How much does a new online shop cost?
The Powa software to run a transactional site is charged based on a percentage of sales (8%) with a minimium amount payable of £9.99 per month. This amount includes upgrades and hosting and the contract has no fixed term, meaning that you carry on using and paying as long as it suits you.
Our one-off set up charge typically starts from around £3,000 to £5,000, depending on the size of the project. Costs will be confirmed before starting any work and we can sometimes offer a reduced charge, so do email Elisabeth for more information.
If you are very competent in word processing and spreadsheets and maybe even know a bit of HTML, you can always build and set up the online shop yourself. You can use a standard template although we would highly recommend a bespoke design. We will then provide as much or as little support as you need to get the site live. This will cost you less, but of course take up more of your time. We're happy to discuss this kind of option.
How long does it take to build a new online shop?
We will confirm timescales in detail at the start of a project, but as a rule of thumb, we produce a set of designs for clients to choose from within a week of starting a project and the site is ready to go live 3 weeks after design sign-off. Copywriting and photography can cause this timescale to be extended, but we can help with both of these, if required.
I like the idea of an online shop, but do not want to spend all day packing up parcels. Can you help?
We recently interviewed a number of exhibitors at the Craft Council's Origin event. Of those businesses that were considering selling online but hadn't yet taken the plunge, a big barrier was a fear of either spending too much time making up parcels or of having to employ someone to undertake this role. Designer makers, in particular, are motivated by doing their thing, whether that be making pottery, weaving or whatever.
As a direct result of that event, we have investigated warehouse options and have come up with a cost-effective fulfilment solution that would let you spend time designing and making, but make substantially more profit than only supplying wholesale outlets. Just contact us if you would like us to work out some figures for your business.
I already have an online shop. It's not doing as well as I would like, but I'm not ready to change platform. Can you help?
Yes, we are already providing eCommerce coaching to a number of clients. Taking our experience and that of our associates, together with keeping up to date with industry best practice means we are well placed to help you make progress.
A good place to start is with a website health check. This will help to identify and prioritise where to invest effort. Some of the things we recommend will be easy to undertake yourself; we will be happy to help with the tasks you feel less comfortable with tackling.
Do contact us if you would like help of this kind.
Is there anything you don't do?
The main thing we don't do is promise you the world's cheapest online shop or leave you stranded without support. We would rather charge a fair price and leave you delighted, than offer you the cheapest deal in town and have you disappointed. To quote Red Adair "... if you think hiring a professional is expensive, try working with an amateur".
To us, there is no point in you working hard to create a shop that, however pretty it looks, is not optimised to sell. We use software that is based on more than 10 years' experience of world class brands and what makes their products sell. This is complemented by the hands-on experience of people who have actually been out there and done it. Any additional cost should be more than repaid in increased sales. In simple terms, we will help you to keep moving to the next stage of proficiency so that your effort is rewarded with increasingly profitable returns.
Have a question that's not answered here?
Then please do contact us, we'll be happy to help.
