Hobby Workshop
Long-term ecommerce and growth consultancy alongside Magento development for an established UK hobby retailer.
Ecommerce Consultant
Independent ecommerce consultant for growing retailers
I’m Ryan Findlay, an ecommerce consultant with over 10 years of experience helping retailers make better decisions about technology, customer experience and growth. I provide independent strategic advice alongside the technical knowledge to help turn recommendations into practical improvements.
Brands I've worked with
Ecommerce strategy backed by hands-on technical experience
I’ve spent over a decade working with ecommerce retailers, from senior roles within Magento and Shopify agencies to consulting directly with businesses on platform strategy, growth and technical delivery.
My work sits between strategy and implementation. I can help identify what needs to change, challenge assumptions and prioritise investment, while also understanding the technical implications of the decisions being made.
That can mean auditing an existing ecommerce platform, defining requirements for a replatform, reviewing customer journeys, assessing integrations or helping a retailer decide where development budget will have the greatest commercial impact.
When required, I can also remain involved through delivery, working alongside internal teams, agencies and technology partners rather than handing over a strategy document and disappearing.
Ecommerce consultancy services
Clear direction. Reduced risk. Measurable progress. I provide senior ecommerce consultancy for retailers who need structure, independent advice and practical execution support.
My role is to bring clarity to complex ecommerce environments and ensure commercial decisions are aligned with technical reality.
Ecommerce strategy and growth roadmapping
Turning commercial goals, customer data and technical constraints into a prioritised ecommerce roadmap focused on the changes most likely to create meaningful impact.
Replatforming strategy and oversight
Support with platform selection, requirements, migration planning and delivery oversight, with particular attention to SEO, data, integrations and trading continuity.
Platform and technology audits
Independent assessment of your ecommerce platform, integrations and technical setup to identify risk, technical debt, performance issues and opportunities for improvement.
Requirements and vendor selection
Translating business requirements into a clear technical brief and helping assess agencies, platforms and technology partners before major investment decisions are made.
Customer journey and CRO analysis
Reviewing the way customers browse, evaluate and purchase to identify friction and prioritise improvements across UX, merchandising and conversion.
Ongoing ecommerce consultancy
Continued senior input for retailers that need an experienced ecommerce partner to challenge priorities, support delivery and keep technology decisions aligned with commercial goals.
When to hire an ecommerce consultant
Ecommerce consultancy is usually brought in during periods of uncertainty, growth or change. If you’re facing complexity, risk or stalled performance, senior independent input can provide clarity before costly decisions are made.
Below are common scenarios where retailers engage an ecommerce consultant.
Ecommerce growth has plateaued
Revenue has stalled or improvements feel increasingly incremental. You need an independent view of what is holding growth back and where to focus next.
You’re planning an ecommerce replatform
Changing platform introduces significant commercial and technical risk. You need clear requirements, objective platform selection and experienced oversight through delivery.
Your ecommerce technology has become complicated
Apps, extensions, integrations and historic development decisions are making the platform harder to manage. You need clarity before investing further.
You’re choosing an agency, platform or technology partner
You want independent advice on requirements, proposals and vendor recommendations before committing significant budget.
You need senior ecommerce input without another full-time hire
Your business needs experienced strategic and technical direction, but does not necessarily need a full-time ecommerce director or technical lead.
You’re about to make a significant ecommerce investment
Before committing budget to development, redesign, acquisition or technology, you want confidence that the priorities and underlying strategy are sound.
From ecommerce strategy through to delivery
My consultancy experience spans platform selection, replatforming, technical audits, UX and conversion, integrations, ecommerce search, performance, analytics and long-term growth planning.
I specialise in Magento and Shopify , but consultancy decisions are led by the needs of the business rather than by a preference for a particular technology.
I’ve worked with established retailers, new ecommerce businesses, specialist B2B stores and multi-store environments, often remaining involved long after the initial project to help shape ongoing technical and commercial priorities.
This combination of strategic and hands-on experience is particularly useful where commercial decisions and technical decisions cannot realistically be separated.
Sample Projects
View all work 
Ribbons & Figurines
Platform and data auditing followed by customer journey improvements and ongoing ecommerce support for a specialist B2B retailer.
The Hobby Forge
Ecommerce consultancy, Shopify development, POS integration and marketplace setup for the launch of a new omnichannel retailer.
Ecommerce consultancy FAQs
An ecommerce consultant helps online retailers make better commercial and technical decisions. That can include platform audits, growth roadmaps, replatforming support, CRO improvements, vendor selection and delivery oversight. The aim is to reduce risk, prioritise effectively and drive measurable business improvement.
You’ll typically benefit from an ecommerce consultant if growth has stalled, you’re planning a replatform, or you need clarity before committing to major development spend. Independent advice early on can prevent costly mistakes and improve long-term outcomes.
I primarily work with Magento and Shopify. I also support retailers using bespoke builds, integrations and wider ecommerce ecosystems where technical and commercial alignment is important.
Yes. I support replatforming from early discovery and platform selection through to requirements definition and delivery oversight. The focus is protecting SEO, preserving data integrity and maintaining trading stability during transition.
Yes. I offer fixed-scope consultancy projects as well as retained ecommerce consultancy for businesses that need regular senior input without hiring in-house. I can work independently or alongside your internal team and agency partners.
Most engagements begin with a structured discovery call to understand your commercial goals, technical constraints and growth ambitions. From there, I recommend the simplest approach that delivers impact, whether that’s an audit, roadmap workshop or ongoing consultancy support.
The cost depends on scope and level of involvement. Some retailers need a focused audit and roadmap, others require ongoing strategic input over several months. I provide clear pricing based on defined outcomes rather than open-ended retainers.
Yes. I frequently work alongside internal ecommerce teams, developers, agencies and technology partners. My role is to provide structure, direction and senior oversight rather than replace existing teams.
An ecommerce consultant provides independent strategic guidance and senior oversight. An agency typically focuses on execution and delivery. Many retailers engage a consultant first to define requirements and reduce risk before appointing an agency.
If the scope is unclear or the business case hasn’t been properly defined, it’s often beneficial to consult first. Clear requirements and prioritisation reduce wasted development spend and improve delivery outcomes.
Ryan's commercial acumen and technical expertise is nothing short of impressive. He possesses a solid understanding of the ecommerce landscape and knows exactly how to leverage it for results. Always a pleasure to work with.
Faisal Butt, Quiz Clothing