A website is a mirror of offered services to customers in the most efficient manner, which not just brings them closer to the businesses, but at the same time opens a new window of opportunities and expansion for businesses.
Ecommerce- Website Development
In the world of ecommerce the worth of a website can never be ignored, since it combines the services and benefits at one place, engaging customers to purchase.
However, when it comes to eCommerce Development, it is a tricky question, as there are multiple functionalities that must align with the services, so consumers do not get overwhelmed while looking at the website.
To build such a website requires expertise and skills at the most, converging the technology with the right platform without incurring the cost exponentially.
An ecommerce website cost cannot be objective to numbers, as there are multiple factors that come along to give a scalable solution fitting the business financial goals.
If you too are looking forward to building an ecommerce website, but the cost factor is puzzling you largely, then this blog post is for you.
It will help you navigate through the best measures and practices to get an efficient cost for your ecommerce solution.
Factors which impact the website cost
To build an ecommerce website requires a lot to be considered and especially for the cost, there are multiple variables which must be taken into consideration before making the final move.
Below we have outlined the factors which directly impact the cost of an ecommerce website to a larger extent. Let’s grab a closer look:
Website features and functionality
If you think that a website’s functionalities and features come at no cost, then you are hugely mistaken.
You would be surprised to know that more features & functionalities result in cost increase.
Indeed, for an ecommerce website some of the ubiquitous features are- product search, user reviews, and inventory management.
However, including advancements in the features like try before buy, advanced, filters, etc., require more development time and resources.
Design
A well-structured website is always a reason behind users’ attention and retaining customers.
However, when design elements need to be customized to fit the demands of innovative canvas, it increases the cost, as resources and efforts get increased.
Platform Selection
When it comes to selecting the eCommerce Development platform it becomes highly imperative for the businesses to discuss with the developers beforehand.
Some platforms are open-source and come with no licensing fees involved, whereas there are few platforms which have monthly subscription and other fees involved.
Both of such platforms have their own set of pros and cons, and it is highly recommended for the businesses to check every bit of those platforms before making a final call.
3rd Party Integration
A website for an ecommerce vertical imbibes different systems to function seamlessly.
There has to be the integration of external systems, such as payment gateways, shipping carriers, or CRM tools.
These are required systems and must be integrated within the solution, however; adding them increases the cost of development.
Mobile responsiveness
Today’s consumers are highly demanding and they prefer using every possible service on their mobile devices.
It means the eCommerce development services must be made responsive on the mobile as well and on various handheld devices.
To make this function properly, websites must be created responsive on different screen sizes and types.
Such responsive design impacts the overall development cost.
Database Management
An ecommerce platform deals with a significantly larger database involving products and categories.
Handling such a huge product database requires more backend resources. This calls for increased cost and resource involvement.
Security and compliance
Every eCommerce website deals with sensitive customer information, where they share their personal and financial details with the platform to make the final purchase.
It becomes critical for the website owners to pay extra attention to the security and data protection regulation, which must not be compromised at any given point.
To make this work as a secured platform, data protection regulations with additional security software, must be taken into consideration.
SEO- Friendly
A successful website must be built by investing in SEO-friendly features and marketing tools.
This not just improves website’s visibility, but also improves SERP rankings.
SEO- friendly tools and features are a helpful tool in the longer run and come with costs that impact the overall budget for the website development.
Advanced Technologies
Today’s consumers are highly tech-freak looking forward to experiencing the best of the technological advancements in offered services.
The integration of AI, AR/VR, Big Data analytics are some of the most prominent and praiseworthy examples of emerging technologies, and make the process of purchasing through e-commerce platforms as smooth as possible.
However, the integration of these advanced technologies require time, effort and of course cost.
Maintenance & Support
If you think website launch is the end of the development cycle, then you must know that it is just one phase of development, and after the website launch, a new phase starts, which requires ongoing maintenance and support.
It is obvious for the website to witness bugs and require regular updates, this is where the maintenance comes into the picture, and needs to be taken care of regularly.
With the regular maintenance it becomes easier for the businesses to offer clutter-free experience to their users.
Although, the regular maniantiacne comes with a price tag, and that must be discussed beforehand with your shortlisted developers.
How much does it cost to build an ecommerce website?
To build an ecommerce website does not come with a cost bracket to choose from. As there are a number of factors, as mentioned above.
With these aspects impacting the cost for ecommerce website development, it can be stated that the cost to build an ecommerce website can be anything between $50,000 to $10,00,000 or beyond, depending upon the set of features, functionalities, location of developer and other factors.
It is highly recommended to pay attention to these factors and make a prudent decision.
Final Thoughts
Well, the cost is a deciding factor for many of us, however, it should not be the last leaf in the decision making process of any website development journey.
Considering a low-cost development might sound alluring, but for the longer run it is not an ideal choice, since an inexperienced developer coming at the low cost can leave your project in lurch in the event of experiencing any technical challenge.
Henceforth, it is highly recommended to pay attention to every aspect of eCommerce development and cost should not be the only factor to make the right decision.