Key takeaways
- An ecommerce bundle packages four things: the store, hosting, ongoing support, and an optional AI assistant with a built-in CRM. You start with the store and add the rest as you grow.
- Building on a mature open-source ecommerce platform means no licence fee for the core platform and a faster launch, so your budget goes into what makes your store different.
- A well-scoped store can go live in 4 weeks or less when there are no additional requirements.
- Payment gateway fees, WhatsApp and Instagram messaging, voice minutes, domain and SSL are paid by you directly, and GST applies to all prices. Ask for these in writing before you sign.
Ecommerce website development usually means one of three routes. If you want to sell online, you can rent a hosted store builder, commission a fully custom build, or start from a proven platform and have it tailored to your brand. The third route is what an ecommerce bundle is: a store built on a mature platform, set up as your own, with hosting, support and an AI assistant available from the same team. This guide explains what is in such a bundle, how delivery works and what to check before you sign.
What is an ecommerce bundle?
An ecommerce bundle is one package that covers an online store from first call to long-term operation. It has four parts: the store itself, hosting, a care package for support and minor modifications, and an AI assistant with a built-in CRM. The store is the core service. The other three are separate, paid options you add when you need them, which keeps the starting commitment small.
Why use an open-source ecommerce platform instead of building from scratch
A ground-up store build spends most of its budget re-creating things every store needs: a catalogue, a cart, checkout, orders and an admin area. Building on a mature, widely used open-source ecommerce platform removes that work. There are three practical benefits:
- Proven. The core platform has been tested by many live stores, and there is no licence fee for it.
- Tailored. The store is configured to your brand, your catalogue and your requirements, so it does not look like a template.
- Faster. With no ground-up build, you spend your budget on what makes your store different, and you reach launch sooner.
"No licence fee" does not mean "free". You still pay for the build, for hosting and for the third-party services every store relies on. We cover those costs below.
What a store needs to sell
Whatever platform you pick, a store that is ready to take orders should include the following:
- Product catalogue and variants for sizes, colours and options.
- Cart and fast checkout, because every extra step costs you orders.
- Order and fulfilment tracking, so you and your customers know where each order stands.
- Customer accounts for repeat buyers.
- Discounts and coupons for launches, festivals and win-backs.
- An admin dashboard your own team can run without a developer.
- A mobile-friendly storefront, since most shoppers browse on a phone.
- Search-friendly pages, so your products can be found on Google. Clean product markup also helps, as described in Google's product structured data guidance.
Branding, payments, shipping and tax are configured for your market, including tax (GST where it applies) and the payment methods your customers actually use.
Open-source platform, hosted builder or custom build?
There is no single right answer, and anyone who says otherwise is selling one of them. In broad terms:
- Hosted store builder (for example Shopify): hosting, checkout and updates come in one subscription. It is often the quickest way to test demand, with less control over how the store works.
- Open-source ecommerce platform: more control over the store, and no licence fee for the core platform. The trade-off is that someone must host, secure and maintain it. That is why our bundle pairs the build with hosting and care.
- Fully custom build: the right choice for unusual workflows, multi-vendor marketplaces or heavy B2B logic, at a higher cost and a longer timeline.
If you are still proving demand, start simple. If you already know you want an ecommerce store set up as your own, with one team responsible for the build, hosting and support, a bundle on an open-source platform fits well.
The four parts of the bundle
| Part | What it covers | How it is offered |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Store | Your own ecommerce store, set up and customised to your needs | Core service |
| 2. Hosting | Subsidised hosting with us when you build your store with us | Paid service |
| 3. Care | Support and minor modifications for your live application | Paid package |
| 4. AI + CRM | Chat and voice assistant with a built-in CRM | Paid add-on |
How long does it take to build an ecommerce website?
Timelines range from days for a bare template store to several months for a custom build with heavy integrations. For a tailored store on a proven platform, our standard is 4 weeks or less when there are no additional requirements. Three things move that number: catalogue size and variants, custom features, and third-party integrations. We confirm all three in the free consultation, so the timeline in your proposal is based on your scope, not a guess.
How delivery works: four steps to launch
- Consult. A free call to understand your products, your market and your goals.
- Configure. We set up your store with your brand, catalogue, payments and shipping.
- Launch. Testing, go-live and a walkthrough of your admin dashboard, so you can run the store yourself.
- Grow. Support, changes and the AI assistant as your store scales.
A store with a clear catalogue and no additional requirements can be live in 4 weeks or less. Anything beyond the standard setup, such as custom features or unusual integrations, is scoped and quoted separately.
Hosting: one team behind your store and where it runs
When a store breaks at night or during a sale, the worst answer is "that is the hosting company's problem". For clients who build with RedRhynos, hosting is offered at a subsidised rate, so one team is responsible for both the store and the place it runs. It is a separate payable service, which means you choose whether to take it.
Care: support when you need it
A live store keeps changing: new products, new banners, small fixes. There are two ways to cover that:
- Care package. Support and minor modifications for your application, bundled with your build.
- Separate support. If you would rather pay only when you need a change, take support as its own package.
Ecommerce chatbot for WhatsApp, Instagram and voice: every channel in, one CRM out
Customers do not only visit your website. They message on WhatsApp, send a DM on Instagram, write an email or simply call. The optional AI add-on brings those channels into one place:
- Channels: website, WhatsApp, Instagram, email and phone calls.
- The AI assistant (an ecommerce chatbot with voice) replies to the customer first, then sorts the conversation.
- The built-in CRM files each conversation as a lead, a buyer who is sent to sales, or a support ticket that is sent to support.
The assistant works in chat and voice in 70+ languages, including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and many more, which matters when your customers do not all shop in English. If you already have a chatbot, or would prefer a free one, we can integrate it for you instead.
What does an ecommerce website cost? What is not in the quote
The price depends on scope, which is why we quote a fixed amount per agreed scope in a written proposal. A fair proposal also states the costs that sit outside it. For an ecommerce bundle, these are the main ones:
- Third-party costs paid by you: payment gateway fees, WhatsApp and Instagram messaging (see Meta's WhatsApp pricing), voice minutes, domain and SSL.
- GST: all prices are subject to GST.
- Hosting versus support: hosting is where the store runs, and support is care for the store itself. They are separate options, so check what each provider includes.
- Scope: quotes are fixed per agreed scope in a written proposal, and work outside that scope is quoted separately.
Is a bundle right for you?
RedRhynos is based in Mangaluru, India, and works with clients in any country. A bundle suits brands that want to sell products online without building a platform: D2C brands, retailers going online, and manufacturers or distributors adding a direct channel. If you need something a standard store cannot do, such as a multi-vendor marketplace or a heavily custom workflow, a bespoke build fits better. See our web application development services, and if you are choosing an ecommerce website development company, read our buyer's checklist for choosing a software development company. Once the store is live, our digital marketing services help bring in the traffic.
How to get started
The first step is a free consultation call, where you tell us what you want to sell and who you want to sell it to. Calls are always free, in scheduled slots under a fair-use limit. You leave with a clear view of scope and next steps, whether or not you work with us.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build an ecommerce website?
With a proven platform and a clear catalogue, a tailored store can go live in 4 weeks or less, provided there are no additional requirements. Custom features, large catalogue migrations or complex integrations add time and are quoted separately.
What is an ecommerce bundle?
An ecommerce bundle is one package that covers the whole life of an online store: the store build, hosting, support and minor modifications, and an optional AI assistant with a CRM. The store is the core service; hosting, care and AI are added as you need them.
Do I have to pay a licence fee for the store platform?
No licence fee applies to the core open-source platform. You still pay for your build, hosting and any paid add-ons, plus third-party costs such as payment gateway fees, domain and SSL.
Can the AI assistant reply to customers in their own language?
Yes. The AI assistant works in chat and voice in 70+ languages, including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and many more.
Which channels can the AI assistant and CRM handle?
Website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, email and phone calls. The assistant replies, then sorts each conversation in the built-in CRM into leads, buyers who are passed to sales, and support tickets that go to support.
Can you integrate a chatbot I already use?
Yes. If you already have a chatbot, or prefer a free one, RedRhynos can integrate it with your store instead of adding a new assistant.
How much does ecommerce website development cost?
It depends on scope, so RedRhynos quotes a fixed price per agreed scope in a written proposal, with work outside scope quoted separately. Budget separately for third-party costs: payment gateway fees, WhatsApp and Instagram messaging, voice minutes, domain and SSL. All prices are subject to GST.
Is an open-source ecommerce platform better than a hosted builder like Shopify?
Neither is better for everyone. A hosted builder bundles hosting and checkout into one subscription and suits teams still testing demand. An open-source platform gives more control over the store and has no licence fee for the core platform, but someone has to host and maintain it, which is why we offer hosting and care alongside the build.
What is the difference between ecommerce hosting and ecommerce support?
Hosting is the environment your store runs in. Support is ongoing care for the store itself: fixes and minor modifications. RedRhynos offers them as separate options, with hosting subsidised when you build with us.
Is the quote fixed?
Quotes are fixed per agreed scope in a written proposal. Work outside that scope is quoted separately, so there are no surprises mid-project.
Ready to launch your store? Book a free consultation and tell us what you want to sell. Talk to RedRhynos, email info@redrhynos.com or call +91 6364754774.