How to Choose the Right E-commerce Website Developer

Choosing the right ecommerce website developer to help build and optimize your online store isn’t always as simple as it seems. It can be difficult to know what to prioritize when assessing the skills of each freelancer and firm, which is why some companies make decisions based solely on their budget. 

However, while choosing a developer that you can afford is important, it’s also crucial to ensure you’re going to end up with a good return on your investment. As a company committed to supporting Shopify store owners, developers, and designers, we know how complicated it can be to make the right choice. That’s why we’ve created this guide.

Here are all of the steps you should take when narrowing down your developer options.

Choosing the Right Ecommerce Website Developer: Step by Step

Although ecommerce platforms like Shopify have made it easier for companies to build and launch their own stores, even without extensive experience, demand for developers hasn’t dwindled.

An ecommerce website developer can help you with everything from enhancing the design of your store, and transforming user experiences, to elevating brand awareness with search engine optimization, improving store security, and even customizing website pages. 

Here’s how you can ensure you’re choosing the right developer regardless of your needs.

Step 1: Consider Your Web Development Goals

First, you’ll need to figure out what you want your ecommerce website developer to help you with. Website development can encompass a wide range of things, from designing an attractive and user-friendly website with custom Shopify themes, to integrating your ecosystem with payment gateways and installing new applications. 

To ensure you’re choosing the right developer, it’s important to consider the scope of your project carefully. Do you just need someone to help you optimize an existing Shopify theme and checkout page? Are you looking for assistance with SEO and building domain authority, or do you need an expert with a wide variety of skills. 

Key points to consider when establishing project goals include:

• Support with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and marketing
• Experience with theme, UX/UI, and responsive design
• Expertise in payments and checkout solutions, and security systems
• Knowledge of integrations, apps, and APIs
• Headless development skills 

Step 2: Consider your Ecommerce Website Developer Hiring Options

Just as different ecommerce website developers offer different services, they also provide those services in various ways. If you’re running a large company and you’re looking for comprehensive support, you might need to hire an entire team of full-stack developers and designers.

Some companies automatically assume the best option when they need multiple forms of support is to commission services from an ecommerce website developer agency. This can be a good way to access multiple professionals with different skills immediately.

However, if you have a limited budget, and want more control over the services you access, you might decide to hire one or multiple freelance developers instead. Working with freelancers gives you the freedom to seek out experts that excel in specific areas, and tailor your project to match your budget. You might start by working with backend developers, before accessing support from CMS professionals, SEO marketing experts, security specialists and maintenance providers.

Step 3: Research Your Ecommerce Website Developer

Research is crucial when choosing the right ecommerce website developer for your needs. It ensures you can gain a behind-the-scenes insight into your developer’s skills, their approach to customer service, and even their accomplishments.

Whether you’re sourcing developers through a company like Storetasker, or looking for freelancers independently, the professionals you consider working with should have their own websites or portfolios they can use to share examples of their work with you.

Assess these examples carefully, looking for evidence of crucial knowledge (such as familiarity with headless development). It’s also worth prioritizing developers who already have experience working with companies in your niche. This will help you to choose a professional who understands how to improve conversions and customer experiences for your target audience.

Pay attention to any awards your developer has won for their services, the certifications they’ve earned, and the feedback and reviews they’ve received from other customers. 

Step 4: Look for Familiarity with your Ecosystem

This is a crucial step every company should take when searching for the ideal ecommerce website developer. However, many business leaders fail to recognize the unique intricacies involved in working with different ecommerce platforms, CMS solutions and apps. 

For instance, if you’re building a Shopify store, you’ll need a developer that’s familiar not just with basic ecommerce website development best practices, but also Liquid code and Shopify features. Choosing a developer that has official certifications from Shopify, and experience working with the platform will ensure you can get the right results from your project.

It’s also worth making sure your chosen ecommerce website developer is familiar with the other tools and solutions you use, such as GitHub for versioning, or specific integrations and apps for marketing automation, security analysis and more. 

If you’re not sure whether your chosen developer has the background knowledge required to master your technology stack, it might be worth reaching out to them for more insights. 

Step 5: Determine Your Budget

As mentioned above, budget shouldn’t be the only thing you consider when selecting the ideal ecommerce website developer. Focusing too heavily on finding a professional with the cheapest prices could mean you compromise on things like site security and performance.

However, you’ll still need to ensure you can afford to pay your developer’s rates. Start by looking at the scope of your project, and researching the average cost for each of the types of support you need. Remember, if you’re working with a team of freelancers who offer development services, marketing support, design assistance, and automation expertise, you may need to pay more. 

Once you have an idea of your budget, and the average costs charged by developers and designers, find out as much as you can about the pricing structure that the developer uses. Some experts offer packages of services for a pre-set price, whereas others price their services hourly.

The developer you choose to work with should be able to provide you with a clear quote for your services, and outline exactly what you’re going to be paying for, so there are no nasty surprises. 

Step 6: Communicate Directly with the Ecommerce Website Developer

Ultimately, a website or portfolio can give you a lot of information about what a specific ecommerce website developer can do, and their approach to customer service. However, it’s difficult to decide whether the developer is right for you based on those resources alone.

Contacting your potential developer directly will allow you to ask questions about their experience, request more examples of their work, and access a custom quote for your project. It also gives you a chance to discuss your ideas with the developer, and determine whether they’re a good fit for your team. Arrange a call or video conference where you ask questions like:

• How long do you think this project will take to complete?
• Are there any additional costs that I may incur throughout the project?
• What is the process you would follow for this specific project?
• Who will be my main point of contact throughout the project?
• Do you have any specific credentials that make you ideal for this task?
• Do you have experience working with companies in my industry?
• Is there anything I will need to provide to help you complete this project?
• Can you offer long-term support and maintenance services?

Step 7: Maintain and Build on the Relationship

Finally, after you’ve chosen your ecommerce website developer and they’ve started working on your project, it’s worth thinking about the benefits of maintaining a long-term relationship. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to ask your developer to become a permanent part of your team.

However, regularly communicating with them, following them on social media, and providing feedback can be helpful. A mutually beneficial relationship between you and your developer will ensure you always have someone to turn to when you need help scaling your website, implementing new features to improve customer experiences, or managing technical difficulties.

If you provide useful feedback to your developer, as well as case studies and reviews they can use, they may even offer discounts on future services. Showcasing your website on their social media platforms and sites might also drive new traffic to your website.

Choosing the Right Ecommerce Website Developer

While it’s possible to build and launch an ecommerce website with a platform like Shopify without technical knowledge, you may find yourself in need of developer support in the future. An ecommerce website developer can help transform the functionality and appearance of your store, boost your chances of higher conversions, and improve your brand’s reputation.

The key to success is knowing how to choose a developer that not only matches your budgetary requirements, but also has the skills and experiences you need to achieve your goals.

If you need help finding the ideal website developer for your next Shopify store project, contact Storetasker today. We take the stress out of searching for expert Shopify developers, with our comprehensive community of experts. 

Get in touch and hire your expert today. 

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