Before anyone contacts me with a request to create an online store, they usually have a list of questions in mind. Price, time expenditure, platforms, payments, shipping, maintenance. Since I speak about these topics every week, I thought I would write down the 12 most frequently asked questions in one place.
How much does it cost to create an online store?
A proper WooCommerce online store usually ranges between €1,500–4,000 + VAT. A simpler store with up to 100 products, one payment solution (e.g., Montonio), and one delivery option is more affordable. A more complex store with filters, variations, multi-language support, integration with warehouse and accounting software, and multiple payment options is more expensive. Annual costs are added to this: server service, domain, delivery service, Montonio transaction fees, and an optional maintenance package. I always send a quote with a fixed price, not an hourly rate — you know in advance what the project costs, and there will be no later price increases above that amount.
How long does it take to build an online store?
Realistically 4–8 weeks from start to launch, assuming that information is provided by you in a timely manner. Technically, a store could be set up in a week, but in practice, most of the time goes into the content side: taking product photos, writing product descriptions, planning categories, and drafting terms and conditions. If you have 50 products and each needs a photo and description, that is a couple of days’ work in itself. I wrote more specifically about this in how long it takes to build a WordPress website — the logic for an online store is the same, there is just more content.
WooCommerce, Shopify, or Shoproller — which one to choose?
For an Estonian small business owner, I recommend WooCommerce (an online store solution running on WordPress) in 90% of cases. The reason is simple: you own your store completely, the monthly fee is zero (you only pay for the server and necessary plugins), all Estonian payment solutions and parcel terminals are supported, and if you ever want to change developers, you can. Shopify is more convenient if you sell internationally and are ready to pay €30–80 per month + transaction fees — but it is always a bit more cumbersome with Estonian payment solutions. Shoproller is suitable if you only want to experiment and have no technical background — but you will outgrow it quickly.
Do I need a separate designer?
Mostly no. I use Elementor Pro and high-quality ready-made templates to build online stores, which I customize with your brand colors, fonts, and logo. The result is professional, ready quickly, and about four times cheaper than a solution designed completely from scratch. However, if you have a unique visual concept or want your store to look completely different from everyone else, then it is worth involving a designer.
Which payment solution to choose — Montonio or Stripe?
For those selling to Estonian customers, I recommend Montonio. With one installation, it provides all Estonian bank links (Swedbank, SEB, LHV, Coop, Luminor), Apple Pay, Google Pay, and also installment solutions. The transaction fee is very competitive in the Estonian market and setup takes an hour. Stripe is better if you also sell abroad and want to manage credit card payments in different currencies from one place. Many stores use both simultaneously: Montonio for Estonian customers and Stripe for international ones.
Do I have to add the products myself?
You can, and in my experience, it is also sensible. I will teach you how to add products, upload images, manage categories, and handle inventory. If you have 200 products and the data is available in Excel, we can also import them all at once. But daily management — new products, price changes, discounts — remains in your hands. This is exactly why I choose WordPress: the entrepreneur can modify their own store without calling a developer.
Does an online store need maintenance after it is finished?
Yes, definitely. An online store is a much more dynamic machine than a regular website — updates come frequently, payment solutions change their requirements, and security vulnerabilities are found in new plugins. If maintenance is not performed, things will break: payments won’t go through, the page becomes slow, or an error message pops up somewhere. I recommend taking a monthly maintenance package (starting from €55 + VAT per month for an online store), where updates, backups, security scans, and speed monitoring are my concern, not yours. I wrote more about this in a separate article what a website maintenance package includes.
How does delivery work?
Generally, the largest delivery partners are easily connectable with WooCommerce. As a result, the customer can select a parcel terminal from a drop-down menu, the order goes into your system with the recipient and terminal info, and you can conveniently print out package labels. I recommend starting with one delivery company — not all three at once. You can add others when customers start asking for them. You can set the prices and the free shipping threshold yourself. Handing over packages is usually done by ordering a courier to your location or taking them to the nearest parcel point.
Will Google find my store immediately?
No, it will not. This is one of the most painful truths about a new online store. For the first 3–6 months, you must expect that customer traffic from Google will be minimal. The reason: Google must first index and evaluate your store, and then over time, your pages will begin to rise. To speed this up, I set up the SEO foundation right at the start (RankMath plugin, structured data, fast loading), but real traffic still comes over the course of months. During the first 6 months, it is definitely worth investing in Facebook and Google advertising or social media — this brings customers immediately. SEO is a long-term investment, not a launch event.
Can an online store be made multilingual?
Yes, with WPML, the same store can be set up to work in Estonian, English, Finnish, Russian, or any other language. The customer sees a language switcher in the top corner, changes the language, and the entire store — products, categories, terms and conditions, even the checkout form — is displayed in the selected language. This is a good solution if you are targeting foreign markets. Translation work and management are generally the responsibility of the store owner. I provide the technical side; you must translate the content yourself. WPML also offers automatic AI translation, which is already quite good.
Does my online store have to comply with the withdrawal button requirement of June 19, 2026?
Yes, if you sell to consumers (B2C). Starting from June 19, 2026, every online store in the European Union must have a digital withdrawal button available — i.e., a one-click form where the customer can submit a withdrawal application. I have written extensively about this in the right of withdrawal article, but the short summary is: you need a plugin (I have a free WordPress.org plugin for this) plus proper terms and conditions. Neither helps on its own — if the terms are broken, the plugin will simply show broken information in a beautiful form. I recommend getting this done before the spring of 2026, rather than waiting until the last week.
What do I need to prepare myself before the project starts?
Three things that speed up the project the most:
1. Products and images. At least the first 20–30 products, each with a photo taken in good light (phone photos are okay if the lighting is good). Product name, price, description, category. It would also be good to have weight, package dimensions, and if you want filtering, then also color, size, material, etc. options.
2. Terms and conditions, privacy policy, and contact information. These are mandatory by law. The Estonian E-Commerce Association website has samples that you can adapt with your company’s details.
3. Decision regarding payments and delivery. Which banks? Which delivery method? Only parcel terminals or also a courier. Or both.
In conclusion
Creating an online store is not as complicated as it seems at first glance — but it is significantly more labor-intensive than many think. Most of the time is spent not on the technical part, but on the content that you as the owner must provide. I build the machine, you provide the fuel.
If you have an idea for your own online store but don’t know where to start — write to and send a few sentences about your plan. I will reply with a few specific questions so that I can send you an honest quote and timeline. No “contact us” format — let’s talk business directly. You can also find more information about the service on the online store page.
