The Shopify Ecosystem is massive, and is built up of many groups of folks. From merchants, to Shopify employees, to Shopify Partners, there are many people working together to create the most powerful ecommerce ecosystem around. However, sometimes folks may not realize just how much these groups support each other within the ecosystem.
If you’re a Shopify Merchant, you’ve likely heard of ‘Shopify Partners’, or even ‘Shopify Experts’ before. Even though you may have heard of them, you may not be sure about what they are, or what they can do. We wanted to take the time to create this blog to help educate merchants on Shopify Partners and the value they bring to the entire Shopify platform.
What are Shopify Partners?
‘Shopify Partners’ are all members of Shopify’s ‘Partner Program’, a free to join program that allows entrepreneurs to make money by creating apps and themes, recommending Shopify to other entrepreneurs via affiliate programs and links, and more! The ‘Partner’ title is provided to these folks after entering into a contract with Shopify. These Partners can join the program under one of the following titles:
- Freelancer
- Marketer
- Photographer
- Developer
- Coder
- Designer
- Influencer
Shopify Partners make an income based on the work they do for merchants on the Shopify platform, such as building development stores or themes and apps, or via affiliate links they provide to new users which result in them earning income when those new users subscribe to the platform.
Shopify Affiliates
Shopify Affiliates are Partners that get paid for educating and onboarding new merchants to Shopify. The Shopify Affiliate Program includes bloggers, publishers, educators, and other inspiring affiliates that refer their entrepreneurial audience to Shopify. For example, you may go to a talk where a person talks about their journey to financial freedom and independence. At the end of the talk, the person may hand out a card with an affiliate code that can be used to sign-up for Shopify! There are many Affiliates that also make Youtube content, providing incredibly easy access to their educational materials.
Shopify Experts
Shopify Experts are trusted, third party professionals who have worked hard to earn the title of 'Expert'. They can assist you with various aspects of your Shopify Store, from developing apps, building your store, to assisting you with managing the business, and everything else in-between. Experts are skilled members of the Shopify Community you can rely on for those challenging tasks that Shopify Support is unable to support you with - such as custom app development, or specific coding changes to your theme or admin. Experts are proven to be incredibly skilled at what they do, and we're proud to have them as key players in the Shopify Ecosystem.
How do you Hire a Partner or Expert?
You’re more likely to hire a Partner or Expert than you are an Affiliate, just due to the nature of the work that they do. While Affiliates educate merchants on Shopify, Partners and Experts build things for Shopify users and their businesses. Currently, there are two primary ways you can go about hiring a Partner or Expert:
- The Partner Directory
- Your Profile Link in your Admin
- Connecting with a Partner via Social Media, our Community Forums, or a third party platform
Expert Marketplace
The Expert Marketplace is currently our One-Stop Shop for finding the perfect Expert to help you with whatever job you need done! The Expert Marketplace is an environment where specific Partners have applied and been accepted to have their services featured via our platform. Within the Marketplace, there are two methods available to you in order to get you connected with an Expert. We’ll go over the steps you’ll want to take to post a job, and find an Expert, below:
1.) Go to the Partner Directory, and type what work you’re looking for in the search bar
2. ) Scroll down the page, and use the filter options on the left side of the screen to assist you with finding the right Expert of the job, and then select one by clicking on their name
3.) On the next page, read through the presented information. If you feel like they’re a good fit, click the ‘Contact’ Button, and fill out the information form to get in touch!
4.)You will then be required to fill-out a form, providing information about your business, the work you’re looking to have done, and the preferences you have for the Expert that you work with. Below is a screenshot!
Additionally, you can find a Partner or Expert to work with by scrolling down the home page of the Partner Directory and click one of the several links there that match in with the sort of work you're looking to have done for your business!
Shopify Partners are an integral part of the Shopify Ecosystem, and we’re so lucky to have so many skilled individuals and agencies working around the clock, and around the world, to help merchants just like you folks reading this blog build the best businesses ever. If you’re interested in learning more about our Partners, Experts, or Affiliates, feel free to visit our Shopify Partners Community Board, or our Partner Blog Hub! You can also check out this interview that our very own@Skye from the Community Team hosted with one of our Partners!
At this time, we do not offer an environment to hire Partners that are not Experts. When hiring on third party platforms, some freelancers or agencies may claim to be Shopify Partners to gain your trust. It is important to be mindful of phishing attempts, as well as attempts to hijack your account. We advise to only allow Partners to work on your store via the use of a Collaborator Account, ensuring that they only have access to the permissions they need to complete the work you've hired them to do. Please read this resourcein full before seeking hired help on any third party platforms for your Shopify Store.
)
