How much does an E-commerce website cost

FireFleur

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Oct 29, 2008
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Well I don't know what you mean by rubbish, but I think you have misunderstood an earlier post :)

The post with 'the position name :' is meant to be read as if that role is saying it.

It is about where the time goes, and it varies depending upon who is talking :)

OpenSource CARTS (<-- note not open source operating systems or development tools) are perhaps the least secure, then come off the shelf carts, because again you can get at the source or disassemble it and they have many installs.

Bespoke done well is the most secure in this way, but done badly sure you can fuzz stuff out but that tends to trip IDS.

Many eyes argument, have you looked at source code and identified security problems and then sent them up stream? Many eyes argument got blown out with OpenSSL in Debian, and that is something you would expect to get more attention.

Crackers look at source code, because they can use those vulnerabilities, same with pen testers but neither send upstream to get it fixed because their revenue stream is based on it. In fact some security researchers have been muzzled for their efforts of talking about specific compromises.

2K I think is too low, you might get it done on a favour, and then perhaps just to test the waters with a site with the items, basic layout and all content supplied by client, but not the account, basket and payment gateway integration functionality. You will need more in the kitty to go forward and should budget for that.

It sounds like you have had some problems with agencies, and yeah sure they are not set up for the smaller player, they are there for the big player and corps. Though corps often hirer smaller developers, tends to be for close relationship, lot have moved their IT systems inhouse, and prefer control over the development cycle and code base.

A lot of the agencies also use software developers, so yeah if you can get to the people then you don't pay middle man fees.
 
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strikingedge

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Jan 25, 2009
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OK - security....I'm not going to disagree with your points, but they are irrelevant!

Again...shopify...you can't edit the code - either it is secure enough for a small business to get online or it isn't.

If it is, then you have the account basket and payment gateway integration already done. And if you wait a month, yours truly will be delivering tight integration between Shopify and KashFlow.

Shameless plug: www.carrytheone.co.uk

That's all for a monthly cost plus commission - and you haven't even touched your £2K capital yet. I really don't think you need to spend more than half of it on design and templating - but if you've got the budget, go to town and get it looking amazing.

I've always said that the £2K is for getting the site up and running....spend extra on marketing, high quality photography, decent copy....although I bet the original budget will cover most of that if the needs are modest.

When the site is doing £100K a year or more, then go for a great bespoke utterly secure development if you want/ need to.
 
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FireFleur

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Irrelevant you say, there is one poster on here a few days back two years work down the drain, not sure he would think it is irrelevant.

And again on this forum, someone was showing off the security problems of a competitor and they withdrew from that market.

Oh WhiskyFive you have got the salesman bug in you, you cannot just make the world be according to you and how you think it should be :)
 
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FireFleur

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Oh that is not patronising :)

Claiming irrelevance is close though.

As I say I think you are low balling, and I think you are doing it because of agencies in the past, they could have tucked you over.

But read what I have written, and you will see I show ways round that.

Going from one extreme to the other doesn't work that well, what you will do is encourage the cutting of corners, you need to find a fair price for the site and that is based on the time it would take to create that site. Good developers use rapid application development technique and languages, but if you cut it to the bone, they will just hit spec and nothing more.
 
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I still stand by my £2K for a decent site.

And I will stand by my cost of £1200 for a standard commerce website including SEO, design and consultancy. That is what we charge folks and all of our clients are very happy with what we do for them.

OK, it is based on open source solutions but we have yet to have a serious problem with security on any of them. I keep hearing people rattling on about security and OS but the facts surely prove that (relative to the number of users) OS solutions are as secure as any other?

Added: I should perhaps say that most of our clients are mom and pop businesses and people dipping their toes in the water.
 
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Danny Bluestone

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Sep 2, 2006
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If you would like a quote for a website developed by an award winning digital agency go to www.cyber-duck.co.uk.

In regards to your question as mentioned above it really does depend on your business plan and what you want to achieve, amount of pages, detail etc.

We can work within your budget but depending on how much you want to spend will limit or extend the functionalities of your site. All our sites are of the highest quality whether they are preoduced for £2000 - £30000 but what you get within the websites (backend) would vary!

Hope this answers your question!
 
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newsh1

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Apr 24, 2009
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Hi all,

I'm getting quotes from £2500 - £9500 for an e-commerce website. What should a really good one cost?

It depends on what you want out of the web site. As a guide our new web site www.cloudsuk.com cost £6k for design, £2k for the images whilst the video tours were done in house. Hope this gives you an idea of what you can expect for your money.
 
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Interconnect IT

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Nov 15, 2007
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It also depends a lot on your risk profile.

Some online businesses are trading millions - a day of downtime or problems with cart abandonment can cost them dearly. We're about to implement a solution for a client who wants paid for downloads and a key problem with their current site is people 'losing the will to live' before they pay. So we want to make it quick and easy for people to buy. Very quick.

The attention to detail to make a site a success can be incredible - and very expensive, but if you're running a big business it's worthwhile. If you're running a hobby or something exclusive, then it's less of an issue.
 
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cmcp

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Jun 25, 2007
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I've noticed FireFleur comes across as though he's talking at you sometimes, but I've also noticed that everything he says is 100% correct.

WhiskyFive to disregard security as you are in this thread is worrying. How can you dismiss security as irrelevant. The point is simple - open source softwares are magnets for attacks and need to be understood and controlled as such.

If you're a provider you have to be at least aware of this. Security doesn't just kick in at £x turnover, security at the lowest level is protecting your database of opt in information.

A fair point is made about risk. I know in the real world small fish can slip through the net, but you've gotta be aware of the situation.
 
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Tangerine

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Nov 1, 2008
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Same as the right age to lose your virginity is 17*...the budget to design and code a decent ecommerce website is £2K.

And before anyone accuses me of making "wild claims" or "lying"....this is about setting an appropriate budget and shopping around for the right outfit to do it.

You can get everything you need for a fully functional and lovely looking site for £2K, so unless you've got some weird and wonderful stuff you need building bespoke, that's how much it "costs".

I think the challenge for people commissioning sites is knowing what are the right questions to ask.

This thread is a case in point....if you'd asked "what is the right budget for a site" you'd have got a lot more sense out of people than asking "how much does it cost"...as websites can cost anything up to the GDP of Belize...but that doesn't mean that should be your budget.

*Southpark reference
Thanks Whisky Five. Do you know any companies?
 
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david64

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Mar 17, 2009
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£9500 would be enough for a good one so long as you find the ring provider. I can refer you to a high quality independent provider who will be cheaper than an agency. PM me if you would like their details.

Don't expect much for £2,500. Also remember you are probably going to need a promotion budget as well, which ideally should be at least twice as much as the cost of your site.

If you only have a small budget, I'd seriously consider whether it is worth the risk. Many eCommerce sites do not pay for themselves.
 
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florenceij

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Jul 29, 2006
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They seem good based on what I could see while looking at their website and services. They have a nice portfolio and reference. Have a chat with them and see what support is available to you on an ongoing basis and any additional cost. I know there are guys that offer a similar service in this forum.

It might be good to also weigh the benefit of this route versus having your own custom e-commerce website. There are some webdesign agencies that are happy to accept monthly fee plus a set up fee and in return you own full rights to the website after completing the payment terms.
 
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strikingedge

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Jan 25, 2009
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I only know Venda from the people who have used them and then stopped using them - but none for a year or so.

Overpriced is the complaint I heard most often.

Quentin Griffiths (co-founder of ASOS) set up EBTM on Venda...they then dumped them for another provider....and have now subsequently closed. Looking at their client list...they don't have any real ecommerce stars.

These types of corporate SAAS providers tend to be for companies with very deep pockets and limited in-house expertise of ecommerce - basically a souped up version of Mr Site.

If you're in the above boat, then you may well get more bang for your bucks from BT Fresca, Demandware or ATG.

There's a Forrester report on these big players available on the ATG website:
http://www.atg.com/eCommerce/forrester_wave_Q306/
 
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DesignsOnline

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    strikingedge

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    Yes....we use them and are currently leaving them.

    They are absolutely fine if you don't have a clue about ecommerce or websites - and they are pretty cheap.

    Their new ecommerce platform is a heavily modified OSCommerce variant.

    The nice thing about them is that support costs about £20 a month.

    The bad is that if your site goes down on a Friday, you have no opportunity to get it up yourself (no control panel access) and they won't sort it till Monday.

    The £3K set-up charge is quite high...and they are fairly keen to get new people on board, so don't pay more than £2K all in - including design.

    If you need a simple site then these guys aren't bad. If you are sophisticated in your needs and demands, then they may not be right for you.
     
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    edmondscommerce

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    Nov 11, 2008
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    man you could get an osC site done for £2k then host it with a hosting company directly for £20 a month

    you would have FTP and phpMyAdmin access, 24 hour phone support for server issues

    the possibility to bring in outside designers / developers for bigger customisations

    and you are in total control of everything and can control your destiny completely (and all for the same cash!)
     
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