Shopify, WooCommerce or bespoke: which ecommerce platform should you choose?
Shopify suits most shops that want a reliable, hosted platform with little technical upkeep. WooCommerce suits businesses already on WordPress that want full control and content-rich pages. A bespoke build suits high volumes, unusual pricing or complex integrations that off-the-shelf platforms handle poorly. The right choice depends on catalogue, volume and integrations.
If your shop needs custom pricing rules, trade portals or deep stock integrations, our custom web development service covers bespoke builds. For a content-led shop on WordPress, see WordPress website design.
| Platform | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Most small and growing shops; low maintenance | Monthly plan and app fees; some checkout limits |
| WooCommerce (WordPress) | Content-led shops and modest catalogues | You manage hosting, updates and security |
| Bespoke build | High volume, trade pricing, complex integrations | Higher build cost and longer timeline |
What makes a good UK checkout?
A good UK checkout is short, works well on mobile and shows the full price, including VAT and delivery, before the customer commits. It offers guest checkout, familiar payment methods such as cards and digital wallets, clear delivery options and a visible returns policy. Every unnecessary field or surprise cost loses sales.
Our ecommerce website checklist lists everything to check before launch.
- Guest checkout: let people buy without creating an account.
- Total price early: show delivery costs and charges up front; hidden or drip-fed fees are banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
- UK address lookup: postcode lookup speeds up entry and reduces delivery errors.
- Trusted payments: card payments with Strong Customer Authentication handled by your payment provider, plus wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Clear confirmation: an order email with the details customers need to cancel or return.
Which UK laws apply to an online shop?
UK online shops must follow the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, giving consumers clear pre-contract information and, for most goods, a 14-day cancellation right. Consumer prices should be shown including VAT. You also need UK GDPR-compliant privacy information, PECR cookie consent, and your company details displayed on the site.
- Pre-contract information: your identity, the total price, delivery arrangements and cancellation rights.
- A 14-day cancellation period for most distance sales of goods, with clear returns instructions.
- VAT-inclusive prices for consumers; the VAT standard rate is 20%.
- Genuine customer reviews only: fake reviews are banned under the DMCC Act 2024.
- Registered company name, number and registered office shown on the website.
How much does an ecommerce website cost in the UK?
As a typical UK market guide, an ecommerce website on Shopify or WooCommerce costs around £3,000 to £15,000 excluding VAT. Bespoke or high-volume ecommerce usually costs £15,000 to £50,000 or more. Ongoing costs include platform or hosting fees, payment processing, apps or plugins and maintenance.
| Type of shop | Typical range | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify or WooCommerce shop | £3,000–£15,000 | 6–12 weeks |
| Bespoke or high-volume ecommerce | £15,000–£50,000+ | 3–6 months |
| Ecommerce maintenance and support | £300–£1,000+ per month | Ongoing |
These are indicative ranges from the wider UK market, not a Freehand HQ quote. Your cost depends on catalogue size, integrations and design; see our guide to website design costs in the UK.
How do product pages help shops rank and sell?
Product and category pages are where most ecommerce traffic lands, so they need unique descriptions, good images, clear prices, stock and delivery information, and genuine reviews. Product structured data helps search engines show price and availability. Fast loading on mobile matters for both rankings and conversion.
- Unique descriptions written for customers, not copied from manufacturers.
- Category pages with helpful introductory content and logical filters.
- Product structured data for price, availability and reviews.
- Speed work on images and scripts; see website speed optimisation.
How do we design and build your online shop?
We start with your products, customers and operations, then choose the platform, design the key templates, build and integrate, and test every path to purchase before launch. Most Shopify or WooCommerce shops take six to twelve weeks; bespoke builds take longer. Product data readiness often sets the pace.
- Discover: catalogue, delivery, payments, stock and accounting integrations.
- Design: home, category, product, basket and checkout pages for mobile and desktop.
- Build: platform setup, theme, apps or plugins and integrations.
- Test: orders, refunds, emails, tax, delivery rules, accessibility and speed.
- Launch and support: go-live, redirects from any old shop and ongoing website maintenance and support.