I am a Shopify designer, so I read hiring messages from the other side. Most of them make the job harder for the person writing them. They say “we need a redesign” and nothing else, and then the replies are impossible to compare, because every designer guessed at a different job.
This is how I would hire one if I were the store owner.
Decide what the job is first
Before you look for anyone, write down which of these you need. They are different jobs with different prices.
- A refresh. The theme stays. The homepage, the product page and the settings get reworked.
- A theme change. You move to a new theme and every page is rebuilt in it.
- Custom work. You need sections or behaviour the theme does not have, and someone writes the code.
- A new store. There is nothing yet, or you are moving to Shopify from another platform.
If you are not sure, that is fine. Say so, and ask the designer which one they think it is. Their answer tells you a lot about how they think. I explain how to tell the first three apart in customise, switch or rebuild.
Designer, developer or both
A designer decides what the customer sees and in what order. A developer writes theme code. Many jobs need both.
Ask the person which of the two they do themselves. Some designers hand the code to a partner. Some developers work only from a finished design. Neither is wrong, but you should know who is doing what before you start.
The full difference is in Shopify designer or developer.
Where to look
There are three usual places.
Marketplaces such as Upwork. You get many replies fast and a payment system that protects both sides. You also get many generic replies, so write a specific brief and ignore anyone who did not read it.
The Shopify Partner directory. Shopify lists the agencies and freelancers in its partner programme. Many of the listings are agencies, so check the minimum budget each one states.
Direct. You find a store you like, look for the credit in the footer or ask the owner who built it. This takes longest and often gives the best match, because you have already seen the work on a real store.
What to send in the first message
You will get better replies, and faster, if the first message has these:
- The store address.
- The theme name, if you know it.
- The three changes you want most, in order.
- What you sell and to whom, in two lines.
- A date, if there is one, and what it is tied to.
- A budget range, even a rough one.
People leave out the budget because they fear being charged up to it. In practice it saves you time. A designer who sees a range can tell you what fits inside it, or that it does not fit, in the first reply.
Do not send your admin login in the first message. Access comes later, as a staff or collaborator account with limited permissions.
What to ask
These questions separate people quickly.
Can I see a store you designed that is live now? A live store beats a mock-up. Open it on your phone, not theirs.
Which parts of it did you do yourself? Design, code, copy, photos. You want a precise answer.
Where will you make the changes? The right answer is a copy of your theme. The live theme stays untouched until you approve.
How will we edit it after you leave? Sections should have their own settings in the theme editor. If every change needs the designer, you have hired a dependency.
What happens to my search traffic? If URLs change, there should be a list of the old ones and a redirect for each. I describe that in how a Shopify redesign works.
What do you need from me, and by when? Product information, photos and approvals are what delay most projects. A good designer asks for them on day one.
What should be in the scope
Before any work starts, you should have a written scope. A single page is enough. It should list:
- which templates change: homepage, product, collection, cart and so on
- what is included for each: design, build, content entry
- how many rounds of review
- who supplies text and photos
- the dates, and what happens if content arrives late
- the price, and when it is paid
- what happens after launch: a period for fixes, and how later changes are charged
If any of these is missing, ask. An argument three weeks in is nearly always about something the scope did not say.
Fixed price or hourly
Fixed price suits a job you can describe exactly: these templates, this many rounds. You know the cost. The designer carries the risk of it taking longer, so the scope has to be tight.
Hourly suits ongoing work and jobs that will change as you go. You pay for what is done. Ask for a weekly cap and a short note of what the hours went on.
Signs to walk away
- They promise a sales increase with a number on it. Nobody can promise that.
- They have not opened your store before quoting.
- They want to work in the live theme.
- They cannot show a live store.
- The quote has no review rounds and no list of what is included.
If you are looking now
Send me the six things from the list above. I will tell you which of the four jobs I think it is, and whether I am the right person for it.
Here is what I do as a Shopify designer and developer, and here is where to start a project.
