The verdict in three sentences
A Lagos online store succeeds first through its mobile conversion funnel, not the name of its platform. With 82% mobile traffic, an average basket of 18,500 FCFA and a 1.4% conversion rate, the line between profit and loss is drawn at checkout and on gateway fees. The right choice depends on your volume: Shopify to test fast, WooCommerce to control cost, custom-built to scale without a ceiling.
Three setups, three economics
Your platform choice locks in your cost structure for two years. Here are the three most common setups in Lagos in 2026, with their order-of-magnitude figures.
| Criterion | Shopify | WooCommerce | Custom Next.js (Kolonell) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | 19,000 FCFA/month | ~150,000 FCFA setup | 1,000,000 FCFA |
| Transaction fee off local gateway | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| Native Wave/mobile-money gateway | Via third-party plugin | Via plugin | Native |
| Time to launch | 5 to 8 days | 8 to 15 days | 5 to 15 days |
| Hosting | Included | 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA/month | Included/managed |
| Growth ceiling | Medium | Medium | Unlimited |
| Code control | Low | Medium | Full |
Shopify charges up to 2% extra when you don't use Shopify Payments, unavailable in much of West Africa: that hidden line eats your margin.
The figures that decide your margin
Before coding, anchor on 2026 market benchmarks. These orders of magnitude let you estimate your break-even point.
| 2026 indicator | Value (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Mobile traffic share | 82% |
| Average basket | 18,500 FCFA |
| Mobile conversion rate | 1.4% |
| Cart abandonment rate | 69% |
| Wave fee | 1% |
| Time to launch | 5 to 15 days |
| Visitor acquisition cost (Meta Ads) | 90 to 160 FCFA |
With 69% cart abandonment, recovering even 5 points through a smooth mobile checkout often beats doubling your ad spend.
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Mini case study
Fatou, who runs a cosmetics store in Cocody, targets 300 visitors/day via Meta Ads. At 1.4% conversion, that is about 4.2 orders/day, or 126/month. At an 18,500 FCFA basket, monthly revenue reaches ~2,331,000 FCFA. Wave fees (1%) cost ~23,300 FCFA/month, versus ~46,600 FCFA more on Shopify without a local gateway (2%). Over a year, the fee gap alone tops 550,000 FCFA — half the price of a custom site, amortized by commission savings.
FAQ
What does an online store really cost in Lagos in 2026? Expect anything from 19,000 FCFA/month on Shopify to 1,000,000 FCFA for a custom site. The true total cost includes transaction fees: Shopify's 2% off local gateways can exceed a custom build's price past 100 orders/month.
Wave or mobile money: which to integrate first? Both, but the low-fee wallet first for its 1% cost and mass adoption among young urban buyers. A checkout offering both cuts abandonment because each customer pays with their usual wallet.
How long to go live? From 5 to 15 days depending on the setup. A catalog under 50 products on a custom base usually ships in 5 to 8 working days.
Why does my conversion stay below 1.4%? Often because of a checkout that is too long or not mobile-optimized. Trimming form fields and offering one-tap wallet payment adds 2 to 4 conversion points.
Do I need a website or is WhatsApp enough? WhatsApp converts well to start but caps out on volume. A site linked to your WhatsApp catalog combines both: SEO shopfront by day, DM closing by night.
Let's talk about your project. We build your Lagos store with native Wave/mobile-money checkout, delivered in 5 to 15 days. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
