PIPELINEGuide
Online shop: what alternatives exist
Not every problem needs an online shop. What simpler approaches exist, where ready-made standard solutions are sufficient, and when the right answer is: do nothing at all.
Before considering an online shop, it's worth looking at simpler approaches: a more clearly written page, a different phone policy, a streamlined process. Ready-made standard solutions cover part of the need and reach their limits where your own data and integrations come into play. Doing nothing is also a legitimate answer.
01 — Alternatives
What else is out there
Before considering an online shop, it's worth looking at simpler approaches. Sometimes a clearly written page, a different phone policy, or a streamlined process solves the same problem without any system.
Ready-made standard solutions cover part of the use cases and are quickly available. Their limit lies where your own processes, your own data, or integrations come into play — and in the question of who ultimately owns the data.
The third option is to do nothing. That's a legitimate answer when the process in question happens rarely or when the real bottleneck lies elsewhere. We'll say so if that's the case.
02 — Boundaries
When we advise against it
- The process is still changing. As long as you're adjusting the process itself, manual work is more flexible and cheaper.
- Exceptions outweigh standard cases. Then you're automating exceptions, and that gets expensive.
- There's no data foundation. Without digitally available source data, the basis is missing.
- Volume is too low. With five transactions a month, no system pays off — not even an affordable one.
- The real bottleneck lies elsewhere. If you don't have enough inquiries, you don't need faster processing.
03 — Criteria
How quotes differ
- What exactly is included. Two quotes with the same total can cover completely different deliverables. Ask for scope as a list, not as running text.
- Who delivers what. Content, images, data, access — if it's not specified, it becomes a point of conflict later.
- What operation costs. Calculated over three years, including licenses, hosting, and support.
- What happens if you want to switch. Do you get access, data, and documentation? The answer to this question says more about a provider than any reference.
- Who actually does the work. With small providers this matters: who sits in the meeting, and who then does it.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
How does VAT work for EU shipping?
Above the threshold, tax is paid in the destination country, usually through the One-Stop-Shop procedure. The store must calculate tax rates correctly for each country — this is set up during setup and isn't a detail you patch afterward.
What about returns?
The cancellation policy and the technical process for returns are part of the legally compliant basic setup. How you handle returns in practice remains your decision — we implement what you define.
Does our shop need to be accessible?
Yes, very likely. Online shops in consumer business are explicitly listed in the Austrian Barrierefreiheitsgesetz (Accessibility Act), which has been in effect since June 28, 2025. The exemption for micro-enterprises applies to services, not to product sales. Violations can be penalized with administrative fines up to 80,000 euros.
How many products are still manageable without expensive additional systems?
Up to a few hundred products, the standard features of common platforms are perfectly sufficient. Only with several thousand products with complex variants is it worth looking at specialized inventory management.
What does ongoing operation cost?
Platform fees, payment providers, hosting and maintenance are ongoing costs, even before the first order comes in. How much that is in each case depends on the chosen platform and the product range — we calculate this transparently in the quote so there are no surprises.
Can we sell internationally?
Yes, that's a matter of setup, not platform: languages, currencies, shipping zones and tax rates per target country need to be configured properly — we plan that in from the start if desired.
Shopify, WooCommerce or something else?
Shopify if you want to start quickly and can live with the ongoing fees. WooCommerce if you already run WordPress and have someone who does updates. With complex inventory management, it's worth looking at specialized systems. There's no answer that's right for everyone.
Next step
Initial assessment, no obligation.
Briefly describe what you need. You'll get an honest answer about what's realistic and what it will roughly cost.