How much does a Shopify Developer cost?
July 27, 2021 | Posted by: Immanuel Navin
Introduction
Shopify has 2.1 million daily active users. With a vast global user community, Shopify has emerged as an undisputed leader in the eCommerce world. Millions of merchants rely on Shopify for their eCommerce businesses.
The key differentiating factors that make Shopify stand apart are the platform’s ease of use and ability to create an online store quickly and efficiently. Other benefits include modularity, extensibility, limitless customization options, flexible point-of-sales systems, and omnichannel capabilities.
These value-loaded features have made Shopify hold a whopping 10% share of the US eCommerce market. A recent study states that about 4.4% of the top 10 million websites use Shopify.
Anyone can create an online store on Shopify easily and quickly. But if you want to tap the full potential of the platform to benefit your business, it requires eCommerce expertise, design skills, and a deep understanding of technology and current trends. This is where an expert Shopify developer can make a significant difference.
Hiring a Shopify developer saves you time and money, mitigates the risks of errors, and helps to maximize your website’s performance and results with the right technical expertise and knowledge. Ever wondered how much a Shopify developer costs and what difference they bring to the table? This blog has got you covered.
Takeaway:
- The cost of hiring a Shopify developer can vary significantly based on many factors. In order to achieve your eCommerce goals, it’s crucial to make informed budget decisions after considering those factors.
- In this blog, we will walk you through the different factors that affect Shopify developer costs and how to hire the one that best fits your budget and needs.
Factors affecting Shopify developer cost
Among many factors that influence Shopify developer costs, here are the top 5 key factors:
1. Based on your project type:
The type of your Shopify development project can significantly impact the cost of hiring a developer. For example, in case your project involves simple theme customization or just the basic website setup, it could cost considerably less than full-fledged services like end-to-end design, custom functionality, or Shopify app development.
2. Based on the complexity of your project:
If your project involves complex integrations or requires extensive customization, it costs additional bandwidth and resources for your developer to meet your unique requirements. For instance, your project may involve customizing an existing feature, adding a tailored built-in functionality, or making a complex third-party integration. Consequently, this adds up to your Shopify development costs based on its complexity level.
3. Based on the developer’s experience level:
The kind of developer you hire, their skillset, years of experience, and certifications—all together determine their hiring cost. Based on your project requirements, you might have to hire a front-end developer, back-end developer, or full-stack developer.
- Shopify front-end developers: If you want to enhance the look and feel of your Shopify store, an experienced front-end developer is all you need.
- Shopify back-end developers: If you need help with enhancing the codebase, fixing website bugs or code issues, third-party integrations, and performance optimization, you need to hire a well-equipped back-end developer.
- Full-stack Shopify developers: They possess the best of both worlds: well-rounded expertise in front-end and back-end development. If your project involves full-fledged development from the ground up with advanced features and customization, then you need to have a full-stack Shopify developer on your team.
4. Based on your hiring model:
The model you choose to work with your developer also plays a crucial role in determining the hiring costs. Some businesses make payments for the trade of hours, while others stick to milestone-based payments. Here are the two most-common hiring models popular among Shopify businesses:
Hourly basis: This model suits well for shorter projects. If you have a simple, one-time requirement that can be delivered quickly, or when you want to make quick changes to your website, you can go for hourly plans.
Project-based: When you have a long-term project with recurring or multiple tasks and sub-tasks, it is wiser to choose project-based pricing plans. This cost-effective solution is highly beneficial for website owners and Shopify developers. You can also choose to release payment installments based on critical milestones in the project development.
5. Based on the location:
The location of the developer plays a key role in determining the hiring costs. With the advent of technology and remote tools, it is more than easier today to work with an adept developer from any part of the world. The location of the developer and their country’s payment standards, laws and regulations also impact your Shopify development costs directly.
Other factors:
Here are the other factors that can significantly increase or decrease your Shopify development costs:
- Number of features and functionalities
- Number of products, pages, images, etc.
- Design of the website, themes, etc
- Integrations with other tools, apps, or systems
- Level of support in SEO and content creation
- Hosting and maintenance
- Custom reporting and analytics
- Support in User Experience Design
- Platform migration
- Data migration support
- Additional quality checks and testing
- Accessibility compliance
- Multi-store development
- Custom user roles and permissions
How much does a Shopify developer cost?
Let us take a closer look at how the hiring costs are impacted by the developer’s experience, engagement type, and location in real-time.
Find below the average price ranges for your Shopify development project estimated based on your project scope and its complexities.
| Service | Description | Average Cost | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Theme Development | Design and development of a custom theme for your Shopify store | $5,000-$15,000 | 2-4 weeks |
| Third-Party Integration | Integration with popular third-party apps and services | $2,000-$8,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Custom Functionality Development | Development of custom functionality for your Shopify store | $3,000-$10,000 | 2-4 weeks |
| Theme Customization | Customization of an existing Shopify theme | $1,500-$5,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Shopify App Development | Development of a custom Shopify app | $5,000-$15,000 | 4-8 weeks |
Average Shopify developer cost
The adjoining price chart indicates the rough hourly and overall price ranges categorized based on the Shopify developer’s level of experience and proficiency.
| Type of Shopify Developer | Hourly Rate | Project-based Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Developer | $30 – $50 | $1,000 – $5,000 |
| Mid-level Developer | $50 – $100 | $5,000 – $15,000 |
| Senior Developer | $100 – $200+ | $15,000 – $50,000+ |
Additionally, here’s another price chart estimated based on the developer’s geographical location.
| Location | Shopify developer costs |
|---|---|
| North America | $75-$150/hour |
| Europe | $50-$120/hour |
| Asia | $25-$75/hour |
| South America | $30-$60/hour |
How to hire an expert Shopify developer who fits your budget?
Here are some tried and tested practices to hire a Shopify developer who is budget-friendly as well as committed to delivering first-class work:
Evaluate the Shopify developer’s portfolio
It is essential to assess the trustworthiness and verify the credentials of the Shopify developer before deciding to hire them. This involves going through their body of work, evaluating the performance and stability of their websites, and getting firsthand feedback from their previous clients.
Negotiate rates based on project requirements and budget
In order to make cost negotiations like a pro, you need to be crystal clear with your requirements and budget. Your requirements and budget should go hand in hand. In case there is a mismatch, you should either prioritize your needs to fit your budget, or be flexible with your budget to meet your requirements. Secondarily, you should also be aware of standard Shopify development costs in the industry. This helps you to have the upper hand in the negotiation process.
Look for developers with experience in similar projects
The next step is to hunt for talents who have worked on projects similar to yours. This shortens the learning curve, reduces the time spent on R&D, and speeds up the development process. Working with a developer with deep expertise in your industry is always advantageous. With their previous experience and learning, they can suggest out-of-the-box and novel solutions to resolve your complexities—all at the same cost.
Consider hiring a Shopify development agency
Working with a Shopify development agency has its own merits compared to working with freelance Shopify developers. With an experienced Shopify development company, you get a full suite of services for a fixed monthly cost, including design, development, and maintenance. You also have a dedicated team with the right technical expertise and eCommerce experience to take care of your project.
Hidden costs to consider when hiring a Shopify developer
Another important consideration when planning your Shopify development is its hidden expenses and other unpredictable costs. Here are some possible scenarios that may unexpectedly increase your Shopify development costs at the last minute.
New requirements that are not discussed earlier
During the course of the website development, you may realize the need for a new feature or additional customization that was missing from your price quote. Another possibility is that your developer might suggest a unique solution that adds value to your website. Such unplanned changes cost additional time and add up to the final bill. If you are extending your contract post-website launch and seeking support and maintenance services, that certainly will increase your costs.
Third-party cost revisions
Ecommerce website development involves many third-party services and tools, such as payment gateways, shipping providers, marketing apps, project management tools, etc. These third-party tools may often change their billing policies and prices over time without advance notice.
To avoid any such surprises or unexpected costs, you need to discuss the potential changes in costs of third-party tools and services with your Shopify developer before beginning the project. This will allow you to make informed budget decisions accordingly for any associated costs.
The cost of selecting an inexperienced or unqualified developer
This is the most common problem faced by a vast majority of eCommerce store owners. An inefficient developer without the necessary expertise to build your site may deliver shoddy work or may take a longer time. This can lead to costly revisions and fixes, missed deadlines, lost revenue, and a poor user experience for your customers.
In addition, an incapable developer may not be able to forecast potential issues and risks or may not be familiar with best practices for Shopify development. This can also result in additional expenses.
The cost of fixing issues caused by a poorly executed project
Every phase in the eCommerce development lifecycle is integral to the website’s stability and performance. If the website is launched without proper testing, there may be issues with compatibility that require immediate attention. Or, if the site is slow to load or difficult to navigate, it can also result in a poor user experience and lost revenue. Fixing these issues after launch may require additional resources, time, and budget.
Thus, in order to avoid these unexpected expenses, it’s extremely important to work with a reliable Shopify developer who is committed to delivering high-quality work.
Summing up the advantages of hiring a cost-effective, qualified, and competent developer
- An experienced developer understands your requirements and approaches the entire development process in alignment with your business goals.
- A professional Shopify developer understands the importance of accurate cost estimation and keeps you informed of all sorts of expenses well in advance.
- Working with a developer who has expertise in building robust solutions for Shopify websites enables you to easily achieve your website goals.
- An expert Shopify developer who has a well-rounded experience in eCommerce development suggests the best and most cost-effective solutions for all your needs.
- When you invest your time and efforts in hiring a best-fit Shopify developer for your project, you can take advantage of their proficiency and spend your valuable time on improving your business by having them take care of your website and other technical aspects.
Closing thoughts
The kind of developer you hire for your eCommerce development can make or break your business. So it is imperative to hire the right one who is costworthy as well as capable of delivering quality work on time.
During the hiring process, ensure that you don’t simply trust all the information and testimonials mentioned in the developer’s portfolio. Get references and speak with their past customers to gather firsthand insights into their experience with the developer. You can also consider using an online cost estimation tool to compare to determine whether the estimate quoted by the developer is reasonable.
At TheCommerceShop, we offer best-in-class Shopify development services at industry-best prices. Get a free cost estimation for your Shopify development project, or book a free consultation with one of our Shopify experts.
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