Magento has a reputation for being one of the trickier e-Commerce platforms to start out with. So, it’s no surprise that this platform requires users to be more tech-savvy than Shopify or WooCommerce.
Like other open-source eCommerce software, it’s challenging to calculate the cost of running a Magento site from the outset.
Thorough research is required to understand how much you’ll need to spend on your site’s core functionality. Not to mention any of the extra bells and whistles you require.
Needless to say, not every startup has the necessary funding to delve into this process without considerable headaches. But if you plan ahead carefully for everything e-commerce sellers really need to get going on Magento, you could save on the majority of costs.
Below, we’re discussing several strategies to help you start selling with Magento on a minimal budget.
Let’s dive in!
How Much Does It Cost to Sell on Magento?
Before we look at ways to cut down the cost, you might be wondering how much selling on this platform might set you back in the first place from building it to running sms marketing campaigns.
The good news is that Magento’s open-source platform is free to download and install. But just like with WooCommerce or WordPress.org sites, this doesn’t mean it will be cheaper than finding a hosted solution.
Here are some of the costs that go into selling on Magento:
Web Hosting and Domain
The hosting cost of your website depends on your requirements and how much bandwidth, security, and development freedom you require. Frequently, you can find a good deal for $30 per month.
Some hosting providers will also throw in a domain for the first year and might even hook you up with a business email domain.
For a custom website maintenance, you can expect to spend between $10 and $15 a year.
A Theme
For your store to stand out with a unique design, you might want to install a fresh theme from the Magento Marketplace. Here, themes range from $29 to $499.
Suppose you have a specific vision in mind. In that case, you might be thinking of contracting a professional to design a custom theme for you. This would elevate the cost of your site’s design significantly.
Extensions
Magento covers an impressive range of features right out of the box. But occasionally, you may require extra functionality for the specific needs of your store.
It pays to be well aware of what you might need long ahead of time because paid modules usually come in at around $50 each.
Maintenance and Support
Magento requires you to do the heavy lifting yourself to maintain your store and figure out any technical issues.
If you’re not entirely tech-savvy yourself, you might need assistance, optionally you can actually hire a digital marketing virtual assistant. This is an essential consideration to factor into the cost of your site.
Selling on Magento With a Minimal Budget
With these costs in mind, here are three strategies you can adopt to help keep your expenses down:
- Choose a pre-designed Magento theme
- Use extensions on The Magento Marketplace
- Don’t opt for open-source Magento
Let’s explore each in turn:
1. Choose a Pre-Designed Magento Theme
It might not be what you want to hear, but if selling on a minimal budget is a primary concern, you’ll need to cut costs somewhere.
There are plenty of beautiful, highly functional store themes to choose from that don’t require any custom work. This means you won’t need to shell out on a developer and spend the extra time and money on custom designs.
Make a list of what design features your site really requires. You might find that a pre-built theme offers all the necessary functionality and can be tweaked in minimal ways to achieve the right results.
2. Use Extensions on the Magento Marketplace
There are many good reasons to get custom-coded extensions for your store. They are often the most lightweight and fit in with your processes and existing tech stack.
But when it comes to saving money, custom developed extensions are not your friend. Many highly functional extensions in the Magento Marketplace cover all the core functionality your store might need, for example Magento 2 reward points and Magento 2 store locator
So if you’re trying to sell on Magento on a minimal budget, steer clear of custom extensions until you have more money to spend.
It’s also worth noting that custom coding is not something you want to do cheaply. If you decide to develop a unique feature for your store, you need an experienced developer on your side.
The cheap options may cause you problems in the long run and risk costing you more time and money in maintenance than initially anticipated.
3. Don’t Go Open-Source
If you’re operating on a minimal budget, your first instinct may be to download the option labeled ‘free.’
But just because downloading and installing open-source Magento won’t cost you anything doesn’t mean this is cheaper overall.
If you already anticipate requiring more functionality than what’s provided, you’ll soon be spending significant monthly sums on extensions.
Magento’s Commerce Cloud is an enterprise version that already includes hosting, security patches, maintenance, and many other unique features. It provides analytics, B2B functionality, and much more.
With this package deal, you might be able to save a lot of money and keep your budget restricted to the Cloud’s cost.
If you’re a larger business looking for the most cost-effective way to sell on Magento, the Commerce Cloud might be the solution.
Make the Most Out of Your Minimal Budget When Selling on Magento
When navigating the world of eCommerce, no solution is investment-free, and Magento is no different. This is why SEO plays a vital role in Ecommerce business success and it all actually start with getting the right Ecommerce keywords.
It requires more thinking ahead than some of the other eCommerce platforms on the market. Its actual cost only reveals itself after careful calculation.
Magento may not be the most budget-friendly solution for startups. But by avoiding custom extensions and themes and choosing the Magento solution that best suits your budget, you can sell with Magento on a minimal budget.
Striving for a change in life is never easier but always keep in mind that you always have options of what path you’d like to take. Some may experience being broken because of a pandemic but I guess that’s not a way for you to end there. Starting your online business is now easier and user friendly. All you really need to do is invest some time with yourself to study and make a plan with your business workflow.
With all the day to day technology improvements, unique marketing techniques, affordable web services and even resources it is now possible even for an ordinary person to get everything set and started. If you’re on a tight budget, you can do it yourself and slowly work building your online store. Try hopping into a few youtube tutorials where you can learn the step by step process of building your very own shopify or magento store. If you got a bit of a budget, you can optionally get someone to do the tedious job for you. This is not an overnight process, learning comes from experience and from time to time, ecommerce mistakes turn into great lessons.
