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: Checkout Optimisation

CheckoutOptimisation

The checkout is the most expensive point for drop-offs — customers are highly motivated, yet a significant share leave the process without completing an order. We analyse your checkout with funnel analysis, session recordings, and user tests, identify the friction points, and eliminate them systematically. Shorter forms, the right payment methods, clear communication — small checkout improvements translate directly into more completed orders.

Request Checkout Optimisation

Challenges you'll recognise

A significant portion of filled baskets are abandoned before an order is completed — but you don't know exactly at which step or why.
Customers complain about a cumbersome checkout or abandon on smartphone particularly often.
Mandatory registration before purchase is active and you suspect it deters new customers, but have no data on it.

Funnel Analysis

Before changing anything, we measure exactly where customers leave the checkout. We set up a complete checkout funnel in your analytics platform, segment by device, payment method, and traffic source, and identify the steps with the highest drop-off rates. On this data basis, we prioritise optimisations by actual potential.

Form Simplification

Too many required fields, unclear error messages, and missing address autocomplete are classic checkout killers. We reduce form effort to the necessary minimum, implement inline validation with helpful error messages, and set up address completion. Every removed required field reduces cognitive load at the most critical point.

Guest Checkout & Trust

Mandatory registration before purchase is one of the most common checkout abandonment reasons. We enable guest checkout and optimise the sequence of checkout steps so the registration prompt comes after the purchase. We also strengthen trust elements like security seals, return policy notes, and reviews directly in the checkout.

Mobile Checkout

Mobile checkout abandonment rates are often significantly higher than on desktop. We optimise touch targets, keyboard types per form field, the mobile payment flow, and presentation on small screens. Special attention goes to Apple Pay and Google Pay, which can substantially improve mobile checkout conversion.

Good to know

Checkout abandonment is the most expensive leak
In checkout, customers are already purchase-ready — an abandonment here costs a near-certain order. Every friction point between 'Proceed to checkout' and 'Complete order' therefore has an outsized impact on revenue.
Mandatory registration costs new customers
Forced account creation before a first purchase is one of the best-documented checkout abandonment reasons. Guest checkout with optional account creation after purchase solves this problem without losing any data needed for order processing.
Mobile checkout needs dedicated optimisation
A checkout that works well on desktop is often a frustration on smartphone. Touch targets, keyboard types, mobile payment methods, and one-handed usability require dedicated optimisation work — they don't emerge automatically from responsive layout.

Frequently asked questions

Which checkout optimisations typically have the greatest effect?

Effectiveness depends on the current state of your checkout. From experience, guest checkout activation, form simplification, and the right payment methods often have the biggest leverage. What should be addressed first in your case is shown by the funnel analysis.

Do checkout changes always need to be validated with A/B tests?

Not always. Some changes — like removing an unnecessary mandatory registration — are so clearly identified as friction points that a test adds no additional insight. For changes where the right direction is unclear, we recommend A/B tests. We help you calibrate the effort correctly.

Can we redesign the checkout without touching the rest of the shop?

In Shopware 6, yes. The checkout is modularly structured and can be adapted independently from the rest of the shop. We can specifically optimise individual checkout steps, form layouts, and trust elements without triggering a complete shop overhaul.

Shopware B2B Suite 2026: Features, costs and why the suite is being phased out

Commerce & Shopware05/24/2026

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

Angular vs React vs Vue: Which frontend framework suits your shop?

Commerce & Shopware04/08/2026

Angular, React or Vue for your shop? A practical comparison for e-commerce and headless shopware with a clear recommendation based on team, SEO and setup.

Subscription commerce with Shopware: How recurring revenue supports your shop

Commerce & Shopware05/29/2026

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