Launching an online store is one of the best investments a UK business can make, but the cost can vary wildly depending on your approach. Here's an honest breakdown.
E-commerce Platform Costs
Shopify
- Basic plan: £25/month
- Standard plan: £65/month
- Advanced plan: £259/month
- Transaction fees: 1.5-2% per sale
WooCommerce (WordPress)
- Hosting: £5-30/month
- SSL certificate: Usually included with hosting
- Essential plugins: £50-300/year
- Payment gateway fees: 1.4-2.9% per sale
Wix e-Commerce
- Business plan: £27/month
- Business VIP: £49/month
- No additional transaction fees (through Wix Payments)
Design & Setup Costs
DIY Template Approach
- Cost: £0-200
- Time: 20-40 hours of your time
- Result: Basic, template-looking store
Freelance Designer (like me!)
- Starter store: From £500
- Professional store: From £1,000-2,500
- Custom-designed store: From £2,500-5,000
- Result: Custom, branded, conversion-optimised
Agency
- Basic store: From £3,000-5,000
- Mid-range store: £5,000-15,000
- Enterprise store: £15,000-50,000+
- Result: Similar to freelance but at 2-3x the cost
Ongoing Costs to Budget For
- Domain name: £10-15/year
- Email marketing: £0-50/month (Mailchimp, Klaviyo)
- Photography: £200-500 per shoot
- Maintenance: £50-200/month (or DIY)
- Marketing: £100-500/month (ads, SEO)
Total First-Year Budget Estimates
| Approach | Setup | Monthly | Year 1 Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY + Shopify | £0 | £25-65 | £300-780 |
| Freelancer + Shopify | £1,000-3,000 | £25-65 | £1,300-3,780 |
| Agency + Shopify | £5,000-15,000 | £25-65 | £5,300-15,780 |
My Recommendation
For most UK businesses starting out in e-commerce, Shopify + a freelance designer offers the best balance of quality, cost, and scalability. You get a custom, professional store without the agency markup.
Ready to Launch Your Online Store?
I offer Shopify setup packages starting from £500. Book a free discovery call and I'll give you an honest assessment of what your store needs and what it'll cost.
