What does building an online shop with nextlevels cost?

It depends heavily on scope. A manageable shop based on Shopware typically starts in the low five-figure range, while complex B2B or headless projects with ERP and PIM interfaces sit above that. On top come running costs for hosting, licenses and maintenance as a separate line item. You get a concrete fixed-price offer after a short discovery in which we clarify requirements, interfaces and data volumes.

How long until my shop goes live?

A clearly scoped shop usually takes from a few weeks to a few months. The range is wide because it depends on the number of interfaces, the complexity of your assortment and the data migration. We work in iterations: you see a working state early and give feedback, rather than only seeing the finished result at the end.

Which shop system do you recommend – Shopware, headless or something else?

Our focus is Shopware, because as an open-source system it is powerful, extensible and well established in the German mid-market. We recommend headless architectures (Shopware as backend, your own frontend) when you need maximum frontend freedom or special performance. We make the decision based on your requirements, not on principle – a simple shop doesn't need a headless setup.

Can you migrate my existing shop?

Yes. We migrate existing shops including product data, customers, order history and URL structure. The URLs and redirects in particular are crucial so your SEO rankings don't collapse during the move. Before migrating we analyze your current shop and plan the move so ongoing operations are disrupted as little as possible.

Do you support B2B, B2C and D2C equally?

Yes. In B2C, conversion, speed and a frictionless checkout matter most. In B2B, requirements such as customer-specific price lists, tiered pricing, order approvals, quotation features and ERP integration come into play. We support D2C brands from brand staging to the logistics interface. We build the shop around your business model, not the other way round.

How do you ensure performance and scalability?

Performance isn't an afterthought for us but part of the architecture. We optimize for good Core Web Vitals, use caching, a CDN and clean database indexes, and test behavior under load. That keeps your shop fast and stable even during load peaks such as sales campaigns or Black Friday.

What about data protection, security and payment processing?

We build shops GDPR-compliant and integrate payments via certified payment providers, so no sensitive card data sits on your server. Updates, secure configuration and a roles-and-permissions concept are standard for us. In e-commerce, security isn't an optional add-on but a prerequisite for trust and conversion.

Who owns the shop – does vendor lock-in arise?

You own everything: code, configuration, data and content. Because we build on open-source technology like Shopware, you're not tied to proprietary systems and could in principle hand operations to another team. We document cleanly – vendor lock-in is not our business model.

E-Commerce: B2B Self-Service Portal

B2B Self-ServicePortal

Business customers want to view quotes, retrieve order history, download invoices, and trigger reorders — without calling your sales team every time. We build you a self-service customer portal on Shopware 6 that meets exactly these requirements: available around the clock, tailored to your B2B processes, and simple enough that customers actually use it.

Build a Self-Service Portal

Challenges you'll recognise

Your sales team spends a significant portion of working time sending invoice copies, looking up order status, and answering routine enquiries from existing customers.
Customers must contact you by email or phone for every reorder because they have no self-service option, which lengthens processing times and reduces customer satisfaction.
There is no way for customers to manage multiple users with different permissions within their company account.

Order History & Reorder

Customers can view past orders, reorder individual items or complete baskets directly, and track the status of current orders in real time. We integrate order status from your ERP or warehouse management system so customers always see current shipping and delivery information.

Invoice & Document Management

Invoices, delivery notes, and quotes are accessible in the portal for every authorised user of a company account. We automatically synchronise documents from your ERP or invoicing system into the portal and provide them as PDF downloads. Customers never need to request invoice copies by email again.

Multiple Users & Roles

A corporate customer often has multiple buyers with different permissions: employees may create baskets, managers approve, accountants view invoices. We implement a flexible role and permissions model that maps these structures and manages company accounts with multiple users.

Quote Management

Individual quotes created by your sales team should be visible and approvable by customers directly in the portal. We build a quote workflow that transfers quotes from your CRM or ERP to the portal, presents them to the customer for approval, and automatically creates an order upon acceptance.

Good to know

Self-service measurably reduces workload
When customers can retrieve invoices, order history, and documents themselves, the number of routine enquiries to your sales and back-office team drops noticeably. The saved time can be invested in advisory-intensive customer work.
Role model is a B2B necessity
In B2B contexts, purchasing departments with clear internal approval processes do the buying, not individuals. A self-service portal without multi-user support and role management does not meet this requirement and will not be adopted by corporate customers.
Quote workflow closes the loop
A portal that only shows historical data is an archive. Only when customers can also view active quotes, approve them, and convert them directly into orders does the portal become a genuine sales tool that accelerates the quote-to-order process.

Frequently asked questions

What features are typically included in a B2B self-service portal?

Core features include order history with reorder, order status tracking, invoice and document download, user management with roles and budget limits, and quote viewing. Depending on requirements, we add list price visibility, approved catalogues, or a direct chat channel to the sales team.

Can the portal be connected to our ERP for order status and invoices?

Yes, that is the standard approach. Order status and shipping information come from your ERP or warehouse management system; invoices are synchronised from the invoicing system. We implement the corresponding interfaces as part of the portal project.

How does the portal differ from a normal customer account in Shopware?

Shopware's standard customer account covers simple B2C scenarios. A B2B self-service portal goes significantly further: multiple users per company account, role and permission management, quote workflow, document management, and deep ERP integration. We build this functionality as a custom extension on Shopware 6.

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Shopware B2B Suite 2026: Features, costs, EOL with 6.8 - and the honest decision Suite vs. B2B Components for new projects.

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Subscription commerce turns one-off purchases into predictable, recurring revenue. How this works with Shopware and how to start a subscription model.

Why nextlevels

Success you can measure

With us you're always at the cutting edge of technology and benefit directly from our developer expertise. Together we analyze your shop, identify key areas and develop tailor-made solutions. Your goals and expectations are at the center of our work.

Developers, not resellers
Your shop is built by developers who understand the code — nothing gets passed to subcontractors.
Shopware down to the detail
Architecture, API integration and performance from hundreds of project hours.
One team, every discipline
Development, design and marketing from a single source — no friction at the handoffs.
Built for growth
We build for conversion, load time and revenue — not for gut feeling.
Partner, not vendor
We stay on after launch and keep developing your shop continuously.

Ready for your successful online shop?

Whether it's an improvement or a fresh start — a no-obligation conversation never hurt anyone.

Paul Kalisch
Executive Partner

info@nextlevels.de +49 (0) 2161 539 71 60