eCommerce website development in London

Choosing a platform is the decision that shapes everything else, including your running costs, your flexibility and who you can hire later. For most UK retailers, the sensible default is Shopify, as it takes care of hosting, security and checkout. WooCommerce suits businesses already on WordPress that want full control. Magento (Adobe Commerce) earns its complexity with large catalogues or complicated B2B pricing. Custom builds are for unusual business models that platforms can’t handle.

What UK stores need to get right

Selling in the UK has specific requirements that a template won’t handle by itself. VAT must be shown correctly. The Consumer Contracts Regulations give online customers a right to cancel most orders within 14 days of delivery. Card payments are subject to Strong Customer Authentication. PCI DSS applies to anybody taking card payments, although using hosted payment fields reduces your exposure a great deal. Selling to the EU after Brexit raises customs questions, and goods to Northern Ireland have their own rules.

The boring parts decide the profit

Attractive product pages get all the attention, but margin often lives in the back office: stock sync across channels, integration with your warehouse and accounts, returns handling and how orders get to the courier. We plan those connections up front, because a store that creates manual work with every order gets less profitable as it grows. If you’re comparing the two most common options, read Shopify vs WooCommerce for UK businesses.