How To Hire Someone To Build Shopify Store in the USA?

Hiring someone to build your Shopify store in the USA can be a great way to get your ecommerce business off the ground quickly and professionally. While you can build a Shopify store yourself, hiring an expert has some key advantages:

Save time: Building a high-converting Shopify store requires an immense amount of work – from design and development to content creation and SEO optimization. Hiring a Shopify expert allows you to focus on your core business while they handle the heavy lifting.
Access expertise: Shopify developers and designers stay on top of best practices, new features, apps, and design trends. They have the specialized skills to build a polished, user-friendly store optimized for sales.
Avoid beginner mistakes: Launching an ecommerce business has a steep learning curve. Hiring a Shopify pro helps you avoid common mistakes beginners make that can sabotage your store’s success.
Get ongoing support: After launch, a Shopify expert can continue supporting your store with maintenance, updates, troubleshooting, and optimizations to help maximize sales.

The key is finding the right Shopify expert for your business – someone who understands your industry, products, and target audience. With the help of this guide, you’ll learn how to hire the perfect partner to build your Shopify store in the USA.

Define Your Ecommerce Goals

The first step when looking to hire someone to build your Shopify store is to clearly define your ecommerce goals. Consider what you want to achieve with your online store. Common ecommerce goals include:

Increased sales and revenue. Do you want to grow your sales by a certain percentage or reach a set revenue target? Defining sales goals will help shape the features and functionality needed in your Shopify store.
Improved brand awareness and visibility. An online store can help get your brand in front of more potential customers. Consider how you want to position your brand in the market.
New customer acquisition. Do you want to reach new demographics or expand into new markets? An ecommerce store makes it easier to acquire customers beyond just your local area.
Better customer experience. Having an optimized, user-friendly store can improve customer satisfaction and retention. Focus on providing a seamless shopping experience.
Cost savings. Selling online can reduce certain overhead costs associated with a physical retail store. An ecommerce store means lower real estate and staffing costs.

Clearly defining your goals will make it easier to communicate your needs and priorities to potential Shopify developers. It will also help align expectations and guide decisions during the build process. Setting ecommerce goals provides a North Star to chart progress and measure success once your Shopify store is live.

Determine Your Budget

When hiring a Shopify developer, it’s important to determine your budget upfront. This will help guide which developers you can realistically afford. The cost to hire a Shopify developer can vary widely depending on their experience level and services offered. Here are some factors to consider:

Developer’s Experience Level – More experienced Shopify developers will charge higher rates, often $100-$150 per hour or more. Less experienced developers may charge $50-$100 per hour. Highly experienced agencies tend to charge even more.
Scope of Work – The more complex the project and number of services needed, the higher the cost will be. Building an entire new Shopify store from scratch will be more expensive than making tweaks to an existing store.
Location – Developer rates can vary based on geographical location. Hiring a U.S. based developer will likely be more expensive than a developer overseas. However, an overseas developer may have higher communication barriers.
Custom Functionality – Any advanced custom work like integrating custom apps or building custom features will add to the project cost. Basic store setup and design tweaks will be cheaper.
Ecommerce Platform – Shopify experts may charge a premium compared to developers with experience on other platforms like BigCommerce or WooCommerce.
Ongoing Support – Will you need the developer’s help optimizing and maintaining the store after the initial build? Ongoing support will require a monthly retainer fee.

To budget properly, be sure you have a detailed scope of work and get multiple quotes. Most Shopify developers will provide a free consultation to discuss your project and provide an estimate. Aim to get quotes from 3-5 developers to compare. Expect to invest at least $3,000-$5,000 for a basic Shopify store build. Complex stores with custom features can easily cost $15,000-$30,000+. Define your must-have features, and trim nice-to-haves if needed to meet your budget.

Find Qualified Candidates

Finding qualified Shopify developers is crucial to building a successful store. Here are some of the best places to look:

Upwork: Upwork is one of the largest freelance marketplaces, with thousands of skilled Shopify developers available for hire. You can post your job and have developers apply, or search profiles and invite them to apply. Be sure to review portfolios, feedback, and hourly rates.
LinkedIn: Search for Shopify developers on LinkedIn and look through their profiles. Reach out to those who have relevant experience and invite them to apply for your project. LinkedIn profiles provide more background on work history.
Shopify Experts Directory: Shopify has a directory of vetted Shopify developers called Shopify Experts. These developers are certified by Shopify and have a proven track record. The directory makes it easy to find experts based on location, skills, and industry experience.

The key is to thoroughly vet any potential developers you find. Review their portfolios to see real examples of their work. Check references from past clients. And interview multiple candidates before making your hiring decision. Taking the time upfront will pay off with finding the right Shopify expert for your store build.

Review Portfolios

When reviewing developer portfolios, you want to look for case studies and examples that are similar to the type of Shopify store you want to build. This will give you insight into their skills and experience with comparable projects.

Look through their portfolio website or LinkedIn profile to find relevant case studies. Do they have experience building ecommerce sites in your niche or industry?
Pay attention to the types of custom features and functionality they’ve built for previous clients. Can they create the custom elements you’re looking for?
Reach out to past clients if possible to get reviews of their work. Ask about their experience collaborating with the developer and the quality of the end product.
Review sites they’ve designed for user experience and aesthetics. Is the design appealing and aligned with your brand image? How easy is it to navigate and find products?
Assess technical capabilities like integrating with fulfillment services, payment gateways, and marketing tools. Do they demonstrate expertise working with the platforms and integrations you plan to use?
Look for clean, well-organized code and optimized sites. This demonstrates attention to detail and best practices.
Consider how up-to-date their skills are with the latest Shopify features, apps, and ecommerce trends. Do they stay current on new technologies?

Thoroughly examining past work and portfolios will reveal the strengths and capabilities of each developer. Prioritize candidates that have direct experience building and launching sites similar to your ecommerce vision.

Interview Developers

When interviewing potential developers, it’s important to discuss their experience, skills, process, and communication style. This will help you determine if they are a good fit for your Shopify store project.

Ask candidates about their specific experience building Shopify stores, including:

How many Shopify stores have they built?
What types of stores have they worked on (ecommerce, online courses, etc)?
Are they familiar with Shopify themes, customization, and APIs?

Discuss the developer’s specific skills in:

Design – Can they help with store theme design and customization?
Development – What is their experience with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Liquid?
Apps and Integrations – Do they have experience connecting Shopify with payment gateways, email marketing tools, etc?

Inquire about their development process:

How do they gather requirements and scope new projects?
What is their typical development workflow?
How do they communicate and provide progress updates?
How do they approach testing, QA, and launch?

Finally, clearly define your project scope, timeline, and communication preferences. Get agreement on:

Project goals, required features, and success metrics
Overall budget and payment schedule
Timeline including major milestones and launch date
Preferred communication channels and frequency of updates

Having an open discussion helps align expectations upfront so the project goes smoothly.

Check References

Checking references is a crucial step when hiring a Shopify developer. Speaking to past clients will provide insights into the developer’s work quality, communication, timeliness, and overall satisfaction.

When checking references, have a list of questions prepared beforehand. Here are some examples of what to ask:

How was the overall quality of the developer’s work? Were you satisfied with the end product?
Did the developer deliver the project on time and on budget?
How well did the developer communicate throughout the project? Were they responsive to questions and changes?
Would you hire this developer again for future projects?
What could the developer improve on? Were there any issues or challenges?

Make sure to get references from the developer’s most recent clients that are similar in size and scope to your ecommerce project. The more references you can speak with, the better sense you’ll get of working with that developer.

Pay attention to any red flags or recurring issues that come up in multiple references. However, keep in mind that no developer is perfect. The key is finding someone who produces high quality work and has good communication skills.

Checking developer references takes time but can save you much frustration down the road. Speaking with past clients gives you added assurance that you’re making the right hire.

Compare Proposals

When reviewing proposals, you’ll want to carefully compare several key factors to determine the best fit for your business. Pay close attention to the following:

Project Timeline

Review the proposed timeline and milestones from each developer. A reasonable timeline is 4-8 weeks for an initial Shopify store build. Be wary of proposals promising unrealistically fast timelines, as it may indicate corners will be cut. On the other hand, excessively long timelines could mean scope creep or lack of focus.

Deliverables

Make sure you understand exactly what is included in each proposal. At minimum, you should expect:

Homepage design
Additional page templates
Custom theme development
Basic SEO optimization
Product pages and collections
Integrations like payment gateways
Content implementation
Testing and QA

Pricing Structure

Pay close attention to how each proposal structures pricing. Fixed bid pricing provides cost certainty but less flexibility. Hourly billing provides flexibility but uncertainty. Other pricing models like value-based can share risk and reward between you and the developer. Understand any ongoing costs for maintenance and hosting as well.

Communication and Project Management

Look for developers who articulate their communication style, project management process, and how they will collaborate with you throughout development. Clear communication and organized project management will lead to better outcomes.

By carefully evaluating and comparing proposals across these factors, you’ll be able to make an informed hiring decision that matches your ecommerce goals, timeline, and budget. Be sure to follow up with any clarifying questions before signing a contract.

Make Your Hire

When you have evaluated candidates and interviewed them, it’s time to make your hire. Be sure to select the right developer for your needs and budget. Here are some tips:

Consider the developer’s experience, skills, and portfolio as they relate to your project scope and goals. A more experienced developer may be better for a complex build, while a newer freelancer can potentially save you money on an MVP.
Review proposals side-by-side. Look at overall cost, timeline, deliverables, and communication plans. Make sure the proposal aligns with your expectations.
Don’t just default to the lowest bidder. Weigh cost against quality. An inexperienced low-cost developer may end up costing you more in the long run if the build is subpar.
However, don’t overpay either. Go with the best developer you can afford within your budget. Negotiate if needed to find a fair price.
Check if the developer will customize the site or use templates. Custom work is often better but costs more. Templates work for simple stores.
Understand how involved the developer will be after launch. Do they offer maintenance and support? What is the cost for continued work?
Request an agreement clearly outlining project scope, timeline, deliverables, costs, and terms. This protects both you and the developer.
Go with your gut feeling during the hiring process. Choose someone you feel comfortable with and confident in their abilities.
Hire slowly and fire quickly if needed. You can always adjust or change developers if the relationship isn’t working out.

Manage the Relationship

Once you hire someone to build your Shopify store, you’ll want to foster a strong working relationship with them. This involves setting clear expectations upfront and maintaining open communication throughout the project.

Set clear expectations and communication practices – Have an initial kickoff call to align on project scope, timeline, milestones, and communication preferences. Agree on response times, meeting cadences, and preferred channels. Document everything in a statement of work.
Provide feedback and guidance throughout project – Don’t just wait until final delivery to provide feedback. Review work regularly and provide constructive input to keep things on track. But also give developers creative freedom within agreed upon parameters.
Celebrate successes – Development can feel like a grind, so celebrate milestones met. This keeps energy and morale high on both sides.
Address issues promptly – If challenges arise, address them quickly through agreed upon channels before they spiral. Focus on solutions vs blame.
Pay promptly – Stick to payment terms in contract. Developers rely on predictable payment schedules.
Leave door open for future work – If satisfied, keep a good thing going by leaving the relationship open for future ecommerce projects.