Online shops

First the right platform, then the online shop

The online shop you need depends on what you sell, what you want to manage yourself and the software you already use. We help you choose, design and set up the shop, then connect it to your stock, accounting and shipping.

Discuss your online shop

An online store is more than a site with a shopping cart

This page is for those who want to start selling online, or have a online shop that no longer fits the range or how they work. Customers can’t find the right product, or behind the scenes, orders, inventory and shipping information are transferred manually from one system to another.

In addition to the design, a online shop involves payment, shipping, returns, product information and links. They help determine which platform is suitable. That is why we only choose the platform once it is clear what your range and processing look like.

Four routes to a online shop

Each platform has its own page with what it can and cannot do. Here is a brief overview of when to consider which one.

Shopify

A online shop platform with its own management, a checkout and an App Store full of extensions. For those who mainly want to sell and manage the store themselves. What you can change at checkout depends on your subscription.

WooCommerce

A plug-in that turns a WordPress site into an online store. For those who want content and store in one management, or already have a WordPress site. You can arrange hosting and maintenance yourself or with us.

Webflow

Webflow has its own e-commerce subscription, with a limit to the number of products and variants per subscription. For a smaller store within a Webflow site.

Framer with a Shopify store

Framer does not have its own online shop. Third-party plugins can link a Shopify store to a Framer site; Checkout, inventory and orders then remain in Shopify.

What needs to be arranged in addition to the design

These components determine whether an order ends up in your accounting without any manual work from the customer.

Payment and settlement

Which payment methods you offer and who provides them. The amount you can change at the checkout varies per platform and sometimes per subscription. We do not promise unlimited customization; what is possible is stated in advance in the proposal.

Shipping and returns

Shipping methods and costs, labels, track and trace and how a customer returns something. This is often where most of the manual work is done after an order.

Product information

Titles, descriptions, photos, variants and filters. A product that you cannot find or do not understand will not be ordered. We will agree in advance who creates this content.

Links

Inventory, accounting and shipping prefer to run automatically. If a standard link exists, we will use it; if not, we’ll build one.

Client project

WPC Solutions

€1,000,000 revenue within one year

WPC Solutions sells composite fencing, cladding, decking boards and wall panels. We built the Shopify online shop, including a fencing calculator, a planner and a variant selector with responsive pricing, and handled SEO and Google Ads.

View the case study

Two online shops, two different choices

Possible situations, not completed projects. They show how the range shapes the choice.

A maker with a small range and a story to tell

Problem

A ceramicist sells twenty products in small runs. The site should primarily show the work and the making process; the online shop is part of it, not the main focus.

Solution

A brand-led site with an online shop that fits it: for example, a Webflow site with an e-commerce plan, or a Framer site with a connected Shopify shop. The choice depends on how the shop needs to grow.

Data involved

Products and stock per run, stories and imagery for each collection, shipping methods.

Benefit

The site tells the story, and people can order without the shop taking over the story.

Depends on

How many products are planned, whether wholesale or subscriptions will be added later, and who manages the shop.

A wholesaler with many products and regular customers

Problem

Thousands of products with variants, customer-specific pricing, and stock managed in another system.

Solution

A platform with an API for integrations, such as Shopify or WooCommerce, connected to the stock system and with a separate route for business customers.

Data involved

Products and variants, stock, customer groups and agreed prices, orders.

Benefit

Stock and prices are accurate on the site, and business customers can order without emailing.

Depends on

Which system is the source of truth for stock and pricing, whether that system has an API, and whether business pricing can be handled in the platform itself or requires custom work.

Sometimes you don’t need to have a online shop built

This fits like

You sell products and want to do it seriously
Your range or processing has its own requirements
It must be linked to inventory, accounting or shipping
Your current online shop no longer fits and you want to switch

This fits less well than

You sell a handful of products per month
You sell services on a quote, not products with a fixed price
You have the time and desire to set up a store yourself with a online shop builder

For a small range, a online shop builder in which you set up a store yourself may suffice. If you sell services, a website with a good request route is usually better than a store.

How we create a platform and a store

Requirements at a glance.Assortment, variants, payment, shipping, returns, and the software you already use. What is required from day one, what is allowed later.
Platforms next to each other.We compare the eligible routes with your requirements: what they can do themselves, what an app or extension requires, what requires customization and what it costs per year.
Taste with your own products.If you are unsure between two platforms, we will set up a few difficult products in both. Then you see what works before you choose.
Design and furnishings.Design the pages that weigh the most, then the range, payment and shipping.
Links and test orders.Build or set up integrations, and track test orders from shopping cart to accounting.
Go live.The store goes live on your own domain, with an explanation of daily management and an appointment about maintenance.

What we need for a proposal

For a online shop, the proposal is mainly about your range and your processing.

What you sell, and approximately how many products and variants are involved
Your current platform, if you already have an online store, and what you don’t like about it
The software for inventory, accounting and shipping
How an order now proceeds, from payment to shipping
Who provides the product information and photos
Only during construction: access via your own account, never via a shared password

What an online store costs varies per platform and per product range

Amounts are stated in the proposal. These factors determine them.

Assortment.Number of products and variants, and what product information still needs to be created.
Platform.What the platform itself can do, and what needs to be added with apps, extensions or customization.
Design.Whether a custom theme is sufficient or whether pages get their own design.
Links.Number of systems, direction of the data, and whether there are standard integrations.
Migration.Products, customer data and addresses that have to be transferred from another platform.

Recurring costs

Subscription to the platform, or hosting at WooCommerce
Costs of payment methods
Apps or extensions with a subscription
Costs of associated software
Maintenance: updates, link checking and recovery

Questions about a new online shop

Can you customize the checkout entirely to your wishes?

We don’t promise that. What is possible depends on the platform and sometimes the subscription. For example, with Shopify, custom components in the information, shipping, and payment steps can only be found on Shopify Plus. We will tell you in advance what is possible in your case.

Can I switch platforms later?

Yes, but it is a project in itself: products, customer data and addresses must be included. That is why we choose the platform based on what you will need in a few years, and less on what is useful today.

Do I have to keep track of the stock in the online shop?

That’s not necessary. If you already keep track of your stock in another system, the online shop can take it over via a link. We agree on which system is leading.

Who arranges the payment methods?

We will discuss together which payment provider you choose; the account is in your name. We set up and test the payment methods in the store.

When the store needs to be able to do something that it cannot do

Have API integrations made. Inventory, orders and bookings that flow automatically between your online shop and your other software.
Custom apps. A configurator, an ordering portal or another function that no existing app can provide.

Tell us what you sell and how an order works now

With an outline of your range and the software you use, we can say which route is most suitable and why.