An ecommerce website development agency builds and maintains online stores for businesses. It handles design, platform setup, product pages, payment and checkout. The main difference from a freelancer is team backup and a review step before delivery.
An ecommerce website development agency builds online stores, from the first wireframe to a live, tested shop. The right one delivers a store that loads quickly, takes payments reliably and lets you manage products without help. The difference between a good agency and a bad one is not design — it is whether someone checks the work before it goes live.
What an ecommerce website development agency delivers
- Platform setup. Shopify, WooCommerce (WordPress) or Squarespace, installed and configured.
- Product pages. Titles, descriptions, images and variants entered and formatted.
- Payment and checkout. A payment gateway connected, tax settings applied, checkout flow tested.
- Shipping rules. Rates and zones entered so orders calculate correctly at checkout.
- Domain and email. Your domain connected and a business email set up.
- Handover. You get the login, a walkthrough and the keys to edit your own store.
Agency vs freelancer vs managed service
How to choose an ecommerce website development agency
- Ask to see two or three stores the team built and check they load on a phone.
- Confirm which platform they specialise in and whether it matches yours.
- Ask how many revision rounds are included and who reviews before launch.
- Check whether ongoing maintenance and updates are available after the build.
- Get an hourly or project rate in writing before work starts.
Ongoing work after launch
A store is not finished at launch. Products change, prices update, promotions run and themes need updating. A managed service handles ongoing ecommerce work alongside the build so nothing falls behind. Read our guide to ecommerce website development and the ecommerce development service for what is included.
What it costs
A managed ecommerce development service charges from $5.62 an hour for a dedicated developer, or $12 an hour for pay-as-you-go hours that never expire. A typical Shopify or WooCommerce store build takes 8 to 20 hours depending on the number of products and features. See the pricing page and the ecommerce website development cost guide for a full breakdown.
Ready to start? See pricing or start for $1.
Frequently asked questions
What does an ecommerce website development agency do?
An ecommerce agency designs and builds your online store, sets up the platform (Shopify, WooCommerce or Squarespace), adds products, wires up payment and checkout, and tests it before launch.
How much does an ecommerce website development agency charge?
Agency rates vary widely. A managed ecommerce development service like MyRemoteVA charges from $5.62 an hour for a dedicated developer, or $12 an hour for pay-as-you-go hours.
How do I choose an ecommerce website development agency?
Ask to see stores they built, confirm which platform they work on, ask how revisions are handled and who reviews the code before it goes live.
Can a virtual assistant build my ecommerce website?
Yes. A specialist ecommerce VA can build a store on Shopify, WooCommerce or Squarespace, set up products and payment, and hand over a ready-to-launch store.
What is doing this yourself costing you?
Doing it yourself: $2,165 a month of your time.
The same hours at our $12/hr pay-as-you-go rate: $520. Dedicated plans start at $5.62/hr.
Simple maths from the numbers you enter. It assumes a VA can take on those hours.
Start for $1Written by the MyRemoteVA team. Search-trend figures come from Google Trends. Prices shown are our current plans. Last updated October 6, 2026. Questions or corrections? Contact us.