PIPELINEGuide
Online shop: comparing providers — what really matters
Offers for online shops are hard to compare because everyone includes different things. The questions that reveal the differences — and the warning signs.
When comparing providers for online shops, the stated price matters less than the question of what happens afterward: who maintains the system after launch, and what does a later modification cost. That's the difference that only shows after a few months.
01 — 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.
02 — Questions
Questions you should ask
- What happens if the project becomes more expensive than estimated — who bears that?
- Who owns data, access, and, if developed, the source code?
- What does operation cost in the second and third year?
- What does the documentation we receive at the end look like?
- How would you measure whether the project was successful?
- Is there a case in which you would advise us against this?
03 — Warning signs
When to be skeptical
- Guaranteed results. Anyone promising top Google ranking or a specific revenue increase is selling something they can't deliver.
- No pushback. A provider who thinks every project is a good idea has either not listened or is only selling.
- Time pressure. Limited-time discounts on project prices are a sales tool, not an offer.
- Unclear ownership. Anyone who won't clearly say who owns data and access doesn't have your interests at heart.
- No contact with technical expertise. If only sales sits in the first meeting, that's where misunderstandings arise.
04 — Scope
What's included
- Set up on a platform that fits your size, not the largest one
- Payment methods actually used in German-speaking countries
- Shipping and tax logic including delivery thresholds for EU shipping
- Integration with inventory management or accounting
- Legal texts, right of withdrawal, and button solution correctly implemented
- Accessibility according to WCAG 2.1 AA — mandatory for shops in B2C business
05 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
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.
Can we migrate from an existing shop?
Yes, with transfer of products, customers and order history. Redirects from the old product URLs are important — without them you lose the visibility of the previous pages.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Next step
Send us a few sentences about your project.
We read every inquiry ourselves and respond personally. No sales team, no callback form into the void.