E-Commerce Price Details: What Affects Cost in Building an E-commerce Site?
As in most business ventures, many elements and options can affect the budget when developing an e-commerce website. The simpler the site is, the less expensive it is to build, of course. Many e-commerce website design companies are in the market, and they all charge differently. To use a popular phrase, some are Kia's and some are Ferrari's; your organization may need one type more than the other. E-commerce site costs usually range anywhere from R1,000 to over R500,000 or more. What are the factors that make up this pricing? Ultimately, how well do you want your e-commerce site to perform?
The first question I ask is “what are your goals for the site?” when speaking to a potential client. You'll need to have your sales and traffic goals firmly in mind, and we can figure out what type of budget can realistically achieve those goals. Let's say you want your site to do R200,000 annually in sales, you'll probably be paying around R5,000 for your e-commerce site for development. Are you looking to do millions in sales per year? Your e-commerce website's price will increase accordingly as advanced features and functionality will probably need to be included in the design. An e-commerce site is the same as any other business start-up; it takes capital to be successful.
What mostly affects the cost of an e-commerce website?
What does an e-commerce website typically have? Product pages, featured items, category features, related products, etc. These are standard features that should usually be included in your initial cost. Custom functionality is usually the most costly aspect of a project, but the usability of the website is what is going to make your site easy to operate and give it the edge over other sites that are offering the same or similar products and services.
Let's say you offer a project that your competitors also sell, yet none of them have a search feature. You know that including a search option in your site is what's going to give your site the advantage over the competition. How about if your stock levels are very important and you know your designer will need to sync your stock with the in-house inventory management system? Those types of functions are going to increase your ecommerce costs, but they'll also eliminate the need for employees and wages.
Start by creating a list of all the features you'd like to include in your e-commerce site, and share it with your e-commerce web design company. This will help you in the e-commerce planning process.
Design
Let's move on to the website's look. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and your site's look must match your sales expectations. If your site looks like an amateur designed it, customers will move on to a more professional custom e-commerce website. Consider your branding! Your website should always reflect your brand, especially if it is well-established. You'll have one chance to impress your customer, so invest the extra money to make a site that sells how it looks.
Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Asking which services your chosen e-commerce website design company offers is important for your e-commerce planning stage. Some may offer SEO services while others do not. SEO services can be a big advantage and save you a lot of money in the future. If you decide to hire an SEO company in the future, having this function built into your site from its beginning can be advantageous. Marketing features will not be the only way to get into page 1 rankings, but they are certainly a good start!
The Company You Choose
The e-commerce designer and developers you decide to work will affect your site's e-commerce price. It's important to remember that you'll get what you pay for. You may find some companies based in South Africa or overseas who are offering services at a fraction of the higher-priced companies, but you will probably not receive the same degree of top-notch work and service. Let's not forget about the time difference... if you're in South Africa and working with a company six or seven hours ahead, you'll be receiving a lot of phone calls in the middle of the night. In any case, make sure that the company you choose is reliable, with an office that is easily accessible in case of questions during your site's development and after its completion.
To receive Web-Finder's free E-Commerce Website Estimate, please call us at 0829670858 or request an estimate for website design online. We look forward to hearing from you!
