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: Theme & Template Development

Theme & TemplateDevelopment

Your shop is the digital face of your brand — a generic default theme makes it interchangeable. We build custom Shopware themes and templates that implement your branding precisely, work on every device, and remain update-safe. From design alignment to final handoff, we work closely to your requirements and deliver a visual identity that builds trust and converts.

Build a Custom Theme

Challenges you'll recognise

Your shop looks identical to hundreds of other Shopware shops because a generic default theme creates no differentiation from competitors.
Theme customisations regularly break after Shopware updates because edits were made directly in the core.
The existing theme was built for desktop and delivers a poor mobile experience, which shows in mobile bounce rates.

Individual Branding

A Shopware theme is more than colours and a logo. We translate your corporate design into a consistent visual system: typography, spacing, components, and interactions all follow your brand guidelines, not Shopware's defaults. Every page, button, and error message feels like your brand.

Template Inheritance

We never override the Shopware core directly. Instead we use Shopware's Twig inheritance system and extend only the blocks we actually need to customise. This keeps your theme lean, compatible, and future-proof — Shopware updates roll in without destroying your individual adaptations.

Mobile First & Accessibility

More than half of e-commerce traffic comes from mobile devices. We develop Mobile First: layouts, touch targets, and load times are optimised for smartphone users before we expand to desktop. We also follow WCAG guidelines so your shop is accessible to all users.

Performance-Optimised CSS

Poorly structured CSS slows page loads and makes future changes painful. We use a structured CSS architecture with SCSS, eliminate unused styles through tree-shaking, and keep the final bundle as small as possible — for fast First Contentful Paint values and clean Core Web Vitals.

Good to know

Template inheritance protects your investment
Shopware's Twig inheritance system lets you override exactly the blocks you want to customise without touching the rest. Themes built this way survive even major Shopware updates without requiring complete rework.
Mobile First is now table stakes
The majority of e-commerce traffic comes from smartphones. A theme developed for desktop and then adapted for mobile structurally delivers worse results on mobile than one conceived Mobile First from the start.
CSS size affects LCP
Unused CSS inflates the stylesheet bundle and delays rendering. A structured theme with tree-shaking and minimal unused styles measurably reduces load time and directly contributes to better Core Web Vitals scores.

Frequently asked questions

Can we adapt an existing Shopware theme rather than building a new one?

Yes, and that's often the more economical approach. We analyse the existing theme, identify which customisations can be done cleanly through inheritance, and make targeted changes only. A full rebuild only makes sense when the existing theme is fundamentally incompatible with your requirements.

Will the theme keep working after Shopware updates?

If the theme is built consistently on Twig inheritance rather than core overrides, yes. We test themes against new Shopware versions in a staging environment before you update, and adapt proactively when breaking changes occur.

Do you provide the design as well as the technical implementation?

Both are possible. If you bring a Figma design, we implement it pixel-perfectly. If you don't have a design yet, we develop it together in the project. Design and development from one hand avoids handoff losses.

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