E-commerce website cost in 2026: first-year expenses, line by line

How much does it cost to build an e-commerce website?

The first-year cost of an e-commerce website is more than the setup fee. Setup, a platform subscription or a server, the domain, payment provider fees, shipping, legal requirements, maintenance and marketing all need to be counted together. As of November 2026, setup in our own packages costs $699 to $1,597, excl. VAT. Our prices are set in Turkish lira; the US dollar amounts in this article are converted at today's Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) rate.

Each of these items is explained below. Platform, payment and shipping fees vary by provider, plan and agreement, so we do not give figures for them. Ask about each one separately when you request quotes.

To see the total cost at the end of the first year, it helps to split the items into two groups: one-time costs and costs that repeat every month or every year. Setup and product photography belong to the first group; the platform, maintenance, payment fees and advertising belong to the second. As sales grow, costs such as payment fees and shipping grow with them.

Prices are set in Turkish lira and exclude VAT. USD amounts use the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye rate of November 10, 2026 (1 USD = ₺50.11).

What does the setup fee cover?

The setup fee covers the store design, the product and category structure, the payment and shipping settings and the first product upload. In our packages, Starter includes uploading up to 50 products at setup, Standard up to 200 and Premium up to 500.

Needs such as more products, dealer pricing, or ERP and marketplace integrations are handled with a custom quote starting at $1,896, excl. VAT. When you compare setup fees, also ask who will prepare the product photos and descriptions.

The choice between a ready-made platform and a custom admin panel also affects the setup fee. On ready-made platforms, many features are added as apps. With a custom panel, development follows your business's workflow. Which one fits depends on the number of products, the integrations you need and your growth plans.

Platform subscription or server costs

Ready-made platforms such as Shopify or ikas (a Turkish e-commerce platform) charge a monthly or yearly subscription. The amount depends on the plan, and some platforms charge in a currency other than your own. Apps added from the app store may have their own fees.

Stores built with a custom admin panel have server and hosting costs instead of a subscription. In both cases, the hosting, server and domain accounts should be opened in your business's name. That way your store stays with you even if you change the company you work with.

The yearly domain renewal and business email belong in this item too. Some country-code domains need verification; a .com.tr domain in Türkiye, for example, requires an ID or a company document. Email accounts on your own domain make order notifications and customer emails look trustworthy.

When you choose a platform, look beyond the monthly fee: check whether there is a per-transaction platform fee, whether your payment provider works with the platform and whether support is available in your language.

Payment processing and fees

To accept card payments, you sign up with a payment provider or a bank's virtual POS (an online card terminal). A fee is taken from every transaction. The rate, the installment options and how long it takes for money to reach your account vary by provider and agreement.

When you get quotes, ask in writing for the rates on single and installment payments, whether refunds cost extra and how disputed payments (chargebacks) are handled. These details directly affect first-year profitability.

If you will also offer cash on delivery or bank transfer, assess their extra cost and workload separately. Cash on delivery comes with the courier's collection fee, and bank transfers have to be matched to orders by hand.

Shipping, packaging and returns

Shipping costs depend on the weight and size of the parcel, the carrier you have an agreement with and the number of shipments. If you offer free shipping, work out in advance how that cost will be reflected in your product prices.

Packaging materials, return shipping for returned products and handling damaged goods are also first-year costs. Online shoppers usually have a legal right to withdraw from a distance sale, so plan for a return rate.

With a shipping integration, labels are created from the admin panel and tracking numbers are sent to customers automatically. Without one, the details have to be entered by hand for every order. As orders grow, that difference turns into labor cost.

To estimate shipping costs accurately, measure the packed weight and size of the products you expect to sell most. You will use these figures both in the shipping agreement and in setting product prices.

Legal and accounting requirements

Businesses that sell online must publish legal texts on their site. In Türkiye that means a distance sales contract, a pre-contract information form, a privacy notice under KVKK (the country's personal data protection law) and a cookie policy; other countries have their own equivalents. Have these texts prepared for your business by a lawyer.

Invoicing and registration depend on the country you sell from. In Türkiye, for example, this item covers e-invoice or e-archive invoices, registration in ETBİS (the government's e-commerce information system) and accountant fees. If you also sell on marketplaces, assess each channel's fees and rules separately.

The checkout page should clearly state the seller's details, the return terms and the delivery time. This is a legal requirement, and it also makes the buying decision easier for the customer.

Maintenance and updates

After launch, backups, security updates, checkout monitoring and technical fixes should be done regularly. As of November 2026, monthly maintenance costs $70 to $150 for stores on a ready-made platform and $80 to $200 for stores with a custom panel, excl. VAT.

In a store without maintenance, an error on the checkout page is noticed only when customers complain. That can lead to a loss far larger than the setup cost.

On ready-made platforms, the platform handles infrastructure updates. The theme, apps, payment and shipping settings, promotions and product data are still the business's responsibility. With a custom panel, server, software and security updates also have to be done regularly.

Product content and marketing budget

Product photos, descriptions and category texts decide whether the store sells. If they are not ready, plan photography and copywriting as a separate cost.

A new store does not get visitors on its own. In the first months, set aside a separate budget for Google and Meta ads or for SEO work. The scope and prices of our packages are on our ecommerce website development page.

To lower the budget, you can launch with fewer products, use ready-made payment and shipping integrations and leave custom features for a second phase. What matters is separating what you need on day one from what can be added later.

To get visitors from search engines, product and category pages need original copy, product information marked up with structured data and a fast site. This work does not deliver results as quickly as ads, but over time it reduces your dependence on the ad budget.