What determines the cost of an e-commerce website?

The cost of an e-commerce website is shaped not by a single line item but by a set of connected decisions: which platform you use, how complex the catalogue is, which systems the store must talk to, how payments and shipping work, and how many languages you sell in. Just as important as the build cost is the second question: what you will pay every month after launch.

Off-the-shelf platform or custom build?

The first and most decisive choice is the platform. There are three main routes:

• Hosted (SaaS) platforms: quick to start, with hosting and security updates handled by the provider, in exchange for subscriptions, app fees and customisation within the platform's limits.
• Open-source platforms: licence costs can be low, but hosting, updates, security and plugin compatibility are your or your agency's responsibility.
• Custom software: the most flexible option when your processes do not fit standard patterns, such as dealer pricing, complex product configuration or bespoke stock logic. Initial investment and maintenance responsibility are higher.

Look beyond the build fee: who owns the data, how easily product and customer data can be moved if you leave the platform, and whether customisations will survive updates.

Choose for the business model you expect in two or three years, not just today's needs. Migrating platforms later is almost always more expensive than choosing well at the start.

Catalogue structure and product data

Product count alone is not decisive; product structure is. Variants such as size and colour, related products, technical filters, bundles and customer-group pricing all add design and development work.

An often overlooked cost is preparing product data: writing descriptions, shooting or editing photos, and standardising attributes. In large catalogues this can take as much effort as the software itself.

Integrations

An online store rarely works alone. The integrations with the greatest budget impact are:

1. ERP or accounting software: products, prices, stock and orders.
2. Stock and warehouse management: real-time sync across warehouses or stores.
3. Marketplaces: listings and orders on channels such as Amazon, Trendyol or Hepsiburada.
4. Carriers: shipment creation, labels and tracking.
5. E-invoicing: required for many businesses selling in Türkiye; confirm your current obligations with your accountant.
6. CRM and email marketing tools.

The cost of an integration depends on the quality of the other system's API and on which direction, and how often, data flows. A ready-made connector shortens the work; without one, custom development is needed.

Payments, shipping, languages and currencies

Card payments, instalment options, cash on delivery or local payment methods for foreign markets each need separate set-up and testing. Shipping requires rules for free-shipping thresholds, zone or weight-based pricing and returns.

Every extra language means more than translation: separate URLs, metadata, product copy and customer communication. Multiple currencies and country-specific tax rules affect both development and operations.

Costs after launch

Total cost of ownership goes well beyond the build. Ongoing items to budget for:

• Platform subscriptions, licences and app fees
• Hosting, domain and SSL
• Payment provider and marketplace commissions
• Security updates, backups and technical maintenance
• New product content, photography and campaign visuals
• Advertising, SEO and performance marketing

Speed is a cost factor too: slow pages hurt both user experience and advertising efficiency. Treat performance as a requirement from the start, not a problem to fix later.

How Grafikare approaches it

Before discussing price, we map the business model, product structure and the systems that need to be connected. We then present platform options with their trade-offs and show build and ongoing costs separately. The budget ranges in our contact form help start that first conversation with the right scope.