A Shopify Agency for Brands That Can’t Afford to Get It Wrong
Strategy, design, development, migration, integration, and growth should not become six disconnected conversations. SDG is Shopify’s original enterprise agency: the platform’s original enterprise partner, a Platinum Partner and Build Award winner, with one senior team accountable from the first decision through the work after launch.
Trusted by brands that define their categories
A full-service Shopify agency with one accountable team
Choosing a Shopify agency is not only a design or development decision. The partner has to understand how customers shop, how the brand should feel, how the catalog is managed, how orders move, which systems own the data, and what the internal team needs to change after launch. When those responsibilities are split across vendors, gaps become delays and every tradeoff needs translation.
SDG brings strategy, UX and design, development, migration, integrations, analytics, SEO, CRO, and support into one practice. The engagement can be a focused audit or feature, a redesign, or a complete enterprise program. Scope changes; standards do not.
Strategy before the scope hardens
The most expensive agency mistakes happen when a solution is sold before the problem is understood. We begin by clarifying the commercial goal, customer friction, operating model, platform constraints, integrations, content needs, team ownership, timeline, and definition of success. That gives everyone a shared decision record before estimates turn into commitments.
For a replatform, this includes total cost of ownership, current customizations, catalog and URL inventories, target architecture, migration sequencing, and launch risk. For an existing Shopify store, it may mean a technical, UX, analytics, SEO, or performance audit that identifies the highest-value work first.
Shopify design and development in the same room
Designers should know what Shopify can do elegantly, and developers should understand why an interaction matters to the customer and brand. Our teams work together through research, information architecture, prototyping, design systems, implementation, accessibility, performance, and QA, so the production experience does not become a compromised version of the approved design.
We build custom Liquid themes, Shopify Plus storefronts, apps, checkout and account extensions, Shopify Functions, and headless experiences with Hydrogen and Oxygen. Architecture is selected for customer value, operating fit, and total cost, not novelty.
Migration and integrations are part of the product
A storefront is only useful when the business behind it can operate. SDG plans data migration, URL redirects, analytics, consent, ERP, OMS, PIM, CRM, tax, payments, fulfillment, reviews, loyalty, subscriptions, and customer service alongside the customer-facing build. System ownership, reconciliation, monitoring, and recovery are explicit rather than postponed until launch.
Explore our Shopify migration agency and enterprise integration practices, including work with NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, Salesforce, Manhattan Active Omni (MAO), and complex custom platforms.
An agency relationship that continues after launch
Launch creates a better foundation; it does not finish the roadmap. We support release planning, maintenance, incident response, feature development, performance, accessibility, analytics, technical SEO, and conversion optimization. A shared backlog keeps urgent work from displacing valuable work and gives internal leaders a clear view of progress.
Some clients need an embedded senior development team. Others need a monthly improvement cadence or specialist support for a particular system. Our Shopify support retainers are shaped around the operating gap rather than a preset block of generic hours.
Proof should be specific
SDG has worked on Shopify since 2006 and won a Shopify Build Award for Glossier. Our case studies show what that experience looks like in context: large-catalog migration for Barnes & Noble, a custom-platform move for Everlane, unified digital and in-store workflows for Framebridge, and enterprise work across retail, beauty, media, apparel, and B2B.
When evaluating any agency, ask who will actually do the work, what they have launched at comparable complexity, how they handle the systems behind Shopify, and who remains accountable when launch week arrives. Our Shopify agency comparison makes those questions explicit.
Everything your store needs, from one senior team
SDG is a full-service Shopify partner. The same senior engineers and designers behind enterprise replatforms also take on focused projects, ongoing support, and everything in between — for brands large and small. One accountable team, end to end.
Strategy & architecture
Platform evaluation, TCO, roadmaps, and technical architecture grounded in two decades on Shopify.
UX/UI design
Brand-led storefront design and interface work, engineered to convert as well as it looks.
Storefront development
Theme and fully custom front-end builds, from a single template to a complete storefront.
Headless & composable
Hydrogen, Oxygen, and custom React storefronts engineered to hit performance budgets others miss.
Replatforming & migrations
Moves onto Shopify and Shopify Plus without downtime or data loss, including the largest catalogs in retail.
Systems & data integration
ERP, OMS, PIM, CRM, and bespoke middleware — the back-office systems global retail runs on.
Performance engineering
Core Web Vitals, speed, and reliability treated as a baseline, not an afterthought.
Shopify SEO
Technical SEO, site architecture, and structured data so the right buyers find your store.
CRO & experimentation
Conversion-rate optimization and A/B testing that turn existing traffic into more revenue.
Support & retainers
Ongoing monthly support, maintenance, and enhancement — a senior team on call for your store.
Accessibility
WCAG-compliant builds and audits, so your storefront works for every customer.
Apps & custom functionality
Custom Shopify apps, checkout extensions, and bespoke features the platform doesn’t ship out of the box.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Shopify agency do?
A Shopify agency designs, builds, customizes, migrates, and maintains stores on Shopify and Shopify Plus: from storefront design and development to integrations, performance, and ongoing support.
How much does a Shopify agency cost?
It depends entirely on scope. Enterprise replatforms and headless builds are very different investments than a focused storefront project. We scope each engagement to the actual work.
How long does a Shopify build take?
Timelines range from a few weeks for a focused build to several months for an enterprise replatform with deep integrations.
Do you offer ongoing support after launch?
Yes. We stay engaged well past launch. Most of our clients have worked with us for years.
Do you take on smaller projects, or only enterprise builds?
Both. The same senior team behind our enterprise work also takes on focused, single-scope projects. We size each engagement to the actual work.
Do you offer Shopify SEO, CRO, and UX/UI design?
Yes. Beyond development we handle UX/UI design, technical SEO, and conversion-rate optimization as part of a full-service practice.
Are you Shopify developers or a design agency?
Both, under one roof. Designers and senior engineers work together, so there are no hand-offs between strategy, design, build, and support.