The cost of an e-commerce website has two parts: what you pay to get it, and what you pay to keep it running. Getting it ranges from a small monthly fee for a rented shop, through a one-time price for ready-made software, to a much larger bill for custom development. Keeping it running costs the same kinds of things whichever you choose: a domain, hosting, payment fees, delivery, upkeep and marketing. This guide lists every cost so nothing surprises you in month three.
The cost of getting the shop
| Way | How you pay | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Rent a hosted shop | A monthly or yearly fee | A working shop, hosted and updated for you |
| Buy ready-made software | Once | The software and its source code, to run on your own server |
| Custom development | By the project, in stages | A shop built to your design, over weeks or months |
Custom development is the right choice when you need something no ready-made shop does. For a shop that sells products, takes payments and delivers them, ready-made software already does the work, and the price difference is large.
The costs every shop has
Domain name
Your address on the internet, such as yourshop.com. It is a yearly fee paid to a registrar. Register it in your own name, not your developer's, so it stays yours.
Hosting
The computer your shop runs on. A rented shop includes it. If you run the software yourself you rent a server, usually a VPS, by the month or year. Choose one with enough memory for your shop and a location near your customers.
SSL certificate
The padlock in the address bar. It is free with most hosts through Let's Encrypt; you should not have to pay for a basic one.
Payment fees
Card payments cost a percentage of each sale, sometimes with a fixed amount per payment and a setup or yearly fee. Cash on delivery costs the courier's handling fee and the parcels that are refused. Bank transfers cost little but take your time to check. Ask each provider for its current rates and work them into your prices.
Delivery
Either you charge the customer what the courier charges you, or you take some of it yourself to offer cheap or free delivery. Decide which before you set your prices.
Upkeep
Software needs updates, and somebody has to install them, keep backups and fix what breaks. A rented shop includes this. With your own copy you do it, or you pay someone to.
Marketing
The cost new shop owners most often leave out. A shop nobody visits sells nothing. Set aside money each month for advertising, and time each week for social media and messages to past customers.
Your time
Photographing products, writing descriptions, answering questions and packing orders. It is not a bill, but it is the largest cost of a small shop.
One-time costs and monthly costs
| Cost | One-time | Every month or year |
|---|---|---|
| The shop itself | Buying or building | Renting |
| Domain name | Yearly | |
| Hosting | Monthly or yearly, unless included | |
| Product photos | First batch | New products |
| Payment and delivery fees | With every order | |
| Upkeep | Ongoing, unless included | |
| Marketing | Launch | Ongoing |
Rent or buy: which costs less?
Renting costs little at the start and keeps costing for as long as you sell. Buying costs more at the start and less every year after. To compare, add up three years of each, including hosting and upkeep for the bought one. If you are testing an idea, rent. If the shop is your business for years, owning usually works out cheaper.
Hidden costs to ask about
- A commission on your sales, on top of the monthly fee
- Extra fees for more products, staff accounts or features
- A charge to move your shop away, or no way to take your data with you
- Paid add-ons for things you assumed were included, such as wholesale prices or more than one language
What Ceylumen Commerce costs
Ceylumen Commerce is sold both ways, and takes no commission on your sales.
- Buy: from LKR 69,999 once, for a lifetime licence with the full source code. You can ask us to install it for LKR 15,000.
- Rent: from LKR 2,990 a month, hosted, backed up and updated for you on your own domain, with 20% off when you pay yearly.
The short version
Budget for the shop, then for the domain, hosting, payment fees, delivery, upkeep and marketing. Ask about commission and add-on fees before you choose. Compare three years of renting with three years of owning, and remember that your own time is part of the cost.