Help Desk

A: Before you move forward with your Shopify store enhancements, it's best to determine what stage of brand growth you are in, what your biggest road blocks are right now and what your goals are. Below I have noted some common questions brand founders like you are asking at each phase of growing their brand on Shopify. These are general, and the list isn't extensive, but they may help you to qualify yourself for the best path forward so that you can take action in moving the needle for your brand.

Stage 1: Outgrown a DIY Shopify Store

Typical Store Setup:

• Free theme or lightly customised paid theme
  
• Basic app stack installed by you (reviews, email capture, analytics)
  
• Founder-built store with strategy loseley pulled together by the internal team, or with some help from low-cost freelancer
  

Your Pain Points:

• Store feels “template-y” and doesn’t reflect your brand story or quality of your product
  
• Limited conversion strategy → traffic not converting
  
• Inefficient workflows, app bloat weighing your store down
  
• You as the founder are wearing all of the hats – Your time is stretched between ops, marketing, and web fixes that you no longer have the capacity for
  

Questions You Ask:

• “Why aren't my visitors converting into customers?”
  
• “How do I make my store look & feel more professional/Premium?”
  
• "How do implement a more intentional customer journey flow to help people make faster, more educated purchase decisions?"
  
• “Which apps do I actually need?”
  

Services You May Consider:

• Shopify Store Audit (Lite) – You may have a strong brand foundation and consistent brand identity overall, but your store is the only channel that isn't living up to the hype and costing you sales. An audit will help you identify where it i slacking and point you in the direction of the best path forward to tune it up.
  Learn More
  
  
• Shopify Shorts – A flexible service designed for smaller tasks that can make a big impact. Examples of quick wins you could achieve with Shopify Shorts are:
  1. Theme tweaks/custom sections
  3. App setup & guidance
  4. Early UX advice
  Learn More

Stage 2: Semi-Custom Expansion (Growth Phase)

Typical Store Setup:

• Paid Theme or free Theme with light customisations tacked on over time
  
• 10+ apps, potentially some overlap or inefficiencies
  
• DIY design looks cute, but no longer feels premium enough. There is little UX/UI consideration tailored to your customers shopping habits
  

Your Pain Points:

• You feel your store looks less polished than competitors
  
• Navigation and customer journey feel clunky
  
• Noticing a conversion plateau (traffic growing thanks to marketing efforts, sales not scaling in step)
  
• Tech stack costs are rising, but your ROI is unclear
  

Questions You Ask:

• “We’ve outgrown our current store and haven't invested in professional ecommerce strategy or design before — what’s the next step?”
  
• “Should we migrate to a new, performance-optimised theme?”
  
• “How do we shift our positioning from the breakthrough brand gaining traction to the market disruptors whose online store exudes elegance and permanence?”
  
• “Are we using the right platforms and integrations for scale?”
  

Services You May Consider:

• Shopify Shorts – A flexible service designed for smaller tasks that can make a big impact. Examples of targeted improvements you could achieve with Shopify Shorts are:
  1. Custom UX/UI Design & Theme tweaks
  2. Migration to a new, more suitable Theme
  3. App feasibility checks & clean up
  4. International expansion support
  Learn More
  
  
• Complete Shopify – New Shopify Theme Template setup (built on my in-house, semi-custom Theme). Inlcudes a website strategy workshop, customised design mockups, and tech stack exploration.
  Learn More

Stage 3: Full Custom Shopify Build (Scale Phase)

Typical Store Setup:

• Heavy reliance on apps or fragmented solutions
  
• Design language not fully integrated with brand identity
  
• Need for unique features, complex catalogues, or advanced UX
  
• The brand is ready push the boundaries and show up as a market leader
  

Your Pain Points:

• Stock themes feel limiting with no guidance for a considered customer journey flow
  
• Store performance suffers from tack-on customisations + app bloat
  
• Brand needs a digital flagship to match market position
  
• Global expansion or wholesale requires custom functionality
  

Questions You Ask:

• “Is it time for a completely custom store that we have full control over?”
  
• “How do we reduce reliance on apps with custom solutions for store functionality, fine tuning our tech stack and keeping apps for third party integrations only?”
  
• “How do we future-proof our store for growth?”
  
• “How do we scale internationally with Shopify Markets and introduce localised shopping experiences?”
  

Services You May Consider:

• Custom Shopify – Full design & development of a completely customised Theme, conversion optimisation strategy, assistance with store logistics and
  bespoke integrations (such as subscriptions, loyalty, wholesale portals).
  Learn More