Shopify storefronts built around how the catalog actually works.
A theme that looks good in a demo and a theme that holds up once it's loaded with a real catalog, real promotions, and real edge cases are two different things. I build for the second one.
My Shopify work covers theme customization and storefront builds using Liquid templating, sections, and blocks — adjusting existing themes to fit a brand's catalog and merchandising needs, and building custom sections when an off-the-shelf theme can't do what's needed.
A recurring part of this work is product page and collection structure: handling things like verified badges, rich content blocks, delivery information, and metafield-driven content so the storefront can scale across a large catalog without every product page needing manual rebuilding.
Most Shopify performance and maintainability problems come from accumulated app and code clutter rather than the theme itself — a clean section/block structure now saves a lot of untangling later.
What this covers
Theme customization
Adjusting existing Shopify themes — layout, product pages, navigation, and styling — to match a brand's catalog and merchandising needs.
Liquid & section/block architecture
Building custom sections and blocks so merchandisers can update content without needing a developer for every change.
Metafields & structured content
Using metafields to drive things like compatibility tables, delivery information, and rich product content consistently across large catalogs.
Performance & app audits
Reviewing installed apps and theme code for anything slowing down page load, and removing or replacing what isn't earning its weight.
Storefront-to-campaign alignment
Making sure landing pages and product pages match what's actually being promised in Google or social ads pointing to them.
Theme upgrades & migrations
Handling theme version upgrades and structural changes without breaking existing customizations.
What I work with
What Shopify development covers, specifically
"Shopify development" covers a lot of ground — here's how that actually breaks down into individual pieces of work.
Theme customization
Adjusting an existing theme's layout, product pages, navigation and styling to match a brand's catalog, without rebuilding from scratch.
App & checkout integration
Connecting the apps a store actually needs — reviews, subscriptions, loyalty, shipping calculators — without each one slowing the store down.
Performance optimization
Cutting unused app scripts, optimizing images, and reducing render-blocking code so Core Web Vitals and load times hold up under real traffic.
Theme migrations & upgrades
Moving a store onto a new theme or Online Store 2.0 architecture without losing existing customizations or breaking the checkout flow.
Custom section development
Building bespoke sections and blocks for things a stock theme can't do — comparison tables, compatibility finders, custom filtering.
Headless & API-driven work
Using the Storefront API to power custom front-ends or connect Shopify's backend to a separate system when a standard theme isn't the right fit.
Common mistakes — and the fix
Page speed drops as more apps get installed.
Audit installed apps regularly and remove anything injecting scripts the store no longer actually needs — most slowdowns trace back to app bloat, not the theme itself.
A theme update wipes out custom code.
Keep customizations in a version-controlled child theme or clearly documented section files, so an update doesn't silently overwrite hand-built work.
Product pages look fine on desktop, break on mobile.
Design and test mobile layouts first, not as an afterthought — most Shopify traffic is mobile, and that's where checkout drop-off actually happens.
Product pages are missing structured data.
Add product schema markup so listings can show price, availability and reviews directly in search results — most themes don't include this by default.
The storefront doesn't match what the ads promised.
Check landing pages against live ad creative regularly — a mismatch between the offer in the ad and the page it lands on is one of the quietest sources of lost conversions.
Shopify vs WordPress vs a custom build
Shopify isn't the right fit for every store. Here's roughly how the three options compare for a typical GCC e-commerce setup.
Shopify
A hosted platform built specifically for e-commerce — checkout, payments, and hosting are handled out of the box, so the work is mostly theme and app configuration.
WordPress
A flexible CMS that can run a store via WooCommerce, but checkout, hosting, and security become the store owner's responsibility rather than the platform's.
Custom build
A Laravel or similarly built application from scratch — full control over logic and integrations, at the cost of more development time and ongoing maintenance.
From audit to ongoing measurement
The exact steps shift depending on the brand and the platform, but this is the rough shape every project follows.
Review the current theme
Audit existing sections, apps, and page structure to understand what's custom-built versus default.
Plan the structure
Map out which sections and blocks are needed and how metafields will drive repeatable content.
Build & customize
Develop or adjust Liquid templates, sections, and blocks to match the plan.
Test across the catalog
Check real products — not just demo data — including edge cases like long titles, missing images, or out-of-stock states.
Launch & monitor
Deploy changes and keep an eye on page speed and behavior once real traffic hits the new structure.
FAQ
Both, depending on the project — sometimes a strong existing theme just needs the right customizations, and sometimes a custom build from scratch fits the catalog better.
Yes — most of my Shopify work involves customizing or extending live stores, which means working carefully around existing apps, metafields, and content rather than starting over.
I review and audit installed apps as part of the build, mainly to catch anything that's slowing the store down or duplicating functionality the theme already handles.
Often used alongside Shopify Development
Google Ads
Structuring and optimizing Search, Shopping, Display and Performance Max campaigns for measurable growth.
View skillSocial Media Marketing
Building content systems and paid social campaigns that turn followers into a real audience.
View skillSEO
Improving organic visibility through technical audits, on-page structure and content architecture.
View skill