Quick answer
Shopify development in Melbourne starts around $2,499 for a well-configured store with us, and from $7,500 for a fully custom theme build or a complex migration. A basic store can be live in around three weeks; custom builds and migrations take six to twelve. Shopify's own subscription is separate and paid directly to Shopify.
A Shopify store is easy to launch and easy to get wrong. The platform handles checkout and hosting for you — what it doesn't do automatically is configure Australian shipping zones, local payment methods, or a theme that loads fast once you've added the apps every store ends up needing.
- New Shopify stores, set up and configured from scratch
- Custom Online Store 2.0 themes for stores that have outgrown a stock theme
- Migrations from WooCommerce, Magento or BigCommerce
- Shopify Plus and B2B storefronts for wholesale-style catalogues
- Custom apps and third-party integrations
- Conversion rate optimisation for stores with traffic but a weak checkout rate
- Shopify SEO — see our SEO services Melbourne page for ongoing work
This is where most Shopify builds fall short, and it's the part international Shopify agencies routinely miss entirely:
- AUD pricing and GST configured correctly across the whole store, not bolted on afterwards
- Australia Post, Sendle and courier rates set up properly by shipping zone
- Afterpay, Zip, Apple Pay and Shop Pay enabled at checkout
- Australian address validation and postcode-based shipping zones
- Returns pages written to be compliant with Australian Consumer Law
- Local pickup and click-and-collect for stores with a physical location
A well-chosen premium theme, configured properly, is the right call for most stores under a few hundred SKUs. It's faster to launch, cheaper to maintain, and Shopify's best themes are genuinely well built. A custom theme earns its cost when you need a checkout experience, product configurator or catalogue structure a stock theme genuinely can't deliver — we'll tell you which situation you're in before you commit to the larger invoice.
Shopify hosting is fast by default — most speed problems are self-inflicted. App bloat, unoptimised product images, and oversized theme JavaScript from too many marketing scripts are the usual causes. We audit the app list and image weight before launch, not after you notice checkout abandonment climbing.
- Every existing product, collection and blog URL is mapped to its new Shopify address
- 301 redirects implemented before launch, not after Google notices the gap
- High-performing product and collection pages preserved rather than rewritten from scratch
- Search Console monitored closely in the weeks after launch to catch anything missed
With us, from around $2,499 for a well-configured store using a premium theme, and from $7,500 for a fully custom theme build or a complex migration. Shopify's own monthly subscription is separate and paid directly to Shopify, not to us.
A basic store can be live in around three weeks. Custom theme builds and migrations from another platform typically take six to twelve weeks, depending on product count and how much needs to be rebuilt versus imported.
Shopify if you want a managed platform with less ongoing maintenance and strong checkout reliability. WooCommerce if you want more control and lower recurring platform costs and are comfortable with WordPress hosting and updates. We'll tell you honestly which suits your product range and budget.
Yes, from WooCommerce, Magento or BigCommerce. We migrate products, customers and order history where the platform allows it, and map every existing URL to its Shopify equivalent with 301 redirects before launch.
Not if it's handled properly. Ranking loss after a platform migration is almost always a missing redirect, not a Shopify problem. We map every product, collection and blog URL before launch and monitor Search Console afterwards.
Yes — custom apps, third-party integrations, and custom Online Store 2.0 sections for stores that need something a stock theme can't do. We scope these individually since the range varies widely.
Yes, on every store — Afterpay, Zip, Apple Pay and Shop Pay, plus Australia Post, Sendle and courier rates configured by postcode zone, not left on Shopify's generic defaults.
Shopify's plans are billed directly by Shopify, separate from our development fee. We'll help you choose the right plan for your store size and transaction volume during the build.
Usually, yes. Slow Shopify stores are almost always caused by too many apps, unoptimised product images, or a theme with bloated JavaScript. We audit first and tell you what's actually worth fixing.
Yes, including B2B functionality for wholesale-style storefronts. Shopify Plus projects are scoped individually given the added complexity of checkout customisation and B2B catalogues.
Ready to start?
Book a free thirty-minute call. We'll look at your current site and top competitors, tell you which package actually fits, and send a fixed-price quote within two business days.
Or skip the call — fill in our website requirement form →