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How to Become a Shopify Expert in 5 Steps
Shopify is one of the fastest-growing eCommerce platforms and it will be in great demand as it becomes more popular among small business owners.
If you want to become a Shopify expert, look no further. Shopify skills are in demand as this flexible and scalable eCommerce platform becomes more popular, especially among small business owners and entrepreneurs. The Shopify platform is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning a new skill or advancing themselves professionally.
What is a Shopify Expert?
A Shopify Expert is a highly valued Shopify Partner who has been approved by the platform to flawlessly showcase their specialized expertise and capabilities to help Shopify stores grow.
Shopify Professionals are people who have established themselves as trustworthy, experienced experts in the Shopify community. They have been vetted by the platform, have prior experience working with customers, and are enthusiastic about assisting others in succeeding.
To be verified as a Shopify expert, you must know Shopify inside out. A Shopify expert usually has averagely five years of working experience in his field on both technical and business elements of Shopify projects and exclusive Shopify elements and third-party integrations.
You also need proven records of your high-quality provided services in helping Shopify businesses thrive. Services offered by Shopify Experts are diverse: website design, customization, development, SEO, marketing, accounting and more.
The Basics
You can apply to become a Shopify expert and get featured on the Shopify Expert Marketplace when you’ve satisfied the following requirements:
1) You are a partner of the Shopify Partner Program
2) You’ve had experience in growing at least 5 Shopify stores, and
3) The landing page on your business website attaches the Shopify logo/banner and your affiliate link
First you’ll have to sign up as a Shopify Partner. Once you’ve managed that and the other basic requirements, you can try to apply for the Shopify Expert Marketplace. If you happen to get approved, someone from the Shopify team will get in touch with you for the next steps.
How to become a Shopify Expert
- Don’t Be A Master of None. Find Your Specialty.
In order to become a Shopify expert, first you need to focus on what you’re good at and what you love doing. Then, try to think of how that can apply to the Shopify platform. For example, if you’re good at layout design, you can try to design Shopify stores. If this doesn’t strike your fancy, maybe content writing is more your style—you could create blog posts or other content for store owners who are already up and running.
Whatever kind of skill sets or resources you have available to you, it’s important to take advantage of them and use them on the Shopify platform.
You may even find this gives you new opportunities for creativity that you didn’t know were possible before. What’s important is you find a specialization you’re good at and passionate about, hone it to perfection and market yourself as an expert. Shopify offers many trials, so don’t hesitate to give a go.
Once you’ve found your specialty, it’s time to put it to work. Gain the necessary knowledge by reading up Shopify guides, tutorials and watching videos. Stock up on knowledge then try to gain real life experience.
You could start as a freelancer and offer your skills to smaller clients first. Be sure to inform them that you’re a novice (but a good one) so they know what to expect. Of course, it’s a given that you’ll do your best but as a beginner, you might run into some hijinks.
If you can’t find paying clients, try to offer a few services for free to get real practice. These will still benefit you since you’ll be able to add them to your portfolio.
- Practice and Build Up Your Portfolio.
In connection with item #1, you aren’t a Shopify expert yet so you’ll need to convince people and Shopify themselves that you are. You've acquired the skills; now it's time to start telling potential clients about them. A portfolio is an excellent way to show off your skills and previous work without having to compose lengthy texts that clients won't have time to read anyway. You best reserve that for interviews and meetings.
Make a point of emphasizing your new skill set when you develop your portfolio. You may categorize specific skill sets, such as developer, customer support specialist, and so on. Just make sure that your strongest skills and best work are highlighted to potential clients. This will also help bring back old clients to discover what more you have to offer.
To boost your chances of getting more high-value clients, design and format your portfolio in a way that draws attention to your strengths. If your old portfolio did not include being a Shopify expert, try rebuilding it around it or developing a new one and connecting to it.
- Offer Your Professional Services.
At this point, you should have enough skills and experience to offer your work professionally. To gain ore visibility, you can sign up at online marketplaces to find potential clients.
There are many websites out there that serve as freelance marketplaces. These are also where potential clients are lurking to find similar services whether it’s for for a one time project or long term work. Make sure to check the terms and conditions of each marketplace as some of them may have fees and specific rules to follow.
These marketplaces are where you’ll gain the most opportunity to connect with new clients and get a diversified portfolio. A few good places to start are Upwork.com or Freelancer.com.
As you get more experience and build up your portfolio with references, you will be able to move on to the leading platforms that provide expert services. These platforms (TopTal, PeoplePerHour, FreeeUp, and Guru) feature top talent in specific niches, and these are where you can establish yourself as a Shopify expert while avoiding generic freelance services.
- Land and Keep Your Clients.
It's not easy to acquire your first client. It's a cutthroat industry out there. You will quickly discover that there is always someone attempting to outbid you and at least a few others applying for the same projects. Your rivals may even be seasoned freelancers with more experience and credentials than you. But you can also do it. By following our advice, you'll have an impressive portfolio. Complement your portfolio with excellent services and promote yourself as a professional with a positive attitude.
In addition to Shopify expertise, the soft skills are the most important freelancing skills. These are the personal qualities that make working with you a delight. Clients dislike poorly executed work, but they also have issues with bad communication, missing deadlines, and overcharging after providing a price. Understanding the client's perspective will allow you to provide a better solution and establish a solid connection with them. The ultimate objective is to make them a repeat customer.
- Keep Learning and Growing.
Don't stop after just landing your first few clients. Keep track of trends and keep learning by experience. As you deal with clients, you'll have a better understanding of how they operate and what they prioritize. Make adjustments to enhance the way you present your services. Your perceived value is proportionate to your worth as a freelance hire.
Learn what your clients appreciate to make the appropriate portfolio modifications and improve the quality of your services. The following are ways to improve your standing on the Expert Market:
Create valuable content - Developing material that is valuable to both merchants and other professionals can establish you as an authority, enable you to sell your services effectively, and increase your networking chances with other professionals. To get started, you can either create your own blog where you share your expertise or write for other blogs in the same sector.
Have an online presence - Shopify's forums are teeming with activity. In these forums, there are several questions and discussions posed by merchants which give you a chance to demonstrate your knowledge and abilities. Participating in discussion forums can also help you to obtain a deeper understanding of the demands of prospective clients, which will likely result in more engagement and improved service.
Meet with fellow experts - Hosting in-person meetings with your fellow experts and possible clients can boost the likelihood of generating leads and facilitate the formation of complementary relationships with other experts whose skills complement your own. These kind of gatherings will allow you to develop deeper ties with the community, share talents, and obtain more useful knowledge.
Collaborate with other Shopify Experts - Your adversary may be your best ally, and your rival can be your finest instructor. Developing relationships with reputable organizations and independent contractors also results in mutually beneficial collaboration. Try to connect with other Shopify Experts and create working ties with them. When one of you cannot accept a certain project, you can collaborate on projects, plan, and suggest customers to one another.
CONCLUSION
The continual growth of Shopify has created several opportunities for both merchants and freelancing entrepreneurs. Every minute, there are thousands of new stores popping up around the world and Shopify is their first choice. As a certified expert, you'll have the opportunity to help businesses profit and thrive every day.
In addition to being a seller or buyer, anyone with an in-depth grasp of Shopify and specialized skill sets can apply to the Shopify Partner Program and be "promoted" to the position of expert. Becoming a Shopify expert can be a great opportunity for those who are looking to work in the eCommerce industry, or for consultants and individuals seeking to have bigger promotions.
When you become a Shopify Expert, you have access to a variety of benefits, including low prices, access to useful tools, and use of Shopify's amazing features, among others. It is challenging to become a Shopify Expert, but not impossible if you follow a strategic strategy to complete the requirements.
If you've found any value in the advice we've provided, please let us know in the comments section below.