Who Are The Shopify Experts and How to Hire Them Wisely

Doesn't matter If you already have decided for running your store on Shopify or you are still considering your options, I am certain that you have heard already this term: Shopify experts. You read in on the official CMS website, you've heard in on some YouTube videos, and you've started doing your research. That's why you're here in the first place. Let's jump into this and answer your questions.

To become an expert in any field, you need to practice. No one was born with all these skills and knowledge. It's impossible. You know it because you also want to be the best in your niche. So, you are studying, trying new things, and growing.

Shopify is one of the platforms you want to try right now but do you really have time and money to learn everything that's needed to master it? You may ask what kind of things? Shopify supposed to be an easy tool that allows anyone on this planet to open a store. That is one of the reasons why it’s so popular, isn’t it? Well, yes and no.

If you are one of these store owners who want to be the best on the market, the simple store setup might not be enough. Every e-commerce, including the Shopify store, should provide a great user experience to deliver you enough sales. Your website should include high-quality content, every page should load fast enough, store design should be in your brand style, navigation needs to be easy, and you definitely want every section of the website to increase your conversion rate: not the opposite. If your online store is also available in many language versions, you need to take care of all of them too.

And this is the moment when you probably start thinking: how can I do this without any web development skills? Is my marketing team enough? How can I make my project so good without years of experience in building well-converting Shopify stores?

Well, actually you can't. But Shopify experts can.

What do Shopify Experts really do?

It depends on what you actually want. Every good Shopify expert will ask you first, what is your real goal. Not every customer is the same, so not every online store should include the same features. Also, Shopify specialists are not always Shopify developers. Usually, when you see articles about them, people write about design and development, but we shouldn’t forget about some other fields.

You can find experts who take care of:

• Digital marketing

• Content

• SEO

• Setup development

• E-mail marketing

• Search engine advertising

• Custom visual elements

• Store migration

• Custom Shopify development

• Custom theme development

• Store setup development

• And more

If you want to know what should a Shopify developer be capable of, check our another article regarding Shopify developers!

You can use the help of freelancers, boutique companies, or big agencies that offer many other services; not just for Shopify stores.

That is why you need to decide first what is it that you really search for. Have you already set up your Shopify store, and you want to focus on marketing? Are you happy with your content? Does your website attract customers enough? Do you have all the integrations which will help to run your business? Do you want to focus on all these factors at once? How big is your budget?

I know. I've just asked you about many things, but every store is different and needs a different approach.

Some of these Shopify specialists can build your store, but not all of them are the right choice for you. Be careful, and make your research before you choose the perfect team.

How do I find my Shopify expert?

There are hundreds of Shopify experts you can choose from. Some of them live right next to your door, some are successfully working from the other part of the globe. Even if you already know which area you want to focus on first, how to actually hire a Shopify expert? As I mentioned before, research is crucial.

You will definitely find some interesting recommendations on the official Shopify website, but you can also search on your own. It is also not a bad idea to check some web development agencies right on Clutch. This is an excellent source of information when it comes to choosing a trustworthy company. The portal is pleasant to use, and you can choose from over 150.000 agencies.

Before signing any contract, check:

• Portfolio of the expert (do you see any online store which you really like?)

• Reviews (try to find something besides testimonials the web page of your potential match; Clutch is an excellent source of them as it’s moderated very well)

• Expert's knowledge of the newest trends (talk, ask questions!)

• How usually the cooperation looks like (communication, agreements, time-planning)

• If the cost comes with the value (and if it fits your budget)

Don’t hesitate to start a conversation with more than one e-commerce agency or a freelancer. You want to grow your business in the best way possible, and you have your right to check many options. If you feel like you’re betraying someone, stop! The most serious agencies will propose you get free project estimation: it’s really worth using this kind of opportunity. They might let you know how to optimize your Shopify store in the most efficient way.

Remember that there is also no real need to rush. Pushing yourself to make that kind of serious decision in a minute, right after the pitch of some Shopify specialist is not the best way. They will try to put this time pressure on you because they know that it may help them to get this project. It’s completely understandable.

However, take your time, and make your math, so when you decide to hire a Shopify specialist, you know that’s the best choice possible.

How much do Shopify experts cost?

This is one of these questions for which the answer is… it depends. As I told you before, a Shopify expert doesn’t necessarily need to be a web developer. Design and development teams will charge differently from SEO agencies. Content writers also have their rates. However, as I don’t want to leave you without any answer, let’s take a look at some examples.

1. If you decide to run a big SEO campaign, prepare yourself for a cost from $2.500

2. Some decent content for the start will cost between $500-$5000

3. A whole website set-up including design and development could be $5000-$10 000

But, it’s still not a good enough answer because freelancers are a completely different case. Sometimes they charge so little that it’s hard to net get suspicious about their skills. Sometimes, they will cost you more than a decent Shopify experts team. Looking for the best person among them is similar to looking for a pearl in the ocean. When you can’t swim very well. I’m not kidding.

You may think now: okay, but web development agencies cost a lot. Isn’t it better to look for that pearl? Well, I could agree in theory but… how much do you expect to earn with your Shopify store? Is your goal $17 500 revenue, and you’re done? I don’t think so.

Web development agencies are looking for people with years of experience. They hire people who complement each other and that is the reason why they usually charge more than Shopify experts that you can find on Fiverr.

Think about it. Every single penny that you invest today in digital marketing, design, and web development in general, will guarantee you the revenue you dream about tomorrow. If you choose the right Shopify experts. Do you really want to risk all that potential to get lost just because of a 20% difference in pricing?

So, should I hire Shopify experts?

The answer is: yes, I think that you should. Even you know quite a lot about Shopify itself, user experience, and you understand your customers, you should at least consider it. Especially when you are not ready for dealing with potential problems. As a business owner, you will have to focus on many things, and your time is limited. Also, If you haven't opened a few Shopify stores before, you don't have so much experience as people who focus on it. The same single thing will take you much more time than to experts, and you will struggle with choosing the best solution for your store. If the chosen one is not the best, you will certainly lose your money.

Hiring Shopify experts may cost you more at the beginning, but it's definitely worth it. Thanks to their work you will receive the results you wish for, and you will have much bigger chances to win the race in your niche.

If you already have some great ideas for integrations and a unique store theme, we, Naturaily, are all ears! If you're not sure yet... we are happy to help you! Make your first small step today and enjoy your successful business tomorrow.