How long does online shop development take? Timeline to the first sale
Realistic shop timelines: from a standard shop in 8–12 weeks to a B2B shop with ERP integration in 5–8 months.
Online Shop Project Duration
The short answer
Standard shop (Shopware/WooCommerce): 8–12 weeks. Custom shop (design, integrations): 3–5 months. B2B shop (ERP, customer prices, approvals): 5–8 months.
The short answer: a standard online shop on Shopware or WooCommerce is ready to sell in 8–12 weeks. Shops with custom design, larger catalogues and payment/shipping integrations take 3–5 months; B2B shops with ERP integration, customer-specific prices and approval workflows take 5–8 months. The biggest time factor is rarely the templates – it is product data, interfaces and payment provider activations.
As a development partner – made in Germany, based in Leer, East Frisia – we plan shop projects around the critical dependencies: product data quality, ERP interfaces and legal requirements. For budgets, see the online shop cost calculator; if a system switch is due, the Shopware migration calculator helps.
The phases of an online shop project on the timeline
| Phase | Duration | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Concept & system choice | 2–3 weeks | Product range, target groups, payment and shipping methods, system decision (Shopware, WooCommerce, custom) and the product data model. |
| Design & shop setup | 4–8 weeks | Theme or custom design, categories, product pages, checkout and mandatory legal pages (terms, cancellation policy, imprint). |
| Product data & integrations | 3–8 weeks | Product import, payment providers (including activation processes), shipping carriers and, where needed, ERP or inventory integration – the most common bottleneck. |
| Testing & test orders | 2–3 weeks | End-to-end test orders with real payment methods, cancellation and returns processes, load testing for larger catalogues. |
| Go-live & stabilisation | 1–2 weeks | Launch, monitoring of orders and payments, quick fixes – ideally outside the peak season. |
What really influences online shop project duration
These factors decide whether your shop project lands at the lower or upper end of the range:
- Product data quality: incomplete descriptions, images and variants are the most common cause of delays – check before the project starts.
- ERP/inventory integration: real-time stock, prices and orders extend the project by 4–8 weeks but save daily manual work afterwards.
- Payment providers: activations (e.g. invoice payment, instalments) have their own review processes of sometimes several weeks – apply early.
- B2B requirements: customer-specific prices, tiers and approval workflows significantly increase concept and testing effort.
- Legal: accessibility, price display and checkout button requirements must be implemented cleanly before go-live.
Plan timeline and budget together
In a free initial consultation we clarify scope, milestones and realistic dates for your project – made in Germany, from Leer in East Frisia.
FAQ
FAQ: Online Shop Project Duration
How quickly can a simple online shop go live?
With a standard theme, a manageable product range and clean product data, 8–12 weeks are realistic – including payment integration and test orders. Anything faster requires cuts that backfire after launch.
How long does a B2B online shop take?
B2B shops with ERP integration, customer-specific prices and approval workflows take 5–8 months. The ERP interface is the critical path – it should start as the first work package.
What delays shop projects most often?
Poor product data, late payment provider activations and underestimated interfaces. All three can be defused by starting the respective work packages early.
When should a shop not go live?
Right before your own peak season (e.g. Christmas business) or before holiday periods without a reachable team. Ideal is a launch with 2–3 months of buffer before the main season so processes are settled.
Can a shop project be accelerated?
Yes: clean product data before the project starts, apply for payment providers in parallel with development, launch with a prioritised product range and, if needed, add the ERP integration in phase 2 – the shop sells earlier, automation follows.