Hello. This isKototsuki Design.
“We want to deliver our products nationwide, so we’re going to build an e-commerce site too.” If that’s what you’re thinking right now, I’d like you to pause for a moment and hear me out.
For those considering building an e-commerce site, while the system for selling products online is certainly wonderful, it’s not a “website that sells itself once it’s built.” Just like with a brick-and-mortar store, you need to decide where to set up shop and how to attract customers. Your initial choice of platform—how you “set up shop”—will significantly shape your future success.
To put it simply, if you’re planning to launch an e-commerce site, we recommend using the following as a guideline: “If you want to start small and easily, go with BASE”; “If you want to grow it into a full-fledged business, go with Shopify.”
This article serves as a “starting map” for anyone hesitating to launch an e-commerce site. We’ll explain the big picture in an easy-to-understand way—from the role of e-commerce sites to the myriad types of systems available, and even how we typically build e-commerce sites for our clients.
Why Build an E-commerce Site? Explaining the Benefits
The main reason is simple: “to break down the barriers of time and distance.”
Physical stores have limitations—business hours and the fact that customers must physically come to the store. However, with an e-commerce site, you can deliver products to customers whenever they want them—even at night when the store is closed or on days when it’s closed for business.
It’s absolutely impossible for humans to “work nonstop,” but by having an e-commerce site as a “second point of contact,” we can take proper breaks while still allowing customers far away to enjoy a pleasant shopping experience.
For example, products from a small shop operating right here in Shiga can be easily delivered to people in Hokkaido, Okinawa, or even overseas. This is an incredibly powerful advantage that fundamentally expands the possibilities of our business.
How to Utilize an E-Commerce Site
The role of an e-commerce site isn’t limited to “selling to new customers.” In fact, based on what we see in the field, there are many companies achieving success through the following approaches.
- Using
It as a Catalog or Brand Website: By deeply conveying the unique qualities and stories behind products, you create incentives for customers to visit your physical store. - Follow-Up
with Existing Customers: Guide customers who have visited the store at least once to use the site as a portal for “gifts to distant relatives” or “regular repeat purchases.” - Test Marketing: New products are first sold exclusively
online to gauge customer reaction before a full-scale launch.
Stores that utilize their e-commerce sites not just as “mere sales platforms” but as “hubs for building long-term relationships with customers” are, without a doubt, the strongest. We’ve also covered the “real reason why e-commerce sites aren’t selling” in detail in a separate article: “Is Your Site Just a ‘Mere Sales Platform’?”
Before Choosing a System: “Planning and Marketing” That Determine Success
Before you worry about “which system (shopping cart) to choose,” there’s actually one more step you absolutely cannot skip. That is laying the groundwork for planning and marketing—determining “who you’re targeting, what you’re offering, and how you’ll deliver it.”
When opening a brick-and-mortar store, you wouldn’t start by deciding on the type of cash register or shelf layout, would you? You’d first consider “what kind of customers you want to attract,” “what aspects of your products you want them to know,” and “how to get the word out about your store.” An e-commerce site is exactly the same.
- Who are you reaching (target audience)
? Is it your regular customers, or people across the country you haven’t met yet? - Why should they buy from us? (Concept)
Is it the price, the quality, or a unique story you can only find here? - How will you
attract customers? Will you build a following on Instagram, or will you drive traffic through search engines?
Without a clear “store concept and customer acquisition strategy,” no matter how impressive the system you implement, it’s like building a store all alone in the middle of a deserted mountain.
That’s precisely why “a website doesn’t sell just because it exists.” The correct approach is to solidify your “how to sell” strategy first, and then choose the system that best fits it. Be sure to also check out our guidance on creating specific customer acquisition pathways, such as attracting customers via Instagram or driving traffic from search engines.
When thinking about “how to sell,” it’s easy to get caught up in chasing short-term “sales” figures. However, e-commerce sites that truly stand the test of time are carefully designed to address “why and how sales were made” and “how to build relationships after a sale.” To ensure you don’t stop at simply choosing a system, I discuss the essential “design of the sales process” in detail in the article below.
Comparing Types of E-Commerce Sites and Leading Services
Once you have a general idea of “how to sell,” it’s time to compare systems. Here, we’ll categorize them into four main types and explain the characteristics of each from a practical, on-the-ground perspective.
① Mall-Type (Opening a Store in a Large Shopping Mall)
This method involves joining a massive platform that already has strong customer traffic as a “tenant.”
- Rakuten Ichiba
: Overwhelming customer traffic. However, setup fees and commissions are high, and success often comes down to financial endurance. - Amazon: Low barriers
to entry and robust fulfillment services. However, it’s difficult to convey your brand’s unique identity.
② SaaS Model (Highly Scalable, State-of-the-Art Independent Stores)
This is the current global standard: renting a cloud-based system to create your own dedicated, independent store.
- Shopify:
Currently the top recommendation if you’re serious about growing your e-commerce business. Its greatest strength is the ability to start small and gradually expand functionality (by adding apps) as sales grow.
③ ASP Model (Rental Stores That Are Easy to Get Started With)
This method of creating an independent store focuses even more on “ease of use” than the SaaS model.
- Color Me Shop
: A long-established Japanese platform. It offers a good balance of features and cost, and is easy to customize to your needs. - STORES / BASE
: The two major players that let you get started easily with no setup or monthly fees. They’re ideal for test sales or if you already have a following on social media.
④ CMS Model (Buying Land and Building a House from Scratch) *Caution Required*
This method involves installing the system on your own server.
- EC-CUBE: A
Japanese-developed e-commerce system. It allows for thorough customization down to the finest details to match your company’s specific business workflows. - WordPress (WooCommerce, etc.)
: A method that involves adding e-commerce plugins to WordPress, which is familiar from blogs and corporate websites.
Risks We Want to Share From Our Firsthand Experience
While the appeal of the CMS model is its versatility, your company is solely responsible for all security measures, maintenance, and updates. Due to the high costs and risks associated with maintenance and management, we do not currently recommend this approach.
We’ve covered the topic of “What to use to build an e-commerce site” in detail in a separate article.
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What if you’re choosing based on cost?
The “cost structure” varies significantly depending on the type of system.
BASE and STORES
Initial setup fees and monthly fixed costs are generally $0. Instead, payment processing fees are charged only on sales, so the biggest appeal is that “you don’t pay anything until you make a sale.” This is why they’re perfect for test sales.
Color Me Shop
While there is a monthly fixed fee, the payment processing fees are relatively low. This is best suited for those who have a reasonable expectation of sales.
Shopify
In addition to the monthly fixed fee, costs increase every time you add an “app” to expand functionality. However, this also means there’s unlimited room for growth as your business expands.
Rakuten Ichiba
With a combination of store setup fees, system usage fees, and monthly fixed costs, the overall cost tends to be higher than other options. On the other hand, the marketplace’s ability to attract customers effectively means that advertising costs are effectively included.
CMS-based (EC-CUBE, WordPress)
While the cost of the system itself is kept low, the time and money required for security measures and maintenance fall entirely on the business owner.
If you choose a platform based solely on low initial costs, you’ll likely find yourself in a situation later on where “fees are higher than expected” or “you can’t scale up even if you want to.” We recommend making your choice by balancing your current sales volume with your goals for the next few years.
Our Recommended Approach to Building an E-Commerce Site
So, if you were to actually commission us at “Kototsuki Design,” how would we build your e-commerce site? Our approach is very simple.
“We use a secure, optimized off-the-shelf system, and we focus on ‘building a store that sells’ (planning and marketing).”
We don’t develop systems from scratch or adopt high-risk approaches. Currently, the two platforms we primarily recommend are “Shopify” and “Color Me Shop.”
We trust these platforms most because they offer high design flexibility, making it easy to express your brand’s unique identity, and—most importantly—because their features can be expanded as your business grows, making them “systems we can nurture together over the long term.” (Of course, we’ll also be honest with you if we think, “Since you’re currently in a test sales phase, BASE is the best option.”)
With that in mind, we focus our efforts on the following areas:
- Design
that conveys your brand’s identity We ensure the design firmly expresses the unique “essence” of your brand without giving off the impression of a generic, off-the-shelf system. - A seamless
, intuitive user flow that makes purchasing a breeze We optimize “usability (UI/UX)” so customers can easily find what they’re looking for and proceed to the purchase button without any stress. - Ongoing operational support
that doesn’t end with launch—the real work begins once the store opens. We’ll be right by your side, ready to answer any operational questions—such as “I don’t know how to add products” or “How can I get more people to see my store?”—in a way that makes it easy to reach out.
Our approach isn’t about “selling a system”—it’s about “laying the foundation for your business to thrive.”
Let’s Build Your Store Together
We’ve discussed various systems and how to choose them so far, but let me add one final point.
The success of an e-commerce site isn’t determined by the “system” alone. First and foremost, your products must clearly convey their value. Furthermore, your daily “store philosophy”—including how you handle inquiries, shipping, and after-sales support—directly impacts your sales.
No matter how visually polished an e-commerce site may be, if the content and customer service aren’t up to par, it will almost always result in a one-time purchase. Conversely, the more a store genuinely focuses on its products and customer service, the more its e-commerce site will grow into a long-term asset.
There is no “one right answer” when choosing an e-commerce system. You need to consider the products you sell, your current staffing situation, and “where you want to be in a few years.” By weighing these factors together, you can select the solution that fits best.
“Which option is right for our company?”
If you’re feeling uncertain, please feel free to share your current situation with us exactly as it is. We will absolutely never try to push you into buying an expensive system.
Feel free to reach out just to gather information, or even if you’re simply trying to figure out whether you should handle it yourself or hire a professional. We’d be happy to chat even if you’re just at the stage of asking, “Can you do this?”
This isn’t a sales pitch—let’s hold a “strategy session” to figure out how to take your business nationwide.
Your customers, you, and us—let’s work together to create a space where everyone feels satisfied and can move forward.
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