Useful to know about eCommerce web design services – FAQs

Here are a variety of common questions and answers we get asked related to working with us to create an eCommerce website. There is a separate similar FAQ on general websites, a Hosting FAQ and a WordPress FAQ you may also be interested in.

What software do you use?

We use Woocommerce which is a leading WordPress eCommerce package. This is a well developed, mature e-commerce package that provides most of the standard features required for a straightforward shop built-in and a large range of extensions to provide extra features (some at a modest cost).

Woocommerce is used by nearly 30% of online shops.

How long will it take to develop the ecommerce site?

We generally find the average eCommerce project takes between 2 and 4 months. This does depend largely on your availability to provide us with the information we need at the start of the project and provide feedback as we move through it.

How much does a new ecommerce online shop cost?

This depends on the number of products, the non-standard features and how much you yourself are prepared to get involved with sorting and adding your products.

However, as a guide, a basic eCommerce site with standard features and a small number of products might cost around £1500. A site with a few hundred products and some extra features might cost £2500 to £3500. A large site with a thousand products and lots of extra functionality is likely to be in the £5000 to £10000 range.

There may also be some ongoing costs associated with the software extensions needed to provide the extra features – typically these extensions range from $29 to $99 per annum each. Nearly all sites will need at least a premium payment service extension. Sites with extra functionality are likely to need more.

Are there additional ecommerce costs?

You will need to pay transaction costs associated with taking online payments. This will be through your own arrangement with the merchant account provider. Most merchant accounts also require a software extension to connect to their services. These are typically $99 per annum each.

Should I get my product information from my suppliers?

Yes, but you should not use it as supplied. You should tailor it to your audiences needs and re-write titles and descriptions so they are unique. If you don’t SEO results are going to be very poor.

What format will I need to provide product information in?

Ideally, we need it as a CSV file. We can provide you with a sample file. Excel handles CSV.

What format will you require product images in?

JPG. Ideally, these will need to be optimised for web use and they will need to be consistent shapes and sizes. They will need to be reasonably large – perhaps 1000 x1000. We can optimise them for you if you need assistance. We may need to charge extra if there are a lot to do.

Will you provide training?

Yes, and the Woocommerce package has extensive online guides. Ideally, we would like to get you involved during the project so you start to understand how to use the software.

We do not really want to be in a position of handing over your shop at the end of the project without you having a good appreciation of what you need to do to use the software effectively. We have been asked to help people out who are floundering with their online shops that have just been handed over by other companies with only some products loaded, no SEO done and no instructions.

Will you provide ongoing support?

Yes. We will provide free unlimited support for the first 30 days after the site goes live.

After this, we are happy to provide ongoing support and care packages for £50 per month for small sites and £100 per month for larger or more complex sites. This will include looking after the software and keeping it updated, managing backups, fixing any problems that arise, providing support and guidance as you need it and making small site changes you request.

If you do not want this level of support we will provide free telephone or email support (during our normal office hours) to answer your queries and provide guidance.