Many software companies are attempting to profit from this ongoing situation, just as corporations are attempting to take advantage of it. Over the years, Shopify has become a popular platform amongst developers, because it enables them to offer merchants a feature-rich eCommerce solution that is currently unmatched.
However, choosing the best Shopify Development company poses a challenge to merchants, as it is a space they do not fully understand and don’t know what they should be looking out for. It is best to be cautious when researching Shopify development agencies and to do your due diligence before making a decision. To help you avoid the costly mistake of partnering with the wrong agency, here are our tips to empower you to choose an online Shopify development agency that can best cater to your business needs.
Should You Hire A Shopify Development Company?
First things first, why should you hire a Shopify development company when Shopify is available to everyone?
Well, to put it simply, developing and managing an online store is complex and requires a lot of hard work, knowledge and skills. Just like you would turn to an attorney to write up legal contracts for your business, it makes sense to put the building and maintainence of your Shopify store in the capable hands of eCommerce development experts.
Starting an online store may seem simple to some people, but running your business alongside maintaining your Shopify store may prove to be extremely taxing. If your store is not professionally developed, it can hinder you from achieving your long-term business goals.
A fact that is often overlooked is that there is more to creating an online store than picking a pre-designed template and uploading your inventory. Shopify developers will go much deeper by considering buyer psychology, user interfaces best practices and SEO when customising a Shopify store to ensure your website doesn’t only look good but is a conversion-driving machine. After all, maximising sales is the end goal. By entrusting the task of developing your Shopify store to experts, you can focus on the day-to-day running of your business and other high-value activities.
Key Responsibilities Of A Shopify Development Agency
Shopify specialists give merchants access to their advanced development skills and industry knowledge to execute the vision in the best possible way. You want to choose a Shopify development agency with extensive industry knowledge that is consistently dependable and open to tackling challenges head-on.
A Shopify development agency will handle every aspect of planning, design, execution and even management of your Shopify store. Not only will they develop the layout of your store, but they will also select or develop the relevant apps to extend the functionality of your store to achieve your goal. To summarise, this is what a good Shopify Development Agency should be able to offer you:
Customise your Shopify Theme to match your brand and aesthetic
Perform periodic audits of your website with the customers in mind
Make sure there are as less hard-coded sections as possible to ensure you have maximum control to the store and be able to easily edit the website
Correctly integrate 3rd party apps, marketing tools (Google tracking codes or Facebook Pixels), APIs, etc
Consider UX and UI design for interactive and functional stores
Develop custom functionalities within the Shopify framework
Rigorous quality testing, troubleshooting and debugging
Ongoing maintenance
SEO to increase traffic and conversion rates
Benefits of Working With A Shopify Development Agency
Working with a Shopify development agency offers several benefits to your business, which include:
1. High-Quality End Results
When your store is built by an experienced Shopify web development agency, the high-calibre of work that makes your business stand out with a professional, pixel-perfect website you can be proud of.
2. Optimal Functionality
As a platform, Shopify has a seemingly endless set of features to choose from to help optimise your online store to its absolute peak potential. By choosing to work with trusted Shopify industry experts, your store's functionalities will be significantly improved and extended. Shopify specialists can give your store a certain functionality your competitor's store doesn’t have that could, for example, increase the CRV, help you collect more email subscribers or recover more abandoned carts.
3. It Saves You A Lot Of Time and Effort
You will save a significant amount of time by outsourcing the creation of your website to a Shopify web development agency. For instance, you might use your valuable time to focus on other business tasks like marketing, inventory management or streamlining business processes to grow your business rather than spending it learning the development process.
Because they are professionals, hiring a Shopify development agency to develop your online store saves time and guarantees* results.
4. It Creates a Better Customer Experience
For a better website experience for your visitors, Shopify specialists help translate your business strategies and vision into implementable solutions.
By applying the best possible methodologies and customer-focused strategies, based on years of experience and tried-and-true approaches, Shopify development agencies will provide you with an excellent sales platform for your business, to turn visitors into paying customers.
In addition, your clients will enjoy using the site because of how visually appealing and user-friendly it is; thus, your brand will gain credibility.
What To Look For When It Comes To Shopify Development Agencies
When evaluating a Shopify agency, it is important to look at what they bring to the table holistically. First, in order to deliver great work they must be passionate about eCommerce development. Beyond passion, a developer who specialises in Shopify development should have the following skills:
1. Fundamental Technical Skills
The most important consideration is the technical know-how of the agency and developers. An expert in Shopify development would possess an in-depth knowledge of the following areas:
Comprehensive understanding of the Shopify admin interface
Expertise in Shopify’s native “Liquid” programming language
HTML5 and CSS3 skills
Knowledge of other frameworks used to build Shopify apps or extend functionality (NodeJS, NextJS, GatbysJS etc)
Expert-level understanding of using Google Optimize to A/B test landing pages and other website content
2. Great Communication Skills
You need a developer who can communicate effectively with you if you want your online store produced swiftly and at an expert level. A Shopify developer with strong communication skills will keep you informed about the project's milestones, the time frame and any potential delays or issues that need to be noted.
3. Positive Reviews From Satisfied Customers
You will know a Shopify developer's work is high-quality enough to live up to your customer's expectations when they have many positive reviews from happy clients. Positive customer reviews from clients in your industry are a solid indication that the developer is knowledgeable about the particulars of your industry and will deliver outstanding results for your business.
4. Well Thought-Out Portfolio
Since the portfolio typically includes the most significant examples of the developer's work, it will be easier for you to estimate the load time, functionality and accessibility of the features you desire for your Shopify store. So, after viewing their portfolio, you'll be able to estimate the outcome you hope to replicate with your online store.
5. Satisfaction Guarantee
If a project doesn't meet your needs, look for a development company that is eager to revise it as often as you need - you should be entirely satisfied with your investment.
6. An Innovative Approach
It is best to avoid working with developers who produce commonly found website templates with minimal design distinctions between them. Innovative and creative developers should always be sought.
The likelihood of being happy with the project's outcome increases with the ability to apply an individual strategy. For example, suppose the developer adopts a distinctive and unique approach. In that case, they will be open to receiving and accepting your feedback on the project's design and final appearance and use their system to create something tailored to your unique vision for your web store.
There are also some soft skills that can enrich a developer’s delivery, which one of our superstar developers recently covered.
Conclusion
Now that you understand the importance of working alongside a reputable Shopify development agency to build your online store, all you need to do is choose one.
We have made this choice easy for you - Vevol Media.
Here at Vevol Media, we take great pride in delivering industry-leading results for our clients. Our Shopify expertise is cutting edge and our near-perfect reviews back up this bold statement.
With services such as UI/UX Web Design, SEO and Shopify Migration available as well, Vevol Media is your perfect one-stop shop for all things eCommerce.