Development
Sonance
Product tools for a global audio brand
Shopify development with theme changes and product tools for an international store.
Visit sonance.com
What does a Shopify store cost?
What a Shopify store costs, and what determines the price
The price of a Shopify store depends so much on scope that a range would not help you. Instead, this page walks through what pushes the price up and down, so you can see which end you are in. I have built webshops since 2010 and will give you a concrete quote once I know three things about your store.
- I usually reply the same day
- Written estimate before work starts
What does a Shopify store cost?
What costs the most
- Product data. Fifteen products is an afternoon. Four thousand SKUs with variants, dimensions and datasheets is a project in itself.
- Integrations with ERP or inventory. If the system has a proper API it moves fast. If it does not, this becomes the most expensive line.
- Design from scratch rather than customising an existing theme. The difference is often considerable.
- Shipping rules. Free shipping over a threshold is easy. Volume-based shipping to four countries each with their own parcel shops is not.
- Multiple languages and currencies. Not hard, but it doubles the amount of content to manage.
What costs less than people expect
The store setup itself. Payments, domain, emails and base settings is a day's work, not a week.
Standard features like wishlists, reviews and newsletter signup. Good versions exist, and there is rarely a reason to build them yourself.
The running costs
Beyond the build you pay Shopify's subscription, transaction fees through your payment provider and typically a couple of apps. That is the line most often forgotten in the budget, and it grows if apps never get cleaned out.
I am happy to go through the list with you, including if you already have a store. There is usually a subscription or two hiding that nobody uses anymore.
What you get
Concrete deliverables, not a report of recommendations someone else has to find time for.
- A concrete quote
Based on the product count, which systems need to talk to each other, and whether a design exists.
- A fixed price rather than a running bill
On webshops I prefer a fixed price, so I carry the risk of having miscalculated.
- A staged plan
The first stage is a store that can go live and make money. The rest follows, if you want it to.
- A budget for running it
Subscription, fees and apps itemised, so the running costs do not surprise you after launch.
The work in practice
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OOONO
Shopify across markets
Shopify development across markets with theme changes, tracking and ongoing improvements to the store.
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Shopify
Joule
A new AED brand on Shopify
A Shopify site with a custom theme and visual product story for Joule's new AED.
Visit jouleaed.com
How it works
Four steps. You know what happens when, and you can stop after any of them.
- 01
We walk through the job
A 20-30 minute call where you describe what needs to be built or repaired. I ask about platform, access and deadline, and tell you honestly if the job sits outside what I am good at.
- 02
Review of your code
Small jobs get a price after a short clarification. If a larger existing project needs a technical review first, we agree the price and scope of that review before I open the code.
- 03
Written quote with a clear scope
You get a firm agreement on what is included, what is not, and when it will be ready. If the scope changes along the way, we deal with it openly instead of letting it drift.
- 04
Delivery in your own setup
I work in your own repository and your own hosting and deliver in pieces you can see and approve. When we are done, you have the code, the access and documentation that makes you independent of me.
Brands I've worked with
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get a fixed quote for a Shopify store?
- Yes, and that is how I prefer to work on webshops. I need to know how many products there are, which systems need to talk to each other, and whether a design exists. Write those three things and I will come back with a fixed price, with a same-day reply.
- Why is there no price range on the page?
- Because the span between a small store and a store with thousands of SKUs and an ERP connection is so wide that a range would be technically true and still useless. The price factors above give you a better basis than three packages where none fits.
- What pushes the price up the most?
- Product data at scale, integrations with systems lacking a proper API, and design from scratch. Each of those three items can outweigh the rest of the project combined.
- How long does a Shopify store take?
- A manageable store with a customised theme and a couple of integrations typically lands at six to ten weeks. What delays it is usually product photography and copy, not the development.
- Can you quote without us having a design?
- Yes. Then I assume a good Shopify theme adapted to your identity, which goes a long way and costs considerably less than design from scratch. If a design arrives later, we adjust.
- Can we split the project into stages?
- Yes, and I often recommend it. The first stage is a store that can go live and make money; integrations and refinements can come in stage two, when there is revenue to pay for them.
- Is the price the same across the country?
- Yes. The work happens remotely, so a store in Aalborg, Aarhus or Odense costs the same as one in Copenhagen. There is no travel and no local surcharge.
- What running costs should we expect?
- Shopify's subscription, transaction fees at the payment provider and any apps. I itemise these in the quote, so the operating budget is known before the store goes live.