How to Choose a Shopify Agency in 2026

Why Your Choice of Agency Matters

Your Shopify agency isn't just building you a website. They're shaping how your customers experience your brand online, how efficiently your operations run, and how well your store performs in search. The gap between a good agency and the wrong one shows up in every metric that matters: conversion rate, page speed, organic traffic, and average order value.

A poorly built Shopify store creates problems that compound over time. Messy code slows down your site, which hurts SEO rankings and conversion rates. A rigid theme setup means every small change requires developer time. Poor information architecture makes it harder for customers to find what they're looking for. And if the agency didn't set up your analytics properly, you won't even know where the problems are.

On the other hand, the right agency builds a store that works harder for you every day. Clean, performant code that loads quickly. A flexible theme architecture that your team can manage. Proper technical SEO foundations that compound organic traffic over months and years. And a genuine understanding of ecommerce, not just web development, that means every decision is made with revenue in mind.

We've rebuilt stores where the previous agency delivered something that looked fine on the surface but fell apart under any real scrutiny. Hidden costs, poor performance, and no strategy behind the design. The investment in getting this decision right upfront saves brands significant money and momentum in the long run. For context on the platform itself, our guide on why brands choose Shopify covers the fundamentals.

Agency vs Freelancer vs In-House: Which Route Is Right?

Before you start evaluating specific agencies, it's worth considering whether an agency is actually the right route for your project. There are three main options, and each has clear strengths and trade-offs.

Freelancers

Freelance Shopify developers can be a good fit for smaller, well-defined projects. A simple theme customization, a single app integration, or a quick design tweak. They're typically more affordable and can move quickly on focused tasks. The trade-off is that you're relying on one person. If they get busy, ill, or disappear, your project stalls. You also won't get the breadth of expertise (design, development, SEO, strategy) that an agency provides. For a straightforward store setup or minor updates, a freelancer can work well. For anything more complex, the risk usually outweighs the cost savings.

In-House Teams

Building an in-house Shopify team gives you dedicated resource and deep knowledge of your brand. The challenge is cost and breadth. A senior Shopify developer in the US commands $70,000 to $110,000+ per year, and that's just development. You'd also need design, SEO, and project management capabilities. For most brands, maintaining a full in-house ecommerce team only makes sense once you're at significant scale and have enough ongoing work to justify the headcount. Even then, many enterprise brands use agencies alongside their internal teams for specialist work.

Agencies

A Shopify agency gives you access to a full team of specialists without the overhead of hiring them all. You get designers, developers, strategists, and SEO experts working together on your project, often with experience across dozens or hundreds of stores. The best agencies bring pattern recognition that no single hire can match. They've seen what works across industries, what breaks under Black Friday traffic, and which app integrations cause problems six months later. The key is finding an agency that's the right size and specialism for your needs, which is what the rest of this guide covers.

Know What You Need Before You Start Looking

The most common reason agency relationships fail isn't that the agency was bad. It's that the brand didn't have clarity on what they actually needed. Before you start reaching out, get clear on three things.

Define Your Project Type

Are you building a new Shopify store from scratch? Migrating from another platform like Magento, WooCommerce, or Salesforce Commerce Cloud? Redesigning an existing Shopify store? Or looking for ongoing optimization and growth support? Each of these requires different skills and experience. An agency that excels at new builds might not be the best choice for a complex platform migration, and vice versa.

Set a Realistic Budget

Shopify agency projects typically range from $7,000 for a simple theme customization to $200,000+ for a complex Shopify Plus build with custom integrations. Having a realistic budget range in mind before you start conversations helps both sides. Agencies can tell you quickly whether your budget matches your requirements, and you avoid wasting time on proposals that are wildly out of range. If you're unsure what to expect, our Shopify pricing guide breaks down the costs involved.

Identify Your Timeline and Priorities

Are you working toward a specific launch date? Is speed more important than perfection, or do you need every detail right before going live? Understanding your own priorities helps you evaluate which agencies are the right fit. An agency that takes 16 weeks to deliver a polished, thoroughly tested store isn't worse than one that ships in 8 weeks. They're just suited to different situations and expectations.

What to Look for in a Shopify Agency

Once you know what you need, here's what to evaluate when assessing potential agencies.

Genuine Shopify Expertise

Shopify has its own ecosystem, its own way of doing things, and its own set of best practices. An agency that also builds on WordPress, Magento, and three other platforms will never have the same depth of Shopify knowledge as one that lives and breathes the platform every day. Look for agencies that are official Shopify Partners, ideally Shopify Plus Partners if you're on or considering Plus. Ask how many Shopify stores they've built, whether their developers are Shopify-certified, and how they stay current with platform updates. Shopify releases major updates regularly, including significant changes to checkout extensibility, Shopify Functions, and the newer AI and automation features. Your agency should be across all of it. For more on what defines a Shopify expert, see our article on what is a Shopify developer.

A Portfolio That Matches Your Ambitions

Don't just look at whether an agency's portfolio is visually impressive. Look for stores that are similar in complexity to what you need. If you're a fashion brand, have they built fashion stores with proper size guides, lookbooks, and returns integration? If you're in food and drink, have they handled subscriptions, shelf-life constraints, and temperature-controlled shipping logic? Industry experience isn't everything, but an agency that understands the specific challenges of your sector can move faster and make better decisions. Look at the live sites in their portfolio, not just the screenshots. Check the page speed, browse on mobile, and go through the checkout. That tells you more than any case study.

Services Beyond Development

A Shopify store doesn't exist in isolation. It needs to rank in search, convert visitors, integrate with your operations, and evolve as your business grows. The best agencies offer a breadth of services that cover the full picture: design, development, SEO, conversion rate optimization, email marketing, and ongoing support and maintenance. This doesn't mean you need to use every service from day one. But knowing your agency can support your growth across multiple channels means you're not constantly onboarding new partners as your needs evolve.

Search and SEO Capability

This is one area where agencies vary enormously, and it's one of the most impactful. A store that's built without SEO in mind will struggle to rank, no matter how good it looks. Your agency should understand technical SEO (site speed, crawlability, structured data), on-page optimization, and how Shopify's architecture affects search performance. In 2026, with Google's AI Overviews and the rise of AI-powered shopping assistants, search is changing fast. Agencies that understand both traditional SEO and emerging search channels like GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) will give your store a competitive edge. Check whether the agency ranks well for their own target keywords. If they can't do it for themselves, they'll struggle to do it for you. For a deeper look at Shopify SEO, see our comprehensive SEO guide.

Technical Depth

Ask about their approach to Shopify's newer technical capabilities. Do they build with Shopify Functions for custom discount logic and checkout rules? Have they worked with Shopify's Hydrogen and Oxygen for headless builds? Can they handle custom app development, complex third-party integrations, and API work? You might not need all of this today, but understanding an agency's technical ceiling tells you whether they can grow with you. An agency that maxes out at theme customization will hit a wall when your business needs something more sophisticated. Our overview of Shopify Hydrogen and Oxygen explains when headless makes sense.

Design and UX Quality

Good ecommerce design isn't just about aesthetics. It's about conversion. Your agency's design team should understand user experience principles specific to online retail: how to structure product pages that reduce purchase anxiety, how to design navigation that helps customers find products quickly, and how to create a checkout flow that minimizes drop-off. Look at the mobile experience of their portfolio sites especially. Over 70% of US ecommerce traffic comes from mobile devices, so a store that looks great on desktop but is clunky on mobile is a failed design. Read our guide on how to design a Shopify website for more on what good ecommerce design looks like.

Matching Your Agency to Your Business Stage

Not every agency is right for every brand, and a lot of that comes down to where you are in your growth journey.

Early-Stage and Startup Brands

If you're just launching, you need an agency that can work within tighter budgets and move quickly. A theme-based build with smart customizations is usually the right approach at this stage. You don't need a $130,000 custom build when you're still validating your product-market fit. Look for agencies that can deliver a professional, conversion-focused store on Shopify's standard plans, with a clear path to upgrade as you grow. The worst mistake at this stage is overbuilding. The second worst is choosing a cheap agency that delivers something you'll need to completely redo in 12 months.

Scaling Brands

Once you've found product-market fit and you're growing, your needs change. You need an agency that understands how to optimize for conversion, how to handle increased traffic (especially during peak trading periods like Black Friday), and how to integrate the operational tools that growing brands depend on: inventory management, order management, CRM, and marketing automation. This is often when brands move to Shopify Plus for features like Shopify Scripts, advanced checkout customization, and better API limits. Your agency should be able to guide that transition and unlock the platform's full potential. Our article on the benefits of Shopify Plus covers what you get with the upgrade.

Enterprise and Shopify Plus Brands

At enterprise level, you need an agency with deep Shopify Plus experience, the ability to handle complex multi-market setups, advanced integrations with ERP and PIM systems, and a strategic approach to ongoing optimization. Look for agencies that have case studies at your scale, that understand B2B and wholesale on Shopify, and that can handle international expansion with multi-currency and multi-language configurations. At this level, you're not just buying development hours. You're buying strategic partnership.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

In our years working alongside (and sometimes cleaning up after) other agencies, we've seen patterns that reliably predict a bad outcome. Watch for these warning signs.

Vague or Unclear Pricing

If an agency can't give you a clear breakdown of costs, or if their proposal is a single lump sum with no detail on what's included, be cautious. Good agencies provide transparent pricing with clear scope definitions, so you know exactly what you're getting and what would constitute additional work. Hidden costs are one of the most common complaints brands have about agency relationships.

No Discovery Process

Any agency that jumps straight to a proposal without thoroughly understanding your business, goals, and technical requirements is a red flag. A proper discovery phase, even if it's just a few structured calls, shows that the agency cares about getting the solution right rather than just winning the contract. At Charle, our discovery process typically involves a detailed requirements workshop before we scope any project.

Template-Only Approach With No Flexibility

Some agencies have a cookie-cutter process: pick a theme, add your logo and content, launch. If that's what you need, it can work. But if the agency can't explain how they'd handle custom requirements or adapt to your specific brand needs, you'll end up with a generic store that looks like dozens of others. Ask how they approach projects that need something beyond a standard theme setup.

No Post-Launch Plan

Launching a store is the beginning, not the end. An agency that treats launch as the final deliverable isn't thinking about your long-term success. Look for agencies that discuss what happens after launch: ongoing support, performance monitoring, iterative improvements, and growth strategy. The best agency partnerships are long-term relationships, not one-off projects.

They Can't Show Results

Pretty portfolios are one thing. Measurable results are another. Ask for specific outcomes from their work: improvements in conversion rate, page speed scores, organic traffic growth, revenue impact. An agency that only talks about design and never mentions performance metrics probably isn't measuring the right things.

Poor Communication During the Sales Process

If the agency is slow to respond, vague in their answers, or disorganized during the sales process, that's a preview of what the project will be like. The sales phase is when agencies are at their most attentive. If communication is already lacking, it will only get worse once you've signed.

The Evaluation Process: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Here's a practical checklist for evaluating Shopify agencies. We'd recommend shortlisting three to five agencies and running each through this process.

1. Initial Research

• Review their website, portfolio, and case studies
• Check their Shopify Partner status
• Look at their own site's performance (page speed, mobile experience, search rankings)
• Read any blog content or thought leadership they publish
• Check reviews on Google, Clutch, or the Shopify Partner directory

2. Discovery Call

• Do they ask detailed questions about your business, or just talk about themselves?
• Can they demonstrate understanding of your industry?
• Do they challenge your assumptions constructively?
• Are they transparent about what they can and can't do?

3. Proposal Review

• Is the scope clearly defined with specific deliverables?
• Are timelines realistic and broken into phases?
• Is pricing transparent with a clear breakdown?
• Does the proposal address your specific goals, not just generic deliverables?
• Is there a clear process for handling changes or additions to scope?

4. References

• Ask to speak with two or three previous clients
• Ask references about communication, timelines, and how issues were handled
• Ask whether they'd work with the agency again

5. Trial or Paid Discovery

• Consider starting with a smaller paid engagement like an audit or strategy session
• This lets you experience the agency's working style before committing to a larger project
• A good agency will welcome this approach rather than pushing for a full contract immediately

Questions to Ask Before Signing

These are the questions that separate a surface-level conversation from a genuinely informative one. Ask all potential agencies these before making your decision.

• How many Shopify stores have you built, and how many are on Shopify Plus? This tells you their depth of platform experience.
• Who will actually be working on my project? Some agencies pitch with senior staff but hand the work to juniors. Ask to meet the team.
• What's your approach to Shopify site speed and performance? A good agency should have strong opinions and specific practices here.
• How do you handle SEO during a build or migration? URL structures, redirects, metadata, schema markup, and crawl management should all be part of their answer.
• What happens if the project goes over budget or timeline? Understanding how they handle scope changes tells you a lot about how the relationship will work.
• Can you show me results from a project similar to mine? Not just pretty screenshots, but measurable outcomes.
• What does your post-launch support look like? Retainer options, response times, and what's included versus what's billed separately.
• How do you stay current with Shopify platform changes? Look for agencies that attend Shopify events, have Partner Manager relationships, and proactively adopt new features.
• What's your testing and QA process before launch? Cross-browser testing, mobile testing, load testing, and user acceptance testing should all feature.
• Do you own my code and assets, or do I? You should always retain full ownership of your store, theme code, and all digital assets.

Custom Builds vs Theme Builds

One of the most significant decisions you'll make with your agency is whether to go with a custom build or a theme-based build. Both are valid approaches, and the right choice depends on your specific situation.

Theme-Based Builds

Starting with a Shopify theme (either free or premium) and customizing it to fit your brand. This approach is faster, more affordable, and gives you access to ongoing theme updates and support from the theme developer. It works well for brands that need a professional store without highly unique functionality. A skilled agency can customize a theme significantly, so the end result doesn't look "off the shelf." The best Shopify themes are well-coded and flexible enough to create a distinctive brand experience. Our round-up of the best Shopify themes covers what to look for.

Custom Builds

A fully custom Shopify theme built from scratch gives you complete control over every aspect of the design and functionality. This is the right approach when your brand needs a truly unique experience, when you have complex product configurators or custom functionality, or when you're at a scale where the investment is justified. Custom builds take longer and cost more, but they give you a store that's built specifically around your customer journey and business requirements. There's also a middle ground: starting with a well-structured theme and heavily customizing it. This gives you the speed and stability benefits of a theme foundation with the flexibility of custom development where it matters most. Your agency should be able to advise on which approach makes sense for your specific needs and budget.

Post-Launch: Why Ongoing Support Matters

The launch of your store is a milestone, not a finish line. The brands that get the most from their Shopify investment are the ones that treat their store as a living product that's continuously improved.

Ongoing Maintenance

Shopify updates its platform regularly, apps release updates, and your own business requirements evolve. You need someone monitoring your store's health, applying updates carefully, and catching issues before your customers do. A good maintenance relationship includes regular performance audits, security monitoring, and proactive recommendations. Our article on Shopify support and maintenance explains what to look for in an ongoing support arrangement.

Conversion Rate Optimization

Once your store is live and generating traffic, the highest-ROI activity is often conversion rate optimization. Small improvements in conversion rate translate directly to revenue without any increase in marketing spend. The best agencies use data-driven testing (A/B testing, heatmaps, session recordings) to identify and fix friction points in your customer journey. For more on this, see our guide on how to improve ecommerce conversion rates.

Growth Strategy

As your brand grows, your store needs to grow with it. New product lines, international expansion, new sales channels, subscription models, B2B wholesale. The right agency partner anticipates these needs and helps you plan for them rather than scrambling to retrofit solutions when the demand arrives. This is where the long-term agency relationship pays off most. An agency that knows your store, your brand, and your business inside out can move faster and make better decisions than one that's starting from scratch on every project.

What to Compare: Key Evaluation Criteria