Having a webshop built in Antwerp — what does it cost and how do you approach it?

Why have a webshop built in Antwerp?

You're considering selling your products online, but don't want to wrestle with code and servers yourself. Fair enough. A local developer in Antwerp knows the market, speaks your language and is nearby for consultation. That saves email ping-pong and resolves misunderstandings faster.

At Kattenberg 118 Studio in Borgerhout, I work primarily with Shopify — a platform that's reliable, easy to maintain and scalable. I've run two jewellery shops and a webshop myself for fifteen years, so I know from experience what bothers entrepreneurs: technical headaches, hidden costs and suppliers who sell you more than you need.

Shopify or something else?

Shopify is the best choice for most starting and medium-sized webshops. You pay a fixed monthly fee, everything runs on reliable servers and updates happen automatically. Payments, shipping and stock are built in. Downside: you're tied to the monthly licence and have less freedom for extreme customisation.

WooCommerce on WordPress is cheaper in licensing but requires more maintenance — updates, security and hosting are your responsibility. For very specific flows or integrations that can be worthwhile. For most webshops, however, Shopify is the safer, faster route.

What can you expect price-wise?

A simple Shopify webshop with standard theme, custom colours and logo costs from €3,500 at Kattenberg 118 Studio. That includes setup, basic settings and a brief walkthrough on how to add products yourself.

Do you want custom design, advanced product filters, integrations with your accounting or stock system, or migration from an existing shop? Then the price rises to €8,000–15,000 or more. You always get a concrete proposal upfront with scope, timeline and fixed price — no surprises.

How does the collaboration work?

I start with an intake: what do you sell, who is your customer, which features are truly necessary? Based on that I send one clear proposal. Agreed? Then I plan the project in blocks: first the structure and design, then the settings and testing phase. Along the way I ask for feedback, so we stay on the right track together.

I protect your budget — I have no commercial interest in expensive plugins or marketing tools. What you don't need, I won't recommend.

After the launch

Building a webshop is step one. Then comes maintenance, marketing and optimisation. Shopify handles the technical side; you focus on your products and customers. For ongoing questions or changes you can fall back on a maintenance contract or ad-hoc assignments — whichever you prefer.

Ready to start?

If you want to have a webshop built in Antwerp and you're looking for a developer who thinks along without sales talk, get in touch via Kattenberg 118 Studio. I'll listen to your plans, ask the right questions and send you an honest proposal. No obligatory introductory coffee, just concrete work.