Shopify Development Сompanies in United States

Shopify web development companies in the United States

E-commerce is increasingly growing all over the world. If you have any products that you plan to sell, you need an online store. Trading platforms on the Internet are used not only by large retail organizations but also by small local businesses and private entrepreneurs (e.g., craftsmen). To open an online store quickly without any problems, you'll need the help of professionals, such as Shopify developers. What's interesting about this platform, and how you can choose the right contractor - read on to find out.

What Is Shopify

Shopify is a SaaS-based platform that can be called a drag-and-drop online store builder meaning that it offers software as a service. You get a website, hosting, domain name, and a wide list of other useful tools for e-commerce all at once.

It's believed that users are able to create an online store on Shopify independently, without any help from developers, as the platform virtually has any and all built-in solutions and tools you may need for an e-commerce business.

To start selling on Shopify, you need to choose a free or premium theme, set your features (included in the chosen plan), and choose your payment method. Shopify offers a wide range of secure payment options, from credit cards to Bitcoin transactions. Once you upload your products, you can start selling.

Shopify developers often become partners with the platform. Thus, they start creating and selling ready-made premium Shopify website design themes, as well as additional modules and plugins, right on the website.

Shopify advantages are as follows:

• Multiple channels to sell products. You can sell your products on Facebook, Amazon, Pinterest, etc. Alternatively, this can even be your custom mobile app or a brick-and-mortar store with a POS system;

• A "buy" button, i.e. a quick way to the checkout process, can be embedded on any website, including your blog pages, landing page, corporate site, or an affiliate project. Shopify's Buy Button is a lot like PayPal's very popular "Buy Now" button;

• Supports over 100 different payment systems worldwide;

• Works with different currencies and languages;

• High website performance, simple and adaptive SEO;

• Quick and easy to start and use;

• Easy and seamless integration with other systems. You can use Shopify POS (a warehousing and merchant accounting system) to sell your products in person almost anywhere.

Who Should Turn to a Shopify Development Company?

Small companies, which don't have a lot of products to sell, can try to create their own online store on Shopify. After all, setting up a simple website with standard features and free design shouldn't be a problem at all.

However, if you are going to do e-commerce seriously, you may need the following things:

• Recognizable and unique Shopify website design;

• Online store with lots of products, advanced search, and a convenient catalog;

• Integration with various business systems and external services;

• Extended functionality (not covered by the site).

This is where you will need the help of a professional Shopify agency. Experts of such an agency will help create product descriptions, fill your online store with content, think through the necessary promotion methods, and so on. This will save you a lot of time and greatly increase the likelihood of success.

If you want, you can also outsource the subsequent maintenance of your online store. Outsourcing is really helpful since employees of your firm are able to focus directly on sales and receive prompt help (if needed).

How Shopify Web Development Companies Work in the United States

Along with the web development itself, most Shopify development companies will also offer additional services as possible options. During the preliminary consultation process, specialists from the best firms will analyze your business requirements, determine whether the chosen platform is suitable for you, and suggest the best solution.

If you study the list of companies in the rating, you will notice that some of them are engaged primarily in mobile app development while others position themselves as developers of web applications and cloud systems. However, all of them are engaged in Shopify store design.

Once you agree on all the terms and features of the project, the development process starts.

Prototype & Design

When developing an online store on Shopify, the most important stage of the process is design, which should be in accordance with your requirements, corporate rules, and brand features.

All online stores must meet the following requirements:

• A clear and familiar interface;

• Convenient thought-out catalog;

• Easy navigation, product search, and checkout.

In Shopify, navigation and many other elements are standardized, that's why a Shopify web designer works primarily on the creation of visual details. Once the customer approves the appearance of the future site, the Shopify development company creates and uploads a proper theme for the store.

Often, marketplace owners prefer to use ready-made free templates or buy premium themes. In this case, you can immediately assess the way the site will look like. If necessary, you can also make on-the-go changes, e.g. add your company logo or change the color scheme of the template.

Such an approach saves time and money for the customer while sacrificing uniqueness. On the other hand, when it comes to online stores, customers' attention is mostly focused on the goods themselves, that's why considering the approach is quite reasonable.

Adjustments & Improvements

Next, the Shopify development company creates a full-fledged website with all the features that were stipulated in the technical requirements specification. If necessary, additional plugins, payment gateways, and integrations with other software systems are also performed.

As a result, you get a website that is ready to be filled. Now it's time to upload your products and create information pages with proper content. For this, you can use your own employees or hire developers to do it for you.

Website Content

Many agencies, engaged in web development, also offer their content development services. This is quite convenient because you don't have to distract your employees from their main work. Additionally, you also get some other advantages as follows:

• A professional Shopify development company will consider all the specifics of the platform, and therefore, your content will be properly posted and optimized for search engines;

• All product images will also be optimized for mobile devices, which is important for a significant part of users;

• Many developers also offer assistance in developing an advertising strategy and further website promotion.

The best Shopify web development companies in the United States also offer their employee training services and technical support for the online store. Of course, the eCommerce platform also has its own customer support, which is mainly focused on issues related to the operation of the platform itself. Whereas, third-party developers will be able to solve your current issues with the store, e.g. integration with different systems or difficulties that arise with your customers.

How Much Do Shopify Web Development Companies Charge in the United States?

When developing a Shopify store, the project budget is usually based on a checklist of key web development parameters as follows:

• Workload;

• Required add-ons, integrations, and improvements;

• Design type: from scratch or template;

• Hourly rates.

The cost of an hour of a Shopify developer in the US is ranging from $100 to $150 on average. The price can be lower or higher, depending on the necessary skills of the specialist. That said, even a developer with minimal experience can help you set up a regular online store. As for complex fine-tuning, it's best to turn to a Shopify partner.

A premium design will cost you from $50 to $100. Additionally, you will have to hire a designer (if you want to customize your chosen template).

Basically, Shopify project budgets look quite affordable, on average. Almost all companies, listed in the top rankings, are willing to take on projects between $1,000 and $5,000. The main reason is that developers have access to almost all the functionality of the platform, that's why the timing and workloads are often small.

Shopify Pricing

If you choose Shopify, remember that you will need to pay for your store on an ongoing basis. There are three price plans available as follows:

• Basic - $29 per month;

• Shopify - $79 per month;

• Advanced - $299 per month.

For larger companies, there is a maximum extended enterprise e-commerce plan, Shopify Plus ($2,000 per month). You can also try Shopify free for 14 days.

In addition, Shopify takes commissions for each payment (transaction), which should be considered when choosing this platform for your online store.

How to Choose Shopify Web Development Companies in the United States

To understand which agencies will be the best for you, you should clearly define your requirements for the future website. You can choose a company that will create a mobile app for your online store. Otherwise, if you need a simple startup, i.e. a store with a minimal set of features, then it makes sense to choose from cheaper offers.

When choosing your Shopify development company, make sure you follow the tips below:

• Study the portfolio. To understand what kind of websites the company offers, you want to check its case studies. Pay attention to the experience of working with projects similar to yours. Once you know the company is familiar with your business area, you can expect a higher development speed. Consequently, solutions, offered to you by the specialists, will also be field-tested;

• Assess the company's website. In the IT sphere, professional companies will always pay attention to their own website in the first place, as it's basically the business card of the company;

• Request budget calculation. Pay attention to what services are included in the final invoice. Some companies include domain name and Shopify fees in the overall budget, while others don't. You don't want any surprises in the end and may also be offered additional services. Assess how much you really need them and make sure there are no hidden fees;

• Assess the quality of communication. It's important that Shopify development company representatives answer all your questions clearly and in a friendly manner. As for your email requests, the response speed of the company also plays an important role.

Conclusion

In most cases, Shopify web development companies in the United States demonstrate a high quality of performance and strict compliance with the terms of the project, specified in the contract. USA is a very favorable environment for IT developers - this is where the headquarters of many world leaders in software development are located. All this attracts the best experts from all over the world and, of course, customers who seek to get a quality software product.