Best Ecommerce Website Design Agency in Australia: A Shopify Checklist

What should the best ecommerce agency in Australia do for your store?

An ecommerce website has one job: turn visitors into orders, profitably. The best agencies design with that in mind from the first conversation. They think about how products are found, how product pages answer buying questions, how checkout works on a phone and how the store will be marketed once it launches.

That last part is where many store builds fall short. A beautiful Shopify store with no product feed, no conversion tracking and no plan for traffic is a shopfront on a quiet street. The checklist below covers both the design and the marketing foundations.

Why do most Australian online stores use Shopify?

Shopify handles hosting, security, payments and checkout, supports GST settings and Australian payment options, and has a large app ecosystem for reviews, subscriptions, shipping and more. A small team can run the store day to day without a developer. For most Australian brands selling physical products, it is the sensible default.

It isn't the only option. A service business selling a handful of items may be better served by Webflow, which is why Leed Agency builds on both and chooses per client.

What should be on your Shopify agency checklist?

• Shopify Partner status – Why it matters: Shows the agency works with Shopify regularly; Question to ask: Are you a Shopify Partner?
• Live stores – Why it matters: Proves they have launched real stores; Question to ask: Can I see stores you've built and buy from them?
• Product page design – Why it matters: Product pages do most of the selling; Question to ask: How will you design product pages for my range?
• Mobile checkout – Why it matters: Most shoppers browse on a phone; Question to ask: How many steps from product to payment on mobile?
• Collections and filters – Why it matters: Helps shoppers find products quickly; Question to ask: How will customers browse and filter my catalogue?
• Speed and app discipline – Why it matters: Every app adds weight to the store; Question to ask: How do you keep the store fast as apps are added?
• Google product feed – Why it matters: Needed for Google Shopping and Performance Max; Question to ask: Will you set up Google Merchant Center?
• Conversion tracking – Why it matters: Without it you can't tell what's working; Question to ask: Will purchases be tracked in GA4 and Google Ads?
• Shipping and returns – Why it matters: Surprise costs cause abandoned carts; Question to ask: Where will delivery and returns information appear?
• Training and handover – Why it matters: You need to run the store yourself; Question to ask: Will you train us to manage products and orders?
• Ownership – Why it matters: Your store should be in your name; Question to ask: Will the Shopify account and domain be owned by us?

What do product pages need to sell?

Product pages carry most of the weight in a store. The essentials:

• Clear, high-quality photos, including lifestyle images that show the product in use.
• Price, variant selection and add-to-cart visible without scrolling on mobile.
• Size guides, materials and care details for apparel; ingredients and usage for skincare.
• Delivery times and costs shown before checkout, not as a surprise at the end.
• Reviews close to the buy button.
• Related products that make sense, not random suggestions.

An apparel label like Spicy Dugong, the Byron Bay brand whose ecommerce store we built, sells on look and feel, so photography and brand presentation carry a lot of weight. A clinic brand like Skin Street Clinic needs to build trust and explain what it offers before people buy. The checklist stays the same; the emphasis changes.

How should store design and Google Ads work together?

For many growing stores, Google Ads is a major source of sales, and the website decides how much of that ad spend turns into revenue. When the store and the ads are planned together, product titles, feeds, landing pages and tracking all line up.

That is how we approached Skin Street Clinic and RatKat: the ecommerce website and Google Ads built and managed as one system, rather than handed between two suppliers who never talk to each other.

On the Google Ads side, the best months across ecommerce accounts we manage include a women's fashion label at $866,787 in revenue in one month and a baby and kids clothing brand at $810,158 in one month. Across all accounts we manage $600K+ in monthly media spend and $6M+ in monthly revenue. Results like these depend on the store converting the traffic the ads send.

What should happen after your store launches?

Launch is the start of the work, not the end. In the first few months, a good ecommerce agency should check that purchases are tracking correctly, watch where shoppers drop out between product page, cart and checkout, and fix the biggest leaks first. Product feeds need monitoring for disapproved items, and new collections or seasonal ranges need landing pages that match your campaigns. Ask any agency what their support looks like after launch and who you will deal with when something needs changing.

How much does an ecommerce website cost in Australia?

In our experience, a Shopify store built on a premium theme by an Australian agency typically costs around $5,000 to $15,000, while a custom-designed store typically ranges from $15,000 to $40,000 or more, depending on catalogue size, integrations and design. Add ongoing costs for your Shopify plan, paid apps, payment fees and marketing.

Leed Agency quotes every store after a free consultation. You can start from one of our 100+ premium templates or go fully custom.

What are the red flags when hiring an ecommerce agency?

• No live stores in their portfolio.
• The store or domain is set up in the agency's name.
• Dozens of apps installed by default.
• No mention of tracking, product feeds or Google Merchant Center.
• A design process that never tests checkout on a phone.
• Marketing contracts with long lock-in periods.

Where Leed Agency fits

Leed Agency is a Shopify Partner and Google Partner based in Cronulla, in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. I lead design and web, and James Magree runs Google Ads, so the person designing your store and the person running your campaigns are in the same small team. We have delivered 97+ projects, hold a 5.0 rating on Google Reviews, and work with ecommerce brands Australia-wide, from Byron Bay to Sydney. Our Google Ads management has no lock-in contracts.

See store builds on our success stories page, read about website design and Google Ads, or request a quote for your store.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best ecommerce website design agency in Australia?

The best fit is an agency with Shopify Partner status, live stores you can buy from, strong verified reviews and an understanding of how the store will be marketed, particularly through Google Ads and Google Shopping.

Is Shopify good for Australian businesses?

Yes, for most businesses selling physical products. It handles hosting, payments and checkout, supports GST settings and has a large range of apps, so a small team can run the store without a developer.

What is a Shopify Partner?

A Shopify Partner is an agency or freelancer registered with Shopify to build and support stores for merchants. Leed Agency is a Shopify Partner.

Should my web designer also run my Google Ads?

It helps when they work closely together, because product feeds, landing pages and conversion tracking all depend on how the store is built. Leed Agency builds stores and manages Google Ads within the same team.

Do I own my Shopify store if an agency builds it?

You should. Make sure the Shopify account, domain and any app subscriptions are in your business's name before the build starts.