Projects
View my past work, ordered from most recent to oldest, below.
View my past work, ordered from most recent to oldest, below.
Made changing themes quick and easy. Gave very good instruction on the changes and how to modify the theme to best fit our needs. Made lots of video instructions to make the conversion easy.
I recently had the pleasure of working with a fantastic developer who updated my Shopify theme. He was incredibly responsive, thorough, and an excellent communicator throughout the entire process. Not only did he complete the update quickly, but he also allowed me to make edits to ensure everything was exactly how I wanted it. Overall, I couldn't be happier with the experience and highly recommend this developer to anyone looking for a top-notch Shopify expert. Thanks again for your help!
Working with Stephen was a delight. He exceeded my expectations on every aspect of the project with exceptional communication skills, fast turn around and willingness to go the extra mile to problem solve and implement effective solutions. I highly recommend working with Stephen for your Shopify project.
Stephen is outstanding. Great guy to work with. Does an excellent job, makes proactive recommendations, solves problems, and responds to all questions quickly. He is neat, and organized, and does a great technical job with Shopify, he knows it inside out. One of the best decisions we have made with our business was to hire Stephen. We would strongly recommend anyone who needs help building a Shopify store use Stephen. We will work with him in the future for sure.
Stephen provided an accurate design after I provided basic feedback. Changes were made quickly, and communication was prompt throughout the project. He provided recommendations for improvements and app add-ons to make the website better.
He exceeded my expectations and then some. Stephen did exactly what I needed him to do; he intellectually challenged my design ideas, and he gave me solutions that I was able to both understand and visualize. You will not be disappointed in the work, his level of communication and his commitment to your business.
Thanks for setting that up, Stephen! Looks great!
Stephen is an excellent written communicator and his clear and concise questions/responses kept the process moving on a daily basis. I highly recommend Stephen's World if you like effective communication and flawless and timely execution.
Thank you Stephen for your help with my project! I know you had a very short notice, but you did deliver on time! Professionalism, Communications, Delivery Dates. I will definitely use Stephen's services in a near future again.
Very easy to communicate with, great understanding of solution required and was willing to walk the extra mile. He was very patient with all of the changes and the final outcome looks great! Definitely recommended.
Stephen made this migrating process to Shopify incredibly easy. I couldn’t be more happy with his communication and attention to detail. His detailed response to any questions I had was awesome. I couldn’t be more happy with our new website and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Stephen’s World.
Having Stephen assist us with this project from A to Z was worth the price. We could focus on what we do best, knowing that Stephen is 100% dedicated to the task. What I really appreciate about Stephen, is that he answers questions in complete sentences, complete details, and links. I highly recommend!
This looks great. I looked at the preview and its coming along nicely and looks very close to the [original] site. Good work thus far Stephen! Looking forward to hearing more.
Wow - the initial setup looks great! Thanks so much! Looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for us.
Would give him 10 out 10 if I could! Excellent, prompt communications, knows exactly what he's doing and if not he would help you to find answers. I have very high standards and Stephen has definitely showed his expertise and is worth the investment. I enjoyed working with him and will not hesitate to recommend him to anyone. Thank you Stephen!
When we decided to upgrade our robust and busy site to Shopify, choosing Stephen to do the work proved to be a sound decision. Stephen is a pleasure to work with. He answered questions promptly and to my schedule, was on point with advice and managed the migration of our site seamlessly. Highly recommend.
From our initial email with Stephen to explore the feasibility of the work, it was clear that Stephen possessed the experience and knowledge to deliver our project. Stephen was a thorough and tidy communicator which is critical for any development project wherein a certain degree of autonomy is required. We appreciated the speed with which Stephen got to work and have been thrilled by the support since launch.
Stephen was excellent in his communication every step of the way. I am used to phone communication, but being only through email he did a great job in quick replies and organized emails for tasks needed and goals completed. His pricing was more than fair and I appreciated his help throughout. He really made the process easy. I would highly recommend!
Working with Stephen's World has been a rewarding experience. Combining artistic aptitude, technical knowledge and prompt communications, he was able to successfully transfer our company's "feel" into the finished website. If you have a Shopify website idea, and are looking for help in bringing that idea to life, we'd recommend Stephen's World for the job.
Working with Stephen was overall a very positive experience and I would highly recommend his services. His communication is top notch! I am very happy with his redesign recommendations and happy with the overall look and functionality of my new website. I wouldn't hesitate to work with him again in the future.
I absolutely LOVE the website! The colors are perfect, I love you used the font for Pacabella for the heading, love how you added the photos in, the BIG pic of the alpaca with the info on the left is awesome and the website looks soooo good on a mobile device - you did an outstanding job - it's EXACTLY what I was looking for!! I would give Stephen 10 stars if it was possible!
Stephen's communication is prompt and thorough, the guidance and solutions he offers are clear and effective, his attention to detail and ability to adapt design to the store's mission are impressive, and his patience for answering questions was deeply appreciated. Working with Stephen is just plain awesome and so is the website he built for me. I can't thank him enough.
Best money I've ever spent. Stephen is very responsive, does quality work, and knows his stuff. He made some great suggestions and recommendations as to which apps might work to best support my business and what I was trying to accomplish with my new website. I can't tell you how much time I saved partnering with Stephen. If you're on the fence, just hit the button, hire Stephen and don't look back.
I needed a lot of help setting up the store and with all the details. Stephen made it look easy, was quick, very responsive to all of my endless questions, and never lost patience with my lack of knowledge. If you need help with your site, I would highly recommend!
Quick response time, great job, I really recommend! Kept deadlines and guided us through the project great!
The work was done far quicker than I anticipated and once the job was finished, I have had absolutely no issues or problems with my new website - everything was migrated over perfectly! Communication with Stephen (even from the other side of the world) has been excellent. He explains things in detail - but very clearly and is very prompt in getting back to me with my queries. Can't recommend him highly enough!
Very good experience with Stephen. Good communication and provided clear feedback as we migrated and developed my Shopify store.
I enjoyed working with Stephen to upgrade our website. He was very professional, stuck to his word and followed through on everything we discussed during our planning phase of the project. Creating or updating a website is a big investment, but rest assured...you are in good hands with Stephen's World!
Stephen did a great job with our project. We migrated from Volusion to Shopify, and had a lot of specific product/inventory setup which took a lot of time to do, but Stephen was here to take care of it for us. He also has great communication from start to end.
Stephen has been great to work with. He migrated us over to Shopify from Magento 1.9, which was desperately needed. He has troubleshooted any issues that have come up with poise and professionalism. We highly recommend him, and look forward to working with Stephen in the future!
Thanks for your help on the Cart. Looks good!
Stephen was quick, helpful and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.
Great job! Extremely pleased with my new store! Stephen's knowledge, expertise, and great communication skills made the transition of my newly redesigned online store a very smooth one. I highly recommend Stephen and will definitely use him again for any website work I may need in the future.
Thanks so much for all of your help.
I found Stephen on the Shopify experts page, and I could not have been luckier! He is a great communicator, prompt and an expert with all Shopify related items. I actually made an error on my end by importing products wrong, and he was able to recover the lost images and restore after much work...I have already referred one of my colleagues to him and would do more in a heartbeat!
Stephen welcomed our unique requests and not only completed the work, but made it better than we could have expected! Stephen is a great communicator who listens well. He's super knowledgeable with great resources in his back pocket. Whenever I had a question, he would either know the answer or research until he found it. I highly recommend Stephen in all things web development.
5 stars all the way!!!! Whenever I needed help, Stephen always responded in a timely manner. The migration from Magento to Shopify went smoothly with Stephen's help. Highly recommend if you are looking to switch or start up Shopify.
We had an excellent experience working with Stephen. His communication was fantastic - every question we had was answered in detail even before we placed our order, and we always knew the status of the project. We would highly recommend Stephen and will use him again ourselves as needed.
Great work Stephen! Thanks again!
I like the shop by team menu, sizing chart and search function! The trust badges look great too! Thanks for your help!
Very knowledgeable, quick response to all my emails, knows all about Shopify and how to set it up. Highly recommended!
Very thorough, knowledgeable and patient while guiding clients through the ins and outs of Shopify. So grateful to have his expertise on our side!
What a great experience with Stephen’s World! He handled the setup of my Shopify store expertly and quickly. He listened to my vision on how I wanted the store to look and had many great suggestions on how to optimize the setup. Always fast to reply and quick to implement any changes to the site, I couldn't imagine working with a more qualified expert!
Stephen is incredibly talented. My site is more functional than ever and looks as professional as you could ever ask. Could not be happier!
Stephen did a very good job designing our new website and web store. Very pleased with look, feel and functionality.
Stephen did a beautiful job building my website. His expertise and eye for details is really incredible. Not only did he do a good job on my website he is offered wonderful support about questions on how to operate and make changes to my new website. I highly recommend him as your web designer.
... with the experience of 18,000+ support interactions, 700+ positive reviews, 100+ completed tasks, 60+ full stores, and 7+ years of experience on Shopify.
English first-language + former Shopify Guru + BA from UBC.
work on new stores or existing stores
multiple small tasks or a single large task
request audit of existing setup or content
ask questions and get detailed responses
recommendations based on your needs
one afternoon of work (~ 4 hours)
switch themes or upgrade versions
improve homepage and navigation
consolidate pages and content
setup any previous and new apps
theme purchase not included in price
2-weeks or less turnaround time
1. which theme/template you would like to use - but don't purchase one yet
2. an inclusive list of all your product categories and subcategories
3. graphics - slideshow images, logo, banners, badges, etc.
4. content for pages - about, contact, policies, etc.
5. domain name purchased - I recommend using GoDaddy
6. your product details organized in a spreadsheet - name, sku, price, description, link to images, variants, categories/tags, inventory, weight
1. staff account login details - for me to access your current ecommerce admin
2. login credentials to your domain provider - so I can edit your DNS settings
3. ftp access credentials (if your site is privately hosted) - to install a migration bridge
4. which theme/template you would like to use - but don't purchase one yet
✔ migrate your products from another platform
✔ migrate your collections from another platform
✔ migrate your orders from another platform
✔ migrate your customers from another platform
✔ migrate your pages from another platform
✔ migrate your blog posts from another platform
✔ adding new products
✔ creating new collections
✔ set up navigation menus
✔ set up theme (site template)
✔ set up any apps you need
✔ set up shipping rates
✔ set up tax rates
✔ set up store legal policies
✔ set up checkout settings & notifications
✔ domain DNS changes (to point your domain to Shopify when ready to launch)
✔ content proof-reading for proper grammar & spelling
✔ fielding any questions you have about the platform after launch
All sales are final, regardless of if the project is completed or not. If you choose to cancel the project, at any time during the setup process, no refund will be granted. I cannot guarantee that you will make any sales, as that completely depends on your own marketing and advertising efforts. I cannot guarantee that your site will score high on Google's PageSpeed Insights, or that you will rank on the first page of search results.
I promise to do my best to complete your project, to the highest quality possible, within your deadline for completion. If for any unforeseen reasons, the site cannot be completed on time, no refunds will be given.
It's worth noting that I work exclusively via email-only. I do not support Skype, Zoom, Discord, WhatsApp, phone calls, text messages, faxes, in-person meet-ups, or physical letters. I only work via email.
With that said, I pride myself on my response times, and I will always reply within 1 business day, or else sooner.
I normally require payment in full, before starting your project. In some cases (for larger projects) I will allow the project to be split into more than one payment - this is something that would need to be negotiated before you place your order.
If I were to take your money and run away, it's very easy for you to get your money back, by filing a claim with PayPal. However, it's very hard for me to enforce payment, if a client decides to walk away or not pay at the end. For those reasons, I normally require full payment at the start.
Absolutely! As I go through the setup process, I will share with you (via email) what I have done, either via links or screenshots, and then you can let me know if anything needs to be changed or edited. Most of the time, I'm able to get things working to my clients' satisfaction within 1 or 2 edits.
I normally quote ~30 days for completion, though some projects may take less or more time. Since I'm paid per project, and not per hour, there is no benefit to me taking longer than necessary to complete your project. I will do my best to complete things as quickly as possible (without cutting any corners).
I am pretty flexible when it comes to changes and additions throughout the project. If it's something small that you'd like to add, then there's usually no problems in doing a bit extra. It's only if things drastically change that we would have to consider project scopes and fair use of my time. I handle all additional requests on a case-by-case basis, and most of the time I can accommodate additional requests at no extra charge.
It's hard to say how many hours a given project will take, as each project is unique and has different requirements.
I do not charge an hourly rate. It doesn't make sense for me to charge per hour, as I'm very efficient at my work. I would essentially be earning less than I'm worth, as I can get most things done quicker than other Experts.
Since I work exclusively with Shopify, I know the platform very well. Other Experts may support a variety of platforms, so they may not be as well-versed with Shopify, since they spread their time over multiple platforms. The only times that I work with other platforms, is when my clients are leaving them for Shopify. I know just enough about the other platforms to be able to get data off of them, but I focus the bulk of my attention on learning and staying up-to-date with Shopify exclusively.
A 'development' store is essentially a new Shopify store/account which is in a perpetual trial period. It allows us to setup a large portion of the site, at our own speed (no time limitations), and without being charged Shopify's monthly fee. It's worth noting that development stores cannot process sales (or else folks would just use development stores, and wouldn't have to ever pay monthly fees). Any development store can be instantly turned into a regular paid store, by selecting a monthly Shopify plan.
I normally prefer to start on a fresh store, but if you would really like me to work off of an existing store, then I can do that.
After your store is launched, if you have any questions about how things work, where to find specific settings, want recommendations on apps or best practices -- then you can reach out to me (via email) and I'll help you, for the length of your support period, at no additional charge.
Yes, I work with clients from around the world.
Yes, building Shopify websites is how I make the bulk of my income.
I live and work out of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
I am regularly available from 12PM to 8PM (Pacific Time), Monday - Friday, minus all Canadian statutory holidays.
Sometimes, I do. It kind of depends on the holiday, or if I have any plans for the weekend. If you'd like to launch your new store on a weekend, then I can accomodate that request (you just need to let me know ahead of time).
Shopify does have 24/7 live support channels, where you can speak to an actual Shopify employee, if something is going wrong with your store. It's very rare though, that anything can go wrong with a store. Unless you've deleted something vital, or have been hacked, then your store can't really break down on itself.
No, you do not need to show either of these at the bottom of your site. By default, I will add the "Designed by SW" text to the bottom of each site I do. You're welcome to request that either (or both) of these to be removed though.
No, you don't have to leave a review. With that said, reviews are my livelihood. Without reviews, I do not get ranked in the Shopify Experts search results, and thus, don't get any leads for future projects. I need reviews, in order to continue to get leads from Shopify, so I would strongly encourage and ask for you to consider leaving a review at the end of the project.
No, your site does not have to be featured on the homepage of Stephen's World. You can ask to be removed from my homepage at any time.
No, I am technically a freelancer, so I am my own boss. However, Shopify does provide me with leads for projects, based on my past setup and migration history. I rely almost exclusively on the Shopify Experts leads system for finding clients/work.
For stores that I create from scratch, Shopify does pay me a percentage of their monthly fees, for up to 3 years. Aside from that, no, Shopify does not pay me a salary or retainer for being a Shopify Expert.
I do not have an official discount or commission system for referrals. However, I am open to this, especially if you think you can refer more than one person. Please reach out to me via email, to discuss possible commissions and discounts for referrals.
No, I do not make any kind of kickback or commission from any of the apps or themes that I recommend.
You can try Shopify free for 3 days, no credit card required. After your trial expires, choose a plan that suits the size and stage of your business.
All Shopify plans are month to month unless you sign up for a yearly plan.
Yes, if you ever decide that Shopify isn't the best ecommerce platform for your business, simply cancel your account.
Absolutely, you can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time.
You can use Shopify in nearly every country in the world.
Yes, Shopify is certified Level 1 PCI DSS compliant. This means all your data and customer information is ultra secure.
There are no transaction fees for stores using Shopify Payments.
If you choose a third-party payment provider, there will be additional fees of 2%, 1% or 0.5% for our Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify plans, respectively.
A third-party payment provider (also knows as a payment processor or payment gateway) lets you accept online payments. Learn more about supported third-party payment providers.
Shopify charges a small fee to allow you to accept major credit cards, such as Visa and Mastercard, as payment in your store. These fees vary depending on the plan that you choose.
Yes, you can purchase a domain name within Shopify, or use an existing one that you own. Shopify also provides a forever free myshopify.com domain name to all stores when they sign up.
Yes, Shopify includes secure, unlimited ecommerce hosting on all plans except Starter. You can also use the Buy Button to add ecommerce to any existing website.
There are none. All Shopify plans include unlimited bandwidth for free.
Yes, your Shopify online store automatically synchronizes with Shopify POS, and you manage your entire business from one dashboard. Inventory, product, and payment updates that you make in your Shopify admin will instantly take effect in Shopify POS
Yes, all Shopify stores are able to sell in multiple currencies with the "Markets" functionality. Your Shopify store can also be translated into multiple languages, though you may wish to use a Translation app in order to speed up the translation process.
The most common ways to setup your store's shipping rates include price-based rates, weight-based rates, or Carrier Calculated Rates.
Price and weight based rates can be set up in tiers, based on an order's total weight or price (ex. $0-$25 = $10 shipping, $25.01-$50 = $20 shipping, etc.).
Carrier Calculated Rates use automatically generated rates by your shipping provider (ex. Canada Post, UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc.) which are based on the total weight of the order, and then the distance between your store's address and the customer's address.
I always recommend either the Flex theme or Turbo theme by Out of the Sandbox.
If you would prefer to purchase a theme from the Shopify theme store directly, then I would recommend going with the Symmetry theme.
For all custom-coding needs, I recommend going with HeyCarson. They are the best bang-for-your-buck when it comes to custom-coding.
Shopify does not offer professional email addresses, so you will need to use a third party service to manage your professional emails. I highly recommend using GoDaddy's Email Services (which is what I personally use for Stephen's World).
I highly recommend using the ReAmaze Live Chat & Helpdesk CRM app (which is what I use for Stephen's World).
It is technically possible to translate your store manually, but most merchants want to speed up this process by automatically translating their store. For handling automatic translations, I highly recommend the Translation Lab app.
If you need more control and an easy way to manage your store's product page tabs, then I highly recommend using the Easy Tabs app.
If possible, I recommend using Shopify Payments (to avoid being charged any transaction fees). I also recommend using PayPal, in addition to Shopify Payments. If - for some reason - you're unable to use Shopify Payments, then you can use PayPal on its own. Alternatively, Authorize.net or 2Checkout would be good options for a main payment gateway.
For any custom graphics or videos that you need, I would recommend hiring someone highly rated from Fiverr.com.
If you're looking to make all of your images perfectly square (to help with product image alignment on collection pages) then I recommend using the PixC Photo Resize app.
If you've migrated your store to Shopify from another platform, then you'll need to send bulk invites to your customers to reset their account passwords. I highly recommend using the Bulk Account Inviter Sender app.
If you're wanting to lock or restrict pages/products on your site, to only specific (or approved) customers, then you'll want to use the Locksmith app.
There are a lot of different monthly subscription apps available on the Shopify app store. The ones that I have had success with in the past are: Recharge Subscriptions and PayWhirl Subscriptions.
There are a number of Custom Product Options apps available on the Shopify app store. The ones I've had the most success with in the past are Bold Product Options and Hulk Product Options.
I always recommend using the Judge.Me Reviews app, for handling both product reviews and storewide reviews.
If you're looking to offer your customers wholesale pricing, then I recommend using the Wholesale Gorilla app.
If you're looking to print your own designs on clothing and accessories, then I highly recommend using the Printful app.
My complete collection of reviews from past clients, customers, and merchants. From my time in the call center, to doing small tasks, to full store setups and migrations. Find out what others had to say about me.