What does an online shop cost and what are the biggest cost drivers?

These factors are the biggest cost drivers.

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Many online shop operators are often unable to accurately estimate the costs of a new shop. Does the investment make sense or is it money down the drain? The costs of creating an online shop are often opaque, as many different factors play a role.

We take a closer look at the individual areas below:

→ shop system and development costs: Modular systems such as Shopify are inexpensive, while solutions with Magento or Shopware are in the five-figure range.

→ Connection to ERP systems and migration: The integration and data transfer from existing systems requires a great deal of effort and coordination. This can also result in high costs.

→ Design: Professional themes are available from Shopify unbeatable value for money, but a fully customised design usually requires an investment in the five-figure range.

→ Contents: Often underestimated! The creation of texts, images and videos requires a lot of time and labour. Whether done internally or externally, it must be taken into account in planning and costing.

→ Hosting and server costs: Shopify offers favourable hosting options included, while a large infrastructure for Magento can result in high monthly costs.

To minimise these uncertainties and achieve a good cost-benefit ratio, there are some specific tips and questions that can help you find the sweet spot for your online shop:

→ Standard is favourable: Consider to what extent your business model can be realised with standard processes. Which standards are sufficient to satisfy your customers?

→ Individualisation is expensive: Evaluate which customisations are really indispensable. What sets you apart from the competition and is essential for your business model?

→ Price in goal and strategy: Consider what investments are necessary now to enable future growth. Is a quick market entry more important than a comprehensive and perfect solution?

→ Counselling and orientation: Get help to make the right decisions. Do you have qualified people in your team or external consultants who understand your situation and can develop suitable implementation scenarios?

To systematically clarify these questions, we at Kombinat always offer a product vision workshop at the start of a project. Here we work together to identify the relevant cost drivers and find the best solutions for your specific requirements.