What a Webshop Quote Should Include
By CodexierPublished 6 min read
Two webshop quotes can differ by a factor of three and both be honest, because they include different things. One assumes you will enter the products; the other imports them. One leaves shipping to a plugin's defaults; the other configures your carriers. Comparing totals tells you nothing. This checklist lists what a complete quote covers so you can line up any two offers, including ours, and see what is actually being sold.
The short answer
Our Shopify and WooCommerce store setup is quoted against exactly this list, so you can hold ours next to anyone else's.
Platform, theme and licences
The quote should state the platform and the plan you will need on day one, because plans decide monthly cost and available features. It should name the theme, whether it is free or paid, who buys the licence and whether you own it. Then the apps and plugins the build depends on, each with its monthly price, because a Shopify or WooCommerce build often carries several subscriptions that the quote's headline does not show.
| Line item | What to look for | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Platform and plan | Named plan, monthly cost, who holds the account | Account opened in the agency's name |
| Theme | Name, licence cost, customisation scope | Customisation is a few colour changes, not a design |
| Apps and plugins | Each one listed with monthly price and purpose | Six subscriptions discovered on the first invoice |
| Hosting (WooCommerce) | Provider, plan, backups, who manages it | Shared hosting that cannot handle a campaign |
Products, variants and import
Product entry is the largest hidden cost in a webshop project. The quote must say how many products are included, whether variants such as size and colour are set up, who writes descriptions, who prepares images, and whether existing data is imported from a file or an old shop. A quote that says products excluded is honest but shifts weeks of work onto you; a quote that says products included without a number is unpriced. Ask for a per-product price beyond the included count, and for a sample import of ten products before launch so mapping problems surface early.
- Number of products and variants included, and the price for more.
- Source of product data: a spreadsheet you provide, an export from the old shop, a supplier feed.
- Image handling: resizing, background removal, alt text, or none of these.
- Categories, filters and search configured for your range, not left at defaults.
Payments, shipping and taxes
For a Swedish shop the quote should name the payment providers to be configured, Klarna, Swish, card via Stripe or the platform's own, and confirm that the accounts are opened in your company's name. It should list the carriers and delivery options set up in checkout, with rates and free-shipping rules, and whether labels and tracking are integrated. On tax, it should state that Swedish VAT rates are configured per product type, that prices display inclusive of VAT to consumers, and, if you sell to other EU countries, how OSS reporting will be handled. Each of these is an afternoon of configuration when planned and a week of support tickets when not.
Migration and redirects
If you are replacing an existing shop, the quote needs a migration section: which data moves, customers, order history, product reviews, gift card balances, discount codes, and which does not. Order history in particular is often left behind and then missed at the first return. Redirects from every old product, category and content address to the new ones protect your search rankings and your customers' bookmarks; the quote should say who maps them and that they are tested before launch. A migration line that reads we will move everything is not a plan.
Customers and accounts
Emails, addresses and marketing consent. Passwords rarely migrate; customers reset them, and the quote should include that communication.
Orders
Historic orders for returns and support. Decide how far back and whether they are imported or archived read-only.
Redirects
A mapping of old to new addresses, tested, with the not-found page monitored after launch.
Training, support and handover
The last section decides what running the shop feels like. Training: how many hours, for whom, recorded or live, covering orders, products, discounts and refunds. Documentation: what is written down for the person who joins later. Support after launch: the warranty period for defects, then the hourly rate or the maintenance plan. Handover: every account, platform, payment, domain, apps, in your name with you as owner, and the agency as a removable collaborator. Our guide to acceptance testing and sign-off covers how the launch itself is approved.
When you do not need a quote at all: a shop with a dozen simple products and no existing store can be built by you on Shopify with a free theme in a few evenings, and paying an agency for that is poor value. A quote earns its place when there is a migration, real product volume, B2B pricing, integrations to accounting or stock, or a launch date with money behind it. If you have two quotes in hand that you cannot compare, book a call and we will go through them line by line; our own fixed price and what it includes are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Why do webshop quotes vary so much?
Because scope varies: product entry, migration, payments and shipping configuration and training can each be included or excluded, and a low total usually means several are excluded. Compare quotes by listing what each includes against this checklist, then compare the totals for the same scope.
Should the quote include the monthly costs?
A good one shows them separately: platform plan, theme, apps, hosting, payment provider fees. The build price is paid once; the monthly costs are paid for years, and a quote that hides them makes a cheap build look cheaper than it is.
Who should own the accounts?
You. The platform account, payment accounts, domain and every app should be registered to your company with the agency as a staff member or collaborator you can remove. A quote that opens accounts in the agency's name creates a dependency you will pay to undo.
What is a reasonable warranty after launch?
One to three months for defects present at delivery, with a written definition of a defect versus a change. After that, a maintenance plan or hourly support; ask for both prices in the quote so there is no surprise in month four.
Holding a webshop quote you cannot read?
Send it to us. In fifteen minutes we check it against this list, point out what is missing or unpriced, and tell you what questions to ask before you sign.
Book a free 15-minute call