There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to building an eCommerce website. It acts as a promising layer to the business, especially post the digital transformation. It is rudimentary to develop a website that resonates with your brand value and goals in every way. While this step sets the course of your brand’s digital journey, putting a price tag on the website, even if it is two-tailed, allows you to plan and not lose the purpose of the web store. The blog brings you the details of how much you will be billed for your website.

How do we put a number on the eCommerce Costs?

There are so many variables involved in coming up with the overall cost of the website. While some may consume a few thousand rupees, others might go up to a few lakhs. It is essential to adjust your priorities following the specific requirements of your brand’s website. You would have to look into –

• eCommerce Software
• Domain Details
• eCommerce Hosting
• SSL Certification
• Themes & Designs
• Add-ons & Extensions

Let’s break down and look into each attribute in detail.

1) eCommerce Software:

It is essential to rope in all the features and functionalities that go with running a successful web store. eCommerce solutions help you shift or build a website from the ground up. It provides all the requisite features to run a seamless web store – from displaying products, placing an order to showing updated statuses of the same. There are several options in various price ranges to fit your unique requirements with novel features, service offerings, and support. Some of the popular choices include –

• WooCommerce
• BigCommerce
• Magento
• Shopify

It is essential to note that WooCommerce starts at zero cost investment with charges on each functionality you add to the platform with plugins, others have monthly/yearly plans to assist the merchants in a befitting manner.

2) Domain Costs

The pricing of the domain is usually between Rs.900 – 1200/year. There are options where you can pay for years together upfront as well. There are various domain sources like GoDaddy, HostGator, Bluehost that allows you to book the domain you want. The cost varies with the extension you choose, the demand for the name, and the medium you get it from. An auction or private seller is usually more expensive than traditional parties.

3) eCommerce Hosting:

Similar to the eCommerce Software setup, the Hosting charges vary with the preference of the merchants. While there are platforms like WooCommerce that allow you to host the website on your own servers, there are other options as well. Let’s look at the hosting pricing options available –

• Shared hosting – Rs.5,000 to Rs.10,000/-
• If you are expecting major traffic on the website, you can host on VPS with a price range between Rs.40,000 to 1 Lakh.
• Web Applications with a dedicated server can be on the expensive side with Rs.1.5 Lakhs to 4 Lakhs.

4) SSL Certification:

An SSL Certification can typically cost between Rs.1,500 to 6,000. While this is the most inexpensive part of an eCommerce website, the importance of adding this runs deep. It shows your audience that it is safe to interact and make a purchase from your website. Even the search engine holds a ranking factor based on security certification. Some hosting solutions even slip the SSL certification for free in their packages.

5) Themes & Designs:

Every website on the world wide web is designed to provide a unique user experience and allow them to carry out the desired actions in a seamless, well laid-out manner. How many of them achieve in accomplishing the same is a question worth pondering. Nevertheless, there are vast resources for themes and designs in major eCommerce solutions – some free, others paid. As the website design is important in developing a sustainable digital presence, it is essential to choose an outlook that provides a stellar experience for the end-user. While the store themes and designs come at free costs, there are dedicated templates that cough between Rs.10,000 to Rs.60,000/- You can also choose a custom, responsive web design for your web store, which will cost between one to three lakhs.

6) Add-ons and extensions:

Regardless of the extensive research while choosing a well-rounded eCommerce software, you will require external add-ons and plugins to accentuate the buyer journey. It is where the add-ons, extensions, and plugins come into play, along with their costs. While the tool might cost between Rs.10,000 to 30,000, the extra cost goes for integration to your website. It is safe to set aside Rs.10,000 to Rs.60,000/- for the same. While we have provided rough estimates based on assumptions, every online web store is unique. After all, you are hoping to stand out of the crowd with impressive buyer experiences. While the initial costs might surprise you, a well-constructed, sustainable take on a web store will yield exemplary returns.