FAQs — Shopify Design & Development by Nutmeg Studio
Questions about working with Nutmeg Studio, Shopify website design, pricing, timelines, redesigns, migrations and what to expect from your project.
What does Nutmeg Studio do?
Nutmeg Studio is an independent Shopify design and development studio based in Cape Town, South Africa.
I design, build, redesign and migrate Shopify stores for product-led businesses, with a particular focus on beauty, skincare, health and wellness, supplements, fragrance, apparel, jewellery, food and beverage, home and lifestyle brands.
My work combines good design with the practical side of eCommerce: how customers find products, what information they need, where they might hesitate and how easy the store is for the business to manage after launch.
I work with a range of businesses, from start-up to established brands doing 7+ figure months from their stores.
Who will I work with on my Shopify project?
You'll work directly with me, Meg Hodson, throughout your project.
Nutmeg is intentionally a small, independent studio rather than a traditional agency. I handle the strategy, design and Shopify build, so there isn't an account manager between you and the person actually working on your website.
How much Shopify experience do you have?
I've been building Shopify stores since 2015 and have been a Verified Shopify Partner since 2019.
Over that time I've worked with businesses ranging from new product brands launching their first store to established eCommerce businesses needing redesigns, platform migrations, international selling, wholesale and more complex Shopify functionality.
Where is Nutmeg Studio based?
Nutmeg Studio is based in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, South Africa, and works with clients throughout South Africa and internationally.
Projects are managed remotely, so you don't need to be based in Cape Town to work with me.
What types of businesses do you work with?
I specialise in product-led businesses and eCommerce.
I particularly enjoy working with beauty and skincare, health and wellness, supplements, perfume and fragrance, apparel, jewellery, food and beverage, home and décor, and other independent lifestyle brands.
Most of my clients are founder-led businesses or established independent brands that care about how their products are presented and want a store that is straightforward for customers to shop.
Do you only build Shopify websites?
Shopify is my primary eCommerce platform and the platform I recommend for most product-based businesses.
I've specialised in Shopify for more than a decade, so my work goes beyond setting up a theme. I consider catalogue structure, navigation, product discovery, product pages, mobile shopping, apps, SEO and how your team will actually manage the store once it launches.
Why do you recommend Shopify for eCommerce?
For many product businesses, Shopify offers a good balance between flexibility and ease of management.
It handles the underlying eCommerce infrastructure while allowing businesses to manage products, collections, orders, promotions and website content without needing a developer for everyday changes.
It also has a large ecosystem of apps and integrations, which means additional functionality can usually be introduced as the business grows.
Do you build custom Shopify websites?
Yes, but not every business needs a bespoke Shopify build.
My Launch package uses an existing Shopify theme and its available sections and functionality. Momentum allows for significantly more design exploration, theme customisation and custom-coded elements. Bespoke projects are scoped individually for businesses with more complex requirements.
I recommend the simplest approach that will do the job properly rather than adding custom development simply because it's possible.
Will my Shopify website use a template?
That depends on the project.
Launch stores are deliberately template-based and use an existing Shopify theme as their foundation. I refine the typography, colour, imagery, layout, navigation, product presentation and information hierarchy within that framework.
Momentum and Bespoke projects allow considerably more customisation and development where the brand or customer experience requires it.
Using a Shopify theme isn't inherently a compromise. A good theme provides a tested technical foundation. The important question is how much flexibility your particular business needs.
Will my Shopify website be mobile-friendly?
Yes. Mobile shopping is considered throughout every Nutmeg Shopify project.
For many eCommerce businesses, the majority of website visits happen on phones, so I don't treat mobile as a smaller version of the desktop design. Navigation, product information, imagery, buttons, filters and the path to checkout all need to make sense on a small screen.
Can I manage my Shopify website myself after launch?
Yes. That's an important part of how I build Shopify stores.
Your website should not create unnecessary dependence on a developer. I provide practical training and custom video tutorials so you and your team understand how to manage products, update content and handle the normal day-to-day running of the store.
You shouldn't need to contact a developer every time you want to change a banner or add a product.
Can you improve my Shopify store's conversion rate?
Conversion is considered throughout the design process, but I don't promise arbitrary percentage increases.
I look at practical things that influence whether people buy: how quickly they understand what you sell, whether they can find the right product, how products are presented, what questions remain unanswered, what creates trust and where unnecessary friction exists.
Good conversion work is usually the result of many sensible decisions rather than one clever trick.
Can you migrate my WooCommerce website to Shopify?
Yes. WooCommerce to Shopify migrations are one of the more involved types of projects I take on.
The scope depends on the size and complexity of the existing store, but may include products, collections, customers, order data, navigation, content, redirects, SEO considerations and the rebuilding of functionality currently handled by WordPress plugins.
A migration is also a useful opportunity to simplify a store rather than carrying every old workaround into the new platform.
Can you migrate a Wix store to Shopify?
Yes.
The exact process depends on the amount of product and customer data involved and how the existing Wix store has been structured.
Will I lose my SEO when moving to Shopify?
A platform migration always needs to consider SEO carefully.
Existing URLs, important pages, metadata, content and search visibility should be reviewed before the move. Where URLs change, appropriate redirects need to be put in place so search engines and visitors are directed to the correct new pages.
No responsible developer can promise that rankings will never fluctuate during a migration, but careful planning can significantly reduce unnecessary SEO loss.
How much does a Shopify website cost in South Africa?
The cost of a Shopify website varies considerably depending on the size of the catalogue, design requirements, functionality, migration requirements and amount of custom development involved.
Nutmeg offers three levels of Shopify project: Launch for straightforward new and early-stage stores, Momentum for established brands requiring more design and customisation, and Bespoke for larger or more complex eCommerce requirements.
The right budget depends less on how many pages you want and more on what the store actually needs to do.
What's the difference between Launch, Momentum and Bespoke?
Launch is a polished, template-based Shopify store for new and early-stage brands with straightforward requirements. It uses an existing Shopify theme and works best when your branding, photography, copy and product content are already prepared.
Momentum is for established and growing brands that need more creative freedom, deeper UX thinking, more extensive theme customisation and additional functionality.
Bespoke is for established eCommerce businesses with requirements that don't fit neatly into a standard package, such as complex migrations, larger catalogues, wholesale, international markets, subscriptions or significant custom development.
Which Shopify package is right for me?
If you have a clear brand identity, prepared content, a relatively small catalogue and straightforward requirements, Launch may be all you need.
If your store needs a more distinctive design, more involved customer experience or additional customisation, Momentum is likely to be a better fit.
If the complexity of your business is driving the project, rather than simply the design of the website, we'll usually need to scope it as a Bespoke project.
I don't believe in selling businesses more website than they need.
How long does it take to build a Shopify website?
Timelines depend on the scope of the project.
A straightforward Shopify build can usually be completed more quickly than a substantial redesign, migration or custom eCommerce project.
Your readiness also matters. Projects move much more efficiently when branding, photography, copy, product information and key business decisions are prepared before the build begins.
What do I need to provide before my Shopify project starts?
For most projects you'll need your brand identity, product information, pricing, photography, website copy and the information required to configure things such as payments, shipping and policies.
For Launch projects in particular, the quality of the supplied brand assets makes a significant difference. Photography, video production, copywriting and broader art direction are separate disciplines and aren't automatically included as part of a template-based website build.
Do you set up Shopify payments and shipping?
Yes, payment and shipping configuration can form part of a Shopify project where included in the agreed scope.
The available options depend on where your business operates, what you sell and how orders are fulfilled.
Can you set up international selling with Shopify Markets?
Yes.
For businesses selling internationally, Shopify Markets can help manage different countries, currencies and regional shopping experiences.
International eCommerce can become considerably more complex once payments, shipping, duties, taxes, currencies and fulfilment are involved, so the exact setup needs to be considered around the way your business operates.