivery and tax
- Taking card payments is standard. Different delivery rules by country or weight, or selling to both the public and businesses, take more setting up.
- Connections to other tools
- Linking the shop to your stock system, accounts or a courier means extra work. If you only need the shop itself, you don't pay for it.
- Your photos and product descriptions
- A shop is only as good as its product pages. If your photos and descriptions are ready, it's quicker. If they still need writing or shooting, that time needs planning for.
- Moving from an old shop
- If you already sell online, bringing your existing products across adds to the job. We'll look at what you have before I quote.
What you pay for besides the build
Most of these costs go to other companies, not to me. It's worth knowing about them before you decide.
The platform
A ready-made platform charges its own monthly plan, separate from my fee. A custom build has hosting costs instead.
Paid to Your platform or host
Payment fees
Card providers such as Stripe and PayPal take a small charge on each sale.
Paid to Your payment provider
Your domain name
Only if you don't already have one.
Paid to A domain registrar
Photography
If your products need professional pictures.
Paid to A photographer
Support after launch
If you want me to keep the site updated and looked after. This is optional.
Paid to Me, only if you want it
How it works
This is how a project runs from the first conversation, so you can see where the cost comes from.
- 01
We talk about your business
What you sell, who buys it and what you want the shop to do. No obligation, and I usually reply within 24 hours.
- 02
You get a clear quote
A written quote covering the work we've agreed, so you know what's included before anything starts.
- 03
I design the key pages first
You see how the shop will look and work before it's built, and can change things while that's still easy.
- 04
I build it and we review it together
I build the shop, then we go through it together before it goes live. I show you how to update products yourself.
Questions about cost
No. It's where online shops start. The final price depends on the things listed above, and you get a written quote before any work begins, so you know the cost up front.
Got a project in mind? Let's build it.
I usually reply within 24 hours. No obligation, just a chat about what you need.
Start a project →or email [email protected] directly