Integrating a webshop with your existing website: how do you approach it?

You already have a website that works — content, findability, customers who know their way around. And now you want to add sales to it: integrating a webshop with your existing website, without turning everything upside down. A fair wish, and fortunately not nearly as big an operation as it might seem.

First: what's your site running on now?

Before I suggest anything, I always look at what's already there. Is your site running on WordPress, a static page, or something custom? That largely determines which route makes sense. A site that's already built flexibly can often be extended with e-commerce without starting from scratch. An outdated or locked-down system sometimes does require a bigger intervention — and if that's the case, I'll simply tell you so honestly, rather than sell you a quick fix that'll break down within a year anyway.

Three ways to connect a webshop

In practice, I usually come across one of these routes:

• A separate shop alongside your site, for example on a subdomain, with the same branding. Quick to set up, low risk to your existing content.
• A shop integrated into the same platform, so content and store form one whole — stronger for user experience, but requires more preparation.
• A full migration to a new platform, when your current system simply can't handle the growth anymore.

I've carried out this type of project for a wide range of situations: from a bookshop that went live within a week with a Shopify webshop, to a full Shopify POS migration including a pop-up shop for a school. Each project called for a different approach — which is exactly why I look at what fits per client, instead of pushing the same platform by default.

Not everything has to be Shopify

Shopify is an excellent choice for pure e-commerce, but not the only right one. I also build custom Ghost themes and guide cutovers away from WordPress to Ghost when content and publishing are central. And sometimes the solution is simpler than expected: for one client, I advised moving away from a complicated CMS to a simple, fast static page, because that better matched what they actually needed. Adding a shop, in other words, doesn't automatically mean making everything more complex.

For those who need more tailored control than a standard platform offers, I also build fully custom environments — for example, I developed a dedicated Payload CMS admin environment for a client, replacing Shopify metaobjects, with both content and a custom admin UI.

Why experience as an entrepreneur matters

I spent fifteen years running two jewellery stores and a webshop myself, at its peak with a team of twenty people. So I know how it feels when a technical decision affects your day-to-day operations — inventory, payments, customer service, everything has to keep running while you build. I bring that perspective into every piece of advice: I safeguard your budget and have no commercial stake in any particular software brand. I recommend what fits your business, not what earns the most for a partner.

What a project looks like

You get one concrete proposal from me: scope, timeline and fixed price, agreed clearly upfront. No surprises halfway through, no hours quietly piling up. That's exactly why every conversation starts with a solid understanding of your current site and goals — only then does a proposal follow.

Want to explore the best way to integrate a webshop with your existing website? Check out the possibilities at <a href="/studio">/studio</a> and let's see together what fits.