What Does a Shopify Developer Do? What 719 Client Reviews Show

Who it is for

Store owners deciding whether and how to hire a developer

Time needed

An 8-minute read

What you need

A rough idea of the job you need done

A Shopify developer is the person you call when the theme editor and apps can't do what you need. In practice that means editing theme code in Liquid, HTML, CSS and JavaScript, building custom sections and features, fixing bugs, building or redesigning stores, speeding them up and connecting them to other systems. Some developers also build custom apps.

That's the textbook answer. I wanted to give a more useful one, based on what store owners have actually hired me for. I'm a Shopify developer and CRO specialist and a Shopify Select Partner, and I lead a specialist team. Over 7+ years I've worked on more than 1,000 projects, and clients have left 719 reviews. Every review is shown word for word on my reviews page, imported from verified orders on Fiverr. Below, I describe the themes I see when I read them, quote short snippets exactly as written, with the reviewer's country, and turn each theme into a checklist you can use when hiring any developer, not only me.

What a Shopify developer does

These are the jobs that fall to a developer rather than a store owner, with where the work happens in Shopify.

Shopify's own help center recommends duplicating your theme before customizing it, so there's a backup to go back to. A good developer does that without being asked, and works on an unpublished copy until you approve the change.

1. What 719 reviews tell me

These are the figures I can state about my reviews. I haven't calculated anything beyond them.

Each review carries the label of the service the client bought. The labels include "Shopify Custom Coding & CRO" and "Shopify Store Design & Redesign", and others such as one-product store builds and speed optimization. If you're in the Netherlands, see my Netherlands page. You can filter every review by service and country on the reviews page.

2. Custom coding and fixes

The first theme is code changes to an existing store: a feature the theme doesn't have, a layout that won't behave, or a bug nobody can find. Clients describe it in their own words:

• "He has fix all of my shopify bug, also added Custom features with shopify coding." (United States)
• "I hired Ashraf to code something in my website." (Netherlands)
• "make high-level customization to my Shopify store" (Morocco)
• "I had to fix some small details on my website with I couldn’t add manual by myself." (Italy)

That last one matters. A lot of developer work is small: a detail the owner tried to change and couldn't. My answer on hiring someone to fix just one thing explains how to get small jobs done without overpaying.

3. New stores and redesigns

Another theme is building a store from scratch or rebuilding one that no longer fits the brand. Two reviews describe it well:

• "Ashraf did a fantastic job on my first website." (United States)
• "he's crafted a NEW website from scratch in just a week" (Netherlands)

A week is possible for a focused store with content ready. Most of the time on a build goes into decisions, not code: which theme, which sections, which apps, and getting the products and copy in. If you're weighing a theme against a custom build, read Shopify theme vs custom build.

4. Conversion improvements

The CRO part of "Custom Coding & CRO" is about getting more sales from the visitors a store already has. Clients don't always come for it, but they notice when a developer looks beyond the task:

• "he also shared valuable suggestions to improve the store’s design, performance, and overall user experience." (Netherlands)

This is the difference between a developer who only codes and one who understands selling. When you hire, ask the developer what they would change on your product page and why. A good answer names a specific problem on your store, not a general tip. My product page checklist gives you the same list I work from.

5. Ongoing work and maintenance

Some clients start with one task and keep a developer on hand for the next change, the next sale or the next app.

• "has been responsible for building and maintaining our website with great professionalism" (Netherlands)

An ongoing developer knows your theme, your apps and your past changes, so each new job starts faster. If you're deciding between a freelancer, a specialist team and an agency for this, read Shopify freelancer vs agency.

6. What clients judge besides the code

When I read through the reviews, the comments are rarely about code alone. These themes come up again and again:

Not every job goes to plan, and the reviews say so too. One client wrote: "Although the project took longer than initially expected, the final deliverable met my expectations and was exactly what I needed." (Peru). I'd rather you know that delays happen on some projects. What matters is that the developer tells you early and still delivers what was agreed.

7. Jobs you may not need a developer for

Plenty of changes don't need code. Before you hire, check whether you can do it yourself:

• Colors, fonts and logo. Theme settings in the theme editor.
• Adding or reordering sections. Online Store 2.0 themes let you do this in the editor.
• Policies, shipping and taxes. All in Settings.
• A common feature, such as reviews or a size chart. Often an app or a theme block already does it.

Hire a developer when the theme editor can't do it, when an app would slow the store or cost more each month than a one-off build, or when something is broken and you can't see why. My guide on custom app vs subscription helps with that last decision.

Common hiring misses

• Sharing your owner password. Use collaborator access instead.
• No written scope. "Make it look better" can't be finished or priced.
• Edits made on the live theme. Ask for a duplicate theme first.
• Judging on price alone. Quotes differ because scope and skill differ. See why Shopify quotes vary so much.
• Not checking past work. Ask for live stores and read reviews in full, not just the star rating.

Before you hire a Shopify developer

Next steps

1. Write your brief. My answer on how to brief a Shopify developer gives you a template.
2. Know what to ask. Use the questions to ask before hiring on every developer you speak to.
3. Set a budget. My Shopify developer cost guide shows typical prices. My own work starts from $300 for store design and development, $500 for CRO, $100 for speed optimization and $800 for custom apps, and every project gets a fixed quote.
4. Read the reviews yourself. All 719 are on my reviews page, or see how I work on the hire a Shopify developer page.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Client reviews, Ashraf Siddik
2. Editing theme code, Shopify Help Center
3. Users and permissions, Shopify Help Center
4. Managing users, Shopify Help Center

Related services and work

Written by Ashraf Siddik

I'm a Shopify developer and CRO specialist. I have built and improved Shopify stores since 2018, completed more than 1,000 projects, and hold a 4.96 average rating across 719 client reviews.

About me · Client reviews