Questions to Ask Shopify Developers: What to Ask Before You Hire a Shopify Expert

Making the decision to hire a Shopify expert sounds simple in theory. 

You think “I’ll just find someone who knows their stuff, give them the brief, and then just sit back and relax.” But then you start looking. Whether you’re searching for an agency, or a freelancer, you end up knee-deep in profiles, portfolios and promises that sound too good to be true. 

And you start wondering: Am I about to waste a ton of money?

I’ve been there. More than once. I’ve seen brands spend thousands only to end up with a broken cart, or worse, a gorgeous homepage that tanks conversion. Not because the developer was bad, necessarily, but because they just weren’t the right fit.

Ultimately, hiring the best person for your Shopify project starts with one thing: asking the right questions. Which questions? Glad you asked.

Here’s my personal, behind-the-scenes guide to the top questions to ask Shopify developers before you sign that project contract. 

Before You Hire a Shopify Expert, Ask Yourself This

First, let’s start with the questions to ask yourself – before you even speak to a Shopify expert.

The first one: “Why are you hiring a developer in the first place?” 

It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many store owners start browsing freelancers without really thinking through what they need. Some want a brand-new store from scratch. Others are looking to clean up a clunky theme, add subscriptions, or speed up a slow checkout. Some just want to stop fiddling with Liquid code at 2 a.m. when they should be sleeping.

If you’re clear on what you’re trying to fix (or build), it’s way easier to figure out who can actually help. It also means you’re less likely to hire someone great at one thing, like custom apps,  when what you really needed was a CRO-focused front-end dev.

Here are a few quick questions to ask yourself before reaching out to anyone:

• What do I have right now, and what do I need?
• Where are my biggest roadblocks (design, development, marketing, etc)
• Is this a one-time project, or an on-going deal?
• What’s my time-line and budget?

Even having basic answers to those can save you hours of back-and-forth, and help you avoid hiring someone who isn’t actually set up to solve your problem.

The Questions to Ask Shopify Developers Before You Hire

When you’re trying to hire a Shopify expert, you’ll probably start with the basics.

• “How long have you been doing this?”
• “Do you have any examples of past work?”
• “Are you available to start next week?”

All fine. But not enough.

You want to figure out if this person actually understands Shopify. Not just how to move blocks around in the Dawn theme, but how ecommerce works, what drives conversions, what breaks a site during a promo weekend, and how to prevent you from emailing support at 10 p.m. when your cart won’t load.

Here are some of the most important questions to ask Shopify developers - with a quick breakdown of why they matter.

How much of your work is Shopify-specific?

This sounds like small talk, but it’s not. Shopify has its own language (Liquid), quirks, and logic. You don’t want someone whose main experience is WordPress or general frontend dev,  not unless you’re okay paying them to learn on your dime.

Can you walk me through one or two projects you’ve done?

Skip the flashy screenshots. Ask for a story. What problem did they solve? What went wrong? What would they do differently? You’ll learn way more from how someone talks about their work than from looking at a pretty homepage.

What parts of that project did you personally build?

It’s common for freelancers (especially those with agency experience) to show off projects they contributed to, but didn’t fully own. That’s not a dealbreaker, just make sure you know what role they played.

Do you work with Liquid and Shopify APIs?

If you’re doing anything beyond basic theme edits, this matters. If they’re unsure what Liquid is, that’s a red flag. Same goes for someone who’s never touched the API, especially if you’re working with custom features or third-party tools.

How do you handle performance and page speed?

Slow sites lose money. Period. In fact, one study showed a 32% increase in bounce rate when page load time jumps from 1 to 3 seconds. Ask how they keep your site fast without stuffing it full of unnecessary apps or oversized images.

Have you built stores like mine before?

Selling candles is not the same as selling fitness programs or high-SKU apparel. Ask if they’ve worked in your niche,  at least something structurally similar.

How to Vet a Shopify Developer’s Process and Communication Style

Let’s say you’ve found someone who ticks all the technical boxes. They’ve built solid stores, worked with Liquid, know how to keep things loading fast, and they’ve even done projects in your niche.

Now it’s time to start asking questions that help you figure out if you can actually work with that person. You want to know how they work, not just what they can build.

Here are the key questions I ask to get a feel for someone’s process:

What’s your workflow like from start to finish?

This question tells you a lot. Do they have a clear system? Do they talk about timelines, checkpoints, or how they deliver updates? Or is it more like, “You send me the details and I’ll get started”? You’re not looking for a Gantt chart. Just enough structure that you’re not wondering what’s happening mid-project.

How do you usually stay in touch with clients?

This is one of those small things that can snowball. I’ve worked with amazing developers who preferred Loom and async Slack update,  and others who wanted a weekly Zoom call. Neither is wrong, but mismatched communication styles can be surprisingly frustrating. If you hate back-and-forth voice notes and they live on WhatsApp, that’s something you want to know now.

What tools do you use to manage your projects?

Trello, Notion, Google Docs, ClickUp, whatever. You’re just trying to avoid the freelancer who tracks everything in their head and loses the updated file because it got buried in their inbox. Even a simple task list is better than nothing. Some Storetasker developers, for example, invite clients to shared boards or Google Sheets so both sides can keep track of work and revisions.

What do you need from me to get started?

Great developers will ask you for more than just a vague idea. They’ll want assets, access, context, and business goals. If someone just says “send me your login and I’ll take a look,” that’s a sign they might be flying by the seat of their pants.

How do you handle changes mid-project?

Things change. You might want to tweak a layout, add a feature, or change direction halfway through. That’s fine. What matters is whether your developer can adapt without falling apart, and how they communicate changes in scope or pricing.

Are you available for post-launch support or future work?

Even small projects sometimes turn into ongoing relationships. A developer who knows your store, your setup, and your goals is gold when you need help down the line. Ask if they’re open to a retainer or future gigs.

Technical Questions to Ask Shopify Developers

Let’s talk about skills.

Not just “Can you code?” It’s worth digging into the deeper stuff that affects how your store performs, how your theme holds up over time, and whether your customers actually convert when they land on your site.

Here’s a list of questions for Shopify freelancers that go a little deeper, without turning it into an interview from a dev bootcamp.

Have you handled store migrations to Shopify before?

If you’re coming from WooCommerce, Magento, or another platform, this is a must. Migrations can get messy, fast. A smart dev will have a clear checklist: 301 redirects, product data mapping, theme rebuilding, third-party app syncing, SEO preservation. If they fumble this answer or gloss over data integrity, it’s a risk.

Do you prefer to use apps or build features into the theme?

Apps are great, until you have 18 of them running scripts on every page. A good developer knows when to use a lightweight custom solution instead of an app,  especially for things like upsells, product tabs, or simple popups. Ask if they’ve ever replaced a $49/month app with a bit of clean code. That’s usually a sign they’re thinking long-term.

Have you worked with Shopify APIs or custom integrations?

This one matters more if your store needs something more complex, like subscriptions, custom checkout flows, syncing to inventory tools, that kind of thing. If they’ve never touched an API, that’s probably a no-go for more advanced builds.

Can you explain how you structure your code for future updates?

You don’t need to read the code yourself, but you do want it to be clean and understandable. If someone else has to take over in six months, will they be able to figure out what’s going on when Shopify changes again? Or will it be a mess of quick fixes and band-aids?

Do you think about conversions when you build?

This is the wildcard. Some developers are strictly “build what I’m told” types. Others have worked closely with marketers or CRO specialists and can offer suggestions to improve flow, layouts, CTAs, and customer journey. If your dev says something like “I always think about first-click load speed, CTA visibility, and keeping key actions above the fold,” that’s a great sign.

How do you optimize Shopify stores for SEO?

A fast store is great, but it’s only part of the puzzle. If no one can find your products on Google, you’re leaving money on the table. Ask how they approach SEO fundamentals: meta tags, structured data, alt text, schema, and load performance, especially Core Web Vitals. Tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs should be in their toolbox.

What do you do to secure Shopify stores?

It’s not just about SSL certificates. Ask what steps they take to ensure secure checkouts, protect customer data, and comply with GDPR or local laws. They should mention things like using trusted payment gateways, avoiding insecure third-party scripts, and Shopify’s native security features.
Also? Look at their past stores, are they all HTTPS? Any sketchy popups or sketchier plugins? That’ll tell you plenty.

Talking Budget Before you Hire a Shopify Expert

At this point, you’ve found someone with the skills, communication style, and technical chops to handle your project. The next thing you’re probably wondering is:

“So, how much is this going to cost me?”

The short answer? It depends. The longer (and more useful) answer is that Shopify development pricing is all over the place, but it can be predictable once you know what you’re paying for.

Here are some key questions to ask Shopify developers about pricing. 

What’s included in your quote, and what isn’t?

You don’t want to assume that post-launch tweaks are “part of the build” unless that’s clearly agreed upon. Same with QA testing, mobile optimization, or integrating third-party apps.

How do you handle scope creep or extra revisions?

Things will come up. A good developer will build some padding into their pricing, or be transparent about how extra work is priced. The bad ones? They’ll send you a surprise invoice mid-project.

What happens if the timeline changes, on either side?

Let’s say you delay by two weeks. Does that mess up their schedule? Are they still available? This stuff matters, especially if you’re coordinating a product launch, promotion, or event.

Do you offer ongoing support, and how is that billed?

Once the build is done, do they disappear? Or can you keep them on-call for things like seasonal updates, bug fixes, or performance tweaks? If they offer a monthly support option, ask how many hours are included and what kind of tasks it covers.

How do you handle bug fixes and post-launch updates?

Things break. Apps conflict. A Shopify update changes how your checkout behaves. You’ll want someone who doesn’t ghost you when it happens. Ask whether they offer free fixes for 30 days or charge per request. More importantly, find out how quickly they respond to urgent issues.

Red Flags to Watch for When Hiring a Shopify Developer

Okay, so we’ve talked about the questions to ask a Shopify developer, but what should you be looking for in their answers? 

I’ve had clients come to me with horror stories, money spent, projects half-finished, themes bloated beyond repair, you name it. 

So here are a few things I listen for when trying to vet a Shopify developer:

• Vague answers; If you ask, “How would you improve our product page speed?” and they say, “I’d have to look into it,” that’s not a great sign. You’re not looking for a full audit on the spot, but they should be able to speak to strategy.
• All style, no substance: A beautiful portfolio doesn’t mean much if all they did was install a theme and swap in some photos. Ask what they built. Ask how it performed. Ask if they tracked conversions or site metrics post-launch.
• Too many buzzwords: “Pixel-perfect,” “clean UX,” “scalable ecomm architecture”, none of these mean anything unless they’re tied to real work. If someone’s trying to sell you with fluff, they probably don’t have the case studies to back it up.
• Reluctance to explain their work: If they get defensive or weirdly vague when you ask about past projects, or seem annoyed by basic questions, move on. A great developer doesn’t mind walking you through how things work, even if you’re not technical.
• Shockingly low prices: If someone offers to build your full site for $400, they’re either brand new or outsourcing the whole thing. Either way, you’re probably going to pay for it twice, once to build it, and once to fix it later.

A final pro tip: look at their testimonials. But not just IF they have them, look at what those clients actually say. Are they saying, “Great work, super-fast” or are they saying, “Helped us launch a store that doubled our conversion rate and saved us $300/month in app costs”?

Bonus Questions to Ask Shopify Developers

I’ve hopefully covered all of the essentials at this point, but I wanted to leave you with a few bonus questions you can consider asking, if you want to reveal a little more. These questions can help for those moments when you’re torn between a couple of candidates -unsure which direction to move in:

What’s a recent Shopify feature you’re excited about?

This is a great way to check how close they are to the platform. Someone who’s working in Shopify every day will probably mention something relevant, like metaobject flexibility, or the new checkout extensibility changes. If they say, “I haven’t really looked at updates in a while,” that’s worth noting.

If you had full creative control, what’s one thing you’d improve on our site?

This helps you see how they think. You’re looking for someone who’s got ideas, not just someone who does what they’re told. Even a quick suggestion like “Your product pages are solid, but your filtering is holding you back on mobile” tells you they’re paying attention.

How do you stay current with Shopify updates and best practices?

Shopify moves quickly. Themes change, features launch, APIs get deprecated. A developer who stays current will probably mention following Shopify’s developer changelogs, working on live projects weekly, or being part of active Slack groups or communities. If their answer is vague, it could be a sign they’re behind the curve.

What’s a project you turned down recently, and why?

This one’s sneaky good. It tells you what their boundaries are, how they make decisions, and whether they’re selective about taking on work. If they say they turned down a project because the scope was unclear or the client was rushing a complex build in a week, that’s someone who values doing the job right.

The Smarter Way to Hire a Shopify Expert

Knowing which questions to ask a Shopimfy developer before you hire is an important first step. 

You’re choosing someone to build, improve, or optimize the part of your business that makes money. That means it’s worth taking your time. Remember, you’re not just looking for skills. You’re looking for someone who communicates well, cares about results, and makes your life easier, not more complicated.

If you’ve got someone like that already, amazing. If not, there are ways to make the search easier.

I’ve worked with a lot of developers over the years. Some great, some not-so-great. And I can say this: the reason platforms like Storetasker exist is because most business owners don’t want to spend two weeks sorting through 30 proposals and hoping one sticks.

Storetasker only works with vetted, Shopify-focused freelancers. That means if you submit a project, you’ll get matched with someone who already knows the platform, and has actually delivered results for stores like yours.

It doesn’t mean you won’t ask questions. But it does mean you’ll be talking to someone worth asking.

Ready to dive in? Get started with Storetasker today. 

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