How Much Does an eCommerce Website Cost?
Many small businesses find that they can’t always compete with large chain stores, especially in terms of advertising budgets and shelf space. But if you have an online store that allows customers to shop 24/7/365, your brand’s recognition and profit potential can skyrocket—aas long as you get your ecommerce web app development strategy right from the start.
An e-commerce website’s main function is to generate revenue through the sale of products and services, but it can do so much more. Many people don’t realize that they can save money by investing in online website development services, but the benefits are real and numerous.
First, let’s take a look at some of the key benefits you’ll gain from building an e-commerce site instead of a traditional brick-and-mortar store.
1. Increased reach
Ecommerce development helps you increase your reach in the market. You can reach a lot more customers with an e-commerce website than if you just had a physical store. Plus, there are plenty of marketing tools that you can use to make your website stand out from the crowd and reach potential customers in new ways.
Ecommerce website development also makes it easy for you to scale your business as you grow. It’s much easier to update your inventory when you have an online shop than if all your products are only available at one location. And for businesses that operate on a global scale, e-commerce development is essential for connecting with buyers from around the world and selling their products globally through cross-border trade agreements.
2. Reduced costs
Ecommerce web application development will help you to reduce costs in a number of ways, and the first way it does this is by reducing your overhead costs. Since e-commerce websites are virtual, you can operate them from anywhere as long as you have internet access.
This means that all your office space, utilities, furniture, etc. will be significantly reduced and could even be eliminated if you choose to work from home or outsource the development process. The savings from these costs, combined with the lower cost of labor in other countries where many ecommerce developers live, can lead to substantial savings on a monthly basis.
Another way that ecommerce website development helps you reduce costs is by reducing inventory costs because there is no need for physical inventory, which needs to be stored and monitored at all times.
3. Increased flexibility
Online commerce development helps you increase flexibility because the website can be a platform for reaching customers in a variety of ways. You can engage with them through email, phone, text messaging, or social media.
Plus, you don’t have to own an expensive storefront location and deal with the accompanying overhead costs. Plus, e-commerce website development provides much greater flexibility in terms of the hours and days that your business is open for customers. With ecommerce website development you can choose to work when it suits you rather than being locked into set times dictated by landlords.
Ecommerce website development also helps you increase flexibility because it allows you to offer more products and services than just what’s physically available at your store location.
4. Improved customer service
One way is through improved customer service. With an e-commerce website, you’ll be able to offer customers the convenience of online shopping while also providing them with a high level of service that they might not find elsewhere.
Customers will have the opportunity to communicate with you quickly and easily if they have questions about their order, changes to their order, or anything else related to their shopping experience. Plus, if you provide customer service hours over the phone and on social media, you’re inviting them to contact you any time, day or night, for help with whatever they need.
5. Increased sales
An e-commerce website can help you increase sales through a number of channels. Online shoppers tend to be more eager to buy an item if they’ve seen it in person before, but many retailers never get that chance because they don’t have enough floor space or their products are seasonal. Turning your store into an ecommerce site allows you to show these items off all year round and sell them without ever needing to worry about being out-of-stock.
6. Improved branding
Improved branding is another major benefit to ecommerce website development. When your business has a strong and consistent presence on the internet, it becomes more recognizable to customers and potential clients. A well-designed e-commerce site can greatly help this aspect of your business.
Many companies also use custom graphics and fonts that are very appealing to their demographic, which can improve the feeling a customer gets when visiting the site for the first time, but you don’t want to go overboard with these things as they can backfire if done incorrectly. You should always keep it professional with a minimal amount of fluff or design elements because these will just confuse your visitors who are looking for information.
7. Increased web traffic
Ecommerce web apps help you increase web traffic through the use of search engine optimization and social media marketing. This can be a huge benefit for your business because you’ll have more people finding your products and services, which in turn means you will make more money.
It’s also important to note that e-commerce website development can help improve the customer experience by allowing them to buy products and services without having to leave the page or contact a customer service representative.
You also save money on advertising because potential customers are already on your website when they search for what they want. Ecommerce website development helps you reduce costs by eliminating the need to run retail stores or hire sales representatives.
8. Improved search engine ranking
Ecommerce websites will help you improve your search engine ranking and get a bigger share of the market. The more pages you have, the more likely you are to show up in a Google search. And, when potential customers are looking for products or services like yours, they want to find them as quickly as possible.
Ecommerce solutions are also an effective way to build brand awareness and make your company accessible from anywhere at any time. It’s not just about getting people in the door anymore—it’s about getting them inside and making them want to come back for more. Finally, ecommerce website development can help you achieve your goals by giving you the flexibility that other marketing techniques simply can’t offer.
9. Greater social media visibility
Ecommerce development is one of the best ways to increase your social media visibility and make your company more visible in general. Online buyers are always on the lookout for new products, and when they find you, there’s a chance that they’ll buy something from you.
If you’re not online for them to find you, then it’s game over before it even begins. Your website is the first and most important step to achieving e-commerce success. If a potential customer can’t locate you on Google or Facebook because you don’t have an online store, then that person won’t be able to buy from you at all.
10. Enhanced customer loyalty
Creating an e-commerce website allows you to offer a wider variety of products in one location. Plus, it can be integrated with different systems, like customer relationship management (CRM) software, to help you better manage your customer interactions.
Building your site on an ecommerce platform means that you can easily build and maintain your website without having to code from scratch. If you want to make changes or add new features, you don’t need to hire a developer; instead, you can do it yourself by adding content or tweaking the site’s design and layout.
Ecommerce websites will also give you access to tools that allow for functionality like virtual shopping carts and product catalogs, which will enhance customer loyalty because shoppers are able to compare products more easily before they buy anything.
Factors Affecting the Cost of an E-Commerce Website
Factors affecting the ecommerce website's cost can be classified as either external or internal. External factors are those that are outside the control of a business, such as bandwidth and hosting fees. Internal factors are those related to the business itself, such as the hosting environment (e.g., development environment), platform, and design complexity. To help you ensure that you’re getting what you pay for, here are the top factors affecting the cost of an e-commerce website
1. Choice of CMS Platform
One major factor influencing the cost of an e-commerce website is the CMS platform you choose. WordPress, Joomla, and Magento are all popular options. Wordpress has far and away the largest user base, but that may be more due to its versatility than anything else. With a large number of developers available, it can also be tailored to your needs rather easily.
On top of that, it’s free to download and use as long as you have a domain name and web hosting service. However, you may find customizing your site through third-party plugins or add-ons is significantly more expensive using WordPress than with some other platforms.
2) User-Friendly Website Design
It may sound like a no-brainer, but the user experience your website provides will have a huge impact on whether or not people want to buy from you. It’s also worth noting that the layout and design you choose for your site can affect the e-commerce website's cost.
For example, if you need a custom design, this may cost more than choosing one off the shelf. However, there are many sites out there that offer templates for e-commerce websites at affordable prices, so it pays to do some research and find one that suits your needs.
3. Content and Product Images
Choosing the right website development cost depends on the content and product images. A website that is primarily images with a few articles will be much cheaper than a website with multiple pages of text, images, and videos. It also depends on the complexity of your website’s design and its functionality in terms of how many products you want to sell online, etc.
4. Content Writing
Quality content is essential for any website, but it has a direct correlation with the cost in time and money to develop a website because it requires more time to write good content than it does to copy and paste pre-written material.
Content development varies based on the quality, quantity, and purpose of what you want to convey on your website; if you want something of high quality, then expect to pay more.
Pricing also depends on how much content you need: if you only need small snippets of text (a paragraph or two), then prices will be lower. Likewise, if you need lots of high-quality writing that doesn’t use too many clichés, then expect costs to be higher. .
5. Search Engine Optimization for Ecommerce Sites
The cost depends on the Search Engine Optimization for your Ecommerce Sites. This is because, if you’re not paying attention to this important part of your website, you’ll be losing out on potential customers and will have to spend more on other marketing efforts.
6. Shopping Cart or Payment Option
The cost of the website depends on the shopping cart or payment option you choose. A shopping cart will cost more than a payment option, and a subscription-based website will also cost more than a one-time website. The type and number of features you want on your site can also affect the price. Some websites are customizable, while others have preset templates that cannot be changed without paying extra.
7. Website Security
Website security is the most important factor in determining the cost of your e-commerce website. Depending on the level of security you want to achieve, your website can be hosted in a number of places, including: Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure, DigitalOcean, and Rackspace. The average cost for hosting an e-commerce site on AWS ranges from $20 to $50 per month, while a DigitalOcean hosting plan costs around $15 to $40 per month, depending on the type and size.
8. Location of the Team of Developers
Every website is different, and the cost of e-commerce development is different depending on where the team of developers is located. For example, if the team of developers is in India, it’s going to be a lot cheaper than if they are in London or New York. This makes sense because labor costs are much lower in India.
9. Complexity of your eCommerce Site
The cost of your website is dependent on the complexity of your eCommerce site. What are your goals for the site? How many SKUs do you plan to offer? Do you need a high-end design or not? The more complex the site, the more it will cost in development and ongoing maintenance.
You might also want to consider what your sales goals are and how much revenue you expect to generate. These factors will all have some bearing on the cost of your website, but they don’t account for everything. One other thing that can affect costs is if you choose to use multilingual content on your site; this typically requires translators and additional developers.
Ecommerce Website Development Platforms
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re probably interested in saving money when it comes to running your e-commerce business. Luckily, there are plenty of affordable and flexible ecommerce website development platforms out there. If you’re not using one of these five platforms, start now with the help of Ecommerce Development Services—your customers will thank you for it!
1. Shopify
Shopify is a great e-commerce website development platform for startups and enterprises. With a huge range of features, fast loading pages, and beautiful design templates, it’s hard to find anything that could make this system better. The best part is how easy it is to get started with Shopify — the setup process takes less than 30 minutes! If you are looking for the best solution in terms of price and ease-of-use, then this system is perfect for your needs.
2. Magento
Magento is the most popular, powerful, and well-known platform for developing ecommerce sites. It’s also one of the most expensive, which is why it’s important to weigh up your budget before committing. It has all of the features an online retailer needs to succeed, including advanced search engine optimization, rich data reporting, and detailed analytics tools.
The downside is that it can be a complicated system to manage and not always easy for non-technical staff to use. To offset this risk, many companies choose to hire a dedicated Magento specialist or integrate their services with a reliable third party vendor. There are also some compatibility issues with Shopify when trying to import products from one site into another.
3. WooCommerce
WooCommerce has been the most popular ecommerce platform since 2012, and for good reason. It’s straightforward to use and can work on any device. However, it does not offer as many features as Shopify or BigCommerce, so keep that in mind when making a decision. WooCommerce also offers a plugin that allows you to sell physical products (that may also have digital aspects) without having to get them made.
4. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a reputed e-commerce platform, with over 1.2 million online stores powered by their software. You can choose to purchase a store through them or have them design and host your store for you. They also offer a mobile app that allows users to view inventory, add items to their shopping cart, review orders, and much more from their mobile device. It’s an awesome tool!
5. Squarespace
Squarespace is a web application that allows designers and developers to build websites for clients. It’s great for beginners, since it has a user-friendly interface and all the tools needed to create a professional site. It also has easy integration with other applications like MailChimp, Google Analytics, Twitter, Facebook, etc., so your team can work seamlessly together. Other key features include:
The templates in Squarespace are customizable in terms of colors and fonts, but they also have pre-made designs ready to go if you don’t want any customizations at all. You can start with one template and then modify it according to your needs as opposed to starting from scratch every time.
Cost of eCommerce Website Development in the UK
Project Approach
Possible Cost
Off the shelf eCommerce Website — £1,500 — £5,500
Bespoke eCommerce Website — £4,500 — £10,500
Complex Functionality Bespoke Ecommerce Website — £15,000 — £25,000+
Conclusion
Ecommerce development is a huge commitment, but it can be worth the investment. When you add up all the benefits, e-commerce development can be one of the most lucrative investments you make for your business. Plus, with so many options available, there’s something for every budget. You can even get started for free by using an open-source framework like Magento!
In the end, the best advice for anyone considering an ecommerce website is to hire a eCommerce Website Development Company in the UK. They’ll have the knowledge, skill, and expertise to quickly get your website up and running. Plus, they’ll be able to answer any questions you might have as your business grows.
