Who to Hire? Shopify Agency, Freelancer, or In-house

This coincides with outgrowing the eCommerce platform the business has been using. Now, switching between platforms is best approached with your eyes open. 

Those who’ve made it this far know that only top-quality systems make for a sustainable business. That said, you need websites that can keep pace with growing business demands.

More ambitious brands need more serious eCommerce solutions and a well-thought-out branding strategy. 

So, whether you’re updating your Shopify services or migrating from a different eCommerce digital marketing platform, Shopify Plus is a serious contender. We’re about to make a business case here. 

But the next question is: who should you trust with your digital strategy?

Today, we also dig into who you should hire to make your Shopify Plus store shine. 

We cover some of the trickiest questions: 

• Why Shopify Plus?
• Should you hire an agency-based Shopify Expert?
• Should you hire a freelancer? 
• Is it worthwhile to bring in a Shopify developer to the team?

Freelance and In-House Developers: Yes or No?

Faced with the Shopify agency vs. freelancer vs. in-house decision? This is a tough call as you can only trust the best to build your retail business as it’s branching out.

When searching for expert-level help, you’ll want to screen candidates for:

• Relevant technical skills 
• Past Shopify Plus experience
  

You’ll be able to find freelance and in-house web developers with decent knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Liquid.

But there’s also a benefit vs. cost ratio. And you can never be too careful here—be sure to put out feelers and test their technical background in Shopify Plus-specific frameworks, such as Timber and Bootstrap. 

You need someone who knows the platform inside out. Confirming their expertise in Shopify Plus as well as your niche is a must.  

Yet, before recruiting someone or outsourcing your online store development to a freelancer, assess your risks. 

Ask yourself the following questions: 

1. Do I need the additional cost of a full-time employee?  
2. Am I getting the right level of expertise? 
3. Can this person create desired deliverables? 
4. Do I need the hassle of a recruitment process (filtering through applications, going through case studies, etc, to find a good fit for the job)?

Why You Should Hire an Agency to Build Your Shopify Website

So, why is having a Shopify agency develop your site a better idea? Doing so makes business sense for two simple reasons. 

• You get to make the most of your eCommerce store.

• You do this without the cost and commitment of onboarding a full-time employee.
  

An experienced digital eCommerce agency understands the workings of the platform and how it can serve your business goals best. 

When an agency is listed in the Shopify Experts directory, your chances to succeed improve.

Below we list the advantages of hiring a Shopify Plus Partner agency for your new online store setup.

It Provides Top-Notch Efficiency 

Recruiting from the pool of Shopify experts benefits your business enterprise-wide. How’s that? They’re simply the crème de la crème in the web development space. 

“Access to the Experts Marketplace is limited to skilled and experienced Shopify partners who have demonstrated a proven expertise in the services they offer. A limited number of partners are given access to the Experts Marketplace.” Source: Shopify.com

Closing a deal with a Shopify Expert gives you peace of mind knowing it's vetted by Shopify itself. To qualify, a digital agency must: 

• Present a portfolio of enterprise-level Shopify projects.
• Have a track record of successful work contracts with high-end, award-winning Shopify Plus clients.
• Demonstrate efficiency and expertise in web design and development. 

It Elevates Your Customer Experience

Customer experience is instrumental for any eCommerce business. This is another reason partnering up with a digital agency is the best course of action. 

Top-tier, full-service Shopify partners have worked with many Shopify stores. As a result, they have the knowledge needed to optimize the customer experience and maximize conversions.  

When creating a digital experience, good web design and clever CX design equals success.‍

Shopify experts are at the forefront of both of these technologies. 

The team members work together to enhance customer relationships across the entire customer journey.

Once they’re in the loop on your customers’ demands, they’ll take care of everything—from web design and growth marketing to setting email marketing campaigns.  

It Has Access to Exclusive Tools and Resources 

Hiring a Shopify Partner agency comes with yet another strategic advantage.

Due to their partner status, such agencies are granted exclusive access to updates and resources. The best part is they can use them in your eCommerce store’s best interest. 

Their privileged status is reflected in: 

• The ability to test new features before official releases.
• Additional learning opportunities.
• Priority partner support that opens pathways to quicker issue fixes. 

It’s Skilled at Helping Businesses Grow

Shopify Plus agencies have brushed up on their platform skills working alongside countless eCommerce brands.  

They’re knowledgeable in delivering on your eCommerce platform needs in a way that brings growth and CRO to your business. 

They’re rehearsed at spotting growth opportunities and guiding development projects to optimize your store.  

Why Shopify Plus Is the Best Way to Go With Your Digital Marketing Strategy 

Shopify Plus is one of your best options when creating a digital presence and winning attention in the digital space. But why is it superior? It’s not solely due to its hefty price. 

If you can afford it, we recommend you get it.   

The platform helps you create your websites with more flexibility and functionality and have instant access to support.  

Below is the why of housing your stores at Shopify Plus. 

Includes Handy Task Automation 

Shopify Plus is ideal for growing businesses as it can automate some of the most time-consuming tasks. Its design system allows you to put time into building your business while the platform does the rest. 

Importantly, you can delegate some essential tasks.   

The tools below go a long way towards scaling your business. You can use them across websites and apps.

• Shopify Flow automates product and order management. It includes plenty of integrations, including algorithms designed to engage your clients.   
  

• Launchpad is a huge timesaver, and it’s used to schedule future sales and promotions for your clients. You pre-set the prices and let the tool do the legwork for you. As a result, you don’t sweat it on the day the sale goes live. 

Personalizes Your Checkout Experience

Things can get quite tangled when you’re running a store for a global enterprise. Knowing this, Shopify store makers stepped in with an advanced checkout system. 

A Shopify Plus plan gives you plenty of customization opportunities that can help you convert customers and improve branding. 

Below are some of the features you unlock when you upgrade to Shopify Plus. You get to:  

• Tweak web design elements to make it align with your brand. 
• Create a personalized checkout to cater to your clients and target tagged customers better. 
• Integrate Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Amazon Pay to cater to different pools of clients and boost conversions. 

Allows You to Sell Across Channels

Shopify Plus can help improve your eCommerce strategy as it takes you where your clients are.   

By integrating with the following platforms, it makes growing your marketplace across the digital space easy. 

• Social platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
• eCommerce marketplaces: Amazon, eBay
• Messaging apps: WhatsApp, Messenger

Allows You to Take Your Company Global 

Another obvious benefit of using the platform is a chance to break into the eCommerce global market. The platform provides the scaffolding you need to expand into foreign markets and cater to different audiences.  

The advanced Shopify Plus application development puts your business on the map. 

You can create 20 locations for your inventory, up to 9 clone stores, and get to access all the customization bells and whistles. You can tweak images, language, and currency to target clients based in different countries.     

Trust a Dependable Digital Agency With Your Custom Software Development 

All said and done, think twice before signing that hiring contract. Not all web developers that promise to deliver great eCommerce solutions will stick to the deliverables. 

This is why when joining your efforts with a Shopify Plus Partner, you’re playing it safe. A proven track record of completed projects and an endorsement by Shopify themselves give these agencies an edge over other developers. 

Pivofy is one such Shopify Plus Partner offering high-quality services in the Shopify design and development space. 

Our full-service expert team, recognized as the leaders of Shopify development by Clutch, is ready to support your digital marketing efforts at any time. 

Ready to advance your digital presence and boost your visibility and client conversion with a top-notch eCommerce site? 

With our depth of experience in Shopify Plus, you can hope to launch your established business right where it belongs—into the stratosphere. Let's talk today!