I recently heard someone say that a website is the cheapest store you'll ever own. While I didn't do the math (not my strong point - I'm an art major after all) I would probably agree. With an online store, the up front costs include design, development, domain registration, and hosting. Hosting plans vary depending on the website requirements (does it need to be secure, an online store, etc). Designer and developer costs can also be across the board depending on who you contract. Once your site is up, you continue to pay for the hosting and domain. All said, certainly this is less expensive than owning and operating a brick and mortar store.