8 Questions To Hire a Shopify SEO Expert

Looking to Hire a Shopify SEO Expert? 🤓

Powering over 1.7 million businesses in 175 countries across the world, Shopify is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after ecommerce platforms on the market today. To our knowledge here at Karmoon, Shopify has a market share of 23% and ranks amongst the top three ecommerce platforms on the web.

So, what makes the platform such a popular choice for experienced merchants and start-up businesses? Well, Shopify does have several notable features, that play a role in alluring new and pre-existing brands over to the platform.

For instance; an easy setup, flexibility, affordable pricing plans, out-of-the-box marketing tools, smooth operation and hosting-free worries make for an intriguing welcome for merchants to walk into. As rumour has it, Shopify is the top ecommerce platform that online merchants are migrating to according to a report conducted by shopping-cart-migration.com.

However, when it comes to hiring Shopify developers, many merchants are unsure about what they should be looking for. We understand the importance of this choice and it’s only natural that you should want to get things right.

So, what should you ask when looking to hire a Shopify SEO expert? Take a screenshot or make notes of what we’re about to say, as we have curated a list of the most relevant and important questions that you should ask a potential candidate before committing one developer or team to the job.

The Top 8 Questions to Ask Shopify Developers

We’re here to help you find the best talent for the project, so let’s dive into what you should be asking when hiring a freelancer or a team of Shopify developers:

• Are you a freelance developer or an agency developer?
• What is your experience with Shopify ecommerce development?
• Do you know how to optimise a Shopify store?
• Do you have experience with my store’s current theme?
• How will you make my Shopify store unique?
• Do you offer free minor updates and bug fixes?
• Are there any hidden charges involved?
• Do you provide expedited delivery for fast-tracked projects?

So, now that you’ve been introduced to the kind of questions you should be asking, we’re going to walk through each query in further detail to provide some insight into why these questions are important and what you can deduce from the answer given.

N0.1: Are you a Freelance Developer or an Agency Developer?

Shopify developers are available to hire freelancers as well as in an agency as part of a team. Choosing between the two has always been a dilemma for many entrepreneurs, especially where startup businesses are concerned.

The answer to this proposed question is quite simple from the perspective of the developer at hand, but the real question for merchants is who should you go with?

We’d say that if you want help with a handful of aspects in your Shopify store, then you should consider going with a freelancer that has proved that they have the experience and knowledge to complete the job to the perfect standard.

However, if you are looking for a team of experts to handle everything from website design to marketing strategies, going with an agency may be the smarter choice for your business, but it’s down to personal preference and the nature of the project at hand.

No matter you are just starting or you’ve been running a well-established ecommerce company for years on end, choosing to work with a Shopify agency will offer you the chance to keep costs at a minimum. It’s quite common that merchants will seek the assistance of multiple freelance professionals to complete different tasks, but in an agency, one team can take care of everything at one price.

So, instead of running up higher costs, in the long run, a Shopify agency may be the more sensible option considering that a reliable company has been selected. Need we say, it’s still super important to do your due diligence, but by asking the rest of the questions on this list, we think you'll be in safe hands.

N0.2: What is your Experience with Shopify Ecommerce Development?

This might sound like an obvious and basic question, but the answer provided by the developer at hand will lay the foundation of the conversation that follows. In short, this is the question that will help you determine the capability and quality of the Shopify developer.

Custom ecommerce development is very different from building a regular website, which is why you must ask the developer at hand how many years of experience they have, specifically in Shopify development.

It’s also a good idea to get some figures in regards to how many Shopify projects they have worked on to date. We would suggest collaborating with a freelancer or agency that has at least 4-5 years of experience in building custom Shopify stores to ensure that they are a true expert in the field.

Have you found the right candidate for the task? The best way to truly confirm whether you’ve found the right developer(s) is to ask them about the latest project that they worked on. This will open up the conversation and allow further information to flow in regards to their experience and expertise. For instance, you could ask them to explain their role in the project and if they’ve worked on a project that has similar requirements to yours in the past.

Additionally, you’ll be able to understand how well-versed they are with the latest ecommerce trends and technologies and with this information, it’s up to you to decide whether they’re capable of creating something exceptional for your business.

In essence, when you’re ready to hire a Shopify SEO expert make sure that you choose the candidate that eats, sleeps and breathes Shopify, as your ecommerce business deserves the touch of only the most experienced and skilful professionals on offer.

N0.3: Do you Know How to Optimise a Shopify Store?

Nowadays, having more than a basic understanding of search engine optimisation (SEO) has become obligatory for every developer out there and Shopify developers are no exception to this rule.

Just because Shopify is an individual platform in its own rights, true Shopify developers will know how they can make a website perform flawlessly for a business with the assistance of SEO adjustments.

SEO is essential if you want your Shopify store to be found easily by its target audience. You might have already allocated an additional budget for marketing, but you won’t want to miss out on organic traffic. So make sure that your Shopify developer keeps up with the latest search engine trends and updates to make your store is visible upon search.

Furthermore, be sure that the Shopify developer is familiar with all the latest SEO tactics (both technical and content-related) so that you are confident in their ability to build an SEO-friendly Shopify store that will attract a steady stream of organic traffic from search engines such as Google.

N0.4: Do you Have Experience with my Store’s Current Theme?

There are hundreds of Shopify themes on the platform and every single design offers merchants a different set of features to utilise.

From the perspective of a Shopify agency, merchants need to know that not all themes on the platform are the same, as their make-up is different. This is why it is important to ask the developer that you are considering to provide information on whether they have worked on your theme before or at least a similar one in the past.

Clarifying if the developer has experience working on your chosen theme will ensure that they can execute the task quickly and efficiently on your behalf.

Most importantly, seasoned Shopify developers will always answer this question first, but if they haven’t, be sure to ask them, as there is no doubt that any prior experience with your store’s theme will increase your developer’s chances of delivering fast results.

Additionally, there’s no harm in asking whether they could build a custom Shopify theme for your store either! After all, if you don't ask, how will you know?

N0.5: How will you Make my Shopify Store Unique?

With such as vast number of Shopify stores on the internet, many of them will likely sell similar products to that of your business. This means that the need to stand out from the competition is more imminent than ever to survive and be successful in today’s market.

Want to be a leader in your field? You’ll need consistent branding, a USP (unique selling point) and captivating design elements that make your Shopify website memorable for digital users.

Considering the scope of the project at hand, you could ask the developer what particular functionality or features your store would require to be unique. An experienced expert will be able to provide you with valuable advice on this matter. From their ideas, you can judge how well they understand your business and the project’s scope.

N0.6: Do you Offer Free Minor Updates and Bug Fixes?

In the business world, no correction is made for free. However, when Shopify developers fail to include free bug fixes and minor updates in their package, it simply means that they are focusing solely only on money and not the quality of work being produced.

We hate to say it, but the quality isn’t always at the forefront of every developer’s work. To us, that’s like blasphemy, but the point is, minor fixes and updates matter and they will be required from time to time.

We understand that clients do not want to spend a fortune on these updates and that’s understandable. This is why there must be a limit of how many revisions each fix and update is given if a developer charges on a task by task basis. We would suggest implementing a two-three revision limit if this is the case.

If a Shopify developer does not offer any minor updates, this is a clear sign that they will treat every change as a new order and charge extra for simply fixing minor bug issues. Steer clear of such developers as you might require some changes or updates sooner rather than later. Instead, we’d recommend working closely with Shopify experts who do not charge extra for updates and bug fixes.

N0.7: Are There Any Hidden Charges Involved?

Some Shopify developers, may quote an initial price at first and add on hidden costs later upon completing the project. All we’ll say is that being surprised after a project has commenced with additional fees is not the best way to start celebrating that the project is complete.

So, before you hire a Shopify SEO expert make sure there are no hidden costs and your developer or developer team maintains complete transparency for the quote.

N0.8: Do you Provide expedited Delivery for Fast-Tracked Projects?

We hate to say the word “rushed” because this implies that a job has not been completed to its fullest potential. So, we’ll refer to it as fast-tracking, to get our point across.

In today’s highly dynamic and fast-paced world of ecommerce business, time is money. It may sound like a good old cliche from a movie, but it is true. On some occasions, a project may need to be fast-tracked to meet deadlines and get the job done.

Fast-tracking tasks may be something that individual Shopify developers offer less frequently due to insufficient resources to handle projects with extremely tough deadlines. On the other hand, a top-notch Shopify development agency can provide expedited delivery to its clients due to the team of developers ready for you to say action.

Having experience in delivering fast-tracked projects on time and a perfectly adjusted, smooth workflow for such situations the team here at Karmoon is well adapted to focus our attention across multiple tasks at a time, meaning that your project will be sure to push limits with a Shopify store that is above the rest.

In conclusion, the key to creating a successful Shopify store is attaining the right talent to handle all the challenges coming your way. The questions in today’s list are just a few basic queries that you might ask the prospective freelance individual or agency at hand to ensure that they are a highly skilled Shopify professional who can deliver the results that you're hoping to achieve.

Naturally, you should ask as many questions as you can to clarify all of the doubts and insecurities that you may have. By asking the right set of questions, you can differentiate between the good Shopify developers, the better Shopify developers and the best Shopify developers out there.

So, that’s it from us for today. We hope that you have found our guide to the 8 questions you should ask before hiring a Shopify SEO expert useful.

If you’re actively looking to work with a Shopify agency designer or developer to assist you with your business, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us an email to get started!