What drives the cost of a Shopify build
Not page count. Product data condition, integration count and missing content move a Shopify quote most. Where the budget goes, and how to reduce it.
Blog
Notes on Shopify, web design, and the decisions that come before the design.
How Shopify collection filtering works, and where it stops
Filters are configured in Search & Discovery, not the theme. The exact limits, how filters appear in the URL, and what to do when you hit the ceiling.
What you can and can’t customise in Shopify checkout
Checkout templates can no longer be edited on any plan. What replaced checkout.liquid and Scripts, what needs Shopify Plus, and how to audit a store now.
Shopify metafields, tags, or an app: which one for what
Tags for operational grouping, metafields for attributes customers see, apps only when you need behaviour. Why using tags as a database gets expensive.
What actually makes a Shopify store slow
Shopify speed problems are almost never the server. They are app JavaScript, oversized images and inefficient Liquid, in that order. How to find and fix each.
Shopify theme vs. custom build: how to decide
Most stores paying for a custom Shopify build are solving a design problem. How to tell a structural requirement from a presentational one before you quote.