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Twice as Fast, Half the Cost: A Lithuanian Company Redefines E-commerce Development

E-commerce has become one of the fastest-growing industries in recent years. More and more businesses are looking for ways to have a professional online store, but often face high costs, long development times, and constant limitations. The Lithuanian company PrestaRock offers a solution that allows businesses to get a high-level e-shop twice as cheaply and twice as quickly. We spoke about this with Ričardas Šmaižys, the company’s CEO, who has been working in e-commerce for more than fifteen years.

– Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about e-shop development becoming more expensive. Why is that?

– Indeed, today an online store often costs tens of thousands of euros, and its creation can take half a year or even longer. Why? Because each project starts almost from scratch: a unique design is created, solutions are programmed, modules are installed, and everything must be aligned so that processes run smoothly according to the client’s wishes. But does your customer really need a completely original design and structure?

Having worked for fifteen years in this business as both a programmer and analyst, creating e-commerce solutions for major Lithuanian and European companies, I’ve noticed a clear trend: user-experience research shows that 80 % of all shops share the same structure and similar needs. In essence, businesses don’t need to “reinvent the wheel” every time — standardized, proven modules can dramatically shorten and reduce the cost of development.

– And that’s where your solution comes in?

– Exactly. We created the PrestaRock framework — a base on which every new store is built. It’s based on PrestaShop and Sylius open-source systems but enhanced to fit real business needs. For the end customer — and the store administrator — it looks like a fully custom solution with its own design and niche-specific adjustments, whether it’s a tire shop, clothing store, or handmade crafts store.

Our experience allows us to see patterns of what each niche typically needs, so we’ve added even niche-specific functionalities into the framework. Our goal is simple: to deliver an online store at half the market cost and in half the usual time.

– Sounds too good to be true. Where are the hidden costs?

– There are none. We’ve eliminated redundant repetitive work. We have our own module package built on the most popular open-source platforms in Lithuania — PrestaShop and Sylius — that gives clients loyalty programs, clear shopping-cart steps, all the necessary marketing tools, optimized search, and more.

This solution combines over fifteen years of costly research, real sales experience from our clients, and our personal know-how. These are modules and features that 9 out of 10 stores inevitably need. Every module is tested and easy to use — no developer intervention is required for administration. In other words, the client isn’t buying a “cat in a bag” but a stable, proven solution tailored to their market segment.

– What benefits does the store owner get by using your module package?

– First of all, it saves money and time. A faster launch means a faster return on investment.
Second, the store is optimized for sales from day one — the visitor quickly finds what they’re looking for, and the buying process is straightforward. All of this increases both the number of orders and the average cart value.

Third, there are no rental or license fees. Unlike “closed” systems, our solution belongs to the client. If they want to expand functionality or enter a new market, there are no restrictions.

And one more thing — support. We guarantee a response to critical issues within an hour during working hours, and we provide regular updates and consultations. For a business, that means the system is always running, and the store not only works but also continuously earns more.

– Who are your typical clients?

– Our clients are usually companies that already have e-commerce experience — they want their second or third store but no longer wish to pay for long and expensive projects. Others are businesses that realize a simple template store won’t ensure growth. Why invest in something that will later need to be replaced?

I advise clients to invest in solid foundations — a good solution that can be expanded later, where even development costs will remain lower. Our PrestaRock framework lets businesses have a unique, niche-specific design while avoiding enormous costs and months-long development.

– What does the result look like when working with you?

– The result is simple: a high-quality, reliable, and sales-driven online store for half the usual price.

Imagine competitors selling a template as a “unique” solution — you wouldn’t want to be deceived, right? Now imagine another scenario — instead of paying around 100 000 EUR for an e-shop, you get the same or even better results for half the cost, built in months rather than a year.

For example, one client — a furniture-fittings company — had received several estimates showing their desired site would cost at least €120 000 + VAT. After analyzing their requirements, using our framework and modules, we built the site for €55 000. Another client, selling home decor and interior goods, has a store with three times more functionality than competitors offer. These solutions gave the client better analytics, increased traffic, stronger customer loyalty, higher conversion rates, and ultimately a significantly larger turnover.

In short, our clients gain a technological solution that ensures a real competitive advantage: they launch faster and cheaper, and from day one, they have the tools to sell more.

So, for any business that wants to quickly create and run a functional, revenue-generating e-shop, there’s no longer a need to choose between price and quality. Our clients who have chosen the Lithuanian-developed PrestaRock solution have already proven it many times — you can have both: an e-shop that costs half as much, is delivered twice as fast, and maintains top-tier quality.