Shopify Project Planning and Discovery

Most Shopify projects that go over budget or miss their launch date ran into problems that a proper discovery phase would have caught. Shero runs a structured planning and discovery process for every project that produces a fixed scope, a confirmed timeline, and full team alignment before development starts.

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Logo Benchmade
Logo STX
Memphis Drum Shop Logo
Swag logo
Shopify Premier Partner

16+

Years in business

500+

Projects Delivered

50+

Team Members

98%

Client Retention

Week 1

Timeline and budget confirmed in week one

Shero delivers a fixed scope, confirmed timeline, and budget at the end of the discovery phase, typically within the first week for standard projects. You know exactly what is being built and what it will cost before development starts.

500+

eCommerce projects delivered since 2010

The discovery process has been refined across every one of them. Common risks, integration pitfalls, and scope creep patterns are identified early because we have seen them before.

Plus

Shopify Plus certified partner

As a certified Shopify Plus Partner, Shero conducts discovery for projects that include B2B, multi-store, custom checkout, and enterprise integration requirements that standard agencies do not know how to scope correctly.

16+

Years of eCommerce project experience

Shero has delivered 500+ eCommerce projects since 2010. Discovery is the part of every project that determines whether the build phase runs to plan. Integration assessments are available for brands that need a standalone audit of their current integration stack before a full discovery engagement.

"This has been the most impressive vendor partnership I have experienced. Every meeting felt purposeful, every milestone was clear, and the process was incredibly well-supported from start to finish."

Kendra Borkholder, Operations Support, GEN-Y Hitch

The project is not late because of development

Most Shopify project overruns happen before the first line of code is written. An integration that was not scoped. A stakeholder who was not consulted. A platform limitation that nobody flagged. A timeline built on assumptions rather than actual requirements. Discovery is the process that surfaces all of that before it becomes a problem. The week you spend on planning is not a delay. It is what makes the rest of the project run on time.

  • Project Scoping
  • Stakeholder Alignment
  • Customer Persona Definition
  • User Story Documentation
  • Integration Mapping
  • Timeline and Milestone Planning
  • Site Mockups
  • Shopify Platform Review

Why brands run discovery with Shero

A discovery phase is only useful if the output is actionable. Here is how Shero structures planning to produce a scope that holds through the entire project.

01

Fixed scope before development starts

Discovery produces a documented scope covering every design and development requirement. Nothing moves to build until the scope is signed off by both teams. Clients who skip this step are the ones who face mid-project surprises on timeline and budget.

02

Every integration identified in week one

ERP, OMS, PIM, and third-party integration requirements are documented during discovery before any development scope is agreed. ERP integration complexity is the most common variable that causes Shopify build timelines to extend when scoped late.

03

Right people identified, right decisions made faster

We define who is involved from each team and what their responsibilities are during discovery. This means decisions that would otherwise stall a build in week six get made in week one by the people with authority to make them.

04

Customer personas built into the project from day one

We document your customer types, their behaviors, and their expectations before the first mockup is drawn. Stores built without this tend to optimize for the brand rather than the buyer. We build it into the foundation.

05

Mockups delivered before development starts

Discovery ends with visual mockups showing what the finished store will look like. Whether you are customizing a Shopify theme or building something entirely custom, you see the design direction before any code is written.

06

Full Shopify platform review included

Every discovery engagement includes a review of which Shopify plan and features are appropriate for the project. Shopify Plus unlocks features that affect the architecture of checkout, B2B, automation, and multi-store management — these decisions are made in discovery, not after build has started.

Our Work

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Sports equipment for lacrosse and field hockey

STX

STX Sporting Goods is a leading global manufacturer of innovative sports equipment and apparel, catering to athletes and enthusiasts in lacrosse, field hockey, and other team sports. Renowned for its cutting-edge technology and premium products, STX sought to revamp its digital presence to align with its reputation for excellence.

STX
Premium milled golf putters & golf accessories

Swag Golf

Swag Golf is known for its limited-edition, bold golf gear and lifestyle products with a devoted following. Looking to align their online store with their unapologetic brand identity, the brand partnered with Shero to overhaul their Shopify theme, develop a dedicated evergreen product strategy, and drive stronger conversions.

Swag Golf
Drums and percussion instruments

Memphis Drum Shop

Memphis Drum Shop is a premier destination for drummers, offering a vast selection of drums, cymbals, and percussion instruments. Looking to reduce costs and modernize their platform, the brand partnered with Shero to migrate from Magento to Shopify with seamless ERP integration and custom browsing features.

Memphis Drum Shop
Body jewelry and tattoo supplies

Painful Pleasures

Painful Pleasures is a long-standing supplier of body jewelry and tattoo supplies with a catalog of 40,000+ products. The brand partnered with Shero to complete a stalled Magento to Shopify migration and deliver the complex custom features their business depends on.

Painful Pleasures

Most Shopify projects Shero scopes go live in 8 to 16 weeks.

Scope My Project

How Shero runs project planning and discovery

01

Fixed scope before development starts

Discovery produces a documented scope covering every design and development requirement. Nothing moves to build until the scope is signed off by both teams. Clients who skip this step are the ones who face mid-project surprises on timeline and budget.

02

Every integration identified in week one

ERP, OMS, CRM, and third-party dependencies are mapped during discovery, not discovered mid-build. We ask the right questions about your tech stack at the start so integration work is costed and scheduled before development begins.

03

Right people identified, right decisions made faster

We define who is involved from each team and what their responsibilities are during discovery. This means decisions that would otherwise stall a build in week six get made in week one by the people with authority to make them.

04

Customer personas built into the project from day one

We document your customer types, their behaviors, and their expectations before the first mockup is drawn. Stores built without this tend to optimize for the brand rather than the buyer. We build it into the foundation.

05

Mockups delivered before development starts

Discovery ends with visual mockups showing what the finished store will look like. Whether you are customizing a Shopify theme or building something entirely custom, you see the design direction before any code is written.

06

Full Shopify platform review included

We walk your team through Shopify capabilities and limitations specific to your use case during discovery. Clients who understand the platform before the build starts make better decisions about what to build natively and what requires custom development.

Frequently asked questions.

Can't find what you're looking for? Reach out to our team.

What our clients say.

We design experiences that make a difference. See what our clients have to say about working with us.

Benchmade Knife Co.

"I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for a very successful launch! I know there was a lot of great work put in by everyone to make this happen. Our accounting and sales teams are thrilled to have this functionality working, and that means our customers are also taking full advantage of these enhancements.
We appreciate the partnership in the development and testing, and are looking forward to more enhancements in the future."

Bren Rafaelly

Head of Digital Transformation / Benchmade Knife Co.

STX

"Since partnering with Shero Commerce, our eCommerce revenue has grown by 200%. Their 24/7 support and innovative solutions have been game-changers for our business. "

James McKenna

Senior Commerce & CX Manager / STX

Memphis Drum Shop

"Working with the Shero team was professional, efficient, and inspiring. The Shero development team was extremely competent and provided solid solutions for our needs, as well as addressing any bugs or issues that arose during the process. Working with Shero exclusively through video technology was a new concept for our team that forced us to embrace modern methods of communication that will likely benefit our future relationships and business endeavors."

Shaun Carman

eCommerce Manager / Memphis Drum Shop

Swag Golf

"We partnered with Shero for the SWAG site development. The dev was highly nuanced, specialized and complex. The Shero team went above and beyond. They were collaborative, organized and professional, consistently setting expectations clearly and usually exceeding them."

Matt Kaminsky

Co-founder & Managing Director / Swag Golf

And you?

Let's build something great together.

Ready to scale your eCommerce business? Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Email
[email protected]
Locations
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