Platform-fit discovery
We decide whether Magento 2, Shopify or a custom path is justified by catalog complexity, B2B needs and the team that will run the store — not by a preferred vendor slide.
Ecommerce development
Ecommerce development for stores that have to operate, not just launch
We plan and build ecommerce websites around catalog rules, checkout, integrations and the people who will run merchandising after go-live. Magento, Shopify and custom storefronts are tools; the work is making them match how you actually sell.
Fit
Problems this work is meant to solve
- 01
A theme demo is not a store
Demo catalogs hide variant rules, partial inventory, tax exceptions and the third-party apps that will be added in week two. Those are the things that later make the site slow, uneditable or impossible to rank.
- 02
Launch without an operating model
If merchandisers cannot change collections, promotions or product data without a developer, the store starts decaying immediately. Ecommerce development includes the admin and data model, not only the storefront.
- 03
Integrations treated as plugins
ERP, PIM, OMS, search and payment systems need contracts. Dropping apps onto a storefront without an ownership map is how duplicate orders and silent stock errors appear.
What the engagement covers
01 02 Catalog and merchandising
Attribute models, configurable products, collections, and the filters shoppers use. This is also where ecommerce SEO is won or lost.
03 Checkout and payments
Shipping, tax, payment methods and the edge cases that only show up with real carts. Checkout is treated as conversion infrastructure.
04 Integrations and data
PIM, ERP, CRM, search, subscriptions and fulfilment connected with a clear source of truth.
05 Launch and handover
Redirects, analytics events, training for editors and a support window for the first production surprises.
Section 01
How an ecommerce engagement is structured
The service page is about the work sequence. The broader platform landscape lives on the ecommerce development pillar.
Discovery produces an inventory of catalog complexity, checkout rules, integrations and SEO constraints from the current site. We do not skip this because it is the only way to tell a Shopify theme job from a Magento programme.
- Information architecture for categories, products and content
- Rendering and platform choice, including whether a headless storefront is justified
- Integration map with owners for product, stock, price and order data
- Redirect and URL plan before templates are considered finished
- Performance budget for apps, tags and media
Build work then follows that map. You can read more about Magento-specific delivery on the Magento development page, Shopify-specific delivery on the Shopify development page, and ongoing operations on ecommerce maintenance.
Section 02
What we do not leave for “phase two”
Structured data for products, XML sitemaps, robots rules, canonical policy for filtered URLs, and analytics for checkout steps belong in the build. Deferring them produces a store that marketing cannot diagnose.
Common questions
Questions we are actually asked
How much does ecommerce development cost?
Cost depends on catalog complexity, checkout rules, integrations and whether you are launching on Magento, Shopify or a custom stack. A focused Shopify storefront is a different engagement from a Magento 2 build with ERP, multi-store and custom checkout. We estimate after we see the catalog, integrations and the current site — not from a published starting price that ignores those facts.
How long does an ecommerce website take to build?
A contained Shopify or marketing-led storefront can often be scoped in weeks. Magento 2 builds, migrations and stores with several integrations typically take months because catalog data, checkout and third-party systems have to be true, not just visually complete. Timeline is driven by content readiness and integration access as much as by engineering.
Should I use Magento or Shopify?
Shopify is usually the better fit when the catalog is relatively standard, the team wants operational simplicity and the app ecosystem covers the gaps. Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce or Open Source) is the better fit when you need deep catalog, pricing, B2B or checkout control that would otherwise become a pile of Shopify apps. The wrong choice is picking either platform because it is fashionable.
Can you migrate an existing ecommerce website?
Yes. Migrations usually include catalog and customer data, URL redirects, checkout parity, payment and shipping methods, and a plan for SEO so organic landing pages are not discarded. Magento-to-Shopify, Shopify-to-Magento and replatforms onto a headless storefront are all possible; the risk is in data and redirects, not in the theme.
Do you provide ongoing website maintenance?
Yes. Maintenance covers platform and dependency updates, security patches, content and catalog changes, monitoring, and production fixes. Magento, Shopify and Next.js sites all decay without it — through abandoned extensions, breaking API changes or silent SEO regressions.
Do I need a headless ecommerce storefront?
Only if the native storefront cannot meet the experience, performance or channel requirements, and you have the team to own two systems. Headless Magento or Shopify work adds a frontend (often Next.js) in front of the commerce engine. It is a good answer for some catalogs and a cost problem for others.
Related services
Magento
Magento 2 development, customization, upgrades, checkout, extensions and performance for complex catalogs.
Shopify
Shopify store development, theme customization, integrations, migrations and optimization for Shopify and Shopify Plus.
Custom Ecommerce
Custom storefronts and commerce logic when Magento or Shopify conventions cannot express the catalog, pricing or checkout.
Ecommerce Performance
Store speed work: TTFB, listing pages, checkout weight, third-party scripts and Core Web Vitals on Magento and Shopify.
Ecommerce Maintenance
Patches, platform updates, extension conflicts, catalog changes and production support for Magento and Shopify stores.
Related coverage
More pages on this topic
We keep separate URLs for package overviews and deeper programmes — more content for searchers, clearer scopes for you.
Next step
Need ecommerce development on a live site or a new build?
Share the current URL, platform and the problem you can already see. We will say if this service is the right next step.