As one of the most popular e-commerce platforms available, Shopify brings many advantages to entrepreneurs of all types. Some of these advantages can be immediate, while others will require a little more in-depth knowledge.
For those planning to launch an online store or an online business, Shopify offers a one-stop option with a high level of flexibility and is simple to manage on a day-to-day basis. While you can tackle the majority of basic management tasks simply enough, chances are that you will require the help of a Shopify expert at some point.
Finding the right Shopify developer can help improve your eCommerce store in various ways. But your first step will have to be identifying exactly what it is that you need. Once you’ve figured that out, you can start evaluating the costs of asking a Shopify developer for help and advice.
Do You Need a Shopify Expert?
Shopify is an easy to manage the platform and comes with a full range of tools to aid you in building and then growing your e-commerce store. While it is possible for even a beginner to set up an account and build a basic store quickly and easily, if you want to have a more professional brand, then the best Shopify developers are going to be your best option.
Technical knowledge is one area where the majority of new Shopify sellers are going to need help, and that goes beyond the simple building of your store. If your store looks unprofessional, or you don’t quite understand what SEO is or how best to use it, then a Shopify expert is going to be essential.
What you pay will be dependent on the areas that you need help with, so understanding your own strengths and weaknesses is going to be essential.
“You can’t wait for customers to come to you. You have to figure out where they are, go there and drag them back to your store.”
– Paul Graham, Y COMBINATOR
Cost Factors of Hiring a Shopify Expert
Before you commit to paying for help from a professional Shopify expert, you need to do a break-down of your expected costs. This will depend on the Shopify plan that you subscribe to.
Each plan available from Shopify gives you different access to tools, and the one that you choose will depend on your financial resources as well as the essentials that you need to have. You will also have to budget for your domain registrations costs, as well as any of the paid apps that can be used to get your e-commerce store looking as professional as possible.
A Shopify website developer can guide you through this initial process and help you make decisions on what you’re going to need and when.
Consider the following:
- What kind of store do you want to have? – The more that you want your Shopify store to offer, the more technical your knowledge is going to have to be. Getting an estimate from Shopify web developers will be dependant on what you’re going to be using them for.
- What kind of expert do you need? – You obviously want someone who has experience with Shopify, but the level of experience will dictate the prices that they offer. The less experience that a Shopify expert has, the less you should pay.
That’s why it’s so important that you take the time to understand exactly what you want from your store, and how much help you’re going to need to build that perfect store.
Cost Basics
While all of the best Shopify developers will have their own price list and areas of expertise, the majority will offer options regarding hourly rate or task rate.
Some experts will cost upwards of $1,500 for the development of a fully optimized e-commerce outlet, although there are other experts with lower starting programs–but ensure that you are dealing with true experts who have been in business and have delivered with with quality, on time, and within budget is considered the lower end of the spectrum.
If your needs aren’t that deep, then you might even be able to hire an expert to work on an hourly basis, with some offering rates of just $$25+ per hour. This can help keep your costs down, but will also reflect the lack of full-time dedicated expertise.
The more that you need help with, the more that it will cost you. For stores planning to develop a larger, complex store with custom features and or 100s of SKUs and solid web presence, then you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000+ Make sure that you understand what you are getting for your payment, and ensure that those higher end experts have provable experience with both Shopify and e-commerce in general.
Finding the Right Shopify Expert
It can sometimes be quite tricky to find the right Shopify developer. You want to find the right people for the job, but you don’t want to be overcharged for something relatively simple.
There are three steps to finding the best option to suit what you’re looking for. They are:
1: Ask Other Entrepreneurs
Whether they are only trading on Shopify or they have a brick and mortar store as well, local communities of entrepreneurs are a great resource. Not only can they help you identify what you need, but they can also highlight mistakes that they made, meaning that you can avoid them. Listen to their advice and incorporate it into your growth plan.
If you are recommended a Shopify expert to use, then don’t be too trusting. Always do your due diligence, and check that they have worked with similarly-sized projects in the past.
2: Check The Shopify Experts Directory
If your local community hasn’t found you a good option, then you can always look at the Shopify Experts Directory. This function allows you to filter your search so that you are getting expert advice on the areas where you need it most. Those filters can also be adjusted according to budget, meaning that you will never be hit by unexpected costs.
Lastly, this is a good option because the filters also allow you to search by location, and having a more localized Shopify expert can be advantageous due to more awareness of local consumer demographics.
3: Interview your Candidates and Read Their Clients Reiviws
Always interview your top choices for possible Shopify developers. You can do this in person or via a videoconference, but whichever you choose, make sure that you have a list of questions ready to go.
You need to ensure that they know exactly what you want and have the skills and experience required to get you what you’re looking for. Be wary of promises that seem unrealistic, and always make sure that you know what you’re going to be paying in the long run.
And finally, read their Clients Testimonials and ask for a reference!
A Shopify expert can help you keep your costs down and your profits up. Being an entrepreneur can mean taking on a lot of different roles, and if you’re struggling with digital marketing, branding, or the technical side of building your e-commerce store, then the right Shopify web developers can help you focus on doing what you’re best at.
You can also visit how to choose a Shopify developer, vital elements of a good e-commerce store, and ways to grow your shopify plus store
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