Choosing a Shopify agency in Japan – test the fit with a free demo

Shopify Partner, Shopify Expert, "reseller": what the labels mean

When you look for a Shopify agency you will see several titles. Knowing what each one means makes agency websites and proposals much easier to read.

• Shopify Partner: any agency or freelancer registered in the Shopify Partner Program. Joining is free, and most people who build stores or apps for a living are members
• Shopify Expert: a name that comes from the former official "Shopify Experts" marketplace. Today it usually refers to businesses listed in Shopify's official Partner Directory
• Partner tiers: the Partner Directory shows levels such as Select, Plus and Premier, based on track record. Shopify revises the criteria from time to time
• Shopify reseller (代理店): a common nickname in Japan. Even when an agency builds your store, the Shopify subscription is a direct contract between Shopify and you as the store owner

Use the labels to build a shortlist, then judge each agency by the stores it has built and how specific its proposal is. Keep the Shopify account in your own name and give the agency collaborator access – that way you stay in control if you ever change partners.

A 7-point checklist for comparing Shopify agencies

Once you have quotes from two or three agencies, check these points alongside the price. They prevent most "this is not what we expected" moments after launch.

• Live stores you can open: go from a product page to the cart on your phone and judge speed and ease of buying yourself
• Theme and app approach: will they adapt an existing theme or build a custom one? Every extra app adds a monthly fee and can slow the store down
• What you can edit yourself: adding products, swapping banners and creating campaign pages from the admin panel
• Japanese commerce basics: delivery date and time slots, shipping rules, the Specified Commercial Transactions Act notice, and a sensible mix of card, convenience store and deferred payments
• Migration experience: if you are moving from BASE, Rakuten or WooCommerce, can they explain how products, customers and URL redirects are handled?
• After launch: who handles maintenance and improvements, through which contact, and will that person change midway?
• Account ownership: store, domain, GA4 and ad accounts all in your name

The first and last points matter most – check them before you sign. For the build process itself, see Shopify store development; for choosing between platforms as well as agencies, see how to choose an e-commerce agency.

Typical Shopify costs and types of agency

The cost of a Shopify build depends on who builds it and how much is customized. As a rough market guide in Japan, a small store based on an existing theme typically costs a few hundred thousand yen, a store with custom design and features around 1–3 million yen, and large Shopify Plus projects can go higher.

• Large and mid-size agencies: dedicated teams for each role, strong on big projects and integrations with inventory or ERP systems; prices tend to be higher
• Small studios and freelancers: you talk directly to the person building your store; a good fit for small and mid-size shops. Confirm the scope and the after-launch support
• Building it in-house: the lowest build cost; plan for staff time to set up the theme, shipping, payments and legal pages

When comparing budgets, include the Shopify plan fee, paid theme and app subscriptions, payment fees and ongoing maintenance on top of the build. Plan prices and fees change, so check Shopify's official site for current numbers.

What to prepare before asking for a quote – and common mistakes

The more of this you have ready, the more specific the proposal and quote will be. A rough version is fine.

• Number and type of products, and whether they have variants such as size or color
• Logo, brand colors and the product photos you want to use
• Two or three stores you like, and what you like about them
• Shipping methods, how you want to charge shipping, preferred payment methods
• The URL of your current site or shop, if you are migrating
• Your target launch date and who will update the store

Typical mistakes: choosing a theme from its demo screenshots and finding it does not suit your own product photos; adding app after app until monthly fees pile up; migrating without URL redirects and losing search traffic. All of them are easier to avoid when the finished look and the day-to-day running are agreed before the contract. If you want help with updates and marketing after launch, see Shopify management services.

A remote, bilingual studio: how UNANOBO builds Shopify stores

UNANOBO is a Web & Growth Studio for Japanese brands. When you ask about a Shopify store, we first build a free demo based on your logo, products and brand colors. You click through the home page and product pages on your computer and phone, and decide whether to go ahead once you like the direction.

The process is free demo, feedback, launch, growth. The founder handles every project personally, so you keep one contact from the first demo to marketing after launch. We work remotely from outside Japan, and everything runs by message in Japanese or English – useful if you are planning an English store or selling to customers abroad. If you are still comparing agencies, use the demo as one more piece of evidence.