It is necessary to know how much an eCommerce website cost because that would play a role in your calculating the investment you will need to start a budding online business idea. However, in determining the cost of an eCommerce website cost, there are many factors that must be put into consideration.
You must have a clear action plan to enable you not to overspend. Don’t worry, this article will handle that. We will give you an idea of an eCommerce website cost and how to avoid over-spending while maximizing your profit.
Creating an Online Store
There are majorly two ways you can create an online store and they include the use of an e-commerce website builder or you hire a web developer. Meanwhile, the system you select has a vast impact on the cost of your online store.
For instance, it does not cost a thing to add content like photos and videos when you use a store builder. Conversely, it can cost as much as $5,000 if you choose a web developer.
Usually, e-commerce website builders are the least expensive way you can build your online store. It’s mostly eye-catching when you use free, open-source platforms. However, the implication is that you can end up paying for hosting, plugins, themes, and other stuff that can add to your overall cost.
Ecommerce website builders are best for you if you have little knowledge or need to build a website as quickly as possible. Ecommerce website costs can vary from $29 – $299 per month and that is if you have retail stores or not. But if you have a new store, the cost is around $29 per month.
How to calculate an e-commerce website cost
The ideal way to calculate the cost of building an e-commerce website is to compare different e-commerce websites.
In addition, the average cost of an e-commerce website with 100 to 1000 products is $5000 to $55,000, and this includes design, development, and any other costs. Again, the average cost of maintaining an e-commerce website with 100 to 1000 products is $15,000 to $30,000 per year. The reason for the wide disparity in the e-commerce website cost is that not all eCommerce sites are the same.
That is, anyone intending to function minimally does not cost as high as those established for a world-class purpose.
Factors you must Consider when Building an eCommerce Website
Before thinking of building an eCommerce website, you must consider certain important factors that contribute to the success of your venture. Here are some of them:
#1. Domain Name
A domain name is necessary for creating a thriving e-commerce website. The domain name is specified in the company’s online home. Simply put, without it, you cannot make a website.
Furthermore, a domain name can cost as little as $5 per year. Also, you can buy a domain for up to 10 consecutive years if you wish. However, if all you need is a short domain name with “.com” at the end, you may pay a little more, like $15 per year.
On some rare occasions, domain names can go for as high as hundreds or thousands of dollars. But in most cases, you can buy them for between $0.95 and $12 per year. What’s more, you can set up your domain to renew automatically.
When you do so, you can at least get an email reminding you that it is time to renew your purchase. Equally important, some domain name services also give you the opportunity to use your bank account information for the renewal so you don’t have to worry about your card expiration dates.
Overall, the method of payment you opted for does not make any difference in the domain price.
Average cost: $0.95–$12 year
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#2. Web Hosting
Once you have a domain, it is necessary to get someone to host it. When you host your website, it lets Internet users access it. It creates space on the servers for your website so that you can develop it.
In addition, some companies sell domain names and hosting in an all-in-one pack and examples include WordPress and SquareSpace. Nevertheless, most companies that sell both often make use of template, which make your website look like every other website out there.
Ecommerce website hosting costs can fluctuate. Thus, prices can be as low as $2.49 per month, and climb up to $1,000 or higher. The cost depends on factors like the number of traffic your store gets and any extra services that may arise. But then, your eCommerce website needs hosting to store the files, including the domain name.
Notably, it is best to find a host that allows you to build your own customized website from the scratch. It also comes with unique features that are peculiar to your website alone. That way, you will have a distinct web presence that differentiates it from every other person’s. You will need to consider the price difference for hosting your customized website.
There are two types of hosting that ecommerce brands use. They are:
1. Self-hosted e-commerce Website
Some eCommerce website builders like WooCommerce (a plugin for WordPress) and Magento are free. However, they would require that you have an account with a hosting provider to help in managing your files and purchasing a domain. Below are some costs you may incur when self-hosting your website:
- An e-commerce hosting account. It starts at $7.99 each month
- A domain name. This can cost around $14.99 each year
- An SSL certificate. This starts at $69 per year
In addition, there are some web hosts like Bluehost that provide services with a free domain name and SSL certificate at $2.75 monthly. But the problem here is that once your e-commerce store grows, you will need to upgrade your hosting plan to manage the increase in traffic.
2. SaaS eCommerce platform hosting
Some e-commerce websites do not require you to install, manage, or host a domain on your own. They ensure to include everything you need in your monthly payment. One of such platforms is Shopify.
Secure hosting comes with every plan, and they include:
- Unlimited bandwidth. This keeps you from having to worry about increasing your payment if you get more traffic.
- An SSL certificate. It prevents fraud and build customer trust in your e-commerce website.
- Blazing fast servers and instant updates. This helps you not to miss out on the newest features
- Level 1 PCI compliance. This keeps the customer data secure.
- Unlimited email forwarding
Average cost: $75 – $10,000 per year
#3. Brand and eCommerce Website Design Costs
It is a known fact that it takes just 0.05 seconds for anyone who visited your eCommerce website to form an opinion about your website. Aside from that, people buy from you based on trust. Interestingly, your branding can aid in building that trust for you.
Most sales platforms provide templates you can easily apply to your eCommerce website. More to the point, they are fast and affordable and help to get the site up and running. The themes provide in-built tools to help in customizing the layout, colors, and style, among other backgrounds.
These templates below are follow-come and they provide everything you need to start your eCommerce store:
- Homepage
- Shopping cart
- Product pages
- About pages
- Checkout page
- FAQ
Average cost: $0 – $180 per
#4. Interactive multimedia
Flash and multimedia elements help in adding visual awareness to your website. The internet is filled with flash because of how much it helps in customization. Although it comes with its perks, it comes with a drawback too. One of such is, search engines cannot read the code inside of it. Hence, if you are interested in Flash, it is best you moderately use it.
Most assuredly, you can use multimedia like videos to complement your product listings, photos, and descriptions on the website to help in explaining things better to your guests. Another interesting thing about the use of videos is that it could open up the possibility of using YouTube and other social networks to promote your website.
Average cost: $250 – $10,000 per year.
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#5. Ecommerce Website Maintenance
To ensure fluidity, your eCommerce website needs maintenance to keep it functioning well. Maintaining your website includes fixing any bugs that pop up, introducing new elements to some areas of the website, and keeping your site in good condition.
Undoubtedly, the cost may be a little higher than your budget. But you have to maintain your website, anyway. If you don’t maintain the site as frequently as should, it is a matter of time and you would start experiencing issues in form of bugs, graphical errors on the product images, and more.
Average cost: $15,000 – $30,000 per year
FAQ on E-commerce Website Cost
An eCommerce website hosting costs between $5000 and $25,000
Although category features, featured items, product pages, related products, among others are standard features, and they do not really drive up the cost. But custom eCommerce functionality and back-end programming are usually the greatest cost in a project.
The eCommerce development platform you choose will, without a doubt, play a role in your eCommerce website cost. Some companies are based in the U.S. and some, are in other countries abroad. Remember, you can only get what you pay for. Hence, a higher-priced platform will always offer more high-quality work. What is more, ensure to use the best platform if you have the money because it will save some stress. Also, ensure they have an actual office to make it easier for you to access them.
Conclusion
As you can see, an ecommerce website cost does not require so much. After buying a domain name for your new ecommerce startup, you can pay as little as $29 per month to get an average ecommerce store. If you want to include some customized features or paid apps, it may take the cost higher, yet, it is the best thing to do.
References
- https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/ecommerce-website-cost-real-numbers/
- https://www.webfx.com/industries/retail-ecommerce/ecommerce/web-design/
- https://www.shopify.com.ng/blog/ecommerce-website-cost
- https://www.outerboxdesign.com/web-design-articles/ecommerce_website_pricing
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