Which shop platform?
Shopify: quickly set up, easy to maintain, many apps, monthly fees. Ideal for most small and medium shops.
WooCommerce (WordPress): more flexible, lower running costs, slightly more maintenance. Good for content-driven shops or existing WordPress sites.
Custom solutions (Next.js, Medusa, etc.): highest flexibility and performance, but higher upfront cost. Worth it at larger volumes or with special requirements.
Product pages that sell
Clear, large product images from multiple angles. Strong titles and descriptions with search terms. Clearly readable prices, availability, delivery time. Reviews and trust signals (badges, secure payment).
Variants (size, colour) must be selectable without friction. Cross-sells and bundles can raise order values by 15–30% on the right products.
Checkout and payment
Offer the right payment methods (invoice, credit card, PayPal, Klarna, Apple/Google Pay). Avoid too many required fields. Allow guest checkout.
Every extra checkout step lowers completion. A one-page checkout often converts 20–30% better than a multi-page one.
Shipping and returns
Clear shipping costs and delivery times from the product page on — no surprises at checkout. Free shipping above a threshold is a proven tool for higher order values.
Communicate the returns policy clearly. In Germany and the EU there's a statutory right of withdrawal — making it transparent builds trust.
Tracking and optimisation
Clean e-commerce tracking (GA4 + ad-platform pixels). Keep an eye on conversion rate, cart abandonment, order value, customer lifetime value.
Optimisation is continuous: A/B tests on product pages, newsletters with cart recovery, cross-sells, review management.
What it costs
A Shopify shop with good configuration and SEO basics: from €3,000. Larger shop with custom design, many products and integrations: €8,000 to €20,000. Fully custom solutions: from €20,000 upwards.
Running costs: platform fees (Shopify from €30/month), apps, payment provider fees, plus marketing budget.
Conclusion
A successful online shop emerges from the interplay of technology, design, content, logistics and marketing. Getting it all from one team avoids handover gaps and gets you to revenue faster.