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WordPress and WooCommerce are not competitors but partners. WordPress is a content management system (CMS), perfect for creating and managing websites focused on blogs, portfolios, or company information. WooCommerce, on the other hand, is an e-commerce plugin for WordPress that enables online stores to sell products and services. If you’re deciding between the two, here’s the key takeaway:

• Choose WordPress if your priority is content creation, brand building, or showcasing expertise.
• Use WooCommerce if you’re focused on selling products or services online.

Key Differences at a Glance:

• WordPress: Ideal for blogs, service-based websites, and content-heavy platforms.
• WooCommerce: Designed for online stores with features like payment processing, inventory management, and VAT compliance.

Quick Comparison:

Feature	WordPress	WooCommerce
Purpose	Content management	E-commerce
Setup Complexity	Simple	Moderate, requires setup
Costs	€15-50/month	€50-200/month
Payment Processing	Requires plugins	Built-in for Dutch methods
SEO Tools	Excellent with plugins	Includes e-commerce SEO
Maintenance	Lower	Higher, due to store needs

Tip: Many Dutch businesses start with WordPress for content and add WooCommerce later as their sales grow. It’s a scalable solution that fits evolving needs.

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Using WooCommerce

Features Comparison: WordPress vs WooCommerce

Understanding the capabilities of WordPress and WooCommerce is essential for choosing the right platform for your online presence. Here’s a closer look at how each one supports your goals.

WordPress Features

WordPress is a powerful content management system that makes building and maintaining websites straightforward. With its intuitive visual editor, you can create and format content without needing coding skills. The media library helps you organise images, videos, and documents efficiently, keeping everything in one place.

The platform’s theme system offers thousands of templates that are customisable to fit your brand. These themes are responsive, ensuring your site looks polished on both desktop and mobile devices. Whether you’re running a consultancy in Amsterdam or a Rotterdam café, there’s a theme tailored to your needs.

One of WordPress’s standout features is its vast plugin ecosystem, which enables you to expand your site’s functionality. Plugins like Yoast SEO can help improve your search engine rankings, while others streamline tasks like managing contact forms. For businesses in the Netherlands, plugins for GDPR compliance and cookie consent are particularly useful.

WordPress also offers role-based access control, allowing you to assign specific permissions to your team. For example, you could grant your marketing team editor access while reserving administrative controls for IT staff.

Additionally, WordPress supports multiple languages via plugins, making it a solid choice for Dutch businesses targeting international audiences.

WooCommerce Features

WooCommerce transforms WordPress into a full-fledged e-commerce platform, equipping you with everything needed to sell online. Its product management system is versatile, handling everything from simple digital downloads to complex items with multiple sizes, colours, and pricing options.

Payment processing is a key strength of WooCommerce, with built-in support for Dutch payment methods like iDEAL and Bancontact. Integration with providers such as Mollie and Adyen ensures secure transactions, while automatic VAT calculations simplify tax compliance.

Inventory management is another highlight, offering real-time stock tracking and updates. Features like low-stock alerts, backorder handling, and pre-order options make managing your inventory seamless. Businesses with multiple locations can even track stock across different warehouses or shops.

The shipping system supports popular Dutch delivery options, including PostNL and local couriers. You can set up shipping zones, calculate rates based on weight or destination, and offer free shipping thresholds to encourage larger orders.

WooCommerce also enhances the customer experience with account features that let shoppers track orders, view purchase history, and manage personal details. This personalisation fosters customer loyalty and repeat purchases.

Finally, advanced reporting tools provide insights into sales, customer behaviour, and product performance. You can monitor revenue trends, identify best-selling items, and spot seasonal patterns to refine your strategy.

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	WordPress	WooCommerce
Primary Purpose	Content management and publishing	E-commerce and online selling
Setup Complexity	Simple – ready to use immediately	Moderate – requires configuration
Monthly Costs	€15-50 for hosting and themes	€50-200 including payment processing fees
Product Management	Basic page/post system	Advanced catalog with variants, inventory
Payment Processing	Requires third-party integration	Built-in with Dutch payment methods
SEO Capabilities	Excellent with plugins like Yoast	Excellent plus e-commerce-specific tools
Customisation	60,000+ plugins, many themes	All WordPress features plus shop tools
User Management	Role-based access for content	Customer accounts plus admin roles
Mobile Responsiveness	Theme-dependent, generally great	Optimised for mobile shopping
Multilingual Support	Available through plugins	Full multilingual shop capabilities
Maintenance	Low – mostly content updates	Higher – inventory, orders, customer service

The cost difference reflects the added complexity of running an online store. WordPress typically requires basic hosting and occasional theme purchases, while WooCommerce involves payment processing fees (around 1.5-3% per transaction), SSL certificates for secure checkouts, and potentially more robust hosting to handle higher traffic during sales.

Both platforms are scalable. WordPress can handle increased traffic and content, while WooCommerce supports growing product catalogs and order volumes. This comparison should help you align each platform’s features with your business needs effectively.

When to Use Each Platform

Pick WordPress for content creation and brand storytelling, and WooCommerce for selling products and services online.

Best Cases for WordPress

WordPress shines when your focus is on creating content, building your brand, and engaging with your audience. With its powerful tools for managing posts, pages, and media, it’s perfect for service-based businesses, creative portfolios, or corporate websites aiming to showcase their expertise and craft a compelling brand story – without the added complexity of e-commerce.

Best Cases for WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the go-to choice for running an online store. It’s particularly well-suited for Dutch businesses, thanks to its seamless integration with iDEAL, a trusted payment method in the Netherlands. This integration not only builds customer confidence but can also boost your conversion rates.

When paired with WooPayments or Stripe, WooCommerce supports a variety of payment methods and offers real-time payment confirmations through iDEAL. Up next, we’ll dive into the pros and cons of each platform to help you make an informed choice.

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Pros and Cons of Each Platform

When deciding between WordPress and WooCommerce, it’s important to weigh the benefits and limitations of each platform. Both offer powerful tools, but their suitability depends on the specific needs of your business.

Pros and Cons Comparison

WordPress is widely praised for its simplicity and versatility in content creation, while WooCommerce shines when it comes to managing a complete e-commerce operation. Below is a side-by-side look at their strengths and challenges:

Aspect	WordPress Pros	WordPress Cons	WooCommerce Pros	WooCommerce Cons
Ease of Use	Quick setup with a user-friendly interface	Requires plugins for e-commerce functionality	Full online store functionality	Steeper learning curve for beginners
Cost	Affordable (€50–€200 annually)	Additional costs for premium themes and plugins	Comprehensive e-commerce features	Higher costs (€300–€800+ annually)
Maintenance	Minimal technical requirements	Regular security updates needed	Advanced management tools	Requires more technical oversight
Scalability	Great for growing content-based sites	Not ideal for managing large product catalogs	Handles extensive product inventories	Complexity increases as the store grows
Customization	Over 12,000 themes available	E-commerce requires extra plugins	Fully customizable e-commerce features	Multiple components to manage and keep updated

WordPress is a fantastic option for businesses prioritizing content creation or brand awareness. Its extensive library of plugins allows for nearly limitless customization as your site evolves.

However, WordPress alone may not meet the needs of businesses focused on selling products. That’s where WooCommerce steps in, transforming WordPress into a full-fledged e-commerce platform. It enables everything from product listings to secure payment processing, but this added functionality comes with increased complexity. You’ll need to invest time in updates, troubleshooting, and technical management.

Common Challenges and Costs

WordPress’s primary limitation lies in its lack of built-in e-commerce capabilities. While the core software is free and open-source, you’ll need to budget for hosting, domain registration, and premium plugins or themes. Security is another critical factor. Although only 1.29% of WordPress security vulnerabilities in 2022 originated from its core files, regular updates and proper precautions are non-negotiable. Hosting starts at around €36 per year, and domain registration typically costs €10–€20 annually. Depending on your needs, custom development work can run between €30 and €175 per hour, making total yearly expenses for a WordPress site range from €50 to €200.

On the other hand, WooCommerce introduces challenges tied to running a full-scale online store. Beyond managing products and inventory, you’ll also need to handle payment processing, customer service, and regular updates to the WordPress base. This requires a higher level of technical expertise, especially when troubleshooting issues.

"WooCommerce is a powerful e-commerce plugin that transforms any WordPress site into a fully functional online store." – Seven Square Tech

The costs for a basic WooCommerce setup generally range from €300 to €800 annually. This includes hosting optimized for e-commerce, SSL certificates for secure payments, and premium extensions to expand functionality. For example, in October 2025, a small business reported spending roughly €500 per year on WooCommerce maintenance, covering hosting, security measures, and plugin updates.

"The cost to build a WooCommerce store is not fixed, but rather a strategic investment based on your business needs." – WPMet

How to Choose the Right Platform

Deciding between WordPress and WooCommerce boils down to selecting a platform that aligns with your business goals. Let’s break it down to simplify the process.

Decision Steps

Start by evaluating your business’s core purpose, budget, technical know-how, and future growth plans. If your focus is on content, WordPress is a great option, with annual costs ranging from €50 to €200 for hosting, domains, and themes. For businesses centred on selling products, WooCommerce is the better fit, though it requires a higher annual investment of €300 to €800 for e-commerce hosting, security certificates, and specialised plugins.

Your technical skills and available time are also crucial factors. WordPress is relatively easy to set up and manage, making it ideal for those who prefer a hands-on approach. On the other hand, WooCommerce involves more oversight, including regular updates, security checks, and troubleshooting e-commerce-specific issues.

"Understanding the difference between WordPress and WooCommerce is key to choosing the right stack for your business." – Atit Purani, Author at Seven Square

Scalability is another key consideration. WordPress is well-suited for growing content-heavy websites, while WooCommerce is designed to handle large product inventories and high transaction volumes. With 94% of Dutch consumers expected to shop online in 2025, choosing a platform that can grow alongside your business is more important than ever.

For a smoother transition and tailored setup, professional services like those offered by WebStork can be invaluable.

WebStork‘s WordPress and WooCommerce Services

WebStork provides Dutch businesses with tailored solutions for both platforms, offering everything from custom development to ongoing maintenance, all designed with the Netherlands market in mind.

• WordPress packages: Starting at €2,250 for corporate websites and €1,125 for landing pages, these include custom design and CMS integration.
• WooCommerce development: Starting at €3,750, these packages cover custom design, CMS integration, payment gateway setup, and inventory management systems.
• Support services: Cover updates, security monitoring, and performance optimisation. SEO services are also available, ranging from €800 for basic optimisation to €2,000 for more comprehensive strategies.

Making Your Choice

When planning for long-term success, it’s important to choose a platform that not only meets your current needs but also supports your future goals.

A hybrid approach can be particularly effective if your business combines content marketing with product sales. Many Dutch companies use WooCommerce to seamlessly integrate blogs and online stores, enhancing customer engagement while driving revenue.

If you anticipate needing e-commerce functionality down the line, starting with WooCommerce now can save you the hassle and cost of migrating later.

Collaborating with experienced developers like WebStork ensures your platform is implemented correctly from the start. Their expertise in WordPress coding and familiarity with the Dutch market can help you sidestep common issues, saving both time and money.

Ultimately, WordPress is ideal for content-driven sites, while WooCommerce turns your site into a full-fledged online store. Both platforms can deliver excellent results when implemented and maintained effectively.

FAQs

What are the cost differences and setup requirements for WordPress and WooCommerce?

WordPress is free to use, but you’ll need to account for expenses like hosting, a domain name, and any themes or plugins you might want to add. The setup process is simple, making it an excellent option for blogs or straightforward websites.

If you’re looking to create an online store, WooCommerce is a popular choice. It’s a free WordPress plugin designed for e-commerce. However, keep in mind that additional costs can add up, such as paid extensions, premium themes, hosting, and fees for payment gateways. While it’s a bit more involved to set up – especially for larger or highly customized stores – it provides robust tools specifically designed for selling products or services online.

Why is WooCommerce a great choice for e-commerce businesses in the Netherlands?

WooCommerce is a strong choice for Dutch e-commerce businesses, largely because it integrates effortlessly with local payment methods like iDEAL. This feature not only makes the checkout process smoother but also helps increase conversion rates and minimise cart abandonment – a win-win for both businesses and customers.

The platform also works well with local shipping providers, streamlining logistics and ensuring deliveries are handled efficiently. This contributes to a better overall shopping experience, which can lead to higher customer satisfaction.

Another advantage of WooCommerce is its flexibility. It offers a wide range of customisation options and can scale to fit businesses of all sizes – whether you’re running a small startup or managing a fast-growing online store. This adaptability lets you design a shop that caters specifically to the Dutch market, all while maintaining a polished and user-friendly experience for your customers.

How do I decide between using WordPress or WooCommerce for my business website?

The decision between WordPress and WooCommerce ultimately comes down to what you want to achieve with your website. If you’re aiming to build a content-focused platform like a blog or a company website, WordPress is a great option thanks to its user-friendly design and adaptability. On the other hand, if selling products or services online is your primary goal, WooCommerce – which operates as an extension of WordPress – offers the e-commerce functionality you need.

When choosing, think about factors such as your budget, technical skills, and how much room for growth your business requires. For instance, if you’re starting with a small online store but plan to expand over time, WooCommerce provides the tools to scale alongside your business. Both platforms are also well-suited for businesses in the Netherlands, supporting the euro (€) and ensuring VAT compliance – key considerations for Dutch entrepreneurs.

Ensuring stable traffic is the key to a successful business, but not everyone understands how to achieve the desired result. Website owners and beginners in the SEO industry often face a website traffic drop, i.e., a decrease in the number of visitors, and do not understand why this happened. To remedy the situation, you need to understand what went wrong and make the necessary changes as soon as possible. We will discuss the most common mistakes that lead to a decrease in performance and provide recommendations on how to get out of a critical period.

What are the most common mistakes?

SEO mistakes are errors that, in a certain way, cause the target audience to stop visiting the site, which negatively affects the number of orders and the profitability of the business. They can occur immediately after the launch of the site or after some time, in particular, after a change in the SEO team. Let’s look at the most common ones:

1. Insufficient or missing optimization for modern gadgets, which reduces the position in the Google Mobile-First Index ranking and worsens the user experience.
2. Slow loading of the home page and other pages, which leads to an increase in bounce rates and a deterioration in search engine rankings.
3. Duplicate content. Having pages with identical content on a website not only worsens the ranking of each of them in Google, but also causes distrust among users.
4. Insufficient or excessive number of keywords or their incorrect use, due to which the search engine “does not see” the pages and cannot add them to receive requests from users.
5. Ignoring internal linking. If the structure is not sufficiently developed, then indexing automatically deteriorates.

When there is a suspicion that something is wrong with SEO, it is worth using special tools (Ahrefs, Screaming Frog SEO Spider, GTMetrix) that will conduct a thorough diagnosis, or contacting promotion experts. Other problems that may arise include: incorrect header structure, unclear URLs, refusal to use specialized services such as Google Search Console or Google Analytics.

Ways to fix the situation and improve SEO

It is always possible to fix SEO errors, but it is better to do it as quickly as possible to avoid financial losses. What to do depends on the cause of the problem:

• identify the real goals of users who visit your site to form a semantic core and high-quality integration of keywords, as well as the use of LSI in texts;
• embed links to internal pages of the site in the structure – product cards, service descriptions, prices, etc.;
• diversify tags and page descriptions using classic tags that are understandable to everyone;
• use CDN, caching, and image optimization;
• switch to responsive design with prior testing through Lighthouse or other professional tools.

We hope we have provided enough information to optimize the promotion of your business, although in reality there are many more mistakes, and in some cases it is best to consult a professional.

Structure, expertise, convenience—these are the aspects that currently distinguish beat competitors SEO. Previously, it was sufficient to form a semantic core and create more or less high-quality texts for the website, and then set the necessary settings in Google Ads, but now this is not enough. Competition is too high, technologies are improving very quickly, and the new generation of users is becoming extremely demanding in terms of the quality and form of content presentation. In such conditions, you need to be ready for change, in particular for the use of advanced SEO techniques. We will tell you which ones are effective and reveal their pros and cons.

Unobvious but truly effective promotion methods

If you want to get ahead of your competitors, you need to understand the specifics of search engine algorithms, AI integration, and user intentions, and pay attention to tactics that improve SEO effectiveness. These include:

1. Integrating Knowledge Graph into the portal using Schema markup with the addition of external links to authoritative platforms and internal pages of the site. This will help strengthen EEAT and contribute to the addition of knowledge panels. In addition, you can reduce the dependence of the resource display on the number of keywords contained in the articles.
2. Use low-competition queries that have significant potential. Here you need to work with long-tail queries, pay attention to seasonality and the needs of customers who do not yet cooperate with large networks. To use this tactic, you need to be proficient in Google Trends and Search Console, Exploding Topics, as well as Answer The Public and AlsoAsked. Getting to the top will take a minimum of time, and the CTR is guaranteed to be high. However, be prepared for a gradual increase in traffic.
3. SEO optimization for YouTube Shorts, including adding these videos to general content. Here, it is extremely important to take care of the correct titles, tags, and descriptions in order to achieve a significant increase in engagement metrics and increase the likelihood of getting into SERP. Another plus is the ability to use this tactic even when choosing a narrow market niche.
4. Adjusting the “404” page. Users should be able to immediately search for the information they need on the site. It is also worth adding links to the most popular articles and creating a block for quick communication with a consultant.
5. Engage experts and publish short interviews with them to help build trust with your audience and encourage them to follow the links provided by the specialist. There is no need to add a long review — a few sentences are enough to create an image of you as a reliable partner.
6. Create a glossary with separate internal links for each important term. If necessary, users will be able to learn more about what they need at any time, and it does not require much effort to implement.

You can also use Data-Driven Pages, perform local SEO with queries for a specific city or area, add FAQs for snippets, and perform fragmentary A/B testing.
In essence, in 2025, the transformation of SEO continues, taking into account the new possibilities of artificial intelligence and the general trend towards human-centeredness. Using standard tactics is not enough to reach the top and get a steady stream of customers — advanced models are needed for this. WEBSTORK specialists will help you develop an effective SEO strategy for today’s realities. We keep our finger on the pulse and integrate the latest promotion methods into our projects, taking into account the specifics of the business concept and customer requests. Contact us to stay ahead of the curve and be the first in your chosen niche!

If your website is not optimized for search engines, then you should not expect a steady stream of orders for your products or services. There are general requirements for portals that are supposed to rank high, but there are also regional specifics. Therefore, the checklist for SEO optimization of NL pages differs from that compiled for other EU countries, and this needs to be understood. It is worth figuring out in advance what a website should be like in order to reach the top, so that you are not surprised later why you are unable to develop a profitable business.

The main requirements for bringing a resource to the top positions in the ranking

To climb higher in Google Netherlands, you need to carefully work on:

• headings and subheadings, which should be meaningful and reflect the essence of the text;
• titles and descriptions – they should be unique and attract the target audience, contain local identifiers;
• content structure — texts should be understandable, informative, interesting, and contain elements of the semantic core in such quantities that they can be identified by the search engine without overwhelming readers. Particular attention should be paid to the use of local vocabulary;
• Technical settings, including submitting an XML sitemap via Google Search Console, setting up robots.txt, ensuring page loading speed in accordance with Google PageSpeed Insights recommendations.
• linking to Google Bedrijfsprofiel.
• placing cookies and privacy policy in accordance with AVG.
• image optimization – use WebP and compress images while maintaining quality, and don’t forget about the correct dimensions;
• ensuring internal linking;
• structuring information;
• presence of the company name, number (NAP), and address on each page;
• presence of a blog with articles on relevant topics;
• installing Google Analytics and indexing pages in Google.nl;
• ease of navigation and interface in general.

Conducting an SEO audit is the best solution for creating a checklist

No SEO optimization guide will help you conduct an in-depth analysis, so you shouldn’t limit yourself to a general checklist. It is better to turn to specialists who will conduct a comprehensive audit and compile a list of what your website should have for successful promotion on Google. By turning to professionals, you will significantly save time and spare yourself stress, because after launch, you won’t have to worry about increasing your customer base.

What exactly do experts do during an audit:

1. They study the content and evaluate its compliance with Google’s search engine requirements.
2. They find technical issues that interfere with ranking, such as errors with redirects or indexing.
3. They determine how well the content matches the intentions of the target audience in the Netherlands and whether keywords and phrases are used correctly.
4. Analyze the UX and structural features of the portal, identifying illogical links and pages that are not useful from an SEO perspective.
5. Compare with leaders in the selected industry in the Dutch market.
6. Create a personalized checklist that takes all nuances into account.

The duration of the audit may vary depending on the scale of the project and the focus of the portal, but in general, the process takes from 1-3 days for a basic analysis to 10-20 days for a comprehensive study that includes On-Page and Off-Page, as well as strategy and local SEO.

Once they have an idea for a business, all entrepreneurs want to get started as soon as possible and launch their project. But to achieve long-term success, you need to set aside some time for the preparatory stage, part of which involves creating a virtual presence. The optimal option is to launch a website with control questions, when the customer can evaluate the quality of the contractors’ work and make sure that the resource meets all requirements.

Why do you need a checklist?

Usually, the process of ordering a website involves creating technical specifications, agreeing on terms, and evaluating the results. But there is a risk of non-compliance with the agreements, which can be reduced by using a checklist. In fact, it is a list of all the tasks that must be completed while working on the project. If you compile it correctly, then you can:

• avoid critical technical problems after launch — there will be no errors or failures if you use a checklist;
• objectively evaluate the quality of the web studio’s work;
• reduce time and money spent because you won’t need to invest resources in rework;
• check how competent and responsible the contractors are — companies with a lot of experience always fulfill their obligations, and a checklist lets you confirm this;
• minimize the risk of ranking problems by pre-checking the content;
• build trusting relationships with the target audience, who will appreciate the stability of the work, multifunctionality, high level of security, and trouble-free loading of the resource on any device.

The main items on the checklist

Website preparation takes place in a specific sequence, but the customer must always monitor it and, after completion, ensure that the tasks have been completed. A checklist will help with this, as it allows you to check:

• the correctness of page loading on devices with different displays and operating systems;
• the functioning of internal and external links;
• the speed of resource display;
• the connection of analytical systems and SEO adaptation — the site must rank well, because only then will customers choose your company over many competitors;
• the uniqueness of the content — this refers not only to the texts, their compliance with spelling rules and content, but also to meta tags;
• availability of up-to-date contact information and functioning feedback forms;
• compliance with GDPR standards;
• analytics and legal issues, in particular the display of cookies taking into account regional requirements;
• usability;
• availability of backup options, connection of firewalls and other security system elements;
• readiness for promotion through search engines;
• evaluation of navigation convenience through a test run.

When working with WebStork, you can be sure of the professionalism of the team and the result. For complete confidence, we suggest downloading the PDF checklist and using it to check the finished project.

Developing a business exclusively offline in today’s reality is unprofitable, since most people order goods and services via the Internet. Therefore, if your goal is to develop a profitable business in a particular industry, you should immediately take care of presenting yourself on the Internet. This is both easy and difficult at the same time, because there are many companies offering web development services, but how do you find a reliable partner among them? Only by finding the answer to this question can entrepreneurs count on the implementation of their business plan.

Why is finding a contractor so important?

When web development is needed, a company must clearly understand its own requirements and take the time to evaluate the quality of service, the attitude of potential contractors to financial issues and the fulfillment of agreements, etc. This is not a question that should be decided in a hurry, because if a mistake is made, there is a risk of:

• losing money due to additional expenses or untimely launch of the project;
• increase the time required to create the resource;
• encounter problems during promotion through search engines — if the content does not meet the requirements of Google and other platforms, then it will not be possible to get to the top positions in the search results;
• increase maintenance costs due to the complexity of administration;
• lack of a stable influx of customers due to ill-conceived design;
• technical problems during order placement, money transfers, or other operations, which negatively affects reputation;
• constant conflicts while working on the project — if the contractor does not meet the customer’s requirements, then sooner or later there will be a confrontation, which is undesirable for both parties.

A responsible approach to searching: what to look for

With the goal of creating a website that will generate income and fit your business development strategy, it is important to carefully analyze the proposals, as not all contractors meet the criteria. Here are the 10 most important questions to ask when choosing a web studio:

1. How long has the studio been operating? Experience is important not only in terms of developing skills, but also in terms of reflecting the company’s demand.
2. How good is their reputation? In addition to reviews directly on the studio’s website, it is worth finding out more on independent websites and forums.
3. Are the employees experienced and professional? You need to be 100% sure that the team is made up of specialists.
4. How are the obligations of the customer and client regulated?
5. Can you count on a service quality guarantee?
6. How does payment work?
7. How are additional costs handled?
8. What security standards does the web studio adhere to?
9. What services and features can be connected?
10.  How much does the type of website you need cost on average?

Ordering a website from an agency is easy, but the more carefully you approach the search for a contractor, the better the result will be. You can learn more about WebStork’s service packages and evaluate the benefits of cooperation right now.

For small and medium-sized businesses in the Netherlands, a website is an important prerequisite for promotion in any field. It is through the website that customers place orders, share important events in the life of the company, announce promotions, and receive feedback. At the same time, every entrepreneur has to worry about the financial aspects, so the question arises: how not to overpay and get a website that meets all criteria and does not require overly complex maintenance. How much can a website cost? What factors influence its cost? What should be done to achieve the optimal cost-benefit ratio? Find out right now.

Types of websites and their impact on project cost

The first and key parameter that determines the price of a website is its type. There are the following types:

1. Business card website – consists of 1-5 pages, provides information about services or products, ordering methods, and motivational blocks. Such projects do not require much time and effort, are designed to attract the target audience and obtain data for feedback.
2. Corporate portal – involves basic SEO optimization, use of the company’s logo and colors, more in-depth disclosure of advantages, detailed description of goods and services, integration with chats and CRM. Many organizations also order several language versions, depending on the location of their customers.
3. Online store – has a wide range of functions, allows not only ordering but also online payment, contains detailed product specifications, requires lengthy preparation for launch, taking into account SEO goals.

WebStork offers the opportunity to order websites at promotional prices – from €1,125 for a landing page, from €2,250 for a multi-page website, and from €3,750 for an e-commerce platform. 

Other factors to consider

The cost of a website is influenced not only by the type of site, but also by many other factors:

• the contractor – there are freelancers who offer more favorable rates, but working with a web studio is a more reliable option, since all the terms are specified in the contract, so you know exactly what you will get for your money;
• the scale of the project – the more pages, the higher the cost, because more time is needed to develop the design and fill it with content;
• options available to users;
• data synchronization with applications for Android and iOS devices;
• requirements for integration with marketplaces;
• number of connected social networks and chatbots;
• list of payment systems;
• legal support for e-commerce enterprises;
• type of hosting and duration of website address provision;
• provision of additional services, including resource promotion and administration.

The best approach for SMEs planning to do business in the Netherlands is to abandon templates in favor of personalized development that takes individual characteristics into account. It makes no sense to use ready-made schemes in a highly competitive environment, especially when there is an opportunity to create something unique, and WebStork specialists can help with this. Sign up for a free consultation by calling +31 685 24 00 98 or online to talk to real web development experts!

By 2025, social media have become the main tool for brand promotion, and platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube remain essential tools for reaching audiences. But popularity has its price: attention from regulators in the form of improper labeling of ads, breaking legal rules, or deceptive content can cost a lot of money. In this article, we will examine the main requirements for advertising content on social media and give tips on how to avoid sanctions.

Basic requirements for advertisement of content on social networks

In most states, including Ukraine, advertisement of content on social networks is addressed by general law of advertisement and extra platform requirements. The focal requirement is indicating the content as advertising or of commercial character.

Labelling is the most important tool of transparency. In Ukraine, advertising in social networks must be marked with the term “advertisement,” “sponsored,” etc. The same applies in the EU and USA. As an example, in the US, influencers will have to use the #ad tag or make use of the collaboration marking facilities that are provided within the tools (Instagram’s Branded Content Tool).

Ignoring the rules of labeling can be interpreted as misleading the consumer, and in this case, fines or blocking of content are imposed.

It is also important to consider the specifics of each platform:

• Instagram requires commercial publications to be marked through the inherent “Sponsored” label. Failure to do so may result in an account being warned or losing access to advertisement features.
• TikTok requests tagging with the “Paid partnership” label and requires users to be notified beforehand of any form of payment (even gifts) if they decide on the content of the video.
• YouTube requests tagging embedded ads (product placement) with an option in the video settings, in addition to notifying the viewer verbally of the promotional nature of the content.

What to look out for when marketing on social media?

• Proper labeling of advertisement – use the hashtags #advertisement, #ad, #sponsored.
• Compliance with local laws – laws of the nation where your target audience is greater than where the content creator lives.
• Compliance with a platform’s rules – every network has various guidelines for labeling advertisement content.
• Transparency towards the consumer – any gift, discount or free product mentioned within a video or post must be declared.
• Ban on manipulation – it is forbidden to manipulate product characteristics, declare pseudo-scientific facts or hide risks.
• Extra care when advertising to children – you may not mislead, provide “miracle effects” or take children’s faces without permission.

Conclusion

Social networks are a powerful advertising tool, but they only work if the rules are obeyed. Mislabeling or ignoring the law can lead to not only monetary loss but the loss of audience trust, too. To prevent trouble, it’s worth keeping your knowledge of platform requirements and domestic legislation up to date regularly, particularly when working for an international client base.

Advertising children is a highly sensitive issue and requires special legislative consideration. Children’s audiences are less resistant to manipulation, have poor identification of advertising messages, and tend to believe what they see on the media or on the Internet. That is why advertising children’s products is banned in most countries. Here, we will explain how this kind of advertising is regulated in Ukraine, the European Union, and the United States — and where there are most severe restrictions.

Ukraine

Advertising in Ukraine related to children or communicated to a children’s audience in 2025 will be regulated by the Law “On Advertising.” The most important obligations are prevention of manipulation, encouragement to purchase, and false advertising. The legislation prohibits the advertising of products that may be harmful to the health or well-being of a child, and does not allow direct appeal to children with an appeal to buy or request their parents to buy a product.

Particular care is given to advertising on children’s programs and on children’s platforms – advertisement during broadcast is prohibited. It is also forbidden to use the images of children in advertising dangerous or harmful commodities.

European Union

The EU places particular consideration on protecting the rights of children. The Audiovisual Media Services Directive prohibits advertisement from harming children’s physical and moral growth. Particular attention is devoted to food advertisement: many EU countries have banned or restricted advertisements promoting products with high levels of sugar, salt and fat among children.

In addition, most nations have national advertising codes (such as the ASA in the UK or the ARPP in France) permitting strict liability for infringement. Clear labelling of advertising material so that children can recognize it is also necessary.

United States

In the United States, children’s advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Particularly, these laws prohibit the collection of personal information from children under 13 years of age without their parents’ consent, which greatly limits the possibilities of digital advertising.

Also, there are specific limitations on TV: for instance, commercials can’t be longer than 10.5 minutes an hour during weekdays and 12 minutes an hour on weekends during children’s shows. “Integrated advertising” – when a character or a toy in a show promotes the same product in breaks – is also banned.

Where is the tightest regulation?

These jurisdictions have the most stringent ban on advertising to children:

• USA – by virtue of the COPPA law and prohibition on television advertising to children.
• Sweden and Norway – blanket prohibition of advertising directly at children up to and including age 12.
• Great Britain – strong self-regulatory code (CAP Code) with prohibition of sweets, toys, video games.
• France – mandatory labeling of food advertising to children and ban on promoting unhealthy foods. 
• Ukraine – a relatively moderate level, which is gradually being harmonized with EU law.