Shopify, custom or 3D? Choosing your website

Websites guide · Published 9 October 2026 · By Nuvii Studios

The short answer

Not selling online yet? A bespoke launch site of up to five pages builds credibility fast. Selling now? Build a store, on Shopify for speed and apps or custom for control, and spend your effort on product pages and checkout. Choose real-time 3D only when the product’s form is the story and the rest of the site is already solid.

Three questions to answer first

• Are you taking orders online yet? If not, you need credibility before you need a cart.
• How many products, and how often do they change? Five products and fifty products need different tools.
• What does a customer need to see before buying? Ingredients, sizes, a product turning in 3D, reviews, a WhatsApp answer?

Option 1: a launch site

Up to five bespoke pages, or one long landing page, with your story, products, proof and a clear way to get in touch (a form and a WhatsApp button). This suits brands before launch, brands selling through marketplaces or Instagram, and founders who need to look established to retailers and investors.

What to insist on: it is fast on an ordinary phone, it has proper titles, descriptions and share cards so links look good on WhatsApp, and you own the domain and the code.

Option 2: an online store, Shopify or custom

Once you sell direct, the store is the business. The platform matters less than product pages that answer questions and a checkout that works with the way Indians pay: UPI, cards, netbanking and cash on delivery.

For most brands Shopify with a custom-designed theme is the sensible default. Go custom when your products, pricing or checkout do not fit a standard store, or when platform fees and app costs start to add up.

Option 3: a real-time 3D experience

Your product lives on the page in 3D: visitors turn it, zoom in, switch colourways, and the camera moves as they scroll. Done well, it is the kind of site people send to friends. Done badly, it is slow and hides the information people came for.

• Worth it when the product’s design is the reason to buy: watches, perfume, sneakers, furniture, gadgets.
• Needs an accurate 3D model of the product (often the same model used for CGI films) and a team that can keep it fast on mid-range phones.
• Should never replace clear prices, sizes, ingredients, shipping and returns written in plain text, which is also what search engines read.

What every D2C website needs

• Loads quickly on a mid-range Android phone on mobile data
• Price, shipping time and return policy visible before checkout
• A WhatsApp button, because that is where most Indian customers ask questions
• Terms, privacy and refund pages that match how you actually work
• A title and description for every page, a sitemap, and share cards for WhatsApp and Instagram
• Analytics from day one, so you know which products and pages sell
• Everything in your name: the domain, the hosting or store account and the code

Timelines and fixed prices

Our website packages, as a reference point:

All are paid half to begin and half on delivery, and you own the code.

Questions people ask

Is Shopify a good choice for a D2C brand in India?

For most brands, yes. It supports Indian payment options such as UPI, cards, netbanking and cash on delivery through gateways like Razorpay, and your team can run it day to day. Budget for the monthly plan and any paid apps.

Do 3D websites hurt speed or SEO?

They can if the 3D loads before anything else or replaces written content. A good build shows the text and layout first, loads the 3D after, and keeps all product information in plain HTML that search engines can read.

How long does it take to build a D2C website?

A five-page launch site can be live in about two weeks. A full store usually takes three to four weeks, and a real-time 3D site five to six weeks or more, mostly depending on how quickly content and product details are ready.

Who should own the domain and the code?

You should. Register the domain and the hosting or store account in your own name and add the agency as a collaborator. Nuvii works this way, and you own the code we write.