In a world where retail goes digital, an eCommerce website is now a must for businesses to contend with the competition of the online market. But one of the questions that entrepreneurs ask more often is, “How much does it take to develop an eCommerce Website Development Cost in India?” Of course, it depends on the design and functionality of your site/platform and if you are using additional services or not. This guide will encompass all the costs involved in creating an eCommerce website so you can make well-informed judgments.

1. The Core Factors That Drive Cost

So rather than you asking how much it costs to make an online shopping website, first we better clear a few main elements of eCommerce that affect the final price in developing a killer platform. These include:

●       Platform—hosted (Shopify) or self-hosted (Woocommerce).

●       Design—original design or use pre-made templates from themeforest.

●       Essential Features & Functionality: The extent of features such as payment gateways, Security and 3rd party integrations.

●       LaunchDTM: Cost of hosting your website.

●       Upkeep: recurring expenses including updates, bug fixes and customer support.

●       Marketing and SEO: online marketing, including search engine optimization costs.

2. Choosing the Right Platform

One of the first decisions you will need to make when building an eCommerce website is selecting the right platform. Here are the most common options:

a. Hosted Platforms

These are user-friendly solutions that come with pre-built themes, tools, and plugins. Some popular options include:

●       Shopify: A leading platform known for its ease of use. Pricing starts at $29/month for the basic plan, which includes hosting, SSL certificates, and essential features. However, advanced features and third-party apps may increase the overall cost.

●       BigCommerce: Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce offers scalable solutions starting at $29.95/month. It also offers a variety of apps and integrations, but custom development will incur additional costs.

●       Wix and Squarespace: While these platforms are primarily website builders, they offer eCommerce capabilities at lower entry costs starting from $23/month (Wix) and $27/month (Squarespace).

b. Self-Hosted Platforms

For more control and customization, self-hosted platforms allow you to install and manage your eCommerce site on your own servers.

●       WooCommerce: This popular WordPress plugin is free to install, but you will need to budget for hosting, security, and development costs. Hosting for WooCommerce typically starts around $3 to $10/month, but higher-performing servers may cost between $20 and $50/month or more depending on your traffic.

●       Magento (Adobe Commerce): A powerful platform suited for larger enterprises. Magento Open Source is free, but Magento Commerce pricing can run into thousands of dollars annually. Additionally, Magento requires more significant investment in hosting, custom development, and maintenance.

3. Design Costs

Another critical factor that affects your website-building costs is the design. Since design significantly impacts user experience, branding, and conversion rates, the chosen option should be aligned with your needs. The design cost factor directly depends on how customized you need the platform to be.

●       Template-Based Designs

Most platforms offer pre-designed templates or themes.

Shopify and BigCommerce templates for your store vary from free versions to premium themes ranging from $140-180.

WooCommerce themes are available on marketplaces, e.g., ThemeForest, at a price of $30-100 depending on complexity and additional features. Using a template is the shortest and cheapest option to set up an eCommerce store.

Its major advantage is the low cost, but the opportunity for customization is limited. Ideal for small businesses that lack the budget for a more sophisticated solution or companies that do not require significant customizations.

●       Custom Design

A fully customized design will result in unique branding and feel of the store. However, the cost is likely to skyrocket:

Freelance designers may charge $500-2000 for basic customizations depending on how skilled they are and how much work is required.

Design agency prices start at $3000-10,000 for small and medium-sized businesses and can go up to $20,000 or more for large retailers. In addition, creation of a completely new design will have additional development costs.

4. Development and Feature

The other factor that affects the overall cost of your eCommerce store is the offered features and development complexity.

Essential Features Your e-commerce website should provide these basic features at least: product pages and inventory, shopping cart and checkout.

●       Integrate payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe…)

●       Secure transaction via SSL certificate

●       Standard Shipping & Tax Settings

The first three functions are usually included in the basic package of most platforms for free; you might, when accounting integration and plugins, pay an additional fee, between $10 and $50 per month.

●       Advanced Features

As your shop grows, you might need features like:

Subscriptions: Adding subscriptions can come at additional cost, depending on the platform. For instance, ReCharge by Shopify costs $60/month.

Using a custom product builder: This feature requires development work and can be pretty expensive, starting around $2,000 for a basic builder if you do sell customizable products.

The majority of multi-currency and multi-language plug-ins/editions are paid ones. For example, the multi-currency plugins for WooCommerce will run you anywhere between $79 and $199/year.

That custom development to introduce more advanced features will cost you anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 (or even higher if the feature set is especially complex).

5. Hosting and Security

Hosted platforms: If you use a hosted WordPress (Shopify), your monthly fees will usually cover hosting and security. Those will be extra costs if you are developing a self-hosted platform.

Smaller stores: If you have a smaller store not having tons of sales every month, budget shared hosting plans cost $3 to $10 per month.

VPS or Dedicated Hosting: For medium- to large-sized stores with more traffic, VPS ranges from 20USD/month to around 100USD per month and dedicated can cost anywhere between $100-$500 USD per month.

You will also need an SSL certificate to process payments securely, usually $10–$100 per year through your provider.

6. Ongoing Maintenance and Support

After your website goes live, there will be ongoing costs for maintenance, updates, and support. These costs can vary based on the complexity of your site and how often updates are needed:

●       Hosting and Domain Renewal: Hosting costs will recur monthly or annually, as will domain renewal fees (usually $10 to $20 per year).

●       Plugins and Software Updates: Paid plugins and extensions will need to be renewed periodically. Expect to spend between $50 and $500 annually on updates.

●       Technical Support: For ongoing technical support, maintenance plans from agencies can range between $500 and $5,000 per year.

Conclusion

The cost of building an eCommerce website varies greatly depending on your specific needs, platform choice, design preferences, and additional features. Small businesses can launch a website for a few thousand dollars, while larger enterprises may need to invest tens of thousands. Carefully consider your budget, business goals, and customer needs when planning your eCommerce website to ensure you get the most out of your investment.

Also Read: 6 Thanksgiving Sales Ideas to Boost Your E-commerce Revenue