If there’s one thing Shopify wants everyone to know about its ecommerce platform, it’s that it’s the most intuitive, easy-to-use tool for “everyone from entrepreneurs to enterprise.” Shopify truly prides itself on how easy it is for anyone to get up and running on the platform. So, if that’s true, why would anyone want or need to hire a Shopify agency to build and maintain their store?

The answer is quite simple: While Shopify’s appeal is its user-friendly interface (you can get a store running quickly with no coding), as your business grows, “easy” can uncover limitations and hidden complexities. Getting started as a small-to-mid-sized business on Shopify is one of the easiest parts of opening an ecommerce store. However, unlocking the platform's full potential often requires specialized expertise to do anything beyond the basics. 

In this blog, we’ll explain what Shopify design and development agencies actually do to amplify the platform’s benefits—from advanced customizations to strategic guidance—in ways a DIY approach can’t easily match.

How Shopify Partner Agencies Become Your Secret Weapon

Leveraging an agency to build, manage and support your store goes far beyond the initial setup, theme customization, and integrations with other tools. Here are all the major Shopify Plus development agency services and benefits you can enjoy when hiring an agency partner. 

1 - Expertise and Guidance Beyond the Basics

First, it’s important to note that Shopify Plus Partner agencies must meet strict criteria and have a proven track record. This means specialized and proven knowledge of the Shopify ecosystem, from the latest features to Plus-exclusive capabilities. 

A partner agency can guide you on what works (and what doesn’t). They can offer honest advice on store setup, configuration, and optimization. For example, suggesting the most effective theme design or advising when to use native Shopify features vs. custom solutions, simply because, as a partner, it’s very rare for your agency team to have never encountered the same issues you’re currently looking to solve. 

Beyond the technical skills, partners can also offer strategic planning. They can work with you to align your store with your business goals and execute projects faster and more efficiently than an in-house, first-timer approach that relies on trial-and-error. 

2 - Custom Development: Build What Shopify Can’t Offer, Tailor What It Does

After consulting with your agency to determine whether custom development is even necessary for the issue you need solved, they can tailor the platform to your exact requirements. This might include building bespoke features or unique integrations that a generic setup can’t handle.

Shopify Plus offers tools like Shopify Functions and Checkout UI Extensions for deeper customization, but using them requires coding expertise and understanding what these tools can and can’t do. Agencies can also build custom apps for clients that add new capabilities to their stores, if what’s already available in the Shopify App Store doesn’t cut it. 

The same applies to themes: default themes are fine, but a Plus Partner can build you a fully custom one from scratch to better match your needs and brand than simply customizing the layout and colour scheme of the same theme that every other Shopify store uses. 

Custom development isn’t just about improving your store’s functionality; it’s also essential for scalability and efficiency. For example, it can involve things like automating complex workflows, such as subscription logic or multi-location inventory rules. 

3 - Access to Professional UX & Visual Design Talent

When choosing a Shopify Plus Partner agency, consider finding one that offers custom development and keeps designers on staff. This way, you can access UX/UI designers who understand ecommerce trends and shopper behaviour, working alongside developers. The result is a site that’s technically sound, visually captivating, and conversion-focused.

Professional designers can create truly special ecommerce storefronts grounded in tested design theory that convert, align with your brand identity, and differentiate your store from the thousands of other merchants in your niche. Achieving this level of polish is simply something a brand can’t do on its own. 

Design experts ensure mobile responsiveness, fast-loading pages, and easy navigation. Every decision is made with the shopper’s journey in mind (e.g. placing calls-to-action where they convert best, simplifying checkout flows, etc.). An agency’s design team keeps up with UX best practices and even experimental ideas, so your site stays modern and user-friendly.

By working with a Shopify Plus Partner that has in-house designers, you avoid the headache of coordinating between separate design freelancers and developers. All the creative and technical pieces are aligned from the start, resulting in a more cohesive, efficient project.

4 - Easy Integrations With Your Tech Stack

Choosing to build or migrate a store to Shopify also means that you now have to figure out how the rest of your ecommerce tech stack fits into the mix. Some setups might be as simple as a few clicks, whereas others will take a lot of research and trial and error to get working. 

Working with an agency that has used all of these tools countless times means that what might take a first-timer weeks or months takes a few hours or a few days' worth of development services/agency time. 

Agencies have experience with tons of ERPs, CRMs, PIMs, digital marketing integrations, and more, making them invaluable for integrating, customizing, and getting things running as quickly as possible. If a pre-built app or connector doesn’t exist or work for you, an agency can also develop custom tools or API integrations so that even niche tools or custom in-house software can talk to Shopify however you need. 

They’re also helpful when it comes to omnichannel commerce. Agencies can help bridge your in-store and online systems and implement or migrate to Shopify POS so that you can get started with ship-from-store, unified gift cards, BOPIS programs, and more. 

5 - Dedicated Support & Ongoing Maintenance

Having a Shopify Plus Partner agency on your side means you never have to worry about store issues taking you offline for extended periods, nor do you need to set aside time for maintenance and optimization. 

Agencies are quick to identify and fix bugs plaguing online stores. They also provide proactive maintenance services to ensure that your theme and apps are up-to-date (preventing security and compatibility issues), your site speed is snappy, and your pages are compliant, accessible, and SEO optimized. 

Ongoing support often includes analyzing your store’s analytics and suggesting tweaks to boost conversions. Agencies might run A/B tests, refine the checkout flow, or adjust page layouts over time to continually improve sales performance.

Remember, your ecommerce website shouldn’t be static post-launch. When you leverage a Shopify Plus Agency, you get consistent, ongoing support and improvement. 

6 - Strategic Planning Skills

A Shopify Plus Partner agency can act as a strategic consultant, not just a collective of web developers. They often start engagements by understanding your business objectives (revenue targets, expansion plans, customer experience goals) and then help chart out a technology roadmap. This might include phased website improvements, omnichannel expansion plans, or prepping for an international expansion. 

Partners keep up with emerging ecommerce trends, like new payment options, headless commerce, AI-driven personalization, etc. They can advise which features make sense for your brand and help you implement them at the right time.

Scaling an ecommerce business comes with many challenges, like platform limitations and operational bottlenecks. A good Shopify Plus Partner will tell it like it is – helping you anticipate challenges and find solutions, rather than just telling you what you want to hear. This honesty builds trust and leads to smarter decisions for long-term success. Remember, we only succeed if you do. 

7 - Access to Beta Features & Additional Shopify Resources

One lesser-known perk of working with a certified Shopify Plus Partner is the insider access you gain. Shopify often rolls out beta programs and early feature releases to its Plus Partners first. For example, if Shopify is beta-testing a new checkout upgrade or an AI tool, your partner agency can get you in early, giving you a competitive edge.

In addition to your agency’s own support, Plus Partners have dedicated channels and access to Shopify’s team. This can translate into faster response times or escalations when there’s a platform-level issue. Having an official partner advocate for you, you’re less likely to get stuck in standard support queues.

Finally, Shopify Plus Partner agencies are plugged into a wider community of experts and receive ongoing training/resources from Shopify. They often attend Shopify events (conferences, webinars, showcases), receive detailed documentation, and can tap other specialist partners if needed. This way, you not only have yourself and your agency to get things done, but you also have access to a larger community of Shopify support members and developers. 

Blue Badger’s Shopify Agency Services & Skills

As a Shopify Plus Partner since 2017, we at Blue Badger have a ton of projects, big and small, under our belts across a variety of industries.  Our Shopify Plus development agency services include: 

1. Website Development: Store setup/configuration, custom theme design/development, checkout optimizations, app integrations and custom functionality, and mobile/speed optimization.

2. Support & Maintenance: Conversion rate optimization (CRO), support, performance optimization, regular maintenance, content updates, and compliance.

3. POS Integrations and Implementation: Shopify POS hardware migration/setup/store integration, complex workflow and custom solution builds, in-store staff training, and support.

4. Replatforming to Shopify: Moving complex store configurations to Shopify without downtime or data loss. 

Our Shopify Plus services encompass everything from initial setup to ongoing maintenance and the resolution of even the most complex ecommerce problems. 

Conclusion

While Shopify Plus provides an excellent, easy-to-use platform for growth, the true value is realized when you have experts maximizing it. A Shopify Plus Partner agency brings a blend of technical expertise, creativity, and business knowledge to help you build a unique, highly successful online business.

At Blue Badger, our clients not only get a beautifully designed, custom-developed store but also a long-term partner for support, strategy, and innovation. Ready for us to come on board? Contact us today to get started with your project!