Frequently Asked Questions

No. We don't build headless Shopify storefronts, and honestly, most brands shouldn't be on headless in the first place. Unless you have a very specific technical or business case that requires it, headless adds cost and complexity without a meaningful return. If you're currently on a headless setup and questioning it, we can help you migrate back to native Shopify.

Yes. We build custom themes and heavily customize existing themes depending on what a brand needs. We work in both Liquid and modern headless approaches.

Yes. We take on defined project engagements for redesigns, migrations, custom feature development, and audits. Many one-time project clients become retainer clients afterward.

Yes. We handle migrations from platforms like WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, and custom-built storefronts. We manage the technical, design, and data transfer components.

Yes. A significant portion of our client base is on Shopify Plus, and we're experienced with Plus-specific features like checkout extensibility, B2B, and multi-currency/multi-market setups.

Yes. We offer an initial conversation at no cost to explore whether there's a fit. Reach out through softlimit.com to start that conversation.

Not as a standalone service. We don't do keyword research, content SEO, or ongoing SEO retainers. What we do is build Shopify stores that are technically sound and well-structured from the ground up, which means fast load times, clean markup, proper metadata, and solid site architecture. If you need a dedicated SEO agency, we're happy to recommend partners we trust.

Yes. We have a strong niche working with music labels, artists, and music-adjacent brands selling merchandise, vinyl, limited editions, and digital products through Shopify. Clients include Polyvinyl Records, Sacred Bones and more.

Yes. As a Premier Partner, we have early access to Shopify's product updates and maintain close relationships with the Shopify partner team. We also actively track emerging capabilities like Shopify's agentic commerce infrastructure.

Yes. We're experienced with most major Shopify-adjacent tools including Klaviyo, Gorgias, Recharge, Yotpo, Okendo, Rebuy, and many others. We can recommend, implement, or optimize around whatever stack you're already on.

Yes. Shopify Plus includes robust B2B functionality, and we have experience implementing wholesale pricing, B2B account portals, and hybrid DTC/wholesale setups.

Yes. We work with brands across music, consumer goods, and specialty retail, including record labels and product sellers with loyal, sophisticated audiences.

Visit softlimit.com or email us directly. We respond quickly to inbound from brands that are serious about growth.

We use Slack for day-to-day client communication and ClickUp for task and project management. Clients get visibility into what's being worked on and when.

Projects are scoped and priced based on what's actually needed. Retainers start at $5,000 per month. We don't do low-cost, high-volume work. Our focus is on doing fewer things really well for brands where the stakes are high.

A full redesign typically runs 8 to 16 weeks depending on scope, content readiness, and how much custom development is involved.

Softlimit has been building on Shopify since 2011 and a partner since 2012, spanning major platform evolutions including the shift to Online Store 2.0, Shopify Plus, and checkout extensibility.

Yes. We are a Shopify Premier Partner, which is the second tier of Shopify's partner program.

We start with a discovery conversation to understand the brand's goals, pain points, and current stack. If there's a fit, we produce a scoped proposal or SOW. For most clients, we'll also run a Signal audit before or during onboarding to ground our strategy in data.

Retainers typically cover ongoing development, CRO work, A/B testing, technical maintenance, and strategic guidance. Engagements start at $5,000 per month and are scoped based on what the brand actually needs.

Premier Partner is Shopify's second highest agency tier. It requires demonstrated expertise, a strong client track record, and direct access to Shopify's partner success and product teams. It means we've been vetted and recognized by Shopify itself.

We're best suited for brands doing between $5M and $50M in annual GMV. Below that range, our retainer model may be more than needed. Above it, we're still a strong fit, especially for brands that want a boutique agency relationship rather than a large agency headcount.

GEO stands for generative engine optimization. It measures how well your store is positioned to be cited and recommended by AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Signal includes a GEO readiness score as part of its audit output.

Signal is Softlimit's proprietary AI-powered audit system. It evaluates a Shopify store across multiple dimensions including conversion readiness, SEO health, and GEO readiness, and produces a scored, prioritized roadmap for improvement.

Softlimit is a Shopify Premier Partner agency based in New York City. We specialize in e-commerce design, development, and strategy for Shopify brands doing between $5M and $50M in annual GMV.

We work with brands that are doing well but think they should be doing better. We figure out why and fix it.

We offer Shopify design, custom development, conversion rate optimization, retention marketing strategy, technical audits, and ongoing growth retainers. We also support migrations to Shopify from other platforms.

We work primarily with direct-to-consumer brands across a wide range of verticals. We have particular depth in music (labels, artists, merchandise, vinyl, limited editions), pet brands, supplements, menswear, and jewelry. We don't limit ourselves to a single industry, but we do gravitate toward brands with a strong product story and an audience that cares deeply about the buying experience.

We're based in New York City, and most of our clients are US-based, though we work with brands globally.

Softlimit was founded by Ben Lord, a designer-turned-builder with deep roots in the Shopify ecosystem and a focus on brands that are growing but know they should be growing faster.