If you’re reading this article, you’re probably looking for a Shopify developer to help you out. If so, you’ve come to the right place to learn how to find the best Shopify developer for your project.
Listed below are the prerequisites for hiring a Shopify developer:
Budget upto $3000
This is crucial because when your budget is tight, you must reduce the features in order to save money. For instance, if your budget for developing a Shopify store is between $2000 and $3000, you can choose a custom theme. With a custom theme, you can choose the design you like by visiting the websites of your competitors and choosing one of their layouts. In most cases, clients will have a number of reference websites, therefore I advise them to pick the best portion of each reference site before combining them into a complete design to ensure the ideal website design.
Budget below $1000
If your budget is less than $1000, it is best to go with a pre-made theme. Currently, Shopify offers free themes that are suitable for apparel, health products, home design, and so on, so you can choose any of them. Most clients on a tight budget will use free themes; however, as their business grows, they will redesign their website with a new custom theme, which is a good idea. One of my clients is making more than $10,000 per month with a free theme. The main point is to make the choice on a theme. If you sell clothing, for example, you can use this free theme: https://themes.shopify.com/themes/boundless/styles/black-white. Please inform the Shopify developer you hire in your country or outsource about the free themes.
Features:
The Shopify platform assures a bug-free environment for your website. When creating a complex custom feature, you must ensure that everything works properly after adding additional features. It is a time-consuming and expensive process, so it is best to avoid developing custom features from scratch. If you need more features, Shopify apps are a great option because they are plug and play. Shopify has a plethora of apps. My advice is to start with free apps and work your way up to premium apps once you’re comfortable with the app’s workflow.
Some good features such as
1. Out of stock notification
2. Welcome and exit popup with mail capture feature
3. Quiz kind of product finder
4. Reviews apps
5. Loyalty apps
are available as free or freemium so it would not cost more for you. Developer just need to integrate the app and need to make necessary amendments to match website colors.
Don’t think beyond default features:
It is best practise to learn about Shopify before starting a Shopify store. I mean, you just want to know about the basic features so you can ask your developer what kind of store you want in terms of design and functionality, which will help you estimate the budget and timeline before hiring a developer. When considering theme design and function, or when selecting features from reference websites, you should be aware of whether this feature is available by default in Shopify. I’ve already written about why custom features are a bad idea.
In house or out sourcing:
Typically, agencies will have two options: have their work done in-house or outsource it. You hPrototyping in Adobe XD is the first step in the process when you pick custom theme development. Your feedback will be requested once each page in your store has been designed in Adobe XD. The client’s approval is obtained before the design is given to the development theme for Shopify integration. It will take about 15 days to design in Adobe XD, obtain approval, and make design corrections, therefore you should plan your delivery date based on this procedure.ave the same choice. You can choose which option is best for you. If your budget is up to $3000, you must look for an agency in your neighbourhood. If it is difficult to find an agency in your country for the stated amount, you must look for agencies that can outsource the work to another country and have the job done.
When you go with custom theme:
When you choose custom theme development then the process starts with designing prototype in Adobe XD. Each page in your store will be design in Adobe XD and sent back to you for your feedback. After getting approval from client it will be sent to development theme to integrate the design into Shopify. Designing in Adobe XD and getting approval and making correction in design will take around 15 days so you need to prepare the delivery date based on this process.
I believe you now have a better understanding of the main points to consider when hiring a Shopify developer.