Shopify retainer

Keep your storefront shipping — theme, apps, and ops on a monthly rhythm

SterlingWeb holds the technical lane so merchandising and growth teams can run campaigns. Small tasks and recurring improvements move through a managed queue; larger “epics” are chunked so timelines stay credible.

Process

How the Shopify retainer works

Assign work in plain language; we translate to Liquid, APIs, and QA. Status notes and Loom-style proof ship with deliveries when helpful.

  1. Capture the job

    Store URL, theme name, app list, and what “good” looks like — plus whether it touches checkout or analytics.

  2. Size & schedule

    We confirm fit to retainer scope, slot the work against your concurrency, and flag anything that should be a separate project.

  3. Build in staging

    Theme edits, app config, and tracking changes land in staging first when your workflow allows.

  4. Release & monitor

    Production deploy with post-release checks on key templates and conversion events you care about.

Scope

What we typically handle

Operational Shopify development and measurement hygiene — aligned with Online Store 2.0 patterns your team can reuse.

  • Section and template updates for campaigns and landing pages
  • Metafields, metaobjects, and collection logic within agreed complexity
  • App installation, configuration, and conflict triage from a pre-approved list
  • Checkout and cart UX tweaks that do not require bespoke checkout extensions unless scoped
  • Core Web Vitals triage on PDP, collection, and cart templates
  • Pixels, GTM, and consent-banner updates coordinated with your privacy stance
  • Post-launch bugfix window coordination with your CX team

Pricing

Plans — USD, billed monthly

Choose concurrency and touchpoints. Annual prepay can be written into SOW for a lower effective rate when you commit upfront.

Run

Stores shipping frequent tests and promos

$2,799/mo

USD · 2 concurrent streams

  • Two concurrent work streams
  • Monthly health pass: broken links, obvious speed regressions, critical app updates
  • Slack or email desk during agreed hours (IST + overlap)
Book a call
Most popular

Scale

Higher throughput plus a monthly strategy touchpoint

$3,999/mo

USD · 3 concurrent streams + monthly call

  • Three concurrent work streams
  • Monthly 30-minute working session for backlog prioritization
  • Closer QA on checkout and high-traffic templates before peak periods
Book a call

Shopify Plus-only or Hydrogen programs may need custom retainers — say so in the brief. Third-party app fees stay on your accounts.

Throughput

Example month

Example backlog for a busy D2C store — themes, apps, and measurement work interleaved.

Example tasks for one month with illustrative status for each row
Task
OS 2.0: new PDP trust strip + metafield-driven warranty copy
Complete
Fix sticky ATC overlapping size chart on mobile breakpoints
Complete
Klaviyo: back-in-stock form placement + list sync sanity check
In progress
Collection filter by material (metafield) + empty-state messaging
Complete
Google & Meta pixels re-fired after consent update (GTM container v4)
Awaiting review
Seasonal homepage hero + featured collection swap for launch date
Queued
Remove abandoned ScriptTags; replace with theme app extension where possible
Complete
Cart drawer: line-item property display for engraving add-on
In progress
Shopify Markets: price rounding rules audit for EU storefront
Complete
LCP pass on collection template (image srcset + preload hero)
Complete
Yotpo reviews widget spacing on mobile PDP
Queued
Shipping profile copy fix for remote islands (carrier copy only)
Complete
Post-deploy checklist: checkout test, refund test, analytics real-time
Awaiting review
Search spring config: synonym set for new product line name
Complete

Examples only. Checkout extensions, custom apps, or Hydrogen work may be quoted outside the retainer when scope warrants it.

Expectations

Expectations

  • Checkout and Plus work

    Checkout extensibility, Functions, and complex B2B rules are evaluated per task — some belong in a scoped project with dedicated QA.

  • Apps are part of the risk budget

    We maintain an allowlist of apps we will touch; experimental apps need explicit approval so we do not destabilize conversion paths.

  • Data and access

    Collaborator accounts on Shopify and repos you control. We document changes so your internal team can audit.

FAQ

Shopify retainer — FAQ

For a written retainer proposal, share your catalog shape, markets, and app stack in the contact form.
  • Is redesign work included?

    Visual refreshes that reuse your system are in scope; full redesigns or re-platforms are quoted as projects with design milestones.

  • How fast do small tasks move?

    We target predictable weekly throughput rather than miracle turnarounds. True emergencies follow an escalation path defined in your SOW.

  • Do you work with agencies white-label?

    Yes — PM-friendly notes, NDA-friendly defaults, and client-safe language in deliverables.

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