[ Ecommerce · Platform selection ]Ecommerce website design and development
Pick the store platform on evidence, then build it.
Not sure which platform? We score your requirements against Shopify, WooCommerce and a headless build, recommend one in writing, then design and build the store. The scorecard is yours either way.
Platform choice · scored against your requirements
Platforms scored3Criteria weighted8Selection sprint1-2 wksScorecardYoursStandards on every platform selection
[01]Fit and scope
Is this the right project for you?
Good fit if
You are launching a store and have not chosen a platform
Your current platform costs more in workarounds than it saves
Stakeholders disagree and you need the decision in writing
You want one team to design and build whatever the scorecard picks
Not a fit if
You have already chosen Shopify or WooCommerce and only need the build
You need a build on a platform we do not deliver, such as Magento or Salesforce Commerce
Your bigger need is ongoing marketing or SEO campaigns, not a new store
[02]Platform fit
Shopify, WooCommerce or headless? Score it, don’t guess.
We build on all three, so we have no reason to push one. These are the situations that usually decide it.
Shopify, WooCommerce or headless? Score it, don’t guess.
Your situation
Shopify
WooCommerce
Headless
Why
Lean team, growing DTC brand
Strong fit
Workable
Too much
Hosted checkout and security mean less to maintain.
Content-led brand with a busy blog
Workable
Strong fit
Workable
WordPress keeps products and content in one editor.
Custom checkout, bundles or pricing logic
Plus only
Strong fit
Strong fit
You control checkout code on WooCommerce or in a custom front end.
Wholesale and retail in one store
Strong fit (Plus)
With extensions
Workable
Plus has B2B tools built in. WooCommerce needs extensions.
App-like browsing or several sales channels
Limited
Limited
Strong fit
A custom storefront on a commerce API, at a higher build and running cost.
No developer after launch
Strong fit
Risky
Risky
Hosted platforms patch themselves. WooCommerce and headless need care.
Headless means a custom front end on a commerce back end, such as Shopify’s Storefront API. We recommend it only when the scorecard shows a clear reason.
[03]How we score
Eight criteria, weighted for your business.
Each criterion gets a weight from your goals and a score per platform, with the reason written next to it.
01
Catalog
Product count, variants, bundles, custom fields and how your buyers filter and search.
02
Checkout
Payment methods, custom steps, discounts, and what each platform lets you change.
03
Operations
Who runs the store each day, how orders reach fulfillment, and how returns and support work.
04
Integrations
ERP, 3PL, inventory, accounting, email and reviews, with the connector each platform needs.
05
B2B and markets
Wholesale accounts, price lists, currencies, languages and expansion stores.
06
Content
How much you publish, who edits it, and whether store and content belong in one admin.
07
Ownership and data
Where the data lives, what you can export, and how hard it is to leave later.
08
Running cost
Plan fees, apps or plugins, hosting and care time, modeled over three years in the scorecard.
[04]Inspectable artifact
A platform scorecard, as we deliver it.
A sample with illustrative weights and scores. Yours uses your requirements and the current platform terms.
The selection sprint ends with a written recommendation, the scorecard, a requirements list and a rough build scope. You can hand them to your own team or another agency. Nothing in the sprint locks you in.
Weighted scorecard with reasons
Requirements and integration list
Build scope and timeline range
[04b] Selection + build
Have the same team design and build the store.
If you build with us, the requirements carry straight into design. We build on the chosen platform with the same checkout tests, integration tests and migration reconciliation we run on every store.
Shopify or WooCommerce build
Headless storefront when the scorecard justifies it
Selection is a fixed sprint. The build timeline depends on the platform and scope, and the proposal puts it in writing.
Wk 1 · Requirements
Interviews and inventory
Calls with the people who run sales, operations and content, plus a review of your catalog, tools and integrations. Output: a requirements list you approve.
Requirements approved
2-3 hours across your teamWk 1-2 · Scoring
Scorecard and recommendation
Each criterion weighted and scored per platform, current plan terms checked, and running cost modeled over three years. Output: a written recommendation.
Platform chosen
One review callWk 3-6 · Design
Templates and checkout flow
Product, collection, cart and content templates designed for the chosen platform, mobile first.
Templates approved
Two reviews a weekWk 6-14 · Build
Build, migrate, reconcile, launch
Build on staging, integrations tested with sample orders, migration reconciled, redirects tested, then 14 days of monitoring after launch.
Launch checklist green
Content, product data, final approval
[06]Engagement models
Three scopes. Numbers in the proposal.
What changes the price: number of stakeholders, catalog and integration complexity, the platform chosen and migration volume.
Because the wrong platform costs more than the sprint, in workarounds, extra apps and a second migration. The sprint gives you a written decision with reasons, so the choice holds up when someone questions it later.
Will you always recommend Shopify?
No. We build on Shopify, WooCommerce and headless storefronts, and on BigCommerce on request, so the recommendation follows the scorecard. If the scores are close, we say so and explain what would tip the decision.
What if another platform fits better?
We tell you. BigCommerce builds are available on request and scoped like any other store. Magento and Salesforce Commerce we do not build on. If the scorecard points there, you keep it and the requirements, and can take both to a team that does.
What do you need from us for the selection sprint?
Two to three hours across the people who run sales, operations and content. We also need access to your current store or tools if you have them. We do the inventory and the writing.
Can you design the store as well as build it?
Yes. Scopes B and C include product, collection, cart and content templates, designed mobile first and approved before the build starts. If you only need design, our website design service covers it.
When does headless make sense?
When you need a front end no theme can deliver, such as app-like browsing or one storefront shared across several channels. It costs more to build and to run, so we recommend it only when the scorecard shows a clear gain.
How long does the whole project take?
Selection takes one to two weeks. A Shopify or WooCommerce build usually follows in four to ten weeks, and a replatform or headless build in eight to fourteen. The proposal sets your dates once the platform is chosen.
Can we move from our current platform without losing orders or rankings?
Orders, customers and products, yes: the migration is scripted and every record is matched to the source before DNS changes. Rankings we protect but cannot promise. Every old URL gets a tested redirect, and we watch 404s and coverage for 14 days. Search positions also depend on factors outside the move.
Is SEO included?
The build includes technical SEO: clean URLs, structured data, fast templates and a tested redirect map. Ongoing SEO, content and campaigns are run by our sister agency BizAttic, and we can introduce you.
Can you launch before our peak season?
Only if there is time to build and test properly. We don't launch in the six weeks before your peak, and we will tell you on the first call if the dates don't work.
[10]Next step
Tell us what you sell and what the store has to do.
01 · TodayInstant confirmation and a booking link.
02 · 1 business dayA senior engineer replies personally.
03 · 5 business daysWritten, fixed-scope proposal.
