From $1,599
Theme rebuild
Replace a slow stock theme with a custom Online Store 2.0 build — editable sections, faster PDPs, and an app stack that stops fighting checkout.
Shopify Development Agency
Custom Shopify Development
Custom Shopify theme development, Online Store 2.0 rebuilds, Hydrogen storefronts, and platform migrations for DTC brands that outgrew stock templates. Custom Online Store 2.0 themes from $1,599 — Hydrogen and migrations scoped after a store audit.
Overview
Shopify stores that convert — without Theme Store debt.
Once a store crosses six figures, the friction of a stock Shopify theme starts costing money — slow product pages, thin storytelling, brittle customisation, and an app stack that fights checkout. thedesigntime is a Shopify development agency that builds Online Store 2.0 themes from scratch (or Hydrogen storefronts when a brand needs more), wires the apps that actually move revenue, removes the ones dragging Core Web Vitals, and migrates catalogues from WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce without breaking SEO. Senior Shopify developers stay on the project from store audit through staged cutover.
Whether you need a Shopify theme rebuild, a full custom storefront, a WooCommerce to Shopify migration, or a Hydrogen headless build, we keep Liquid lean, PDPs fast, and ownership clear. You keep the Shopify account, the theme code, and the roadmap after go-live. See a Hydrogen example in our Arboretum portfolio case study.
What you get
- Custom Shopify 2.0 theme with editable sections
- Product, collection and cart UX designed for conversion
- App stack review and cleanup
- Klaviyo, Judge.me and reviews integrations
- Subscription (Recharge / Skio) setup if needed
- Shopify SEO foundations & Core Web Vitals optimisation
Three ways we ship Shopify
Theme rebuild, full custom 2.0, or Hydrogen — pick the engagement that matches your catalogue and roadmap.
From $3,500
Custom 2.0 theme
Bespoke Shopify theme from your brand system — homepage, PLP, PDP, cart, and content templates designed around your catalogue and conversion goals.
Scoped quote
Hydrogen storefront
Headless React storefront on Shopify Hydrogen when theme limits block the UX you need — multi-market, complex merchandising, or performance beyond Online Store 2.0.
What a professional Shopify build delivers
Beyond “install a theme” — conversion UX, measurable speed, and migrations that protect search equity.
Built for conversion
PDP, PLP, and cart flows designed around how your customers shop — not a generic demo catalogue.
Fast product pages
Lean theme code and a cleaned app stack so Core Web Vitals and add-to-cart aren’t fighting each other.
SEO survives migration
301 redirect maps, preserved URL equity, and product schema — rankings don’t vanish on cutover day.
Ops you can run
Editable sections, metafields, and training so merchandisers update the store without opening a developer ticket.
Shopify development process
A clear path from store audit to staged launch — so theme, apps, and checkout never drift into separate silos.
01
Store audit
Analytics, funnel drop-offs, theme health, and app bloat — we know what to keep, cut, and rebuild before design starts.
02
Design
Homepage, collection, product, and cart designed for your real catalogue — reviewed in Figma before theme code.
03
Build
Custom Online Store 2.0 theme or Hydrogen, metafields, sections, and integrations wired on staging with weekly demos.
04
QA & checkout
Device testing, Core Web Vitals, payment paths, discounts, and edge cases — bugs fixed before customers hit them.
05
Launch
Redirect map, DNS cutover, checkout QA, analytics, and a calm staged go-live with a warranty window.
PDP, PLP, and cart — designed as a system
Most Theme Store builds look fine on demo products. We design around your real SKUs, margins, and trust signals.
01
Product pages that sell
Gallery, variants, trust signals, and urgency that match your brand — not a Theme Store demo PDP.
02
Collections that browse
Filters, sorting, and grid density tuned for your catalogue size so shoppers find the right SKU faster.
03
Cart that converts
Upsells, shipping clarity, and fewer surprises before checkout — QA’d across devices and payment methods.
Built so product pages can rank and convert
Shopify SEO is not a plugin install. We treat crawlability, structured data, speed, and migration redirects as part of the theme build — not a bolt-on after launch.
Crawlable product architecture
Clean collection and product URL patterns, sensible internal links, and templates search engines can index without fighting a heavy app layer.
On-page & product schema
Title/meta fields, XML sitemaps, and product structured data where it helps rich results — verified in Search Console at handoff when requested.
Speed = ranking + revenue
Lean Liquid, image discipline, and app cleanup aimed at Core Web Vitals — because slow PDPs lose both SEO and conversion.
Migration without SEO loss
301 maps from WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce so equity follows the new Shopify URLs instead of vanishing on launch day.
Shopify project milestones
Six checkpoints from audit to handoff — so migrations and launches stay calm and measurable.
- Step 01
Audit & scope
Store health, funnel notes, app inventory, and a written fixed-fee plan — you know what ships and what it costs.
- Step 02
UX & design
Key templates in Figma: homepage, PLP, PDP, cart. Design tokens so the theme stays consistent page to page.
- Step 03
Theme / Hydrogen build
Sections, metafields, and integrations on a staging store. Merchandisers can click real products early.
- Step 04
Migrate & map
Products, collections, customers, and 301s. SEO titles and schema rebuilt on Shopify — not left to default.
- Step 05
Checkout QA
Payments, shipping, discounts, subscriptions, and mobile checkout paths verified before cutover.
- Step 06
Launch & handoff
Staged go-live, analytics, Search Console, editor walkthrough, and optional care for post-launch tweaks.
Migrations
Moving from Woo, Magento, or BigCommerce?
We migrate products, collections, and customers — then ship a redirect map so SEO equity comes with you to Shopify.
Shopify storefront
Custom Shopify themes — from $1,599.
A conversion-minded Online Store 2.0 foundation when stock themes are costing you speed and sales. Scoped after a store audit; Hydrogen and large migrations quoted separately.
- Custom Online Store 2.0 theme foundation
- PDP / PLP / cart UX for your catalogue
- App stack review — keep what converts
Starting from
$1,599
Theme rebuild · fixed-fee phases
Starting from
$1,599
Theme
Shopify 2.0
Focus
Conversion
Support
Launch QA
Transparent Shopify pricing
Fixed fees for theme rebuilds and custom stores — Hydrogen and migrations scoped after audit.
Theme rebuild
$1,599starting from
Replace a stock theme with a faster, conversion-minded 2.0 build
- Custom Online Store 2.0 theme
- Homepage, PLP, PDP, cart
- App stack review & cleanup
- Core Web Vitals tuning
- Analytics & SEO foundations
- 2 rounds of revisions
Custom store
$3,500starting from
Bespoke theme from your brand system and catalogue
- Full custom 2.0 theme
- Metafields & section library
- Klaviyo / reviews wiring
- Subscription apps if needed
- Merchandiser training
- Staged launch checklist
Hydrogen / migrate
Customscoped quote
Headless Hydrogen or large platform migrations
- Shopify Hydrogen storefront
- Woo / Magento / BigCommerce migrate
- 301 redirect strategy
- Multi-market / B2B scoping
- Checkout extensibility (Plus)
- Ongoing care plan option
Shopify stack we actually ship
Tools chosen for merchandiser experience, conversion, and long-term maintainability — you own the Shopify account.
Platform
Shopify Online Store 2.0
Sections, metafields, and JSON templates — editors stay in admin without fighting a frozen theme.
Theme
Liquid + modern JS
Lean custom themes built for your catalogue — not a bloated Theme Store starter with 40 unused sections.
Headless
Hydrogen + Oxygen
When you need React-level UX and Shopify remains the commerce brain — scoped only when it earns the complexity.
Growth stack
Klaviyo / reviews / subs
Email, Judge.me-style reviews, and Recharge/Skio subscriptions wired cleanly — without script pile-ups.
Measurement
Analytics & SEO
GA4 / pixel hygiene, product schema, sitemaps, and Search Console — so you can see what the rebuild actually moved.
Scale
Shopify Plus ready
Checkout extensibility, B2B, and multi-market patterns when Plus is justified — we won’t upsell it for vanity.
Built for brands that sell every day
Shopify at thedesigntime is for DTC and retail teams who need a storefront they can merchandise — without sacrificing speed or SEO.
DTC brands past stock themes
You’re doing real revenue and the Theme Store look is costing conversion, speed, or brand trust.
Teams migrating onto Shopify
Leaving WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce — need products, redirects, and SEO to survive the move.
Merchandisers who live in admin
You need editable sections and metafields, not a frozen customisation that requires a developer for every banner.
Brands considering Hydrogen
Theme limits are real — you want an honest call on Online Store 2.0 vs headless before you fund a rewrite.
Need something adjacent?
Many clients pair Shopify with branding, Amazon, or growth retainers. Explore related services — or view all services.
Frequently asked questions
Shopify development cost, custom themes, Dawn vs bespoke, Hydrogen, WooCommerce migrations, SEO, Shopify Plus, apps, ownership, and timelines — answered plainly.
How much does custom Shopify development cost?
Theme rebuilds start from $1,599. A full custom Online Store 2.0 storefront typically starts from $3,500. Shopify Hydrogen builds and large migrations are scoped after a store audit — we quote fixed-fee phases so you know the cost before development starts.
What is included in a custom Shopify theme build?
A Shopify Online Store 2.0 theme tailored to your brand — homepage, collection (PLP), product (PDP), cart, and key content templates with editable sections and metafields. We also review your app stack, wire essential integrations (email, reviews, subscriptions when needed), and tune Core Web Vitals before launch.
Do you migrate from WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce to Shopify?
Yes. We migrate products, collections, customers, and historical orders where the platform allows — plus a 301 redirect map so rankings and bookmarks survive the cutover. SEO signals (titles, meta, structured data) are rebuilt on Shopify, not left to chance.
What is Shopify Hydrogen and when do we need it?
Hydrogen is Shopify’s React-based headless stack for custom storefronts when theme limits become a bottleneck — complex UX, multi-market experiences, or performance beyond Online Store 2.0. Most growing brands start with a custom 2.0 theme; we recommend Hydrogen only when the product roadmap justifies it.
Can you customise Dawn or another Shopify Theme Store theme?
Yes when a light customisation is enough. For brands past six figures we usually recommend a purpose-built Online Store 2.0 theme — cleaner code, faster PDPs, and sections designed for your catalogue instead of fighting a Theme Store starter.
Can you build Shopify apps?
Yes, for internal use (private / custom apps that extend your store). Public Shopify App Store submissions are quoted separately because of review and listing overhead.
Will my Shopify store be SEO and conversion ready?
Yes. Clean URL structure, meta fields, XML sitemaps, product schema where useful, fast PDP/PLP templates, and checkout QA are part of the build. We can connect analytics and verify Google Search Console at handoff.
Is Shopify Plus required?
No. We build on Shopify and Shopify Plus. Plus is useful for checkout extensibility, B2B, and high-volume ops — we will tell you honestly if your catalogue and volume need it, or if a standard plan is enough.
Who owns the Shopify store and theme code?
You do. The store stays in your Shopify account. Theme code and custom apps we build are handed over with documentation — no lock-in, no agency-owned storefront.
How long does a Shopify project take?
A focused theme rebuild for a mid-size catalogue typically runs 4–8 weeks. Migrations and Hydrogen builds are scoped around product volume, apps, and markets. We lock a fixed-fee phase plan after the store audit.
Do you clean up Shopify app bloat?
Yes. App stack review is a standard deliverable — we keep revenue-critical tools (Klaviyo, reviews, subscriptions) and remove scripts that slow product pages or fight each other at checkout.
Where we work
Web & app development worldwide — teams in six countries.
We work with clients worldwide remotely over Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Slack. Our senior team is based across the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Australia, Canada, and Saudi Arabia — so you get timezone-friendly delivery and local market understanding wherever you operate.
Looking for a web development agency in Dubai, London, New York, Sydney, Toronto, or Riyadh? Explore our country pages to see how we support founders and brands in your market.
Start a project
Ready to rebuild your Shopify store?
Tell us whether you need a theme rebuild, custom 2.0 store, migration, or Hydrogen storefront. We reply within one business day with a clear next step.
