How to choose the perfect Shopify agency for ecommerce growth

Shopify has become the cornerstone of ecommerce for nearly 5 million businesses, ranging from solo sellers to enterprise brands. While it offers remarkable out-of-the-box functionality, realising its full potential requires specialised expertise.

Congratulations on deciding that Shopify is the right platform for your ecommerce business. The next step is selecting an ecommerce agency to build or migrate your store and help elevate your business to new heights. 

Choosing the right Shopify agency is almost as critical as the platform itself, as this partner can fundamentally transform your digital commerce strategy, determining whether your online store merely exists or truly excels.

What is a Shopify agency?

A Shopify agency comprises a multidisciplinary team of professionals dedicated to providing comprehensive digital commerce solutions.This means a team of specialists that can offer end-to-end support, from design and concept, to user experience to the build and ongoing support. Shopify agencies craft digital experiences that align closely with your brand's unique market positioning and commercial goals. In short: they offer complete digital transformation solutions.

Key considerations when choosing a Shopify agency

When deciding on a partner, you need to consider several key factors. Do you require a full-service agency to manage the entire process, or are you looking for assistance and consultancy to support your in-house team? Are you seeking purely development abilities, or is this an ongoing relationship that will involve post-launch digital marketing?

Technical expertise and certifications

The technical expertise and build quality of your store are pivotal in determining its performance, scalability, and user experience. Look for agencies with previous developments and demonstrable technical expertise on past projects. Key indicators of genuine expertise include: 

• A Shopify Plus certification

• Track record of successful and complex implementations

• Deep technical understanding of Shopify's architectural capabilities

• Proven experience across diverse industry sectors

The most effective Shopify agencies demonstrate proficiency across multiple technical domains, including advanced Liquid templating language expertise, experience with headless commerce architectures, sophisticated API integration capabilities, performance optimisation techniques, and mobile-first design philosophies. By prioritising technical knowledge, you ensure your chosen agency can navigate complex integration challenges and deliver a strategically sophisticated solution.

Comprehensive solution offerings

Your ideal partner may offer more than just development and technical grounding. An agency that can showcase its skills from conception to delivery will reassure you that every aspect of your brand will be well cared for online. Core features to look for include:

• Bespoke theme design and development. Tailored to your brand, ensuring a unique and engaging user experience

• Strategic ecommerce consulting. Interpreting market trends to drive your business forward

• Performance optimisation methodologies. Ensuring your site is fast, efficient, and scalable.

• Seamless third-party system Integrations. Integrating ERP systems, subscription solutions, and other critical tools

• Integrated digital marketing and SEO spport. Enhancing your online visibility and driving organic traffic

• Proactive maintenance and continuous improvement strategies. Ensuring your site remains optimised and up-to-date

These comprehensive offerings demonstrate an agency's commitment to your long-term digital success, rather than treating your project as a transactional engagement (unless that’s what you’re after, of course). Unified has delivered a broad range of complex implementations for merchants on Shopify, including full-service migration and ongoing support, for clients like House of Hackney.

Strategic partnership approach

The most valuable Shopify agencies view your engagement as an ongoing strategic partnership. They should demonstrate a genuine understanding of your business model and long-term objectives, offer proactive recommendations of innovative solutions, and have the ability to design scalable digital infrastructures. They’re also able to advise on the right service providers to help maximise your business potential and address potential challenges, such as implementing a PIM partner or other complementary technology. A commitment to continuous improvement and adaptation is also crucial, transforming the agency from a service provider to a genuine business collaborator.

Growth and digital marketing

An effective Shopify agency should integrate comprehensive digital marketing strategies into their solutions. This includes SEO support to enhance online visibility through keyword research, on-page optimisation, and tailored content creation. The agency may also specialise in social media marketing and pay-per-click advertising to build brand awareness and engage audiences, as well as email marketing to craft and optimise campaigns for better open rates and conversions. Additionally, they should provide performance analytics and reporting to track key performance indicators (KPIs) and make data-driven decisions. Content creation and management are crucial, involving the production of high-quality, engaging content that aligns with your brand's voice and messaging, and ensuring all content is up-to-date, relevant, and optimised through content management systems. 

Portfolio and case studies

A robust portfolio serves as tangible evidence of an agency's capabilities. When reviewing potential partners, conduct a thorough examination of their previous work. Look for a client portfolio showcasing adaptability, documented success within your specific industry vertical, quantifiable performance improvements and business outcomes and authentic client testimonials that reveal genuine partnership. Case studies provide insights into an agency's problem-solving approach, technical creativity, and ability to deliver measurable commercial impact.

You can view some Unified success stories here.