How to choose an online shop builder

Choosing the wrong builder for your online shop is a more expensive mistake than most people realise. Not just financially - though the cost of redoing a shop you're unhappy with is real - but in time, opportunity, and the frustration of having a tool that works against your business rather than for it.

This guide is built around the questions you should ask before signing anything, and the answers that should reassure you or give you pause.

Two different choices: platform or designer

First, clarify which kind of decision you're making. There are two quite different choices:

1. Choosing a platform - Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Squarespace Commerce, WooCommerce. You (or someone you hire) set it up using their template system. The platform hosts your shop and charges a monthly fee.

2. Choosing a designer or developer - a person or studio that builds a custom shop for you, which then runs on hosting they or you control.

These are fundamentally different commitments, and the questions you ask are different for each. This guide focuses primarily on choosing a designer, since that decision is less well-documented and carries greater consequences if you get it wrong. For a platform comparison, see our Shopify vs bespoke guide.

Start with the portfolio

Before any other consideration, look at what a designer has actually built. Not mockups. Not screenshots of designs that were never implemented. Live, working online shops that real businesses are using to take real orders.

Things to assess in a portfolio:

• Does the work load quickly? Visit a few portfolio sites on your phone. Slow shops lose customers.
• Does the design serve the product? A shop selling handmade ceramics should feel different from one selling motorcycle parts. Good design reflects the business.
• Is the work in your sector? Not essential, but relevant. A designer who has built food & drink shops before understands the specific requirements - ingredient listings, delivery temperature requirements, case quantity options.
• Are the shops still live? If portfolio examples have gone offline, that's worth asking about.

Ownership questions - ask these first

These are non-negotiable. The answers determine whether you control your own business's online presence or whether someone else does.

• Who registers and controls my domain name? The answer should be "you do, and we can help you set it up." If a designer registers your domain in their name, you are dependent on them for as long as you trade online.
• Where is my shop hosted, and who controls the hosting account? You should have access, or at minimum be able to take the shop elsewhere if needed.
• What happens to my shop if I stop paying you? If the answer is "nothing, it keeps running," that's good. If the answer involves the shop going offline, understand the terms clearly.
• Who owns the design and code? Once you've paid for the build, you should own the design outright.

Cost questions - get the full picture

The build price is only one number. The questions below reveal the total cost of ownership.

• What does the quoted price include, exactly? Ask for a written list. "The online shop" is not specific enough.
• What isn't included that I might reasonably expect to be? A good designer will tell you proactively.
• What are the ongoing annual costs after launch? Hosting, domain renewal, support, software licences - all of it.
• Are there any platform fees or transaction fees on top of the payment gateway? Some platforms charge these; bespoke builds typically don't.
• If I need changes after launch, how are those charged? Hourly? Fixed rates? Included in an annual fee?

Support and post-launch questions

The moment a shop goes live is when you most need support. New problems appear, questions come up, and the real-world use of the shop differs from what was tested. Understanding what happens after launch is as important as the build itself.

• Who do I contact when something breaks? A direct email and phone number, or a ticketing system?
• What is the typical response time for support queries?
• Do you provide training on managing the shop? You should be able to add products, update content, and process orders yourself.
• What is your process for software updates and security patches? An unmaintained shop is a vulnerable one.

Red flags: reasons to walk away

These aren't necessarily deal-breakers in every case, but each one warrants a direct question and a clear answer before you proceed:

• Vague pricing with lots of "it depends" - some complexity is genuine, but a designer who can't give you a clear price range after discussing your brief may be setting up scope creep.
• Registering your domain in their name - this makes you dependent on them. Don't accept it.
• No live portfolio of working shops - mockups and Behance screenshots are not evidence of deliverable ecommerce work.
• Guarantees of SEO rankings or traffic - no one can guarantee search rankings. If someone says they can, they're either lying or defining the terms very specifically (ranking for your own business name, for instance, is not an achievement).
• No clarity on what happens after you launch - "we'll discuss that when we get there" is not an acceptable answer to support questions asked before signing.
• Pressure to decide quickly - a designer who pressures you to commit before you've done your research is prioritising their pipeline over your outcome.
• No references or case studies from real clients - asking to speak to a previous client is a reasonable request. Refusal is a significant red flag.

Questions to ask yourself first

Before approaching anyone, be clear on your own situation:

• How many products are you selling, and how often does the product range change?
• Do you need any non-standard functionality? (subscriptions, made-to-order, age verification, complex shipping rules)
• What does your brand look like, and do you have design assets (logo, brand guidelines, photography)?
• What is your budget, both upfront and annually?
• When do you need to be live?
• How comfortable are you managing a website yourself once it's built?

A designer who asks you these questions in the first conversation is doing their job properly. One who doesn't ask them - and proceeds to quote without understanding your answers - should give you pause.

Does sector experience matter?

It helps, but it's not essential. What matters more is that the designer listens to the specifics of your business rather than applying a generic solution.

That said: if you're selling food online, someone who has built food shops before will already know about delivery date selection, perishability flags, ingredient and allergen listing requirements, and case vs. single-unit pricing. That background knowledge saves time in the brief and reduces the chance of something being missed.

The IDX / Futurestore portfolio covers food & drink, clothing, gifts, antiques, fine art, artists and galleries, professional services, and more - 29 years of accumulated sector knowledge.

The final question: does this person understand my business?

After all the practical questions, the most important thing is whether the person you're working with actually understands what your business does, who your customers are, and what the shop needs to achieve.

A good designer asks questions. They push back when a brief is unclear. They explain trade-offs rather than just agreeing to everything. They tell you if something won't work.

The goal isn't to find someone who will build exactly what you describe. It's to find someone who will build something better than what you described, because they understood what you were trying to achieve.