How Much Does It Cost to Build an Ecommerce App?

Wondering how much does it cost to build an ecohirmmerce app? Well, Imagine the frustration of losing potential customers due to a lackluster online shopping experience or the disappointment of watching competitors thrive with cutting-edge eCommerce apps. The fear of investing in a costly app that fails to deliver results, or being stuck with an outdated platform, can keep many entrepreneurs up at night. The pressure to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape is immense, and the stakes are high.

In this essential guide, ProCoders helps you tackle these challenges head-on and equips you with the knowledge to make informed decisions when building your eCommerce app. By understanding factors that influence and help reduce software development costs and gaining a clear overview of the cost structure, you can optimize your investment and minimize risks. Say goodbye to the anxiety of venturing into the world of unknown and unexpected results and embrace the excitement of creating an eCommerce app that propels your business to new heights!

E-commerce App Development Cost Structure

Ecommerce app development cost structure is an essential component of project planning and helps to ensure that the app is developed within the available budget. A detailed cost structure should provide a breakdown of each of the following cost elements:

Platform: 

The platform you choose to develop your e-commerce app can have a significant impact on the overall cost. Native app development for iOS and Android platforms is generally more expensive than developing a cross-platform app that works on multiple platforms.

At ProCoders, we specialize in working with renowned cross-platform frameworks such as React Native, Flutter, and Ionic. Our preference for cross-platform development stems from the ability to write a single codebase for multiple device types, and the substantial time and cost savings this approach offers, which clearly outweigh the minor nuances.

Features: 

The features and functionality of your e-commerce app can also affect the cost. At ProCoders, we approach feature selection with a healthy dose of scepticism, advocating for a more mindful approach. We prioritize understanding your business needs and then determining which features are truly essential. This way, you can start with a lean, cost-effective app that serves its core purpose, while leaving room to scale and add more advanced features later on, as needed.

Design:

The design of your e-commerce app can also impact the cost. A simple and straightforward design will be less expensive than a complex and visually appealing design.

Testing: 

Testing is a crucial part of e-commerce app development, with costs depending on your app’s complexity and targeted platforms. At ProCoders, we recommend starting testing during the development phase to address bugs as they emerge. We also advocate for employing professional testers instead of relying solely on developers. If you don’t have in-house testers, you can avail of our expert testing services to ensure a seamless and high-quality user experience.

Maintenance and updates: 

After the app is launched, ongoing maintenance and updates are necessary to ensure its smooth operation. It’s essential to factor these costs into the overall development budget. We recommend considering a period of six months to a year for maintenance costs, as this timeframe typically allows your app to generate stable revenue and begin to recoup your initial investment.

So, the question stands, how much does an ecommerce app cost? In general, the cost of e commerce app can range from a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. The final cost will depend on your specific requirements and the complexity of your app. 

Partnering with a reputable app development company is vital for the success of your eCommerce app and it gives you the best e-commerce app development cost. We at ProCoders pride ourselves on delivering a detailed cost estimate and crafting tailor-made solutions that align with your business needs. Our commitment to excellence and transparency ensures that your final product not only meets but exceeds your expectations, positioning your business for long-term success in the competitive world of eCommerce.

Risk Points to Have Over Budget While Making an eCommerce App

Developing an e-commerce app can be a complex process, and there are several risk points that can cause you to go over budget. Here are some of the key risk points to be aware of:

Scope creep: 

One of the biggest risk points for going over budget is scope creep. This occurs when the project scope expands beyond what was originally planned, resulting in additional development time and costs.

Feature creep: 

Similar to scope creep, feature creep occurs when new features are added to the app beyond the initial plan, leading to delays and increased costs, especially if the additions entail significant development work. 

To mitigate this risk, ProCoders emphasizes the importance of a thorough discovery phase. By carefully examining your business needs and establishing a solid foundation for the project, we can help prevent feature creep and ensure a more streamlined, cost-effective development process.

Poor project management: 

This can include a lack of clear goals and objectives, inadequate project planning, and a failure to monitor progress and budget.

Technical issues: 

They comprise of issues with platform compatibility, third-party integrations, and security vulnerabilities.

Changes in technology: 

As technology is constantly evolving, changes in technology can impact development costs. For instance, if a new platform or technology emerges during the development process, additional work and testing may be needed to ensure compatibility. To accommodate these uncertainties, ProCoders offers a time and material model, which operates much like a subscription service. You order the project and pay a monthly fee to the team, giving you the flexibility to pause development or change the course of the project in response to new features or technologies.

For example, we provide a WordPress package that is ideally suited for eCommerce projects that don’t require highly complex features. This adaptable approach allows your app to stay up-to-date and competitive in the ever-changing tech landscape.

Third-party dependencies: 

Many e-commerce apps rely on third-party APIs and integrations. If these dependencies are not properly managed, they can cause delays and additional costs.

We understand the importance of staying within budget and minimizing risks during app development. Our experienced team offers clear project planning and management, along with regular communication on project progress and budget, to ensure a smooth and transparent process. We emphasize the need for a thorough understanding of the project scope and requirements upfront, which helps reduce the risk of scope or feature creep. 

Additionally, we prioritize testing and quality assurance as integral components of the development process, addressing technical issues before they escalate into major problems. By choosing ProCoders, you can trust that your project is in the hands of experts committed to delivering a high-quality eCommerce app on time and within budget.

What Are the Factors That Can Change eCommerce Application Development Costs Greatly?

Developing an eCommerce application involves several factors that significantly impact the cost. At ProCoders, we have vast knowledge of optimizing project costs and are familiar with key areas where savings of up to 50% are possible. We will now share some of these factors with you:

Tech Stack

The technology stack you choose significantly impacts development costs. Different stacks have varying complexity levels, and some require more time and resources than others. For example, choosing a specialized stack like blockchain or machine learning can increase costs compared to more common solutions. Additionally, costs vary depending on whether you develop a native or cross-platform app.

For instance, a native iOS app using Swift can cost about 20% more than a cross-platform app using React Native. Less popular stacks like Ruby on Rails can raise costs by up to 30% compared to more common ones like Node.js. Mobile app developers for hire for low-demand tech stacks can also be harder to find.

At ProCoders, we recommend cross-platform development with React Native, as it reaches a wider audience, including Android users. Comparing the cost of developing separate iOS and Android apps to a React Native app, you’ll see significant cost-effectiveness. We’re committed to helping you choose the best technology stack for your eCommerce app, balancing cost and functionality.

Team Location

The location of your development team can significantly impact the e commerce application price. Hiring developers in the United States or Europe is more expensive and time-consuming than hiring in Central Europe or India. You can save up to 30% on the total project cost by choosing a team from a less expensive location.

Partnering with an outsourcing company like ProCoders offers additional cost savings. You don’t have to worry about paying for employee benefits like vacation and health insurance as your outsourcing partner will handle it. Round-the-clock development is also possible with offshore teams, where your project can be worked on by a second team during off-hours, increasing efficiency and productivity. At ProCoders, we can help you identify the best location for your development team to achieve the most cost-effective eCommerce app development solution. Remember, a lower e commerce app price doesn’t always mean good quality, so be smart when choosing a vendor! Do check out hire cms developer and wordpress developer salary for further insight regarding the salaries and what to expect when hiring.

Try MVP

Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) can significantly reduce the development costs of your eCommerce app. With an MVP, you can focus on launching the app quickly with only essential features, such as product listings, shopping cart, and checkout functionality, and start gathering user feedback to refine and improve the app. An MVP is a great way to test the viability of your app in the market and present it to potential investors to raise funds.

At ProCoders, we specialize in developing MVPs that are scalable and designed for future expansion. By taking a strategic approach to MVP development, we ensure that your app is built with an eye towards growth, allowing you to add advanced features like augmented reality try-ons or personalized recommendations in the future while keeping development costs low. By developing an MVP, you can quickly launch your eCommerce app and start generating revenue, while gathering valuable user feedback to improve the app in the future.

The costs of eCommerce application development depend on several factors, including technology stack, team location, app complexity, and required features. It’s essential to consider these factors and work with an experienced development team to ensure the project stays within budget. At ProCoders, we specialize in building cost-effective eCommerce apps that are scalable and designed for future growth. Our approach focuses on delivering a high-quality app that meets your business needs while keeping development costs under control.

How to Save Costs When You Develop an E-commerce App?

Here are some key takeaways on how to save costs when developing an e-commerce app, based on the factors we have discussed earlier in the article:

Strategy	Description
Define Clear Requirements	Focusing on the most critical features and avoiding non-essential features can save resources.
Develop an MVP	Launching an app quickly with only essential features saves costs while gathering user feedback.
Use Open-Source Technologies	Utilizing freely available technologies like React Native can be customized and reduce development costs.
Outsource/Outstaff Development	Using an offshore team can be a cost-effective way to develop your app. Choose a reputable and experienced team.
Optimize Development Process	Agile methodology, continuous integration and delivery, and automation can save costs and reduce development time.
Plan for Maintenance and Updates	Plan for ongoing maintenance and updates to avoid unexpected costs later. Regular maintenance can improve app performance and user experience.

Working with ProCoders can help you leverage these strategies to optimize development costs while delivering a high-quality e-commerce app within your budget. Research and development costs will help understand all of this in detail though!

Evaluating Project Costs: Understanding the Importance of Team Cost and Flexibility

When planning a project, consider its complexity and requirements. Smaller online stores may be built on WooCommerce at a lower cost, while more intricate solutions require custom implementation you’ll need to hire web developers for, resulting in higher costs.

Focus on the cost of the team needed to complete the project rather than a fixed price. This approach allows for a more flexible development process, accommodating the project’s complexity and specific requirements.

Fixed prices can be limiting and may not accurately reflect the project’s nature. Emphasizing your project’s uniqueness and flexible development with dedicated teams leads to a more accurate cost estimation.

To estimate a project’s cost, analyze its features, requirements, and task depth. This understanding helps in selecting appropriate technologies and teams for implementation. Focusing on the team’s cost provides a better understanding of the project’s overall price.

An approximate price range can be provided based on the development timeline and the responsible team. Multiplying the monthly price by the number of months gives the project’s cost. This approach allows for new elements during development with a budget allocated for the team.

With a limited budget, development strictly adheres to the scope of work. However, if funding is available but a final vision is lacking, a dedicated team is ideal. This team allows for additional paid work time, enabling changes during the development process.

Considering the cost of the team and development process flexibility is essential for estimating a project’s cost. This approach provides a more accurate price range and enables necessary adjustments during development, ensuring a tailored outcome aligned with the project’s vision.

How to Choose a Reliable Contractor for eCommerce App Development?

Many people hesitate to outsource eCommerce app development due to fears of working with an unreliable company. However, following these simple steps can help you find a trustworthy partner for your project:

Step 1. Check the Contractor’s Portfolio 

Think of it as a virtual sneak peek! Look at the contractor’s portfolio to see examples of their previous work. This is a great way to get a feel for their skills and expertise, and see whether they’re the right fit for your eCommerce app. Plus, who doesn’t love a little window shopping?

Step 2. Read Client Reviews

Reading client reviews is like being a detective, gathering as much information as possible to make an informed decision. Look for reviews from clients with similar projects to yours and assess the contractor’s communication skills, responsiveness, and ability to meet deadlines.

To take things up a notch, request to speak with the contractor’s previous clients directly. This allows you to ask questions and gain a better understanding of their experience. It’s like conducting your own investigation, but instead of catching criminals, you’re trying to find the perfect eCommerce app development partner.

Step 3. Evaluate Communication Skills

No one likes playing phone tag or dealing with a contractor who ghosts. That’s why it’s important to evaluate a potential eCommerce app development partner’s communication skills and responsiveness during the initial consultation and throughout the project. Don’t let miscommunication or lack of communication derail your project – choose a partner who can keep you in the loop every step of the way.

At ProCoders, these aspects are well-regulated by our contracts. Our developers are required to respond to messages during business hours within 30 minutes, both from their managers and clients. This ensures that communication is smooth and efficient throughout the entire project.

Which Way Can Procoders Help You Grow an eCommerce Mobile App?

ProCoders is a software development company that offers services to help businesses grow their eCommerce mobile app and give you a lower ecommerce mobile app development cost. One way we do this is through our Discovery Phase service. This service helps businesses save money and attract more customers by developing a winning project vision, defining their goals, and identifying risks for product launch.

We take a thorough approach to our Discovery Phase service by conducting research, estimating the scope of work, prioritizing tasks, and creating a clear and developed roadmap for the client’s approval. We work closely with the client to understand their idea and business goals, and identify the product features and specific technologies needed to build the app. This stage includes UI mockups and wireframes, as well as technical research such as a technology stack comparison and third-party API testing reports.

Dedicated Team and Staff Augmentation services are also offered by us, which allow businesses to find developers and coders with the expertise they need on a temporary or long-term basis. With their Self-Managed Dedicated Teams service, businesses can assemble a group of engineering professionals who meet their specific needs.

Our approach is different from others because we thoroughly research the client’s project and make sure the right talent is joining the team based on their tech qualifications, soft skills, and character. We value relationships with people first and minimize bureaucratic procedures. Additionally, we offer independent expertise in business development, UI/UX design, mobile, and web engineering.

With ProCoders’ knowledge, expertise and services, businesses can develop their eCommerce mobile app while keeping the ecommerce mobile app cost to a minimum with confidence and achieve their growth goals. Flutter app development cost and react native app cost will give you a further insight! 

Conclusion

How much does it cost to make an ecommerce app, you still ask? The cost of building an eCommerce app can vary significantly based on a multitude of factors. As highlighted by ProCoders, these factors include the complexity of the app, the number of features, the technology used, and the expertise of the development team. Typically, an eCommerce app’s development cost can range from $30,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on a lot of different factors. However, with strategic planning and a clear understanding of your business’s specific needs, you can manage these costs effectively. Prioritizing key features and leveraging outsourcing are two significant cost optimization strategies. In essence, despite the initial cost outlay, building an eCommerce app can be a strategic investment, enabling businesses to enhance their online presence and reach a broader customer base.