What is the cost of an ecommerce site? The short answer is 0 to thousands per month. The long answer is … it depends.

If you’ve decided to open an ecommerce, whether you already have a physical store or not, let me tell you it’s a great idea.

Today everything passes through the internet and the choice to open an online store is the most trodden path for those who want to create an autonomous and profitable business.

But be careful, the simplicity with which today it is possible to open an ecommerce should not be misleading. It is always a real business and as such it presents difficulties, risks and rules that should be evaluated before taking risky steps.

So if you want to hear the long answer and get all the information related to the cost of an ecommerce website, read on.

Open an ecommerce: what you need to know

Opening an internet shop today is perhaps one of the best ideas for making money online .

The health emergency we have faced has caused a boom in internet sales . Our habits have changed and if before there were still those who were afraid of buying online, with the pandemic they had to face their doubts and start shopping.

From the point of view of workers, however, the confinement and temporary closure of the old job (and in some cases the loss) due to force majeure, has resulted in a desire for autonomy which has led to the opening of online businesses.

This means that there has been an increase in internet shopping on the one hand, and the emergence of new entrepreneurs on the other.

But as we said, opening an ecommerce is a business in all respects.

First you will need to be clear about what to sell online . Then you will have to prepare a business plan , within which you will also have to list all the costs you plan to incur, including the cost of the ecommerce site.

To establish it and proceed along the path of creating your shop, I suggest you read our article dedicated to how to open a successful ecommerce site , and follow these 4 steps:

Step 1 – Market analysis for your future ecommerce

What is worth selling, what are the trends of the moment? To answer saudi arabia mobile number list this question you can get help from social networks by following the trends of Instagram , TikTok and Facebook .

Step 2- Analysis of the competitors of your ecommerce site

Doing a competitor analysis does not mean spying or copying the competition, but analyzing in depth who your direct and indirect competitors are, and learning from the best by avoiding mistakes, trying to do better and perfecting your marketing strategy .

Step 3 – Ecommerce development and management 

After the analysis, you can proceed to the development of the ecommerce by choosing:

1. the type of software (open source, closed source, SaaS);
2. domain and hosting ;
3. the online payment gateway ;
4. the graphics.

The cost of creating an ecommerce site varies according to the type of software you choose.

Step 4 – Marketing

This is the phase related to promotion through advertising on social networks, SEO optimization , email marketing and copywriting .

Having established what are the steps that constitute the creation and management of an ecommerce and established that each has certain costs, let’s focus on step n. 3, which is what we want to deepen in this article: how much does it cost to open an ecommerce site and manage it?

So how much does an ecommerce site cost?

The cost of opening an ecommerce can be less than € 1,000 if you intend to do it alone and with open source software, as we will see, and reach € 5,000 / 6,000 depending on the size, complexity, need to provide it. outsourcing, etc.

Then there is the cost of managing an ecommerce site, which starts at a few tens of euros a month but is destined to grow based on sales.

As you can see, it is difficult to answer the question “ecommerce site cost” so quickly. If you really want to know what you are getting into, you will have to keep following me in the rest of the article where we will analyze the different cost variables one by one and make some pretty accurate estimates of what you can expect.

Ecommerce site cost: how to calculate it

To understand how much the cost of an ecommerce website can reach, we must first make a distinction between the different platforms we have mentioned.

In fact, depending on the type of software you decide to use, prices can vary greatly.

1. Type of software

As we said in step 3, the platform to create your site can be:

• closed source;
• open source;
• SaaS (Software as a Service).

Let’s see them quickly one by one to understand what the cost differences are.

Closed Source Ecommerce – Cost

Closed source software is mainly used by large companies that choose sophisticated and highly customized programs, whose source code is unreachable.

This means not only that the costs are very high, but that you remain tied to the developer. It will be necessary to contact him for the implementation of new features, updates etc.

I’m sorry but in this case the only way to know the cost of an ecommerce website is to request a quote, you have no alternatives, the variables are too many and it is not possible to make an estimate.

Let’s say that the figure can reach several thousand euros per month, but it is really impossible to provide precise information on the investment you will have to make.

It depends on many factors such as the complexity of the software, the prestige of the developer (whether it is a professional or a company), the number and type of functions and integrations, annual licenses and so on.

Furthermore, you must take into account that the times are lengthened a lot, given the high level of customization and given the availability of the developer.

Open Source Ecommerce – Cost

Open source, as the name suggests, has an accessible source code, that is, it can be modified by anyone who knows the programming language.

The positive aspect is the high possibility of customization without spending exorbitant amounts by turning to a web agency that creates customized software.

The downside is that, if you do not have the right technical skills, you will have to turn to a programmer who is able to manage it and add the functions that will become necessary from time to time.

Consider that technology changes very quickly and that it is not uncommon to have to add new features to an ecommerce to keep up with the times. Plus, your needs will also change as your store grows.

Also in this case, therefore, it is not possible to establish the cost of creating an ecommerce site of this type, given the numerous variables.

Let’s say you can start from 0 to over 300 euros just for the installation.

Ecommerce SaaS – Cost

SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms are designed for small and medium-sized companies that do not have very high budgets and few technical skills.

They are very intuitive platforms suitable for everyone, even those who are not experts. They allow in a few clicks to create a complete software with everything you need to open an online store .

There are various packages depending on the provider chosen, you can start from a basic plan that can cost you around 10 euros / month and, as the business grows, implement the more advanced versions even reaching 300 euros / month.

2. Domain and ecommerce hosting – Cost

For the first two types of ecommerce software that we have seen (open and closed source) you have to foresee the cost of the domain and hosting in your cost estimate.

The domain (the name that uniquely identifies your web page) can cost around € 20 / year. It also depends on the extension, the final part of the url.

While the hosting (the internet space that hosts your page) can cost you between 60 and 100 € per year for a quality one, but if you want the prices can also increase.

For SaaS software, on the other hand, hosting is usually already included in the annual fee you pay to have the entire platform.