OLIVIER ROMERO, SHOPIFY FREELANCE DEVELOPER

Start by:
- Look for profiles specializing in Shopify (and not a "generalist web integrator")
- Analyze the shops already completed
- Speak for 30 to 45 minutes with 2 or 3 freelancers to compare:
1) Their understanding of your challenges
2) Their way of structuring the project
3) Their business vision (not just technical)

You can find them through recommendations, freelance platforms like Malt, Shopify communities, on LinkedIn… but the important thing is not the channel, it is the quality of the exchange and the understanding of your project.

For example :
- “Can you show me 2 or 3 Shopify stores that you developed from scratch?”
- “What do you prioritize when looking at improving a store's conversion rate?”
- “How do you organize a Shopify redesign project, step by step?”
- “How do you manage performance on Shopify?”
- “What complex features have you implemented?”

The answers must be concrete, illustrated with examples, and not purely theoretical.

Yes, and it's often an excellent solution that will cost you less than going through a Shopify agency.

You can: - Activate it on a large project (creation / redesign) - Then keep it as a technical reference for your new features, conversion optimizations, campaigns (landing pages, special offers, Black Friday…), etc…

Not necessarily, but for a shop targeting France, a freelancer: - Who understands the local context (expectations of French customers, GDPR…) - Who speaks perfect French - Who knows the carriers and payment methods.

A freelance Shopify developer offers more direct, flexible, and often faster support than an agency. You communicate directly with the person actually doing the work, eliminating intermediaries, delays, and misunderstandings.
A specialized freelancer can also adapt to the pace of your project, offer tailored solutions, and optimize your budget without sacrificing quality. It's an excellent compromise between high-level expertise and operational efficiency.

An agency remains relevant for highly complex projects or those requiring a full team (branding, media, CRM, etc.). But for the majority of Shopify stores, a good freelance developer allows you to go far, fast, and with high standards.

You can entrust most aspects of your online store to a freelance Shopify developer. This ranges from creating or completely redesigning the site to more targeted optimizations: improving the customer journey, working on product pages, performance, loading times, mobile experience, or even implementing specific features.

A Shopify freelancer can also handle your theme setup, the integration of useful apps (customer reviews, subscriptions, bundles, loyalty programs, etc.), tracking (Google Analytics, advertising pixels), and technical SEO. For more advanced projects, they can connect everything to your logistics, ERP, or marketing tools to ensure seamless integration.

In practice, you can delegate to him both a "big piece" (creation or redesign) and continuous support to develop the shop as you grow.

In 2026, the rates for a freelance Shopify developer will vary primarily depending on their experience level and the complexity of your project. As a general guideline, a junior developer will typically charge between €250 and €400 per day, an intermediate developer between €400 and €600 per day, and a senior or expert developer over €600 to €800 per day. 

For creating or redesigning an online store, budgets are generally based on a fixed price. A store with a fairly simple theme configuration often costs between €1,000 and €2,000. A more comprehensive project, with significant work on UX, performance, and basic SEO, is typically between €2,000 and €4,000. For a highly sophisticated store, with a conversion strategy, premium design, complete technical SEO, and advanced integrations, it's not uncommon to see prices between €4,000 and €10,000, excluding very specific projects (complex migrations, ERP integration, complete email strategy, etc.).

The important thing is not just the price but what is included: clear scope, precise deliverables, level of support, follow-up after going live and real impact on your results.

A common mistake is choosing a service provider who "does everything" but isn't truly a Shopify specialist. This might work for a very simple website, but as soon as performance, conversion, or integration issues become critical, the limitations quickly become apparent. It's better to select someone who works with Shopify daily and is well-versed in its strengths and weaknesses.

A second mistake is choosing solely based on price, without considering quality, existing online portfolio, and working methods. A very low price might indicate a lack of experience, difficult-to-maintain code, or a website that will need to be rebuilt sooner than expected.

Finally, many brands start without a well-defined scope or clear priorities. As a result, expectations are misaligned, the project goes off track, and everyone gets frustrated. To avoid this, always ask the developer to explain their methodology, detail the project's stages, and specify what will be delivered, tested, and measured.

A Shopify integrator primarily focuses on the layout: they configure a theme, add your content, adjust a few sections, and manage simple modifications without delving too deeply into the code or site architecture. This is sufficient for a small project or a very basic first version.

A Shopify developer goes further. They are proficient in Liquid, JavaScript, the structure of Online Store 2.0 themes, performance optimization, and integrations with other tools. They can create custom sections, optimize code, solve complex technical problems, and adapt the site to your specific needs.

A Shopify expert, finally, combines this technical mastery with a true e-commerce vision: strategy, customer journey, conversion, SEO, app selection, catalog structure, and alignment with your marketing campaigns. They don't just execute tasks; they help you make the right decisions so your Shopify store truly supports your business objectives.

In some cases, the same person may combine the roles of developer and Shopify expert, particularly when it is a very senior and specialized freelancer.