With Shopify gaining publicity and attention more and more with each passing year, it’s apparent that this is going to be a platform you can comfortably create your online Store.
However, just using the bare minimum and not utilizing everything there is to offer could actually prove to be detrimental to your business. You not only want to keep your content updated, but the developmental side can’t be neglected either.
There are a few things you can do when looking into ideas on how to improve your Shopify Store, increase your traffic, and boost sales.
How Shopify Development Can Benefit You
Site Speed / Optimization
This one is a bit of a given, but there are some things to discuss in this field. While Shopify is an optimized platform, you may not always get the results you want when using speed tools such as PageSpeed. Mobile especially - since it still loads and renders everything on the page, even the most optimized pages may appear slow and in critical need of optimization.
However, you can always optimize it the best you can. When you uninstall an app, some Shopify apps don’t uninstall cleanly; this is when you can get a developer to jump in and look through the code, and make sure everything is fully optimized for your store!
In addition to that, some teams can also audit your site and see what improvements can be made. For example, optimization of imagery, or lessening images on a landing page, to reduce the bounce rate.
Private Apps
Do you want your store to stand out from the rest? Hiring a development team to create a private, custom app, can help. No matter what solution you need, almost everything is possible through a private app - and it’s something that will be unique just for you! Unless API’s are involved, most private apps will be a one-time pay, depending on the development company. If you have an idea on your mind, don’t keep it in!
Front-end Development
While back-end development is important, front-end is just as much so. If you don’t have the finances or ability to have a theme created from scratch, the next best thing is making your store-bought theme shine. With some help from a front-end developer, they can modify most themes to help match your vision - start with some small tweaks, and slowly watch your website progress into the one in your mind!
Look at some of the biggest Shopify Websites, and they all have one thing in common - a very unique and user-friendly landing page. Know the phrase “love at first sight”? This may or may not be true for love, but it is true for websites. This is something to take into consideration. When someone lands on your website, first impressions are everything.
You could benefit from a menu rework, or header and footer. While the Theme Customizer does have strong limitations, more possibilities open up if you get someone to handle the code for you!
Templates
One thing that isn’t used very often is Templates inside of the theme. With products assigned to specific templates, you could create a whole new look depending on the product and collection. This is especially important for those who have a huge variety of items - like if you were to sell Coffee and Beds!
Developers can help create different templates for you to use. They can even be seasonal - need a new template temporarily for a season or holiday, such as Black Friday? Switch it on, and switch it off - as easy as that! Since a template is considered a new “style” or “page”, you can do as much customization as you would like.
Integrations
If you run an eCommerce website, you are more than familiar with Amazon and the popularity they have. It may have even been a motivation for creating your own website. This is one of many integrations that can be added into Shopify, and match your vision. From Google, to Facebook, even to Walmart - if you need something integrated, chances are high that there’s a possibility.
A consultation may be needed, but it’s recommended you don’t hold yourself back. A lot of the larger Shopify eCommerce businesses utilize this, and it can help open up the door to many options and markets.
Is Shopify Development Required?
In short, it isn’t required. You can run a successful business with just the bare minimum. However, depending on your business, you need to take into consideration your competition. With the markets as tough as they are, any little edge you can provide may make the difference between steady and successful growth.
Everyone requires some help occasionally, and there is no harm in looking into custom solutions. Look around and observe the market, and see how you can build your own business comparatively!
We offer Shopify Retainer Plans, and have years of experience and training in Shopify solutions. With our retainer, you can get assistance at any time, for small tweaks to large solutions. Feel free to reach out to us if you have an inquiry!
