A boutique has two jobs online, and they are not the same. One is helping people find you and want to visit. The other is selling clothes through a checkout. Many owners treat them as one project and end up with a tool that does neither well. Splitting them makes the decision clearer.
Job one: show your boutique
A showcase site tells people who you are, what you stock, where you are and when you are open. For many boutiques it is the most valuable page, because most of your sales still come from people walking in or contacting you. It should have:
- A clear first line about what you sell and for whom.
- Your address, hours and a way to call or message you.
- Photos of real stock and the shop itself.
- A short story about the shop and the person behind it.
- A link to wherever customers can buy or book, if you have one.
A site built to showcase and collect inquiries does this well. It does not process payments. Ours, for example, builds a multi-page site from your description and shows it to you before you pay, starting at $39 a month, but it has no shopping cart or checkout.
Job two: sell online
Selling online needs a platform with a checkout, payment processing, inventory and shipping tools. The big names in that space publish their fees, and it is worth comparing them on the same footing. We read these on October 19, 2026, so check the current pages before you decide.
Shopify lists its Basic plan with card rates from 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per online sale, and a 2 percent transaction fee if you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments. Squarespace lists card rates from 2.9 percent plus 30 cents too, and its Basic plan adds a 2 percent online store transaction fee, which its Core and Plus plans do not list. Platform plans themselves vary and change, so compare the plan you would actually need.
Work out your numbers
Fees look small until you multiply them. To estimate your cost, take your expected monthly online sales, apply the card rate and any platform transaction fee and add the monthly plan price. Do the sum for each platform, using your own numbers and not an example, because the answer changes with your sales volume and average order.
A sensible combination
Many boutiques use two tools. A showcase site carries the brand, the story, the shop details and the inquiries. A store on a commerce platform handles checkout, and the showcase site links to it. This keeps each tool doing the job it is built for. If online sales are a small part of your business, you may not need the store at all.
What to ask before you choose
- Do I need customers to buy on the site, or mainly to find and visit the shop?
- What will the real fees be at my sales volume?
- Who will update photos and stock, and how often?
- Can I move away later without starting over?
The takeaway
Decide which job matters most and choose the tool built for it. If selling online is central, pick a commerce platform and compare fees. If getting people through the door matters most, a showcase site may be all you need.
If you would like to see a finished site for your own business before paying anything, websiites will build one from a short description.