How much does it cost to develop an e-commerce website?

E-commerce website development costs vary significantly based on complexity and features. A basic Shopify store with a premium theme starts around $5,000-$10,000. Custom-designed stores with advanced features typically range from $15,000-$100,000+. Platform migrations (from Magento, WooCommerce, etc.) and enterprise projects sit at the higher end. We provide detailed quotes after a free discovery call where we understand your specific requirements, integration needs, and business goals.

How long does it take a Shopify agency to build a store?

Timeline depends on project scope. A standard Shopify store build takes 6-8 weeks from kickoff to launch. Complex custom developments or migrations can take 12-16 weeks. Factors that affect timeline include: custom design requirements, third-party integrations (ERP, POS, inventory systems), data migration volume, and custom functionality. We provide a detailed project timeline during our discovery phase and keep you updated throughout the build.

How do you develop an ecommerce website?

Our development process involves five key stages: Discovery (understanding your business, customers, and technical requirements), Strategy & Planning (sitemap, user flows, technical architecture), Design (custom mockups focused on conversion), Development (building on Shopify with custom functionality), and Testing & Launch (thorough QA, training, and go-live support). We work collaboratively throughout, ensuring the final store aligns with your business goals and brand identity.

What platform should I use for digital commerce?

We specialise in Shopify and Shopify Plus because they offer the best balance of flexibility, reliability, and ease of management for most Australian businesses. Shopify handles hosting, security, and updates automatically, letting you focus on growing sales. For businesses with specific needs, we'll honestly assess if Shopify is the right fit or if another platform makes more sense.

Can you migrate my existing store to Shopify?

Yes, platform migrations are one of our core services. We've successfully migrated stores from Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, custom platforms, and others. We handle product data, customer information, order history, URL redirects, and preserve your SEO rankings. The process includes thorough testing to ensure nothing breaks during the switch.

Do you offer digital marketing services?

No, we don't provide paid ads management, SEM, performance marketing, digital marketing, email marketing, or ecommerce branding services. As a Shopify agency, our focus is on ecommerce development and commerce platforms rather than marketing or standalone SEO services. Instead, we specialise in building high-performance digital commerce stores, working with businesses and ecommerce agencies who need expert Shopify development partners.

Do you provide ongoing support after launch?

We offer various support and maintenance packages to suit different needs. This can include technical updates, feature additions, conversion optimisation, performance monitoring, and strategic growth support. Many clients start with a comprehensive build and then move to a retainer or one-off block of time for ongoing improvements and support.

Winehub Commerce & Shopify

Are you a wine producer or retailer looking to uncork your potential on Shopify? Boost your sales effortlessly—the ultimate commerce solution tailored for wine makers.

Let's talk

An industry specific solution

At The Hope Factory, we've evaluated countless apps, but we only recommend solutions that genuinely solve the unique friction points of the wine industry. For our merchants, standard Shopify setups often struggle with complex tiered pricing and club memberships. This is where the Winehub plugin bridges the gap to become your wine hub.

We trust this platform because it handles the specific "heavy lifting" required for wine ecommerce. It isn't just about selling products; it’s about managing the logic of vintages, varietals, and mixed bundles without breaking your backend.

The Challenge	The Solution
Complex Inventory	Automatically manages logic for vintages, varietals, and case count vs. bottle units to prevent errors.
High-Volume Traffic	Built for scalability, ensuring stability even during viral promotions or holiday rushes.
Rigid Structures	Allows for flexible site configurations that adapt to your specific business model and workflows.
Transaction Load	Capable of processing thousands of simultaneous checkout transactions without performance loss.

The ecommerce leader

Shopify gives you control over your store's look and feel and allows you to add products, track sales, run marketing campaigns and so much more. It’s hassle-free e-commerce, letting you focus on growing your business.

Key features

Product Variants & Metafields (Vintages, Regions, Tasting Notes)

Inventory Tracking & Alerts

Discounts & Automatic Promotions

Shipping Profiles & Zone-Based Rates

Built-in Analytics & Sales Reports

Offer member pricing and manage clubs & subscriptions

Fixed case
Custom case
General subscriptions
Club configurations
Customer portal for club members
Marketing & CRM
Loyalty and referral programs

Let's talk

Scalability for Growth

Shopify's enterprise infrastructure handles the traffic spikes merchants face during vintage releases and seasonal promotions without the server management traditional platforms require. When you launch an allocation or flash sale, Shopify's global CDN ensures instant page loads for every visitor.

Combined with Winehub's specialised inventory management, you get a platform processing billions in daily transactions with the wine-specific functionality your business demands—no compromise between performance and industry features.

Tailored Site Configurations

Every business operates differently. One of the strengths of this integration is its flexibility regarding site configurations and managed transactions. We can customise how data is displayed and managed to match your specific business model.

For example, we can configure the system to accurately track inventory by case count versus individual bottle units. This granular control prevents inventory mismatches and ensures your warehouse team knows exactly what to pick and pack.

Wineries - unify online and in-person sales

Shopify POS enables -

Fully synced inventory, orders, payments, and customer data
Simplify inventory tasks and have more control over cash flow
Offer seamless options for visitors to shop wines cellar door pickup, local delivery, ship-to-home, and email carts
Re-engage in-store visitors with online marketing

Case study

Our recent migration, design & development for Montalto from WooCommerce to Shopify helped them navigate the complexities specific their business with wine hub.

We set up metafields to showcase wine club pricing on collection and product pages and integrated a powerful tech stack tailored to their business.

Winehub Shopify App: Offer club member pricing and manage wine subs
Cin7: All-in-one inventory management system built to scale
Klaviyo: Advanced segmentation & email marketing automation
Australia Post: Manage labels and minimise shipping time for wines.

Find out more

'We were - and continue to be - extremely impressed by the service provided by The Hope Factory. From start to finish, their team exhibited professionalism, expertise, and a genuine commitment to delivering above and beyond expectations when it came to migrating to Shopify. The transition was smooth, and our new Shopify site not only looks fantastic but functions flawlessly.'

- Susie Robinson, Montalto

FAQs

Winehub supports highly flexible configurations, including multiple club tiers, shipment frequencies, bottle or case options, member pricing, and exclusive product access. Wine clubs can be configured to suit boutique businesses through to larger operations with complex offerings.
Yes. By design, Winehub adds wine-specific logic on top of Shopify to better manage wines, including bottle counts, case handling and club allocations. This helps merchants avoid overselling and reduces manual inventory adjustments.
No. Winehub is designed for winery teams, not developers. Core settings are managed via a user-friendly interface inside Shopify, and advanced configurations can be handled with agency support if required.

Winehub supports highly flexible configurations, including multiple club tiers, shipment frequencies, bottle or case options, member pricing, and exclusive product access. Wine clubs can be configured to suit boutique businesses through to larger operations with complex offerings.
No. Winehub is designed for winery teams, not developers. Core settings are managed via a user-friendly interface inside Shopify, and advanced configurations can be handled with agency support if required.

Yes. By design, Winehub adds wine-specific logic on top of Shopify to better manage wines, including bottle counts, case handling and club allocations. This helps merchants avoid overselling and reduces manual inventory adjustments.

Start Growing Your Business Today

Let's talk