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How to Become a Shopify Developer
Shopify is quickly becoming one of the most desired platforms for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Every eCommerce entrepreneur today wants to build an online store with all the features that can help make their businesses run more efficiently. However, it is tough to create an impact in this competitive economy if you lack the technical expertise and abilities. This is why they opt to hire a Shopify Developer.
Shopify Developers, or Shopify Consultants, are entrepreneurs who create or sell Shopify Themes, Apps, and other products to help stores grow. The role of a Shopify Developer is crucial for the success of one’s store. You must hire one that uses new methods and tools to improve your store as technologies and updates continue to expand. Another option for entrepreneurs is to be a Shopify Developer themselves.
I'm Moe Farhat, with masters in software engineering and a developer who worked as a on over 5000 ecommerce webwistes since in 2006. I learned how to design Shopify apps and themes on my own by reading books & experimenting. Now I have my own Marketing and Development agency (Webinopoly.com) with over 50 developers & designers, where we’ve been helping clients grow their Shopify stores for over 7 years. In this post, I will share a bit about what you need to know to be a Shopify developer and share some resources to help you get started.
What is a Shopify developer?
The Shopify developers are the ones who work with Shopify, the development company and provide services like customization and modification of templates. These modifications enhance the website’s usability or make it more attractive. Developers also offer front-end services as well as back-end development and maintenance services.
Shopify developer is a renowned specialist who has a thorough knowledge of the concept of eCommerce web development. They have expertise in creating a large number of themes for different niches and Shopify stores. The experts also have very high knowledge about other technologies such as HTML5, CSS3, etc. These technologies are used to create advanced interfaces, designs, and layouts compatible with all devices.
How to Become a Shopify Developer?
Becoming a Shopify developer is not rocket science, but you need to put your mind and heart into it. If you want to become a Shopify developer, you should be familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript programming languages. And you should have a basic knowledge of the Shopify platform. Once you are familiar with these things and have the passion, let's get started!
As soon as you have the basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript programming languages and have some experience working on Shopify projects, you will never miss this chance to become a Shopify developer.
Here are a few ways that I can share with you to help you become a Shopify developer quickly:
- Learn the basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript programming languages
- Have basic knowledge with jQuey (Many Shopify libraries use jQuery )
- Have basic knowledge of Command Line
- Sign up for free on www.Shopify.com/developers to join the community of Shopify developers and create a Shopify Partner account to upload and test your Shopify theme (Free with unlimited Shopify store for development)
- Join Facebook groups exclusively for Shopify developers
Qualities A Developer Should Have
Aside from technical expertise, there are a few soft qualities you should master if you want to work as a Shopify developer.
- Be a good communicator – The Shopify store's admin panel isn't kind to newbies and it's not easy to navigate. You will be working with your clients and they will ask you lots of questions about how things work, and then you need to find the right solution for them. Therefore, you have to be patient and explain things in a way that they can understand.
- Have domain knowledge – If you are planning to work as a freelancer or a developer who runs his own agency, then you should have some knowledge in the eCommerce or development field because otherwise, your clients won't trust you with such important projects.
- Problem-solving skills – When fixing bugs on client websites you will have to research the problem, search for answers and then implement the fixes on the site itself or within the theme
- The ability to code slowly – When it comes to long-term success in the field of software development, understanding when to slow down is critical. Slower writing allows you to take the time to examine the system's architecture and discover the risks of altering it.
- Knowing how to visualize a program's code – It is essential for software code to be written in a visual language. Many software flaws, mistakes, and crashes are the result of a developer's inability to envision where the code will take them.
- Asks for help – Finally, a successful Shopify developer must be able to ask for help rather than try to keep their emotions in check when confronted with coding difficulties. While many individuals try to avoid discussing how they felt in the face of a challenge, no one person knows everything, and it's better for a developer to ask the proper questions up front than to deal with issues later on.
Resources on Theme Development for Shopify
It was years ago when I first heard about Shopify, and I was intrigued. As a self-taught developer, I wanted to dive in and learn everything about it.
Since then, I've learned so much about Shopify, from how to make custom themes to how to develop apps for it.
Developers, like myself, are always looking for new ideas and new ways to implement them. As a Shopify developer, I've learned that there are many resources out there for beginners and experienced developers alike. Here are a few favorites:
Shopify Blogs is one option that enables store owners and new developers to access a wealth of information on a variety of Shopify-related topics. It contains some of the best and most professional advice as most of it is written by experienced Shopify developers, marketers, and entrepreneurs.
Shopify Guides are a great resource for every business owner on Shopify. Tutorials on subjects like Facebook advertising and Google Shopping are provided in great depth. One can learn about eCommerce statistics and get introduced to topics like crowdfunding and drop shipping which can be very helpful later on.
Shopify Entrepreneurs Facebook Group
This is a Facebook group with over 22,000 members, many of whom are store owners and Shopify specialists themselves. It allows you to read through the many guides and walkthroughs, as well as learn from problems many developers face and what solutions can be of help. Additionally, it gives you the opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals, many of which are developers themselves.
This provides a selection of free Shopify courses, study guides, and examinations that should assist you in developing important commerce skills, testing your knowledge, and getting started as a Shopify Partner on the right foot.
Shopify Essentials for Web Developers
This is a free Skillshare class taught by agency owner Kurt Elster that will explain how to set up, create, construct, and customize a Shopify eCommerce site. You may use it as a starting point for custom Shopify development or as a guide to learn more about the Shopify platform.
Advanced Shopify Theme Development
If you’re ready to take on the next level, this is an advanced class on Shopify Theme Development. It’s intended for web designers and developers with some prior Shopify experience.
Liquid is a coding language template that was created by Shopify. This is a cheat sheet to get all Shopify liquid variables, filters, and helpers that will be very helpful especially for beginners.
You can make and change themes faster with component-based Liquid examples. This is a compilation of code snippets to fast track your development process and learn how to write liquid code.
A command-line tool that uploads your Shopify theme to a Shopify store automatically when you make changes to the theme locally.
Official Shopify YouTube channel for developers
Official Shopify Twitch channel for devs
Shopify For Developers: Free Youtube Course
Learn about Shopify development from this Youtube playlist which explains real-world theme development and app development.
If you’re interested in doing what I do—helping create a better, more successful customer experience—you should consider becoming a Shopify Developer. A lot of people don’t know how to become a Shopify developer, but if you have the skills and can help solve problems or develop new features for the Shopify platform, then you should definitely follow that dream.
I hope that my thoughts above have been helpful to you. If you have any questions, reach out to me anytime because I'm happy to answer questions for anyone looking toward the future of becoming a Shopify developer!