While a Prestashop e-commerce store can be an interesting source of revenue, its creation requires a considerable investment.
Although the Prestashop solution is basically free, setting up a fully operational online store requires skills and time.
Unless you have both, it’s best to call in a professional to set up your Prestashop store.
Together, we’ll try to break down the various costs involved in creating a fully customized Prestashop online store, and draw up a provisional budget based on your needs.
Site development and customization
Development and customization are undoubtedly the main costs involved in creating an online store.
This service includes the creation of a basic site with the installation of Prestashop and minimal customization of the store.
Depending on your needs, the implementation of specific functionalities may require additional development.
These developments may concern features that are unique to your site (i.e. impossible to find in the form of an existing module, for example).
They may also involve integrating third-party applications (e.g. CRM integration), adapting an existing theme or creating a custom one.
Estimated cost: from 3,000 euros ex VAT.
Design and user experience
It’s important for your online store to stand out from the crowd.
The ideal solution is to offer a unique, easily identifiable design.
An improved user experience is also a guarantee of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
To create a unique design for your store, you’ll probably need to create a theme specifically for your business.
This will optimize site navigation through an efficient user interface for a better experience.
Estimated cost: between 1,000 and 5,000 euros ex VAT, depending on the originality and complexity of the design required.
Integration of modules and extensions
Prestashop offers a wide range of modules to meet all kinds of needs.
While some of these are free, the most effective and comprehensive are available on a pay-as-you-go basis.
They cover a wide range of areas, from backoffice customization and SEO optimization to advanced shopping cart management, integrated payment solutions and, of course, security.
Modules make it easy to add functionality to your Prestashop store, but they also increase the price.
Estimated cost: between 50 and 500 euros excluding VAT per module.
Connector integration
If your company already uses management solutions such as ERP or CRM, it can be very interesting to integrate the Prestashop store into these.
This allows data to be synchronized between Prestashop and existing systems.
This avoids double or even triple data entry, with all the sources of error that this can entail.
The company’s operational efficiency can only be improved by this integration and synchronization of data.
Of course, the more complex the system integration, the higher the cost.
Estimated cost: from 1,000 euros excluding VAT.
Hosting and maintenance
Naturally, for your online store to be accessible, it needs hosting.
It’s important to choose a reliable, high-performance solution.
This will guarantee the availability and speed of your Prestashop site.
Regular site maintenance is also necessary to ensure performance and security.
Updates of the various versions must be carried out regularly, as well as site and data backups.
This item is undoubtedly not the most important in terms of cost.
It is, however, a recurring expense that needs to be taken into account.
Estimated cost: between 20 and 100 euros ex VAT per month, depending on the hosting chosen.
Administration and management
It’s not enough to create a beautiful store, with an elegant design and optimal performance, to turn it into a long-term success.
A Prestashop store requires day-to-day management (just like a classic store) and rigorous administration.
The use of additional modules to monitor store activity and site performance, or to simplify the creation of new pages, is virtually indispensable.
Estimated cost: variable, depending on the size and needs of the online store.
To conclude on the price of a Prestashop e-commerce site
The cost of creating and maintaining a Prestashop online store can vary greatly according to your needs.
The starting cost for a basic site with minimal customization is around 3,000 euros ex VAT.
Beware, however, that the overall cost can quickly increase depending on what you want.
The more specific your needs, beyond the scope of a simple store, the more likely you are to incur additional costs.
With many years’ experience in developing Prestashop online stores, I offer to work with you right from the requirements phase of your project.
Together, we’ll determine the essential functionalities for your future online store.
We’ll then work out how to set up your store, with a design that reflects you, and that will identify your brand at first glance.
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to discuss your Prestashop online store project.
