Hobby Workshop
Long-term Magento, Hyvä and ecommerce consultancy for a growing UK hobby retailer.
Freelance Shopify Developer
Freelance Shopify developer for growing ecommerce brands
I’m Ryan Findlay, an independent Shopify developer with over 10 years of ecommerce experience. I design, build and improve Shopify stores, from theme development and platform migrations to integrations, performance improvements and ongoing technical support.
Brands I've worked with
Shopify development for established and growing brands
I work across both existing Shopify stores and new ecommerce builds, from improving established themes and customer journeys to migrations and completely new storefront launches.
I’ve spent over a decade delivering ecommerce projects for retailers, so my involvement usually extends beyond simply writing Liquid. I can help with platform decisions, UX, integrations, tracking, marketplaces and the wider technical requirements surrounding a Shopify store.
I’m comfortable working directly with business owners and ecommerce teams, or alongside existing agencies, designers and developers where additional Shopify expertise is needed.
Shopify development services
Clean builds. Faster stores. Less friction. I provide freelance Shopify development for brands that want reliable delivery, clear communication and work that holds up long term.
Whether you’re improving an existing theme or building something new, I’ll help you ship changes safely and avoid breaking what already works.
Shopify theme development and custom sections
Building and extending Shopify themes with clean Liquid, reusable sections and maintainable code for new builds, redesigns and ongoing improvements.
Shopify migrations and replatforming
Moving ecommerce stores onto Shopify with consideration for products, content, customer journeys, redirects and the wider requirements of the existing business.
Shopify performance optimisation
Improving storefront performance by reducing theme bloat, reviewing third-party scripts and apps and addressing Core Web Vitals and frontend bottlenecks.
Shopify apps and integrations
Integrating and troubleshooting apps, fulfilment systems, marketplaces, POS, feeds and other services that need to work reliably with Shopify.
CRO and customer journey improvements
Turning UX and conversion opportunities into practical storefront improvements across collection pages, product pages and key buying journeys.
Ongoing Shopify development and support
Long-term Shopify support for brands that need reliable development, troubleshooting and continuous improvement without hiring a full-time developer.
When to hire a freelance Shopify developer
Most teams bring in a freelance Shopify developer when they need speed, reliability and technical confidence. That might be a redesign, performance issues, ongoing improvement work, or a store that has grown complicated over time.
Below are common scenarios where Shopify teams bring me in.
You need Shopify changes delivered quickly
You have a backlog of improvements and need a developer who can move quickly without introducing unnecessary technical debt.
Your Shopify theme has become difficult to maintain
The store has been changed by multiple developers, apps or customisations and is becoming fragile. You need a clean-up and a safer approach to future development.
Performance issues are affecting the customer experience
Slow pages, heavy scripts or app bloat are affecting Core Web Vitals, conversion and the overall buying journey.
You’re planning a redesign, rebuild or migration
You need hands-on Shopify development to implement a new storefront properly, migrate from another platform or improve an existing build without creating unnecessary complexity.
You need help with Shopify apps or integrations
Tracking, feeds, fulfilment, POS, marketplaces or third-party apps are misbehaving and you need proper technical troubleshooting.
You want ongoing Shopify development support
You need a reliable Shopify developer available for continuous improvements, troubleshooting and new development without hiring full time.
Hands-on Shopify experience beyond theme development
My Shopify work ranges from complete store builds and migrations to ongoing development on established themes. I work across Liquid, templates, custom sections, storefront UX and the wider integrations surrounding the ecommerce platform.
I've launched new Shopify stores, migrated businesses from existing platforms and connected Shopify with physical retail, POS and marketplace channels where online and offline operations need to work together.
I’m also comfortable working within existing Shopify implementations that have accumulated apps, custom code and technical debt over time, identifying what genuinely needs replacing rather than assuming a complete rebuild is required.
My broader ecommerce background means development decisions are considered alongside conversion, analytics, product feeds, paid media requirements and the commercial goals of the store.
Shopify development FAQs
A freelance Shopify developer builds and improves Shopify stores. That can include theme development, custom sections, performance improvements, troubleshooting, integrations and ongoing iteration work. The goal is to deliver changes safely and keep the storefront maintainable.
Yes. Most work I do is on existing Shopify themes. I can improve performance, tidy up code, add new sections and templates, and implement CRO improvements without needing a full rebuild.
Yes. Speed improvements often come from reducing theme bloat, tightening third-party scripts and apps, improving asset delivery and addressing Core Web Vitals issues. I focus on practical changes that improve real user experience.
Yes. I often work alongside internal teams, designers and agencies. I’m happy to slot into an existing process and focus on delivery, quality and momentum.
Yes. I offer retained support for teams that want regular development time each month. It’s a good fit if you want continuous improvements and quick turnaround fixes without hiring full time.
Usually with a short discovery call to understand goals, constraints and priorities. From there I’ll recommend the simplest approach that gets results, whether that’s a defined scope project, an initial audit, or ongoing support.
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