Shopify stores built properly, so you spend on stock instead of on apps
Most underperforming Shopify stores share two problems. A bought theme nobody customised, and fourteen apps patching over what the theme cannot do.
Web Designs Alchemy builds custom Shopify themes for US brands and connects them to whatever runs your business behind the scenes. Design, build, migration and the ongoing work after launch sit with one team. If you want to hire a Shopify developer for small business work or a full agency for a Plus rollout, both are here.
- Built on Online Store 2.0, sections everywhere
- Your store, your account, from day one
- Every app we add has a stated monthly cost
- Theme code documented for whoever comes next
Sometimes Shopify is the wrong answer
If you publish heavily and sell occasionally, WooCommerce usually costs less and bends further. If your pricing rules are unusual enough that you would need three apps to express them, a custom build may be cheaper over three years. We will tell you that on the first call rather than after you have paid us. Compare platforms on our ecommerce page.
What every Shopify build includes
Six things, quoted in from the start, because a store missing any of them will not sell reliably.
Custom theme build
Product and collection pages
Cart and checkout
Apps and integrations
Speed work
Live order testing
How brands usually start with us
Find the closest and we will scope yours against it.
Most booked
New store build
A first storefront for a brand selling direct, or a replacement for the theme you bought in a hurry two years ago.
Replatform
Moving to Shopify
Products, customers, orders and content brought across, with every old URL redirected so search rankings survive.
Redesign
Storefront redesign
Our WooCommerce website development services suit brands already on WordPress, publishing heavily, or needing pricing and shipping rules Shopify will not bend to. Lower platform fees, more maintenance.
Upgrade
Plus rollout
Moving up to Plus and using what you are now paying for, rather than running the same store on a bigger bill.
Rescue
Speed and app cleanup
Stores slowed by app stacking. We measure what each one costs in load time and remove what is not earning its keep.
International
Selling abroad
Multi currency Shopify store setup with local pricing, duties shown at checkout and translated storefronts.
From catalogue audit to live store
Three business days as standard, two on a retainer.
Audit and scope
Design
Build
Test
Launch
Turn Search Traffic Into Measurable Business Growth
0 s
Product page load, mobile
3-0 steps
Paid apps, not fifteen
0%
Checkout paths order tested
0 %
Theme architecture, sections everywhere
Questions merchants ask before hiring a Shopify agency
How much does a Shopify store cost to build?
A custom theme with a small catalogue starts at $6,500 here. Migrations and stores needing stock or ERP integration start around $18,000. Product count, how clean your data is, and how many systems have to talk to each other move the price far more than the number of pages.
Why not just buy a theme from the Shopify store?
For a first store on a tight budget, buying a theme is a reasonable decision and we will say so. The limits show up later. You are competing against every other brand running the same theme, customisation gets expensive once you fight the original code, and apps get added to do things the theme cannot. A custom build costs more upfront and less by year three.
Do I need Shopify Plus?
Usually not until around $1 million a year in revenue. Below that, the extra monthly cost buys features most stores do not use. Above it, checkout extensibility, B2B pricing and multiple storefronts start paying for themselves. We will tell you which side of the line you are on.
Will I lose rankings moving to Shopify?
Not with the redirect work done properly. Every product, collection and blog URL is mapped to its new address before launch, structured data is preserved, and we monitor Search Console daily for 30 days. Most stores dip in week one and recover inside 4 to 6 weeks.
How many apps will I end up paying for?
Most stores we launch run 3 to 5 paid apps. We build into the theme where it is sensible, and when an app genuinely is the better answer we tell you the monthly cost before it goes on. App bills of $400 a month are common and almost always avoidable.
Can you work on my existing store?
Yes. A store audit tells you what is costing conversions before you commit to a rebuild, and often the answer is a fortnight of focused work rather than a new store. If a rebuild genuinely is the right call we will show you why.
Do I own the theme code?
Yes, from final payment. The Shopify account is in your name from day one, the theme code is yours, and it is documented so another developer can pick it up. Nothing is locked to us.
Can you customise the checkout?
Within what Shopify allows, which depends on your plan. Standard plans permit branding and limited changes. Plus opens up checkout extensibility properly. We will be straight about what is possible on your plan rather than promising and discovering later.
Do you handle product photography or copy?
Not in house. We will tell you the image sizes and the copy each template needs, and we can recommend photographers and writers we have worked with. Getting those moving early keeps the build on schedule.
Tell us about your store
Send your product count, your current platform if you have one, and when you want to be selling. You get a scope, a fixed price and a launch date back, usually within one business day.
