Shopify

five major lessons for future theme development:

"It must work for everyone! And it must take into account a large number of factors." "Get fresh opinions from other designers. Do not try to do everything yourself." "Listen to customers and list their needs. They will help you understand what's missing, what could be done better, and what can be an idea for your next theme." "Discuss with other theme designers. They will have a lot to say, and the Shopify Themes Team is great." "Be patient. Sometimes you need a lot of time to make things perfect and understand precisely what is not working."

how can partners earn revenue

- Converting a development store into a paid plan - Signing up new merchants using an affiliate link - Upgrading existing merchants to Shopify Plus

the primary benefits of hosted ecommerce platforms can be divided into three distinct areas that every online business owner is concerned about.

- Less complex and faster to market By going with a hosted ecommerce platform, clients will have: The opportunity to start selling quicker. Hosted platforms offer a simplified store setup process and easy day-to-day management, through robust content management systems (CMS) that are uncommon when compared to their open-source counterparts. An all-in-one commerce solution. Merchants receive native hosting, shopping cart functionality, and sales channel integrations with no additional fees or extra work. That can save significant time and financial investment that would otherwise exist with open source platforms. - Ready to adapt and grow Store optimization is not only part of the launch phase, but is also an ongoing requirement for many online business owners. Hosted ecommerce platforms offer several advantages for optimization compared to open-source options, including these key benefits: Easy access to extensions. These can be quickly built to a client's specification through robust third-party apps and integrations. An ever-evolving product. Hosted platforms like Shopify host hundreds of thousands of stores, and regularly push new improvements to ensure all sites built on Shopify conform to industry-leading best practices. - simplify store maintenance Hosted platforms simplify store maintenance so that entrepreneurs can focus on what matters — running and growing their online businesses. In general, most hosted ecommerce platforms offer merchants: A team behind the business. Going hosted means the client often gains access to 24/7 technical support (as is the case with Shopify) and ongoing platform maintenance to reduce downtime and keep online businesses running smoothly. Industry-leading security. Hosted platforms look after SSL certification, security patches, and more, to ensure the client can rest easy knowing their business and customers are secure.

How to respond to a request for proposals

1. A response to specific requests Make sure any document directly responds to each point raised in the request for proposals, to demonstrate a clear understanding of the project objectives. Although the client wants to know about a supplier, that is not their primary focus. Their primary concern at this point is the proposed solution and the supplier's capability of delivering it. That should be the focus of the document. Do include information about yourself, but address the proposed solution first. The benefits that Shopify can provide clients are a useful sales tool during this initial proposal. Those benefits include: Easy store management 24/7 support Flexibility to grow with their business Security and reliability Ability to sell across many platforms online, offline, and on mobile 2. An outline of your working methodology Be sure to outline the final deliverables, as well as the process for producing them. Having a well-articulated working methodology gives prospective clients confidence in the supplier's ability to deliver, and manages expectations about how the project will work. 3. Testimonials, references, and case studies Whenever possible, include testimonials, case studies, and references from previous projects. Allowing prospective clients to speak to former clients can significantly increase confidence in a supplier's ability to deliver. When choosing previous work to showcase, look for examples that: Are from a similar sector or vertical Are similar in size or maturity Demonstrate your ability to have a considerable impact Include merchants who have faced similar challenges This is particularly important if the supplier has chosen not to do speculative design work. It is also an additional reason to specialize in ecommerce, as it will help to quickly build a portfolio of similar projects. 4. Provide multiple pricing options Finally, offer multiple options. People appreciate choice, and that should be reflected in your proposal. Typically, a proposal should have one option that comes in at their stated budget (if you know it); one that is less expensive, but with more limited functionality; and one that is more expensive with additional testing or functionality. It is possible to go a step further and allow clients to pick and choose what to include. Some elements will need to be mandatory, but others could be entirely optional. Shopify's ecosystem of apps and various levels of plans make this kind of modular approach relatively straightforward to adopt.

humanity

A similar problem arises with copy that lacks a sense of humanity. It is essential that copy feel conversational and personable. If it does not, the user feels they are interacting with a faceless corporation, and that undermines trust. As a general rule, it's best to lean towards a personal, open, and matter-of-fact tone. As users become exposed to and aware of manipulative online techniques, they routinely warm to a more honest, human approach. Copy is not the only consideration when creating compelling calls to action. Our next chapter outlines how design plays a critical role as well.

Scoping and pricing Shopify projects: Defining success

A supplier needs to understand what success looks like from the client's perspective. This includes not only the functionality or deliverables, but also what business goals they have for the project. A client can become unhappy despite the supplier delivering what they requested if that deliverable fails to meet their business goals. To achieve the client's business goals and to specify what the site needs to do, it is also necessary to understand the end user's objectives. If the user cannot complete the intended task, the site has essentially failed, and the client will not achieve their goals. It is worth noting that at this early stage of the project, only limited information on these areas will be available. That means that assumptions must be made. Asking the client questions up front can mitigate this problem, but it is wise to include a discovery phase in the proposal to allow further research.

screen real estate

Although obvious, the benefit of creating big, bold calls to action cannot be overstated. Size does have a significant impact on visibility, and by extension on conversion rate. That said, size is not just about being eye-catching. A large call to action offers a secondary benefit too—it allows for the introduction of more compelling messaging.

provide positive reinforcement

As soon as a user clicks a call to action, it is essential to confirm the user's commitment to convert and encourage them that this is a positive step. One way of doing this is to show testimonials from happy customers alongside the checkout process. Another might be to add copy reinforcing benefits of buying the product.

core Shopify

Basic Shopify: Perfect for starting a new business. Shopify: Everything a client needs as they grow their business. Advanced Shopify: Includes the advanced features that clients demand as their business scales. Shopify's pricing page lays out all of the differences between each level. However, the primary differences are in advanced features and pricing structure. Here are some helpful tips for determining which plan is the best fit for your client: Choose Basic Shopify for clients with a relatively low sales volume. With this plan, they will pay less per month, but slightly more per transaction. Choose Shopify for clients who require features including gift cards or professional reports. Shopify is also a good choice for clients whose traffic levels are growing, because this plan lowers the cost per transaction. Choose Advanced Shopify for sites with a large number of transactions, and for clients that require advanced functionality such as advanced report builders and calculated third-party shipping rates. The Shopify tiers outlined above tend to work for the majority of clients. However, some clients have needs beyond what can be offered by Shopify's core offering. In those instances, consider Shopify Plus.

Ecommerce creates repeat business

Because there is such a clear relationship between investment and financial returns, clients are often happy to spend money on their ecommerce site. That means ecommerce clients become an ongoing source of revenue. Repeat business such as this is good for cash flow, but also has the benefit of a lower cost of sale. Unlike new work, existing customers do not normally require a full proposal and pitch process. This increases profitability.

Which of the following will not maintain your status as an 'active' partner in order for you to keep receiving revenue share?

Becoming a collaborator on an existing store

Preparing to pitch

Before the meeting, take the time to do some research on the organization and people attending. Reviewing their existing website is a great way to learn about the company itself. If they have an existing store, this can also help identify areas of improvement. As mentioned, always aim to speak to the client in advance of the meeting. Any direct contact is an opportunity to discuss the project, but also a chance to ask questions about the meeting. In particular, ask: How long is the meeting scheduled for, and is that timeframe flexible? Do they expect a formal presentation? How is the meeting structured? For example, is there a time slot reserved for presenting, followed by a time for questions? Who will be attending the meeting? If possible, find out attendee names and their roles.

Shopify's developer documentation

Both in-depth and general technical information and documentation Guides and tutorials to assist in store setup, configuration, and custom development

Bluegg

Character.com had a complex online store, with a number of Magento integrations, thousands of products, and solid SEO rankings not to be messed with. Despite its crummy UX, mobile experience, and site navigation, the business's client base were loyal and loved the products. But not only did the team get a double dose of ecommerce education with the re-platforming, they also helped improve the site's overall conversion rates by 40 percent, and watched Character.com upgrade to a Shopify Plus plan only three months after the relaunch.

positioning

Correctly positioning a call to action can have a significant impact on visibility and in turn conversion. However, positioning is not merely a matter of displaying a call to action high on the page. There are other factors to consider as well. This approach to scanning favours the left-hand side of the page over the right. That means a call to action often performs better on the left than the right, even if it is lower on the page. Another factor that will improve conversion is positioning the call to action in the central content area. That is because this is where the user's attention is primarily focused. Users are interested in the content of the page, and so give it considerably more attention than headers, footers, or sidebars. A call to action placed in the flow of the main content will often outperform the same call to action placed in the header or high on a sidebar, even if the call to action is lower on the page. In fact, in some situations, it is preferable to place the call to action lower on a page. As was discussed in the 'timing' section, choosing the time to ask users to act can have a significant impact on conversion. In some situations, this may mean waiting for just the right moment. The best solution to this problem is to run some heatmap software on a site to get a sense of how much users are scrolling on critical pages and where their attention lingers.

Shopify's Plus Partner team will evaluate your suitability based on your:

Cultural alignment with the Shopify brand Quality of work Reputation within your industry Internal resourcing Sales success

Shopify lite

Customers looking to experiment in the world of ecommerce may want to start with Shopify Lite. This plan is designed to help customers sell products on their existing website or via platforms such as Facebook and Messenger. Shopify Lite is a solid starting point for first-time merchants, and is a low-risk option at only $9 USD per month. Most clients, however, should consider the core Shopify product because of the additional functionality it offers.

Create a sense of positive progression

Depending on the call to action, completing the conversion process may require the user to take many steps. It may require providing extensive personal and financial details, or making various choices to do with the configuration of the product itself. Whatever the case, this kind of process increases cognitive strain and the chance that a user will abandon the process, even after reducing the necessary steps to the bare minimum. Fortunately, users are more likely to complete a conversion process if they feel a sense of momentum. In other words, they are more likely to complete the process if they feel they are making positive progress towards the end goal. Do not wait until a user submits a form to validate it and tell them whether they have been successful. Instead, reassure them by providing positive feedback as they enter each field of a form, something that is easy to achieve thanks to Shopify's inline form validation. Also, give them a sense of how far through the process they have progressed and how much further they have.

your business will be categorized as

Depending on the services you provide and the work you specialize in, your business will be categorized as either a Plus Technology Partner, Plus Agency Partner, or Plus Solutions Partner.

Risks and rewards

Displaying a newsletter signup overlay the moment a user arrives on a site will lead to a poor conversion rate. The user will not have had time to look around the site to decide whether they want to sign up. Asking people to share content on social media or complete a survey are best left until the user has completed their primary task. Asking users whether they want to add batteries or some other accessory to an order makes sense at the checkout stage, but pushing an entirely different category of product does not.

Mohammadu Mifras (CEO of Shoptrade, Inc.)

During the course, Mohammadu learned about freelancing. Up until this point in his life, he hadn't really heard of freelancing or considered it a career option that could support him.His first attempt at freelancing was by mistake, in fact. A friend needed help hosting his website, and when the hired freelancer couldn't deliver on the services promised, Mohammadu jumped in and figured out how to do it himself. Around the same time, a friend who was a graphic designer encouraged him to try out freelancing, and so Mohammadu learned more and more about Internet hosting. He eventually created a Fiverr account, and worked small jobs, reselling hosting packages and setting up SSLs for clients.After a while, a client approached him asking for a WordPress build, and while he had done little website setup at this point, he decided it wasn't anything he couldn't teach himself. Slowly but surely, he learned about ecommerce and was approached to set up OpenCart and Magento sites. The early days were a steep learning curve for him, in large part because he found coding tough and relied on his knowledge of integrations and theme customization to get the job done. ut when a client from Florida approached him through UpWork about building an ecommerce site on Shopify, it was like a whole new world suddenly opened up."It was kind of cool, because I struggled with all the other platforms that I was working on before," he explains. "It was hard to even find solutions online. But when I started working on Shopify, it was easier, and I could actually find solutions."Mohammadu was helping customers from around the world set up their ecommerce stores, providing basic theme customization and integrations. He decided to sign up with the Shopify Affiliate program in summer 2015, and sent an email that marked a pivotal moment in his career.He reached out to Vargab Bakshi, the Shopify Partner Manager for India and South Asia, and asked how the commissions per sale worked with the Affiliate Program. After chatting with Mohammadu a bit, Vargab instantly realized his potential, and asked that he consider joining the partner program."To be honest, I wouldn't have joined Shopify Partners if it wasn't for Bakshi," Mohammadu says."He explained why I was better suited to the partner program. He truly guided me and helped me with my business."Within a year, his life had completely changed. In April 2016, he became a Shopify Expert, and now charges anywhere from $300 to $1,000 USD per project. His revenue in October alone was $6,000 USD — an increase in income that has truly transformed his life in Sri Lanka.

additional e-commerce services

Ecommerce also opens up a wealth of additional revenue streams. For example, beyond the basic store setup, clients often need help with: Product photography Customized functionality Task automation Performance optimization Integration with third-party systems Search engine optimization Digital marketing

Ecommerce allows efficiencies in build

Ecommerce sites are more profitable than other builds for another reason too. Every ecommerce site has many similarities. They share many user interface elements (such as shopping carts, product pages, collections, etc.), and have similar back-end functionality. Tools like Bootstrap for Shopify, and the plethora of other development resources available to Shopify Partners, make it quicker and easier to build ecommerce sites and increase profit margins. The similarities between ecommerce projects can increase efficiency and reduce development cycles. It is possible to speed up the creation of ecommerce sites using frameworks, pattern libraries, themes, and plugins. This efficiency provides an opportunity to increase profit margins or price projects more competitively (depending on market demand).

Scoping and pricing Shopify projects: Defining and estimating tasks

Estimating how long a project takes is a laborious but necessary process involving a breakdown of all required tasks. The level of detail to which a supplier breaks down the tasks will depend on their level of experience. If they have worked on similar projects before, then it will not be necessary to estimate every individual job. That is because they will have learned from previous experience approximately how long something like a checkout process takes to create. However, if they are unsure, it helps to break the functionality down into more granular tasks, as it is easier to estimate shorter activities. or example, writing a proposal will require estimating how long it takes to create items including: Product and collections Search results The shopping cart The checkout process Additionally, there are many other elements to factor into an estimation. Those include: Project management Bug testing Integration with third-party services or external software Marketing and SEO Domain registration Branding Usability testing Operations strategy Email notifications setup These kinds of activities are easy to overlook and end up eroding profit margins. One solution is to create a checklist of commonly recurring services that appear in proposals.

Continually communicate during delivery

Even once the conversion process has been completed, there is still a danger that the user backs out. Users may have unrealistic expectations around delivery, or could simply change their mind. We can reduce the likelihood of this happening by communicating with them regularly during that vulnerable period. This kind of communication should provide positive reinforcement, but more importantly, a sense of control. Making a purchase creates anxiety. Our natural response to anxiety is to control the situation. However, when we are passive players, merely waiting for delivery, we do not have that option, and so our anxiety grows further. We can create this sense of control by providing users with information about what is going on. If we provide people with information, they feel a sense of control and that reduces their anxiety.

The Basic Shopify plan allows a merchant to have 2 staff accounts. A merchant on the Basic Shopify plan wishing to give a partner access to their store will not be able to do so if they have 2 active staff accounts already.

False

positive reinforcement works because

First, the consistency principle states that people have a strong psychological need to be consistent with prior acts. In other words, if they are seen to commit to a process, they feel a need to follow that process to its conclusion. By simply acknowledging the fact that a user has begun a process, they are more likely to complete it. For example, when a user clicks to make a donation on the Children of Bethesda website, they are immediately thanked, even though they have not yet completed the process. The act of thanking them acknowledges the fact that they have committed to the process and so encourages them to complete it. However, this is typically a high-stress moment for users, especially when it comes to making a financial purchase. As was covered in the introduction to design psychology, people are loss averse. They feel the emotional impact of parting with a payment twice as much as they do the positive feelings associated with making the purchase.

two main types of platforms for ecommerce business owners:

Fully hosted ecommerce platforms Open source ecommerce platforms Shopify is a fully hosted ecommerce platform and provides distinct advantages over open source ecommerce platforms. These are benefits that require explaining to prospective clients so they can compare a hosted solution with the approach proposed by competitors.

imagery

Imagery is considerably easier for people to process than text, reducing our cognitive load. As a result, our attention is unconsciously drawn towards imagery. This phenomenon is even more exaggerated if the imagery contains people in general and faces in particular. We are programed to pay particular attention to faces, and so tend to skip directly to human features when they are displayed on a page. It is also necessary to consider the content of the imagery. Visual cues in the image itself can either draw the users attention to or away from the call to action. For example, if the image contains a person, we will tend to follow that person's eye line. If they are looking towards the call to action, that is where we will look. If they are looking away from the call to action, the chances increase that it will be missed entirely. This does not just apply to images containing people. It also applies to any element within an image that indicates direction or flow. That might be as obvious as an arrow pointing, or as subtle as some architectural detail drawing the eye in a specific direction.

Shopify plus

It allows partners to support clients who want functionality such as internationalization or complex discount rules. Shopify Plus will also help partners work with clients who expect a superior level of customer service. Shopify Plus customers are assigned a Launch Manager to help deal with site migration and development. They also receive priority 24/7 support and have access to a Merchant Success Manager to help ensure the ongoing success of their store. There are four types of clients who tend to be best suited for Shopify Plus: Existing Shopify clients, or those using a legacy or custom platform, looking for extra speed and advanced features. Clients that have lofty growth expectations or more substantial online revenue and who have a proportionally larger budget for design and integration. Clients that are brand-conscious or targeting a luxury/niche market and have exacting expectations in design and marketing. Clients who have complex requirements and need for integration. Typically this involves integrating with in-house enterprise systems and other back-office systems.

Understanding the customer journey

It is a journey involving discovering a need, researching options, placing an order, receiving a delivery, and even after-sale support. This journey often happens over an extended period and can involve many visits to an ecommerce site.something primarily achieved through customer journey mapping and user research. Tagging people who visit the site through the use of cookies can also help. The result of this extensive buying cycle is that it may be necessary to present users with different calls to action at different points in the journey. Consider that all orders are not equally valuable to those running ecommerce sites. A Shopify merchant may want to push users towards a particular product that offers a higher margin or up-sell additional items to increase the average order value.

Which of the following is truest of becoming a Plus Partner?

It is beneficial for Partners working with enterprise level merchants

contrast and color

It is possible to use color to draw attention to a call to action, by contrasting the color of that call to action with the rest of the website. For example, if the predominant color scheme of the website is blue, then using a different color will help the call to action stand out. That said, one global consistency is that using a contrasting color will have the most visual impact. In other words, try to select a color on the opposite side of the color wheel to the primary color of a site.

collaborator accounts

Managed stores are stores that, while owned by a merchant, you would have access to as a collaborator. For this purpose, Shopify has created collaborator accounts. These accounts provide a simple and secure way for partners to gain access to, and work on merchant stores. With collaborator accounts, partners can request access to a merchant store and merchants can set the permissions of the partner.

Which of the following is not found on your Partner Dashboard? Affiliate tools Development stores Referred stores merchant analytics

Merchant analytics

Clients rarely cut ecommerce expenditure

One of the first areas they cut is marketing spend, and in the eyes of many organizations, this includes the website. However, that does not apply to an ecommerce website. Unlike most websites, clients can see how an ecommerce site generates revenue. That means any business specializing in ecommerce will continue winning work in tough economic times. There is also a higher likelihood of repeat business, as clients launch additional online stores, or optimize existing ones.

Partner ecosystem

Partners further that goal by providing products and services to enhance the merchants' experience with Shopify. - Design and build products - Create brands - Set up stores (both ecommerce and retail) - Launch, manage, and scale businesses - Increase sales and revenue

earning as a theme partner

Partners will earn a revenue share of the one-time price for each theme that they sell through the App Store.

Shopify Plus Partner benefits

Plus Partner Directory Shopify Plus Partner sandbox stores Shopify Plus Partner Managers Shopify Plus support

Plus Technology Partners

Plus Technology Partners address the unique complexities of enterprise-level merchants and help develop the next generation of retail for high-growth, high-volume companies and brands.

Shopify Plus support

Plus merchants are well supported by Shopify's internal team and often interact with Solutions Engineers, Launch Managers and Merchant Success Managers. Partners working with Plus merchants have the added benefits of working with these other roles and leaning on their expertise to better serve their clients.

Shopify Help Centre

Product information and use cases Platform and business best practices and guidance

Your company is asked to help a client set up a store on Shopify's basic plan. Which option provides you the best revenue share?

Setup a development store and transfer ownership to them

Shopify plus

Shopify Plus ensures that partners can migrate and support high-volume, high growth merchants on the Shopify platform.

Clients can rest easy knowing their business is safe

Shopify incorporates industry-leading security features into every product, including 256-bit SSL certificates, Level-1 PCI compliance, and 99.9% uptime with 24/7 monitoring — allowing clients to breathe easy knowing their business, and customers, are always protected.

The flexibility to grow with your client's business

Shopify is entirely agnostic to design and front-end technology. With full storefront customization, no product limits, and over 1,500 apps, Shopify Partners are well equipped to cater to client requests. Apps are particularly powerful. They offer additional benefits to clients including: Additional functionality for storefronts, such as product reviews, pop-up shops, chat functionality for customer service, and more. Extensions for the Shopify admin, including enhanced reporting, shipping options, inventory management, and more. Integrations with the most popular third-party business software, including Omnisend, QuickBooks, Xero, and more.

revenue share

Shopify rewards partners by providing revenue share for referring new merchants to the platform, or developing and selling Shopify products like apps and themes.

partner blog

Shopify's Web Design and Development Blog provides design inspiration, development tips, skillbuilding tutorials, and business insights for anyone working as a freelancer or agency in the web design or development space. Solutions to common issues and challenges facing partners can usually be found in this content.

cookies

Storing necessary information on users in cookies cached on their computer can help us tailor the timing of calls to action better. For example: If no cookie is found, there is a good chance the user is visiting the site for the first time, and it might be worth emphasizing the newsletter sign up If a user has previously visited a specific category of products, then the call to action should focus on selling products from that category If the user has made a purchase in the last few days, then emphasizing order tracking is appropriate

Benefits and features

Successful marketing teams have often focused on the benefits of a product, rather than its features. They emphasize how a product will benefit the consumer and improve their experience, rather than simply listing the product's features. Focusing on benefits is a sound approach because it does not require the user to think too hard to understand how those features benefit them.

An organization that provides custom integration apps for its own product (through the Shopify App Store) is an example of what type of Shopify Plus Partner?

Technology Partner

Online communities

The Shopify Community Forums provides partners the opportunity to engage with other Shopify Partners, merchants, and Gurus. The forum is an ideal place to discuss ideas, ask and answer questions, and establish yourself as an expert in the Shopify ecosystem.

Shopify makes store management easy

The Shopify platform is designed to make things as easy for clients as possible. That reduces the amount of training needed, and the number of support queries you will receive. However, most importantly, it will give clients confidence. Not only is the system easy to use, but Shopify merchants also receive support via in-depth documentation, online forums, and educational content. Shopify offers more sales channels, payment gateways, and integration products than any other ecommerce provider. They also allow worldwide shipping. That is a compelling case that will impress any client.

Scoping and pricing Shopify projects: Pricing the project

The first decision to be made when pricing a project is the pricing model. Although there are many potential models, from value-based pricing to revenue sharing, in most cases the choice will be between fixed price or an estimate. A fixed price project involves the supplier delivering the agreed deliverables for a specific price that does not alter. First-time clients often prefer a fixed rate because they want the reassurance that the supplier will deliver within the agreed budget. The downside of fixed price projects is that they carry a risk for the supplier. Projects often include unforeseen complications that can increase the time and effort required, and estimates can also be misaligned with the client's requirements. The result of this is that when quoting a fixed price project, the supplier often adds some contingency to their quote to cover these unknowns. The client will end up paying a premium for the peace of mind that comes from having a fixed price. The alternative approach is to provide an estimate for the project and then charge an hourly rate for work done. This way of working requires a higher degree of trust from the client, and is often easier to sell once the client has had a chance to get to know the supplier. The advantage of charging only the time incurred is that no contingency is required; ultimately this can save the client money. Where possible, encourage clients to work on a time and materials basis, rather than fixed cost.

Scoping and pricing Shopify projects: mitigating risk

The following sections outline some of the common risks and suggested approaches for risk mitigation. Dependencies In the majority of web projects, success is dependant on factors that will be outside of the supplier's control. That could include the client delivering product content by a specific deadline, or technical dependencies regarding access and integration with third-party services. When preparing a proposal, make sure these dependencies and assumptions are identified, and that the impact of a failure in these areas is made clear. For example, what will be the consequences if the client doesn't deliver content on time? Scope creep Additional features and functionality requests often surface when the project is underway, and the price has already been agreed upon. Clients do not always realize or accept the impact that these new requests can have on the timeline and costs. To avoid this becoming a problem in the middle of a project, outline a process for dealing with change requests in the proposal. This process should be aligned with your project management methodology and the client's needs; it can include ways to prioritize features and the costs associated with increasing scope. Approval process There will be various points in a project where the client's approval will be required. Typical examples of this include design sign-off or content approval. These milestones can often prove problematic, and can lead to missed deadlines and reduced margins. To avoid these problems, you and your client should decide on approval points in advance, and outline how decision making should happen. For example, with design, suggest an approval process and timeframe for review. Keep in mind that the more stakeholders involved, the longer approval will take. Payment terms Finally, make sure the proposal lays out payment terms for the project and includes consequences (generally in the form of late fees) for late payments. In most cases, it is wise to take a deposit up front, and for more extended engagements to ask for payment at regular time intervals (e.g. monthly) or at milestones throughout the project. Final payment generally comes upon completion of the project.

Shopify themes

The standard for themes published on the Shopify theme store is very high and the number of themes accepted is small. Adhering to Shopify's theme requirements, and differentiating your theme from others in the theme store, is essential to having your theme accepted.

The following features are available to all Shopify merchants, regardless of plan type:

Themes: Access to more than 100 out-of-the-box responsive, fully customizable, and professional store themes available from the Shopify Themes Store. Apps: Access to more than 1,000 extensions of the core Shopify functionality to meet specific merchant needs available from the Shopify App Store. Shopify Point of Sale (POS): Integrations between in-person and online retail using Shopify POS, including a free card reader. Channels: The ability to sell the same product across multiple sales channels, including social media and online marketplaces, while maintaining a centralized inventory on Shopify. There are more than 20 Sales Channel Integrations. Buy Button: The ability to extend Shopify's ecommerce capacity to other online properties. The Shopify Buy Button lets merchants generate an embeddable product card and checkout that can be placed on any type of website. Analytics: Shopify provides all plans with an actionable dashboard of sales, orders, and traffic so that your clients can make informed decisions about their business.

remove distraction

There are good reasons why Shopify removes all unnecessary user interface elements by default once the user begins the checkout process. Users can easily be distracted at this crucial moment in the conversion funnel, and so it is essential to focus them entirely on completing the process. It is tempting to use this opportunity to up-sell additional items or bundle in other calls to action such as newsletter signup. However, each of these elements adds another choice, thereby increasing cognitive load and the likelihood that users abandon the process. In fact, any screen element not directly associated with completing the conversion process increases the cognitive strain placed on the user. Individually, these additions have a minor impact, but collectively they add up, making it more likely that the user gives up. That is especially true when the targeted audience is already under pressure from other sources (such as workload or family distractions), or when there are more straightforward competitor sites only a click away.

ways to specialize in e-commerce

There are many ways to specialize. Some specialize in the services they deliver. Those services can include WordPress builds, brochureware sites, or mobile applications. Others specialize in the type of client they work with. This could include target audiences of charities, universities, or healthcare. It is even possible to combine specializations to focus on providing even more specific services. One such example would be building mobile apps for the charity sector. Becoming an expert in ecommerce projects has enormous potential for increasing sales and building a successful business as a freelancer or agency.

Credibility

There is a growing trend online towards increasingly exaggerated claims in an attempt to grab users' attention. Often referred to as clickbait, this kind of copy will undermine conversion in the long term. Although it is true that attention-grabbing headlines do indeed grab attention, it comes at a cost if those headlines are unable to deliver on their claims. This kind of copy undermines trust, which is a crucial ingredient in encouraging conversion. If a company exaggerates in their copy, users worry that the company will also overstate the value of their products or services. Striking balances between competing priorities is a recurring problem when writing copy. It also applies when balancing the need to promote a product's features with the benefits it offers.

budget discussion with client

They fear that if they reveal their budget, suppliers will quote that amount, even if the project may cost less in reality. Take the time to explain that there is no single solution to their request for proposals, but rather their investment will impact the quality of the final product. It can sometimes be useful to draw an analogy to something tangible, like homes or cars. The client does not want suppliers proposing a sports car if they can only afford a minivan.

Crafting careful copy

This need to write copy that encourages conversion can lead to short-term thinking. A failure to keep this in check can result in exaggeration and verbose copy, which in turn leads to buyer's remorse and undermines conversion in the long term. Learn from the example of Innocent, who write compellingly concise and straightforward copy for their products. They avoid the mistake of writing large blocks of copy that nobody reads, and instead make great use of bullets to summarize key selling points.

quick search

This search presents tools, actions (e.g. "Create A Development Store"), blog content, and help documentation in response to your keywords.

Clarity and conciseness

To aid clarity while supporting scannability, introduce structure into the copy. Make use of headings, sub-headings, lists, pull quotes, and other typographic aids to break up larger blocks of text and allow users to quickly identify the parts of text relevant to them. This means content does not just need to be scannable; it must also be relevant. Resist the desire to repeat a critical selling point in an attempt to emphasize it to the user. Instead, draw attention to that point through typographic design. This keeps content short and focused. Also, be careful to keep copy focused on addressing users' concerns. Users will quickly lose patience with copy that they perceive as sales material if it fails to answer their specific questions. By focusing on the customer's questions, rather than the merchant's agenda, you build trust with the audience and show them that the company values their business.

Events and awards

Unite is a multi-day conference for Shopify Partners of all types and specializations. Unite celebrates the shared accomplishments of Shopify Partners, and provides insight into the future of the Shopify platform. Pursuit is a full-day conference organized by Shopify that is dedicated to sharing lessons on how to be a successful Shopify Partner. This full-day conference is great for Shopify Partners looking to learn from one another. Shopify Partner events and meetups are a range of events tailored to our existing partners, or those interested in learning more about the Shopify Partner Program. These events are organized by existing Shopify Partners, and allow partners, and merchants to network, share ideas, and collaborate with one another. Shop Class is an open format experience that invites entrepreneurs (existing and potential Shopify merchants) to experiment, learn, and build together with Shopify. By attending Shop Class, partners can share their experience, learn along with merchants from Shopify staff, and network with entrepreneurs in the community. The Shopify Commerce Awards recognize the visionaries who are taking commerce to new heights and redefining the way people sell online. Categories range from design, to user experience and user interface design, to apps and development, to marketing and branding. You must be a Shopify Partner in order to apply for the competition, and if you're submitting any client work, you must have permission from the Shopify merchant.

Trust and tone

Whatever the call to action, it will almost certainly involve a great deal of trust on the part of users—trust that you will deliver on your promise, trust that you will keep their data safe, and trust that you will respect the boundaries of the agreement. Building trust is therefore a critical component in encouraging action, and one that is shaped by numerous factors, including copy. However, the trustworthiness of the copy is not merely about its truthfulness. It is also about the tone of voice. In the context of ecommerce, copy can come across as manipulative, impersonal, and aggressively pursuing a sale. Using language that encourages action, such as 'buy today' or 'last chance', often increases conversion. It is also true that emotionally charged wording such as 'breakthrough', 'astonishing', 'groundbreaking', or 'innovative' tend to grab attention. That kind of persuasive copy will drive short-term conversion because it resonates with people on a subconscious level. However, that can come at a cost. Users are increasingly aware of these techniques and resent them. That can lead to an undermining of trust that often damages repeat orders and word of mouth recommendations.

How to connect with the prospective client

When choosing a partner, a decisive factor for the client is whether they like and trust the agency or freelancer. Although this trust is primarily established through personal rapport during initial meetings, it is never too early to start building a relationship with potential clients. Take the earliest possible opportunity to arrange a call with the prospective client to discuss their needs. Ask questions and discuss options. Most of all, express empathy to build the beginnings of a relationship. It will make any pitch meeting much more manageable. in either case, it is essential to proceed with caution. Clients with whom it is hard to communicate present additional risk. It is harder to understand their needs and provide an accurate quote. In short, a lack of communication in the sales process can easily lead to challenges related to scope misalignment during the implementation. Carefully weigh the risks versus benefits before deciding to work with such clients. In some cases, it may be preferable to decline the invitation to tender. When the decision is made to proceed, make sure there is a contingency in the pricing of the project to mitigate any risk that might arise from working within these constraints. If direct contact at this stage isn't possible, we recommend you engage the client in other ways, even if only via email. Asking questions and understanding requirements is an indispensable part of the sales process.

Reject upfront, unpaid work

When explaining this to a client, use the following talking points to describe why speculative design is damaging: Any design created at this stage would lack a thorough understanding of the user or requirements. It would therefore likely be inappropriate as a final solution, and as such, a wasted effort. Companies that offer speculative design have to cover this expense and therefore add that to the cost of their projects. That means clients ultimately pay for their upfront design and the designs of every other project that the company failed to win. Speculative design bypasses the typical design process, including user research and business analysis, and therefore lacks any user feedback or validation. Any design produced at this early stage would not have the client's valuable input. This input is fundamental to ensuring the right solution. Make sure to offer alternatives for the prospective client to assess your capability. This could include speaking to existing clients, sharing your portfolio, or reading references and case studies.

negative space

When it comes to the prominence of a call to action, the absence of competing elements is as powerful as a well-designed call to action itself. Users often spend less than nine seconds assessing a page. That limited attention means that every element on the page potentially detracts from the call to action. One response is to reduce the number of screen elements, as taken to the extreme by the Google homepage. However, on an ecommerce site, this approach can only go so far before the page's value and purpose are impacted. An alternative approach maximizes the amount of space immediately around the call to action. With nothing else to latch onto, attention is drawn to the call to action.

How to sell your clients on Shopify

When pitching to clients, focus on features and functionality so they can relate the software to their business needs. When the product functionality is reinforced with "bottom line" benefits, as well as the potential impact the product can have on their business, the value of hiring your firm becomes much more evident to the client. When selling features, you should craft a story that helps merchants relate it to operational efficiencies, revenue increases, and business growth.

animation

When used with care, animation is a powerful tool for grabbing user attention. In a static environment like a webpage, we are programmed to notice even the most subtle movement. Simply put, movement draws our attention. Like imagery, animation can be a dangerous tool if misused. Continuously looping animation can prove distracting, increasing cognitive load and preventing users from focusing on other messaging. The effectiveness of animation can also be significantly undermined when it is used too often. Users become blind to it and filter it out. Animation is best used with subtlety. Avoid looping animation, but instead, trigger it on load or when users scroll. If it does loop, ensure that there is a long gap between loops.

request for proposal

When working with established clients, leads often arrive in the form of a request for proposals (RFP), or a request for information (RFI). RFPs and RFIs vary widely. Some are nothing more than an email inquiry. Others consist of dense documents dozens of pages long, requiring those responding to provide a vast variety of information. How one responds to a request for proposals will be dependant on the nature of the brief itself. If there is a detailed request for proposals, the response should be equally comprehensive. However, if it is an informal email, the response should be similar in tone. The request for proposals provides many insights into the reader's expectations of the reply. After reading a request for proposals, identify areas that require clarification. These questions are often related to client expectations, or whether they would be open to alternative approaches better suited to their needs. These discussion points provide a unique opportunity for the service provider to offer additional value to the client.

Earning as an app developer

Your app can be priced using a one-time or subscription fee model of your choosing. Partners will earn a revenue share of the one-time price or recurring subscription fees for each app that they sell through the App Store. While the pricing of the app is left to the developers' discretion, it should accurately reflect the app's all-in pricing. There should be no hidden fees.

Maestrooo

a high-end design and development studio, founded in 2013 by Axel Bouaziz and Michaël Gallego in Paris, France. It specializes in Zend Framework 2 development, as well as front-end development, UI/UX design, and branding. Maestrooo is one of the few Shopify Plus Partners doing client work as well as creating themes and apps, and are known for their Shopify themes Focal and Kagami. very selective about their clients and only works with top tier brands. They never outsource client work and they never do requests for proposals. Their particular recipe for success has worked well for them: Maestrooo now makes 25 times the revenue they made in their first year, by setting very simple rules and demanding the best of themselves and those they work with. "We only do fixed pricing. Whether it takes us less or more time, it costs the client the same amount. This reassures them, and it also aligns interests," They do not think of themselves as an agency and do not want to take on a large quantity of clients. Instead, they focus on two things to grow: Increasing the price of their fixed-price services every year Not negotiating on price

Shopify Plus Partner Managers

act as frequent points of contact for Shopify Plus Partners. They can be involved in the sales cycles and are dedicated to your business development. Shopify Plus Partner Managers help you to: Align your offering with Shopify Find and retain top-tier accounts Develop and refine your services and offerings

partner priority support

allows partners to jump to the head of the queue for email ([email protected]), chat, and phone support (1-866-752-0324). Priority support can help you troubleshoot technical issues, navigate the partner platform, and answer any general inquiries.

Shopify Plus Partner Program

an invite-only program, where potential applicants are vetted on a partner-to-partner basis. Shopify's Plus Partner team recruits partners and companies who have provided significant contributions to the Shopify ecosystem and/or have proven experience delivering solutions to high volume, high growth merchants. best suited for well-established studios and agencies who already serve enterprise clientele. Some Shopify Plus Partners may start off as Partners, while others enter the program directly based on the size of merchants they already serve. Longevity as a Partner is not a key requirement of this program

Shopify Partner Academy

an online training and certification program offered exclusively to Shopify partners. The program offers courses centered around key topics to help Partners grow their business (both on and off Shopify), diversify their offering, and deepen their knowledge. The curriculum is centered around two themes: - Products: knowledge of the Shopify platform and its diverse service offering - Business: know-how required to be successful as a Shopify partners

how can you become a contributor to the blog

by submitting ideas, suggestions, and/or guest posts.

Shopify Plus Partner Program

comprised of top-tier partners handpicked for their demonstrated ability to deliver best-in-class service and support to high-growth, high-volume merchants. Any partner can work with any Shopify Plus merchant; however, the Shopify Plus Partners Program is exclusive and tailored. Only Shopify Plus Partners will receive leads and opportunities to work with Shopify Plus Merchants. To maintain their status, Plus partners are expected to work closely with their Partner Manager in order to grow their businesses and continue to deliver high quality products/services to Plus merchants.

Partner support: tools, resources and services

events and awards

App developers

extend the functionality of the Shopify platform by developing and selling apps on the Shopify App Store. Partner apps address a variety of merchant needs that are more specific or particular than what is offered by Shopify's core product. To facilitate the app development process, Shopify offers many tools—APIs and SDKs—to app developers. In order to be published on the App Store, apps need to meet strict requirements, and developers must assume responsibility for performing bug fixes and/or necessary updates.

Shopify Plus Partner, you will earn revenue share

for any Shopify Plus merchants that you refer

Shopify Plus Partner sandbox stores

free environments that partners can use to learn, test and preview the features of Shopify Plus. These environments contain all the functionality of the Shopify Plus plan (with a few restrictions). You can use these environments to learn how to build on Shopfiy Plus, or to demo the features of Shopify Plus to a client. you cannot change ownership of a sandbox environment, nor can a sandbox environment be activated on a subscription plan.

development stores

free sandbox environments containing all the functionality of the Shopify Advanced plan (with a few restrictions). You can use these environments to develop custom themes and apps, or set up a store for a client. - no limit to this number

affiliate partner

gets paid for referring new merchants to Shopify. Affiliates are frequently entrepreneurs, tastemakers, influencers, and/or visionaries who are capable of inspiring their audience to use Shopify products through a variety of means (e.g. blogging, publishing, social media). The majority of successful affiliates introduce merchants to the Shopify platform through education, and offer courses focused on Shopify entrepreneurship or ecommerce. While some Shopify partners specialize in education, other types of partners can also earn additional revenue through affiliate marketing (e.g. agencies who have a large social following, ecommerce consultants, industry thought leaders). anyone can apply to become an affiliate

fundamentals series

help you understand the product and business basics. It also includes two fundamental certification exams to help you gauge your knowledge and prove your expertise. The program can also be used to train employees and establish a baseline of knowledge within your organization.

Plus Partner Directory

highlights Shopify Plus Partners as top-tier service providers in their respective fields. Through this listing you will be exposed to over 3600+ high-growth merchants and could potentially receive requests for work.

service partners

include a diverse group of digital professionals operating worldwide with merchants of all types and sizes. They specialize in providing business, creative, and/or technical support in order to help merchants across a variety of disciplines. These digital professionals work in collaboration with merchants to provide services such as: Setting up and configuring Shopify stores (digital or physical) Designing themes, graphics, and store user interfaces Developing apps and/or custom functionality for stores, and games Providing marketing and/or business expertise

referral tracking and reports

ou will be able to view and track all of your referrals within the Partner dashboard. You will also have access to specific reports and tools in order to: - View your referred stores activity - Display an overview of the clicks, trial signups, paid conversions, and earnings for each of your affiliate campaigns - View your revenue share payouts - Submit Shopify Plus referrals

service providers

partners who develop apps for a single client. These partners are considered service providers. Shopify App Developers build products to serve many merchants. Our Development Fundamentals course outlines technical development opportunities on Shopify.

Six approaches for an effective call to action

positioning, imagery, negative space, screen real estate, contrast and color and animation

partner dashboard

provides partners a single interface to manage their Shopify clients and workflows.

Plus Service Partners

represent agencies, designers and developers, who: Provide a comprehensive suite of services across all aspects of business (e.g. brand strategy, creative services, integration services). Develop solutions that ensure customer-facing, internal, and third-party systems work seamlessly.

advanced courses

study guides, and exams are frequently being added to the Shopify Partner Academy curriculum to better serve the partner community.

apps and themes

the Apps and Themes pages within the Partner Dashboard will allow you to manage any public apps or themes you have created. From here you will be able to: - Generate API keys for your apps - Submit your apps and themes to the Shopify App and Theme stores - Create and edit App/Theme Store listing details - Track your App or Themes installs, uninstalls, earnings, and history

theme partners

those who develop custom Shopify themes for sale in the Theme Store. As a theme partner, you have access to a Theme Partner Advocate from Shopify to help you with technical questions regarding your published themes. Like app developers, theme partners are responsible for meeting a set of requirements to publish a theme to the Shopify Theme Store. They are also required to support and perform bug fixes on their product.

Affiliate Referral Link

through the Partner Dashboard. This unique link will connect any merchant you refer to your Shopify Partner account. You will be able to track your referrals and affiliate revenue through the Partner Dashboard.

Where can the ownership of a development store be transferred?

to a merchant

Earning as a service partner

when you create a development store and transfer it onto a Shopify subscription plan for a merchant, you'll earn a share of the revenue they generate.