When the pandemic started and businesses had to strengthen their online presence, Shopify has been a go-to platform for businesses or technology teams to build e-commerce sites.
We've been using Shopify for our e-commerce clients to avoid coding from scratch, thus making development time faster and more affordable for the clients.
In this story, Frances Teves, one of our project managers who has handled many of our clients with Shopify stores, shares some insights and advice for fellow project managers who are just getting the ropes of might handle Shopify projects soon.
What's challenging about managing a Shopify project?
"Sometimes the feature or functionality that a client wants is not available or compatible. There’s already a lot of plug-and-play features and themes, and in an ideal scenario this should work already... you don’t need to make code changes. In reality, you will see spaces or weird colors that don’t match your branding, etc.
The most challenging part is finding the balance between customizing and finding what’s already embedded in Shopify, making the most of what is available to you."
What have you learned from managing Shopify projects?
"I would not suggest building something from scratch if you’re using Shopify because that's the main reason why we are using a platform like that: to avoid custom coding as much as possible by using ready-made designs and then we take it from there.
Given that Shopify is a plug-and-play type of platform, you have a lot of apps and themes to choose from. I highly suggest to utilize existing apps to save on time and cost for the client as well as working with developers, designers, or an external team."
What are the fun parts of working with Shopify?
"The first Shopify project I managed was Abaca Eats, and I was excited about it!
It was something we conceptualized and launched in the midst of the pandemic. Seeing a client’s online store getting customers and orders makes it (the experience) rewarding.
I also find it amazing to see how the clients use them in their own headquarters: how Shopify helps from printing labels, delivery tracking, customized email templates, and getting reviews and feedback. It’s those simple things yet convenient and useful features that make the work worth it."
What are your tips for managing a Shopify project for a client?
"If an entrepreneur is not technical, we should explore or make recommendations based on what resources are available in Shopify.
At Symph, our goal is to help business owners launch their stores online as early as possible so they can compete competitively and get a huge percentage of those buyers who prefer convenience and are now accustomed to buying online."
Our team has built numerous e-commerce websites for clients with Shopify and this has helped them increase brand presence and most importantly, brand sales. If you are interested in bringing your store online, we can help.
Story by Venny, our copywriting intern
