01
Liquid & OS 2.0
Sections, blocks, JSON templates, and app-embed architecture.
[ Platform service ]
Shopify Development — built properly, handed over completely.
Shopify storefronts using Liquid, custom sections, integrations, and conversion-focused shopping journeys.
[ What you get ]
5 deliverables. Nothing implicit.
- Theme or storefront build
- Sections and blocks built to Online Store 2.0 conventions, linted with Theme Check, and composed so merchants edit layouts from the theme editor.You own: The production theme in your GitHub repository
- Catalog & metafields
- Product structure, collections, and metafield definitions agreed before Liquid work begins.You own: A documented catalog and metafield schema
- Apps & integrations
- Apps, web pixels, and third-party services connected with their events verified.You own: Working integrations with events verified end to end
- Migration
- Products, customers, and content moved in staged passes with a URL map preserving search equity.You own: A migrated store plus a checked redirect map
- Merchant handoff
- Theme files documented, section groups explained, and the launch checklist walked through together.You own: Theme documentation and a recorded merchant walkthrough
- Done means
- Done means the theme lives in your repository, a merchant can edit every section from the theme editor without touching code, and orders, pixels, and apps have all been verified against real test transactions.
- Not included
- Shopify plan fees, app subscriptions, and ad spend are yours; we do not run your merchandising calendar.
$3k–$15k
Typical focused build, fixed price
3–6
Weeks from kickoff to handover, typical
100%
Owned by you at handover
[ How it works ]
The shopify development engagement, phase by phase.
- Catalog & theme audit
- We audit the catalog structure and current theme, then agree the section architecture and metafield plan before Liquid work begins.
- Theme build
- Sections and blocks are built to Online Store 2.0 conventions, linted with Theme Check, and composed so merchants can edit layouts from the theme editor.
- Migration & integrations
- Products, customers, and content move in staged passes, with apps and web pixels connected and their events verified.
- Merchant handoff
- Your team gets the theme files documented, section groups explained, and a launch checklist walked through together.
[ Capabilities ]
The surface area of a shopify development build.
The platform and discipline surface we work across — what an engagement can cover when the scope calls for it.
02
Metafields & metaobjects
Custom data models that give merchants structured fields to run with.
03
Theme editor UX
Settings schemas and presets that make the theme editable by non-developers.
04
Storefront & Admin APIs
GraphQL reads and writes for custom storefronts and internal tooling.
05
Checkout & payments
Checkout extensibility awareness, payment routing, and test-transaction verification.
06
Apps & web pixels
App selection on evidence and first-party pixel events verified end to end.
07
Subscriptions & B2B
Subscription apps and B2B price-list structures where the model needs them.
08
International
Markets, currencies, and localization set up deliberately.
09
Performance
Scripts deferred, images sized, and Lighthouse tracked on real templates.
10
Migration & redirects
Staged product and content moves with a redirect map that protects rankings.
[ Field notes ]
How we think about shopify development.
- A Liquid-powered foundation for conversion
- Shopify hosts the commerce engine, but the storefront work happens in Liquid template language. We build themes that shape product, collection, and cart objects into conversion-focused shopping journeys that stay flexible as the catalog grows.
- Who a Shopify build is for
- This work fits merchants who want a polished storefront without running infrastructure. Teams that plan to scale with apps, metafields, and checkout extensibility benefit most from a deliberate theme architecture.
- Deliverables on every engagement
- The engagement covers a theme or storefront build, product and collection setup, app integration, and a launch checklist. Each deliverable is grounded in the OS 2.0 theme model so work is verifiable at handoff.
- Discovery: mapping the shopping journey
- Discovery starts with the products, collections, and cart flows that define the journey. We plan the page hierarchy around Liquid objects and map metafields up front so future sections and app blocks drop in without rework.
- Liquid themes & Online Store 2.0
- Online Store 2.0 (OS 2.0) organizes themes as JSON templates, section groups, and theme files. We author sections and blocks with the {% schema %}, {% javascript %}, and {% stylesheet %} tags so merchants compose layouts from the theme editor. Metafields and app blocks keep custom data and app surfaces native to the section model. The Shopify CLI and Theme Check keep the theme linted and deployable throughout the build.
- Storefront API & headless pathways
- For storefronts that move beyond Liquid, the GraphQL Storefront API exposes products, cart, and the checkout URL. Queries target a store context with @inContext and authenticate with tokenless or token-based auth depending on the surface. This decoupled path pairs the commerce engine with a custom frontend while checkout stays routed back through Shopify.
- Admin API, apps & data flows
- The Admin API manages products, orders, and catalog operations through access scopes, webhooks, and bulk operations. Apps and app extensions built with Polaris and App Bridge extend the admin and storefront consistently.
- Quality, performance & accessibility
- Theme Check enforces Liquid correctness and catches issues before production. Performance and accessibility are treated as part of the section build so each block ships clean rather than needing a cleanup pass.
- Checkout extensibility & launch readiness
- Launch work centers on checkout extensibility and Shopify Functions for discounts, payments, and delivery options. Web pixels capture storefront events, and the launch checklist walks through theme, app, and checkout configuration.
- Measurement & reporting
- Reporting ties the shopping journey back to the storefront objects and events that matter. Data flows through web pixels so conversion behavior can be reviewed without instrumenting the theme twice.
- Handoff & enablement
- Handoff documents theme files, sections, and metafields so the merchant team can edit and extend the store. We review how OS 2.0 section groups work so internal teams stay confident making changes.
- Ongoing care & related services
- Ongoing care covers section additions, app updates, and storefront improvements as the catalog grows. Related work includes Storefront API integration and Hydrogen builds for teams going headless.
[ Common questions ]
Liquid is Shopify's template language built on tags, filters, and objects like product, collection, and cart. It controls how storefront data renders, so theme quality depends on how Liquid is structured.
OS 2.0 introduces JSON templates, section groups, and flexible section placement. Merchants compose pages from the theme editor while developers keep control in theme files and metafields.
A custom storefront that needs complete frontend control uses the GraphQL Storefront API for products, cart, and checkout URL. It pairs the Shopify backend with a decoupled frontend.
Shopify Functions add custom discounts, payments, and delivery options to checkout. They extend checkout behavior within Shopify's extensibility model instead of patching checkout code.
Apps built with Polaris and App Bridge interact with the Admin API through access scopes and webhooks. App blocks slot into OS 2.0 sections so storefront and app remain aligned.
[ Industry examples ]
Ecommerce work by other teams.
Industry case studies in this practice area — the problem, the build, and the results, credited to the agency that delivered each one.
EcommerceCutler and Gross · 2026
Luxury eyewear brand moves Magento to Shopify Plus
+29%ranking keywords
By Eastside CoMagento to Shopify Plus migration
EcommerceFutureYou Cambridge · 2025
30,000 subscribers moved to Shopify Plus and Recharge
30,000+subscribers migrated to Recharge
By SwankyShopify Plus migration
EcommerceTEKLED · 2025
TEKLED UK redesign raises average order value 18%
+18%average order value
By Blend CommerceShopify redesign
[ Sibling platforms ]
Other ways we build in ecommerce.
01
WooCommerce Development
Flexible WooCommerce stores with block-based cart and checkout, Store API integrations, payment setup, and performance work for growing catalogs.
02
Wix Ecommerce Development
Wix Ecommerce stores with mobile-first merchandising, catalog-version awareness, payment setup, and connected operations.
03
BigCommerce Development
BigCommerce builds for brands that need flexible catalog controls, B2B capability, Catalyst or Stencil storefronts, and connected commerce operations.
04
Headless Commerce
Composable commerce storefronts that pair a fast frontend with platform APIs, BigCommerce Catalyst or Hydrogen, edge caching, and flexible content operations.
05
Adobe Commerce Development
Adobe Commerce and Magento work across complex catalogs, custom pricing, GraphQL, integrations, and enterprise operational requirements.
06
Squarespace Commerce
Polished Squarespace Commerce stores with hosted checkout, Commerce API awareness, focused product ranges, and a straightforward editor experience.
07
Webflow Ecommerce
Brand-led Webflow Ecommerce experiences using structured product data, the Data API, and a hosted Stripe-powered checkout journey.
[ Field guides ]
Go deeper on shopify development.
01
Preparing Your Store for Black Friday Traffic
Load testing, checkout reliability, inventory, campaigns, support, and a rollback plan: how to prepare an ecommerce store for Black Friday traffic.
02
Product Page Optimization Checklist for Ecommerce
Media, copy, reviews, shipping clarity, trust, mobile UX, and structured data, in a practical product page checklist aimed at more completed checkouts.
[ Next step ]
Start with a scoped proposal. Price attached.
contact@nexsumlabs.tech — we reply within one business dayBack to Ecommerce