How much Does an E-commerce Website Cost?

If you’re planning to launch or grow your e-commerce business in 2025, one of your first questions is likely, “How much will it cost to build my website?” It’s a smart question, and the answer isn’t always straightforward.

At BAW Creative, we understand that every business is unique. Whether you're a fast-moving ecommerce brand or an ambitious B2B company, your website is your shopfront, your sales engine, and a critical part of your growth strategy. That’s why knowing the full picture of costs, upfront and ongoing, is essential to building a site that not only looks the part but delivers measurable results.

In this guide, we break down the true costs of setting up and running an ecommerce website in 2025. We’ll help you weigh up the options, whether you’re using a website builder like Shopify or investing in a bespoke solution. And because we specialise in creating high-performing sites supported by SEO, PPC, and email marketing, we’ll share practical insights on where to invest for the best return.

Our aim is simple: to help you make confident, informed decisions that keep your budget on track and your business moving forward. Let’s get started.

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What is an E-commerce Website and What Does it do?

An ecommerce website is more than just an online shop. It is your digital storefront, your sales team, and your customer service hub all in one. It allows your customers to browse, choose, and buy your products or services from anywhere in the world, 24/7. But its role goes deeper than simply making sales.

A well-designed ecommerce site creates a seamless buying experience. It showcases your brand, builds trust, and makes it easy for people to complete their purchase, whether they are shopping on desktop or mobile. It also supports your business behind the scenes by handling stock management, processing payments, and collecting data that helps you understand your customers better.

At BAW Creative, we know that a high-performing ecommerce site needs to do more than just look good. It must convert visitors into loyal customers. That is why we focus on creating sites that are fast, secure, and optimised for search, with clear calls to action and intuitive navigation. We also recommend integrating automated email marketing campaigns that keep your customers engaged long after they have checked out. This is one of the most effective ways to drive repeat sales.

In short, an ecommerce website is a crucial driver of growth. It helps you reach more people, sell more products, and build lasting customer relationships. When done right, it becomes the heartbeat of your online business.

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Common Costs for E-commerce Websites

Building and running an ecommerce website involves more than just the initial setup. There are several core costs that you will need to factor into your budget. These costs can vary widely depending on your business needs, the platform you choose, and how much customisation you want. Below, we break down the key expenses to consider.

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1. Hosting

Every e-commerce site needs reliable hosting to keep it online, fast, and secure. Hosting is where all your website’s files live and is essential for keeping things running smoothly, especially as your traffic grows.

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SaaS ecommerce platform hosting

If you choose a SaaS platform like Shopify, hosting is included in your monthly fee. This is ideal if you want an easy, hands-off solution. You benefit from secure, scalable hosting with essential features like automatic updates, unlimited bandwidth, and built-in security measures. This keeps things simple, allowing you to focus on growing your business rather than worrying about technical details.

Self-hosted ecommerce website

With a self-hosted site, such as one built on WooCommerce, you have greater flexibility to customise your website to your exact needs. However, self-hosting does bring additional responsibilities around managing hosting plans, security updates, and performance. That’s why we partner with trusted hosting providers who handle all of this for you, ensuring your site remains fast, secure, and fully optimised as your business grows. This gives you peace of mind and lets you focus on what matters most, running your business.

2. Payment processing

To sell online, you need a reliable way to take payments. Payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, or Shopify Payments handle transactions for you, ensuring your customers can pay easily and securely. Fees are usually a small percentage of each transaction, but they add up over time. It is important to understand these costs upfront so you can factor them into your pricing and profit margins.

3. Ecommerce web design costs

First impressions matter. Your website’s design plays a huge role in building trust and converting visitors. Many platforms offer ready-made themes that are budget-friendly and easy to customise. However, if you want something unique that truly reflects your brand, investing in custom design is worth considering. We always advise clients to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality, ensuring your site looks professional and works beautifully across all devices.

4. Custom development

Sometimes off-the-shelf solutions are not enough. If you need bespoke features or a unique user experience, you may need to invest in custom development. This could range from tweaking existing themes to building complex integrations or custom apps. While this involves a higher upfront cost, it allows you to tailor your site to your exact business needs and create a customer experience that sets you apart.

5. Add-ons and extensions

No ecommerce platform offers everything out of the box. You will likely want to add tools and features to enhance your site’s functionality, whether that is for email marketing, SEO, customer reviews, or advanced analytics. Many of these are available as apps or plugins, with a mix of free and paid options. We always recommend prioritising tools that directly support growth, such as email automation and personalisation, which can have a big impact on customer retention and revenue.

6. Business costs

Beyond your website itself, there are other costs to consider. These might include marketing campaigns, content creation, stock management systems, and customer support tools. It is also wise to budget for ongoing site maintenance and performance monitoring to keep things running smoothly. While these costs can vary, they are essential investments in sustaining and growing your ecommerce business.

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What Platforms are our E-commerce Websites Built on?

At BAW Creative, we believe that the foundation of a successful ecommerce website starts with choosing the right platform. We work with a range of industry-leading platforms to ensure your website is not only fit for purpose today but is also ready to scale as your business grows.

Our platform recommendations are always tailored to your specific needs, whether you are an ambitious start-up or a well-established brand looking to expand your digital footprint.

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Shopify

Shopify is our go-to for many ecommerce projects because of its flexibility, ease of use, and robust feature set. It offers everything you need to get up and running quickly, with a strong focus on security, seamless payment processing, and scalable hosting. Shopify’s ecosystem of apps and integrations makes it easy to customise your store and enhance functionality over time. We also integrate advanced email marketing tools to help drive repeat business and keep your customers engaged.

Woo-commerce

For businesses that need more flexibility or already have a WordPress site, WooCommerce is a fantastic option. As an open-source platform, it gives you full control over your site’s functionality and design. While it requires a bit more hands-on management compared to Shopify, it’s a powerful choice for brands with specific technical requirements or more complex product ranges. We provide full support, from setup to ongoing optimisation, ensuring your WooCommerce store performs at its best.

Webflow 

Webflow is a fantastic option for businesses that want full creative control without needing deep technical expertise. It combines powerful design flexibility with a user-friendly interface, making it easy to build visually stunning, high-performing ecommerce sites. Webflow is perfect for brands that value custom design and want their site to stand out, while still benefiting from reliable hosting and built-in SEO tools. At BAW Creative, we help you unlock Webflow’s full potential, ensuring your site not only looks incredible but also converts visitors into loyal customers.

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Does Webflow Have Ecommerce Function?

Webflow is an incredibly powerful platform for creating beautifully designed, custom websites, but it does not offer full native ecommerce functionality for complex or large-scale online stores. While it supports some basic product and checkout features, it is not built to handle the robust requirements of serious ecommerce operations.

That is why, at BAW Creative, we take Webflow a step further. We use custom API integrations to connect your Webflow site with Shopify, bringing together Shopify’s trusted ecommerce engine with Webflow’s unrivalled design flexibility. This allows you to maintain complete creative control over your website’s look and feel, while Shopify handles all the critical ecommerce functions, product management, payments, and order processing.

With this approach, you get a seamless, scalable ecommerce experience that looks amazing and performs flawlessly. We manage the technical side, ensuring everything runs smoothly, so you can focus on growing your business with confidence.

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How Much Do Our Builds Cost?

One question we get asked a lot is, “ How much will my ecommerce website cost?” The honest answer is that it depends entirely on your specific needs and goals. At BAW Creative, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all pricing because every business is different. Whether you need a straightforward ecommerce site or a fully customised platform with advanced integrations, we tailor each project to match your requirements.

Our pricing is fully bespoke, designed around the complexity of your build, the platform we are working with, and any additional services you need such as SEO, PPC, or email marketing setup. We take the time to understand your business, your challenges, and your ambitions so we can recommend the best solution and provide transparent, detailed quotes.

We are committed to delivering real value, not just a website that looks good but one that drives measurable results and supports your long-term growth. Whatever your budget, you will have clarity from the start, and our team will guide you through every stage of the process, ensuring your investment works hard for your business.

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Increase conversions now!

Building an ecommerce website is only part of the picture. What really matters is how effectively it turns visitors into paying customers. Every decision you make, from your platform and design to integrations and marketing, should be focused on one thing: driving conversions and growing your business.

At BAW Creative, we take a focused, no-nonsense approach. We build ecommerce sites that are fast, secure, and simple to manage, but more importantly, we design them to perform. With our expertise across website design, SEO, PPC, and email marketing, we ensure your site is set up to capture attention and convert it into meaningful results.

If you are serious about increasing conversions and want a site that supports your long-term business goals, we are ready to help. Get in touch to explore how we can make your ecommerce website work harder for you.

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