Shopify Digital Marketing Agency: Which One Should You Choose?

The top Shopify agencies have expertise in a variety of fields — from design, SEO, UX, conversion rate optimization, and more. One thing they have in common is that their end goal is to increase your sales via a high-converting store and a focus on profitable acquisition channels.

If you're seeking out a Shopify marketing agency, you're probably already at a stage where you're selling online and want to accelerate your growth. Or you're confident about your product and have the money to invest. Either way, with 2 million merchants currently on Shopify, there's bound to be substantial demand. 

Shopify marketing experts can fix things like poor page speeds to grainy images. Some may also help you with paid advertising on Google and Facebook or help you build an app. 

What's clear is that many online retailers gravitate towards Shopify because of its simple interface,  user-friendly dashboard, and massive app database to enhance online store functionality. 

Countless Shopify agencies promise to optimize ecommerce storefronts and build powerful sales funnels. But it can be overwhelming to find an agency on your own. We’ve compiled a shortlist of the top 9 agencies that we think can assist you with optimizing your website, creating an effective sales funnel, and growing your business.

Best Shopify Agency

 While this is a numbered list, the agencies are not ranked in any particular order or hierarchy.

1. Vaan Group

With top-tier clients like iconic Tiffany & Co, and Rhode by Hailey Rhode Bieber, Vaan group has a client list that reads like a who’s who of heritage and upstart brands. This Manhattan-based agency was founded in 2015 by Xavier Armand and has exclusively focused on best-in-class web design, brand management, and ecommerce development services. 

Vaan Group is a Shopify Plus Partner and one of the best Shopify experts in New York, meaning that it is expertly suited to work with enterprise-level stores and large brands. The firm notes that it prioritizes ecommerce stores doing $50 million in annual revenue. Its capabilities straddle consulting as well as hands-on Shopify store management services.

Core activities for ecommerce optimization include user research and testing, prototyping, customer journey and product requirements, UX design and website analysis, and user persona development. For design and technical support, Vaan Group offers custom Shopify themes and applications, and churn retention to increase average order value and reduce cart abandonment. If conversion rate optimization is troubling you, Vaan Group offers support for subscription based services, retooling front-end interactions to boost UX, and A/B testing for optimization.

Check out Vaan Group's portfolio 

2. Avex

Avex Designs is another Shopify Plus Partner that supports enterprise-level clients. Founded in 2015 by John Surdakowski, this Shopify agency in New York includes work with retail heavyweights like O’Neil, Simmons, Hugo Boss, Marchesa, De Soi, Well and Splendid, Haus, Kith, and Kit and Ace. Key services include a Shopify Plus E-Commerce suite of solutions, general revenue optimization, and retention marketing. 

Shopify store owners will appreciate the attention to UX and UI design, e-commerce development, platform migration if you’re shifting from a competitor platform and international expansion support as your business scales. This can also include tapping Avex’s branding and creative services which includes branding and visual identity development, creative direction, web design, marketing creative, campaign development and implementation. Meanwhile, retention marketing provides email and SMS solutions, developing loyalty and reward programs as well as subscription optimization. 

While not included as a formal service offering, the agency also notes that it helps firms transition into creating subscription services and alternatively, sunsetting subscriptions in favor of a more traditional D2C business model.

Check out Avex's portfolio 

3. Signifly

Signifly is a Shopify digital agency with international locations across Europe and Canada. The firm’s bandwidth also expands beyond Shopify to also include more traditional marketing and development silos such as product development, branding, innovation, campaign implementation, and of course, ecommerce support. Launched in 2010, the firm was founded by Michael Valentin and Patrick Rønning and is headquartered in Copenhagen. 

While we’re prioritizing their e-commerce solutions, know that the firm also helps design mobile apps and web applications, emphasizing functionality and enhancing UX and UI along the way. Their capabilities are apparent across industries, including consumer technology, fintech, and the public sector, with an emphasis on data protection.  

But Signifly’s ecommerce offerings are impressive as well. This includes developmental support for B2C, subscription, and B2B business plans, UX and UI design, custom development and integrations, and conversion rate optimization. As with other agencies in our list, this is another Shopify Plus partner — meaning that they are well suited to support enterprise-level businesses. High profile clients that you might be familiar include Cecile Bahnsen, Saga, Diva, Veo, Lulab, Maersk, Muscle House, and Arctic Expedition.

Check out Signifly's portfolio 

4. Arctic Grey

Being a top-rated agency for both Shopify and Shopify Plus stores makes Arctic Grey a great entry solution for smaller and mid-market stores. This Mountain View, California-based Shopify marketing agency was founded in 2015. With 28 e-commerce awards and more than 500 five-star reviews, Arctic Grey has helped over 1,000 Shopify stores including clients in D2C, B2B, and wholesale,  — totalling over $1.5 billion in GMV. 

Its diverse clients include Sesame Street, Everlast, Anthony Veer, Happy Little Camper, Olaplex, Ulta Beauty, Blippi, Harvard University, Fatman Scoop, and Forme to name a few. The firm is also a trusted partner with Recharge, ShipStation, Klaviyo, Carro, Route,  and several other ecommerce plugin solutions — which further provides peace of mind. 

Arctic Gray is a full-service Shopify agency, meaning that the firm can assist you from buying domains all the way to building out and optimizing websites, migrating an existing store across platforms like Magento, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce, and of course, boosting conversion rates and site load speeds, as well as integrating apps to improve site functionality.

Check out Artic Grey's portfolio  

5. Swanky Agency

Swanky Agency focuses on brands that are looking to grow their international presence. This is a UK-headquartered provider that’s — of course — also a Shopify Plus Partner for enterprise-level stores. The agency began in 2010 and now includes offices located in Australia and France, with clients mainly in the UK but also located in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. 

Notable clients include HelloFresh, Yoto, Schwarzkopf Professional, Pasta Evangelists, and Eden Project. This dovetails with the agency’s sweet spot — providing support for D2C subscription brands specifically in the food and drink, pet care, and health and wellness spaces. 

The firm’s capabilities center on launching and growing ecommerce businesses. While in the launch phase, you can take advantage of web design, migration, app development, building out subscription services and assisting international (outside of the UK) brands with optimizing for success in the UK. Meanwhile, growth-level clients can focus on conversion optimization, email and SMS marketing support, SEO strategy, PPC, loyalty program development, and in-depth data and analytics support.

Check out Swanky's portfolio 

6. Underwater Pistol 

If aspirational ecommerce is your goal, then an agency like Underwater Pistol (UWP) might be the best move. With clients like fashion and style house LVMH, along with Patou, Omaze, and Arighi Bianchi, you’re sure to find yourself in good company. UWP is another UK-based Shopify advertising agency that boasts over two decades of experience. 

Not to toot its horn, but UWP highlights that it built the 90th Shopify Store in 2006 — and now there are over four million. However, its formation goes back further to 2003. As with other Shopify Plus partners, UWP promises to assist your business from ideation through launch and growth. 

This includes branding and design, Shopify Plus migration, boosting UX development, aiding in subscription development and implementation, and of course assisting your growth goals with conversion rate optimization and SEO support to name a few. You’ll also have access to an in-house team that can tap partners like Yotpo, Klaviyo, Recharge, Brightpearl, and Gorgias to enhance your Shopify store’s functionality further.

Check out its portfolio 

7. Statement Agency

Statement Agency is a rare unicorn in the Shopify agency space as the firm’s origin story began as an online retailer in 1999. This means that the company knows from first-hand experience the challenges of launching, managing, and growing an online store. By 2010, Statement pivoted by building an in-house team to address those growing pains as the store eyed international expansion. In 2014, after much trial and error with its original ecommerce store, Statement Agency was born and the rest is history. Well-known clients include Goose Island, Hoover, and Bouncepad.

Statement is a marketing agency for Shopify that's also based in the UK. It assists with building beautiful and functional websites catered to the Shopify ecosystem, and focuses on integrations to help build the business and create a cohesive set of solutions that are easier to manage. 

While most of the product offerings are in line with most other Shopify Plus agency partners, Statement promises a dedicated team for clients that will always consist of a technical lead, account manager, project manager, and ecommerce analyst. The agency also has a wide portfolio of Shopify partners including Klaviyo, Yotpo, Klarna, Recharge, Zendesk, ShipStation and more.

Check out Statement's portfolio 

8. Charle

Charle is top Shopify agency with an impressive client roster, including Cambridge Satchel, Samsung, Candy Kittens, Bart, Gilbert Rugby, and Billionaire Boys Club. 

Founded in 2018, the agency prides itself on an expansive roster of experts who can guide various industries such as beauty, fashion, food, furniture, and more. Because the agency also explicitly supports Shopify customers (not just Shopify Plus), this is a great bridge solution for scaling Shopify stores that might not be at enterprise level — but are quickly nearing it. 

Core competencies include migrations, custom store builds, and upgrading an existing Shopify store to Shopify Plus. Existing stores can take advantage of growth solutions including conversion rate optimization, internationalization for territory expansion, subscription service implementation, and marketing support via email, SMS, and SEO strategies.

Check out Charle's portfolio 

9. Makro Agency

Rounding up our list of the best Shopify agencies is Makro. With three locations in Montreal, Toronto, and Los Angeles, Makro's clients include Bruush, Matt & Natt, The Patch Brand, Joelle, Kiki Milk, Ascend, and Stereo+. Makro is one of the oldest agencies in our roundup, founded in 1996. 

The entirely in-house agency team can support UX and UI design, graphic design, ecommerce development, headless commerce, and platform migration. Once your business is up and running, international expansion, data and analytics, and conversion rate optimization are all key support Makro can provide. Additionally, the firm also provides custom Shopify app development and implementation. 

Check out Makro's portfolio

How do the Best Shopify Agencies Help Your Store?

Shopify agencies are typically contracted by business owners to improve build or improve their store, brand, and help increase sales. This can include everything from reshooting product photos to optimizing product descriptions, reconfiguring page layouts and navigation flows, retooling SEO strategies, incorporating add-on features that improve searchability or functionality, and ultimately make the online store more intuitive for consumers. The underlying goal for any activity is to boost conversions and sales. 

This will often rely on a multi-pronged plan that incorporates web redesign and optimization, as well as on- and off-page SEO to boost discoverability. Ad spend may also be a part of the plan to further help drive initial traffic to the online store and build out functional sales funnels. In most cases, these agencies prioritize Shopify Plus stores which are enterprise level — with an expected budget to match. So, Shopify customers considering these types of agencies should either already be at the point of exponentially scaling, or have healthy funding behind them if starting from scratch.