How Much Does an Ecommerce Website Cost UK [Latest Price List]?

How much does it cost to build an ecommerce website? This is the first question that comes to mind when thinking of taking your physical business online or when you want to start an ecommerce business from scratch. 

Well, it is hard to give an exact answer to this question, but we have tried to break down the cost for you in this guide. 

Today, it has become crucial for businesses to have a strong and easy-to-use ecommerce website to keep up with the latest trends. 

This guide will discuss the importance of an ecommerce website, explain the costs involved, and provide insights and tools to help plan your ecommerce Journey.  

Let’s begin by examining the importance of having an ecommerce website.

Why is an Ecommerce website important?

Before Discussing the Ecommerce website cost in the UK It is important to first understand the importance of having an ecommerce website. Having an online presence has become a necessity for businesses of all sizes. Let’s first check why having an ecommerce website is crucial.  

Business Reach will Expand:

The eCommerce website is a convenient and effective means for accessing a diverse customer base without the constraints of geographic locality. For instance, a Cosmetic shop situated in an old town with a small local area can be the illustration. Without any online representation, no matter how good or bad they are, they will remain “an intimate local business”.Nevertheless, the website where the business is to be sold displaying products to customers all around the world determines the presence of the online business.

In addition to widening avenues for sales, this wider access also broadens the use of different markets simultaneously, mitigating the risk associated with reliance on a single market.

 

Convenience for Customers:

In the 21st century, what you offer them would determine if the consumers are going to buy from you or go to the next shop down the road. Thereby, an ecommerce site provides consumers the most convenient opportunity of shopping 24/7 at home without worrying about getting to stores during working hours and finding necessary things in stock.

Take for example the businessman who cannot squeeze some few hours during daylight. He can access it and perform the required tasks at his own convenience, thus, enhancing his shopping experience. It is this supply side convenience that gained this channel a meaningful portion of reference in this.

Cut down on unnecessary costs:

A virtual store requires less financial resources in comparison with real estate issues and other maintenance a physical store may require. Let’s explore the expenditures connected to opening a physical store, like a workplace rental fee, energy bills, and payroll. Entrepreneurs are well able to cut on operational expenses or do away with these charges altogether as they embrace the trend of eCommerce.

An example of this would be when an apparel brand opts to spend the money they would use renting a premium retail space, say a mall, on improving the online shopping experience and marketing efforts or other areas.

Better Customer Insights:

The head of the e-commerce sector in the UK can gather valuable information on clients‘ behaviour, in other words it offers them a gold mine of data that can be helpful for further decisions. For instance, an online retailer might see that a certain product shows up more often in searches and is eventually bought, committing them to emphasize that line in their next marketing move.

In addition, they can capture users’ behavioral patterns regarding their age segments, thus enabling them to place their merchandise assortment and product assignments reflecting their target groups. With this method, businesses can take decisions based on the feedback they get and, therefore, to be able to improve the products continually.

Easy to Scale and Adapt Latest Trends:

Ecommerce websites offer tremendous scalability. This means that as your business grows, your online store can easily adapt to accommodate increasing product listings, traffic, and transactions.  

As the business gains popularity and introduces new product lines, the Latest eCommerce platform can seamlessly scale up to handle the growing inventory and customer base. This scalability ensures that your business can keep up with demand without major disruptions.

Enhanced Customer Engagement:

Ecommerce sites offer different online tools and means through which our customers become engaged. In addition, Social media integration of Ecommerce platforms offers customers’ chance to promote their products they love among friends and followers by just a click, resulting into a wider reach that is both cost-free and powerful at the same time.

It’s not only personalized videos (like This Skin Type and This Body! for Fashion brands), but tailored recommendations (such as This Skin Type and This Body!) based on customer browsing and purchase history that can increase cross-selling and upselling possibilities. Following the above techniques, in the end, you will be able to see positive effects on customer satisfaction, conversion as well as loyalty.

Today, having an e-commerce site does not happen to be optional rather it is in fact, a basic requirement for businesses. Along with the expanded reach to a worldwide audience, the platform allows customers to shop with utmost convenience, cut down the operational expenditure, and provides precious customer feedback.Regardless if you are a small local business or a big multinational player, understanding ecommerce and adopting it can enable you to unlock new growth prospects and keep you ahead of competition in the fast changing business.

Cost Breakdown to Build an Ecommerce Website in the UK?

To create fantastic online stores, you have two exciting ways to choose: prepare your own with an ecommerce website builder or work with a web development company. The method you choose can help you decide your cost/budget.  

Building a website involves various costs; the estimated cost of an ecommerce website for new stores is approximately in the UK, ranging from £1000 to £1500. Prices change based on factors such as design, customisation, and platform selection.

Elements Required for  an Ecommerce website	Estimated Cost
Domain	£10 to £30
Hosting Plans	£5 to £250 /month
Selection of Platform	Up to £5000
Website Designing Cost	Up to £2000
Development Cost	£5000 to £10000
Selection Payment gateways	Up to £1000
Security Certificate	Up to £200
Maintenance, Support and Updation Cost	Up to £1000
Digital marketing and Advertising cost	Varies as Per your Budget

Understanding these expenses in detail is essential to plan your budget effectively. Below is the approximate cost breakdown for developing an ecommerce website:  

1. Domain Selection:

You’ll need a domain name to make your website accessible on the Internet. Domain registration fees are typically an annual expense, ranging from £10 to £30.

2. Hosting Plans Selection:

Costs for these services vary based on factors such as the provider, the type of hosting (shared, dedicated, cloud), and your website’s size and traffic. The cost of hosting plans can range from £5 to £250 /month, depending on the plan and provider.

3. Selection of Platform:

The choice of platform to build your eCommerce Website is a decision that influences costs. Here are a few options:  

Open-Source Solutions (e.g., WooCommerce, Adobe Commerce/Magento): These platforms are free to use, but you may need to invest in development and customisation to suit your specific needs.  

Hosted Platforms (e.g., Shopify, Big Commerce): These platforms offer convenience but come with monthly subscription fees. Pricing varies, with higher costs for more advanced features. Average Monthly pricing ranges from £12 to £200, depending on the selected plan and features.  

Custom Development: If you require highly customised functionalities for your unique business needs, custom development can be expensive but very profitable. It involves hiring developers to build your website from scratch.

4. Website Designing Cost

Your Ecommerce website design is powerful in user experience and your brand identity. Costs can vary based on your choice. A few options are :  

Custom Design: Creating a unique and tailored design for your website can be more expensive and involves the services of a skilled web design and development agency .  

Pre-made Templates: Using pre-made templates, which are often available for free or at a lower cost, can save you Money. However, customisation options may be limited.

5. Development Cost:

The complexity of your website’s features and functionality directly impacts development costs. Development expenses will increase if your website requires advanced features, such as a product configurator or a subscription system. The number of products you plan to sell can also affect development costs.

6. Selection Payment gateways:

Integrating payment gateways is essential for processing transactions securely. Payment gateway providers like PayPal, Stripe, or others charge fees per transaction. These fees can vary, so choosing a payment provider that aligns with your business model and target audience is necessary.

7. Security Certificate:

Ensuring the security of customer data is very crucial for ecommerce websites. You’ll need to invest in measures such as SSL certificates (to encrypt data transmission), security plugins, and regular security audits. While these expenses are necessary, they help protect your customers’ sensitive information and maintain trust.  

The cost estimate of an SSL certificate can vary. It can be included with some hosting providers, but if not included by Hosting provider, it will cost roughly £200 per year.

8. Maintenance, Support and Updating Cost: 

Ongoing maintenance and updates are critical for a smooth-running eCommerce website. This includes keeping software, plugins, and security measures up to date and making improvements based on user feedback. Maintenance costs can vary but are typically an ongoing expense.  

Hence, the expenses of building an eCommerce website change based on your choices and requirements. We recommend carefully evaluating each factor to determine a budget that aligns with your business goals.  

While it may seem like a important investment, a well-designed and secure eCommerce website can produce significant returns in terms of increased sales and business growth.

9. Digital marketing and Advertising cost:

When launching an ecommerce website, one of the key costs to consider is digital marketing and advertising. This is important for driving traffic to your site and converting visitors into customers.  

The cost of digital marketing and advertising can fluctuate depending on factors like the size of your target audience, the tools and strategies you choose to implement, and the competition in your industry.

Cost of a Small to medium size ecommerce website?

If you aren’t planning anything too complex, or not planning to add more than 3,000 products, then Shopify and WordPress Store is a good option for a medium-sized website. The cost of this website can range from £5,000 to£7,000. 

If you want a WordPress or Shopify site, you should consider hiring a web developer to help.

Cost of a Large size ecommerce website?

For bigger websites, Magento or Adobe commerce is the ideal platform. It offers advanced functionalities like:

• Personalised shopping experiences,  
• Multi-language support, and  
• Third Party Integrations (APIs).

Because this is Open source platform, it is highly customisable and scalable, giving you greater control over your online store. 

If you have a large ecommerce business, the website development process can get quite complicated, and a freelancer may be unable to provide you with the required time and resources. You may need a full-time developer to manage your website in such cases. 

You’re probably Spend £10,000 or upwards for web design costs, depending on the size of your project.

Tips To Plan Your Ecommerce Website

• Set Clear Goals: Define your objectives, target audience, and what you want to achieve with your ecommerce website.  
• Choose the Right Platform: Select an eCommerce platform that aligns with your budget, needs, and scalability.  
• Invest in High Quality Design: A well-designed website builds trust and improves user experience.  
• Optimise for Mobile: Make sure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly for a broader reach.  
• Add Quality Content: Engage your audience with high-quality product descriptions, images, and blog posts.  
• SEO Strategy: Implement Search engine optimisation techniques to improve your website’s visibility on search engines.  
• User Testing: Continuously gather user feedback and make improvements to enhance the user experience.

Should you Create your ecommerce website or hire a Professional Agency?

To develop your ecommerce website is something that can be overwhelming and can really put you off if you do not have any previous experience in web developing and designing. As a matter of fact, you having to take the first step you have to know that whether do it by yourself or hire a specialist to create the website Setting up and owning an online store saves a lot of money but there are also hosting charges, plugins, domain fees and other monthly subscription costs that such an e-commerce website entails.

However, while a professional agency would set you back more financially on building your ecommerce site at the beginning, it may be worth the extra cost than eventually having to deal with problems that come with managing it yourself. Agencies determine their fee according to the complexity of the tracking, number of features suggested, and the scale of customization.

On the contrary, working with the site builder provides you with the ready-made website that meets your business needs, but, it might not be as easy to use commands as the website designed and built by agency for your business requirements.

Wrapping Up, 

Building an ecommerce website involves a range of costs, but the investment can pay off in the long run by expanding your reach, increasing sales, and improving customer satisfaction. Remember to set clear goals, choose the right tools, and continuously optimise your strategy for success in the competitive world of ecommerce.

FAQs 

Q1: Can I build an eCommerce website for free?

A1: While you can find free ecommerce platforms like WooCommerce, Wix keep in mind that there will still be costs involved in hosting, design, and maintenance.

Q2: Which eCommerce platform is the best for a Medium Sized business?

A2: Shopify and WooCommerce are famous choices for medium sized businesses due to their user-friendly easy interfaces and scalability.

Q3: How long does it take to build an eCommerce website?

A3: The timeline depends on the complexity of your website. It can range from a few weeks for a basic site to several months for a highly customised one. 

Q4: What are some common security measures to protect my ecommerce website? 

A4: Common security measures include using SSL certificates, regularly updating software and plugins, implementing strong password policies, conducting security audits, and considering a firewall and a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect against threats.

Q5: Are there any ongoing costs for maintaining an ecommerce website?

A5: Yes, there are ongoing costs such as hosting fees, domain renewal, payment processing fees, website maintenance, and potentially marketing expenses. Budgeting for these ongoing costs is crucial for the long-term success of your eCommerce business.