Is having your own online store still worth it?

Is an online store still worth it, even though there are so many?

The question is justified: in many product categories, numerous stores and large marketplaces compete for the same customers. Your own store therefore rarely pays off as “just one more seller.” It pays off when you offer something customers specifically look for with you – your own products, expert advice, regional proximity, a special product range or a brand people trust.

For many existing businesses, a store is also not a new business but an additional sales channel. A wholesaler whose business customers have so far ordered by phone or email, or a manufacturer that sells spare parts directly, is not starting from zero. Here a store often pays off faster because customers, product range and name recognition already exist and only the ordering route becomes digital.

Your own online store or a marketplace: the key difference

On a marketplace you are, in a sense, renting space on someone else's shopping street: plenty of foot traffic, but the operator sets the rules, fees and presentation. The platform mostly holds the direct line to your customers, and your product often appears right next to the cheapest competitor. For testing new products or gaining quick reach, this can still make sense.

In your own store, you decide on design, prices, advice and customer communication yourself. You build your own customer list, can send newsletters with consent and can target repeat buyers specifically. The price: visitors do not come on their own – you have to win them through search engines, ads, social media or existing contacts. Many successful merchants therefore use both channels in parallel.

What does an online store cost me – one-time and monthly?

The costs fall into two blocks. One-time costs cover concept, design, setup, product data maintenance, integrations and legal texts. Ongoing costs add hosting or a platform subscription, payment provider fees, extensions, maintenance, updating the legal texts and above all marketing. The last item in particular is often underestimated, even though it largely determines the store's success.

Flat market prices are of little help with this question because stores differ greatly in scope and technology. For the build, our packages offer guidance: Starter from €2,500, Professional from €8,000, Enterprise priced individually. After the free initial consultation you receive a transparent quote, preferably as a fixed price for a clearly defined scope – including an overview of the ongoing items.

• One-time: concept, design, setup and data import
• One-time: integrations with inventory management or ERP
• Ongoing: hosting or platform subscription
• Ongoing: payment and transaction fees
• Ongoing: apps, plugins, legal texts and maintenance
• Ongoing: marketing and advertising

Shopify costs per sale: what to watch for

With Shopify, costs consist of the monthly plan, payment fees per order and, where applicable, paid apps. If you use an external payment provider instead of Shopify's own payment processing, Shopify may charge an additional transaction fee. Current rates differ by plan and change occasionally – so check them directly on the official pricing page.

Always weigh the fees per sale against your average cart value and your margin. With high-priced products, percentage fees weigh differently than with many small orders. Also compare which features you would have to buy as apps with Shopify that would be implemented as an extension or custom development with WooCommerce or Shopware. Only then is the comparison truly fair.

The honest calculation: when your own store pays for itself

Whether an online store is worth it is determined by the contribution margin per order. From the sales price, subtract the cost of goods, shipping and packaging, payment fees, return costs and the marketing spend per order. If enough is left afterward to cover the running store costs and make a profit, the store pays for itself. If little is left, larger carts help more than more visitors.

Customers who come back are especially valuable. Anyone who has bought once can be contacted again by email or through a customer account, without you paying for advertising on every visit. Product ranges with consumables, spare parts or accessories are therefore particularly well suited. Run the numbers on your scenario in advance – gladly together with us in the initial consultation.

What do you need for an online store – and how do you start with little risk?

To get started you need a registered business in Germany, an e-commerce platform, maintained product data with photos, payment methods, a shipping solution, legal texts and a plan for how visitors will reach the store. You will find a detailed checklist in the guide “What do you need for your own online store?” What matters for your decision: you do not have to implement everything at once.

You start with low risk by using a focused product range, a proven e-commerce platform and clear goals for the first months. Measure from the beginning where buyers come from and which products sell. That way you decide on the basis of real data whether to expand the product range, marketing or features – instead of putting a lot of money into assumptions that later turn out to be wrong.