If you want to build a website design using Shopify, it will come with a cost depending on the complexity of the site, the specific features you need, and additional services like design and marketing. However, it’s very essential to understand the actual costs at every step to make an effective budget and plan accordingly. In this blog post, we will learn in-depth about the costs of building a Shopify website and help you make a budget-oriented plan in your financial constraints.
Basic Shopify Plans
Just like any other site builder, Shopify also offers some subscription plans. Each plan’s pricing varies as per the features it provides. Basically, there are three main pricing plans: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. Depending on the requirements of your business or brand, you can go with either option to make a website on Shopify. Let’s understand below what each of these plans has to offer.
Basic Shopify
As very clear from the name itself, ‘Basic Shopify’ subscription plans offer very basic features of the Shopify website development company. They include
- two staff accounts
- up to four locations
- basic reports, and
- basic shipping discounts
If you are a small business or brand looking to build an online presence through Shopify, its basic plan is perfect for you!
Shopify
In this plan, the site builder offers more advanced features than Basic Shopify. They include
- five staff discounts
- up to five locations
- professional reports, and
better shipping discounts
This plan will work well for the growing businesses that want more flexibility and control over their profits.
Advanced Shopify
The premium plan provided by Shopify is the ‘Advanced Shopify.’ Within this subscription plan, you get the most advanced features of Shopify including
- 15 staff accounts
- up to eight locations
- advanced report building, and
- the best shipping discounts
As this plan provides the most advanced resources, it’s made for larger businesses having more complex needs.
Shopify Plus
Apart from these 3 plans, there is one more price plan that Shopify has to offer, i.e. Shopify Plus. It is an enterprise solution for very large businesses. Within this plan, you get
- advanced customization
- dedicated support, and
- additional resources to handle high-volume sales
After choosing a perfect plan as per your brand’s requirements, it’s important to understand how to create a website on Shopify. This is an integral step towards the best quality Shopify web development. It will not only help you strengthen the basics but will also give you a lot of knowledge on the technical expertise of websites.
Domain Name
After properly learning how to create a website in Shopify, it’s the turn to a custom domain name for your business. It is important for branding and establishing credibility. But from where to purchase a domain name? Do not worry as Shopify allows you to get a domain name either directly through their platform or use an existing domain of yourself. And yes, this domain name also comes with a price tag. So, add the cost of the domain name (if you are getting a new one) as well to your overall budget planning.
Shopify Themes
Now, as you start working on web design, you need themes. A theme is the foundation of any website development. Shopify provides a range of themes varying from free to paid ones. You can test and try with free-of-cost themes by Shopify at first. Who knows you might come up with the perfect one for your brand. As these are free of cost, you can go with them if dealing with a limited budget and do not want to spend on the design part. But what about the features? These free themes offer basic customization options and many essential features. You will at least be getting the basic design elements with the help of these free design themes offered by Shopify.
On the other hand, if you want to experiment with other themes having more advanced design options, better customization, and additional features, paid themes are there to help you. The biggest advantage of these design themes is that they are unique and give a professional look to your overall website design.
In brief, you need to add the price of these paid themes (if you are choosing one) as well in your Shopify website budget making. Otherwise, you can save here by using free themes as well.
Custom Web Design Services and Development
Now, if you want to build a more personalized and professional website, it’s a better option to hire a designer or developer. And, the cost of the expert will depend on the complexity of the project as well as how qualified those professionals are. Here are some of the factors that can include the overall cost of hiring an expert:
- custom design
- additional features
- integrations
- ongoing maintenance
If you also need assistance from a professional web design company in building your brand’s site using Shopify, you can connect with the Digital Care Agency. We have a dedicated team of well-qualified and experienced Shopify experts who work round the clock to address the client’s issues. Although different companies offer services at different price ranges, our Shopify services vary from $500 to $1000 depending on the functionality and complexity you desire. We can help you convert your dream Shopify store into reality and achieve the heights of business endeavors.
Apps and Plugins
You might also require the options of marketing, customer service, inventory management, and others as well for your Shopify web development. To include these, Shopify has a dedicated App Store featuring a variety of apps. These will enhance the overall functionality of your site. Some of the Shopify apps that you can go with are:
SEO tools, email marketing, customer reviews, social media integrations, advanced analytics, etc.
Yes, these apps also come with their prices. If you are planning to integrate either of the options for your website, don’t skip adding these costs to your budget.
Payment Processing Fees
If your website is for e-commerce purposes, Shopify will charge a transaction fee from you every time your customers will use external payment gateways. But you can save here by using Shopify payments themselves. They do not charge any fees. It is simply because if you use a different payment gateway, as that’s a third party, your transaction fees will go there directly. Shopify will work just as a mediator platform in this case. But if you have taken a potential subscription plan for Shopify development services, the feature of Shopify payments comes included in that. No extra charges at all!
Marketing and Advertising
After web design and development, you will also need to promote your online store to drive traffic and sales. Hence, add these charges as well to your budget. Although these are not directly related to Shopify, they will be counted as you can’t afford to skip this step. No matter whether you are a startup brand or a large flourishing business, advertising and marketing are the two important pillars of growth. To calculate the costs of marketing and advertising, you can consider SEO, content marketing, social media advertising, Google ads, etc.
Maintenance and Support
The work does not end with just designing and developing a site. You need to maintain your website regularly to ensure that it runs smoothly and the visitors do not face any potential problems. To achieve the same, it’s equally important to stay up-to-date with the latest features and security updates. To count how much it would cost for maintenance and support, you need to first define whether you are satisfied with the features Shopify plans offer or want additional services. Yes, the Shopify plan that you will purchase will provide you with included maintenance and support-related features. These include 24/7 support via phone, email, and live chat. You do not need to pay extra for them if you have bought a subscription plan from the Shopify platform. But if you later on feel the need for other services like custom development, troubleshooting, and advanced technical support, you will have to pay for that.
Miscellaneous Costs
Sometimes, there is a requirement for other potential expenses as well during the setup and operation of your Shopify website. These can include many advanced features like email hosting, SSL certificates, shipping, and fulfillment.
Conclusion
Overall, setting up a Shopify website involves costs at every step. From choosing among the plans to advertising and maintaining the authenticity and smooth workflow of your site, you need to be very mindful of your needs. It all starts with choosing a perfect plan as these subscriptions can help you save a lot of additional expenses later on. Why? Because they offer those required features inclusive of the subscription plan fee. By carefully considering a perfect plan and looking into the important aspects of Shopify web development and web design services, you can create a successful online store for your brand.
