What to Ask a Shopify Agency Before You Sign Anything

What to Ask a Shopify Agency Before You Sign Anything

Before signing with a Shopify agency, you need answers to ten specific questions. Not vague reassurances -- written answers. The questions cover pricing, scope, post-launch support, team composition, timeline, and what happens when things go wrong. Agencies that answer these clearly and specifically are worth working with. Agencies that deflect, generalise, or defer are telling you something important about how they operate.

Here are the ten questions and what good answers look like.

Key Takeaways

- "What is included" and "what is not included" are the two most important questions -- disputes almost always come from undiscussed exclusions

- Ask specifically who will work on your project, not just who is pitching it to you

- A good agency tells you what they will not do as clearly as what they will

- Post-launch support clauses should be in the contract, in writing, before you sign

- Reference checks are standard practice -- any agency that resists them is a concern

The 10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign

1. "What exactly is included in this quote, and what is not?"

This is the most important question you can ask. Scope disputes are the most common cause of agency-client conflict, and they almost always arise from assumptions about what was included that were never made explicit.

What a good answer looks like: The agency walks through specifically what the quote covers -- which pages, how many products, which integrations, whether copywriting is included, whether the domain transfer is included, whether post-launch support is included. And then explicitly lists what is not covered.

A bad answer: "Everything you need for a successful launch." This is meaningless and sets up a dispute.

Ask this question, then ask it again about the things that matter most to you. "Is redirect mapping included in the migration quote?" "Is meta title migration included?" "Is the Google Analytics setup included?"

2. "Who specifically will be working on my project?"

Many agencies sell projects using senior staff and deliver them using junior staff. The person in the pitch call is not necessarily the person doing the work.

What a good answer looks like: "Here is who is on your project team, here is their experience, and here is how you can reach them directly." Ideally, you meet the person who will be doing the work before you sign.

A bad answer: "Our experienced team will handle everything." No names, no roles, no way to evaluate the individuals.

3. "Is this fixed price or hourly?"

The billing structure determines where risk lives. Fixed price projects put execution risk on the agency. Hourly projects put it on you.

What a good answer looks like: "This is a fixed-price project at $X. If scope changes, here is our change order process and how additional work is priced."

A bad answer: "We bill hourly and will give you a budget estimate." This means the final invoice is unknown.

4. "What does post-launch support include and for how long?"

The weeks after launch are when real-world usage surfaces issues that QA did not catch. Post-launch support is not a nice-to-have -- it is essential.

What a good answer looks like: "Bug fixes for 30 days after launch are included. We define a bug as [specific definition]. Response time is [X hours]. After 30 days, we offer a support retainer at [price]."

A bad answer: "We're always available for our clients." This is not a policy -- it is a sentiment.

5. "Can you show me three case studies from projects similar to mine, with performance results?"

You want to see evidence that the agency has done what they are proposing to do for you, and that it worked.

What a good answer looks like: Three case studies with specific context (platform, store size, objective) and specific results (conversion rate change, LCP before and after, revenue impact).

A bad answer: A portfolio of screenshots and testimonials that describe the relationship, not the results.

6. "Can I speak with two or three past clients?"

References verify what the agency says about itself.

What a good answer looks like: "Of course -- here are three clients who have agreed to take reference calls. Here is their contact information."

A bad answer: "We can pass on your details and ask if anyone is available." This delays the reference check long enough that most prospects stop pursuing it.

7. "What happens if this project runs over scope?"

Every project encounters unexpected complexity. How the agency handles scope changes tells you a lot about the working relationship.

What a good answer looks like: "We document scope changes in writing before doing additional work. Additional work is quoted at [price] and requires your approval before proceeding."

A bad answer: "We'll figure that out if it comes up." This is the setup for a surprise invoice.

8. "What does the timeline look like, and what are the main milestones?"

A timeline with milestones creates accountability on both sides. You know when to expect progress. The agency knows what they need from you and when.

What a good answer looks like: A written timeline with milestone dates, what the agency delivers at each milestone, and what input is required from you.

A bad answer: "It depends on how quickly things move. Usually a few weeks."

9. "What do you need from me to make this project succeed?"

Good agencies have a clear picture of client responsibilities. Projects fail not only because of agency execution problems -- they fail because clients do not provide required content, approvals, or decisions on time.

What a good answer looks like: "We will need access to your Shopify admin by [date], your product data in [format] by [date], and approval on design concepts within [X] business days."

A bad answer: "Just trust the process." This means they have not thought through the project dependencies.

10. "What does success look like for this project, and how will we measure it?"

This is the question that separates delivery-focused agencies from outcome-focused ones.

What a good answer looks like: "Success for your migration means full redirect coverage, organic traffic recovery within 90 days, and conversion rate at or above your pre-migration baseline. We will measure this by [specific metrics] at [specific intervals]."

A bad answer: "Success is delivering a great store you are happy with." Unmeasurable.

How to Use the Answers

Write down the answers to these questions before and after your agency conversation. Compare what was promised verbally with what appears in the contract.

If anything important was said in the conversation but is not in the contract, ask for it to be added. "You mentioned that bug fixes are included for 30 days -- can we add that to the agreement?"

Agencies that resist adding verbal commitments to contracts are agencies whose verbal commitments do not mean what you thought they meant.

The Questions That Trip Up Bad Agencies

Questions 1, 3, 4, and 10 are the ones that most reliably distinguish good agencies from poor ones.

Question 1 (scope definition) trips up agencies that have not thought through what they are actually selling.

Question 3 (billing structure) exposes agencies that profit from scope ambiguity.

Question 4 (post-launch support) reveals whether the agency has a real plan for the post-launch period.

Question 10 (measuring success) distinguishes agencies accountable for outcomes from those accountable only for deliverables.

A good agency answers all four directly and specifically. These questions should be easy for them.

Getting Answers in Writing

Before you sign anything, confirm the answers to these questions appear in the contract or in a written proposal attached to the contract. Verbal answers in a sales conversation are not legally binding and are difficult to enforce.

The contract should specifically address:

• Scope (what is included and what is not)
• Price (fixed or estimated, change order process)
• Timeline (milestones and dates)
• Post-launch support (duration, coverage, response time)
• Success measurement (what gets measured and when)

If the contract is vague on any of these points, ask for specific language before signing. Any agency unwilling to put their commitments in writing is communicating clearly.

Before You Sign

The ten questions above take about 30 minutes to work through in a conversation with an agency. That 30 minutes is the highest-use time you will spend on the entire engagement. It either confirms you have found the right partner or saves you from an expensive mistake.

If you want to see how we answer these questions about our own services -- including our pricing, what is in scope and what is not, and our post-launch process -- our services page covers most of it, and we are happy to answer the rest in writing before you decide.

Get in touch before you sign anything