Engagement Timeline
Foundations: Environment, Reliability, and Upgrades
We began by standing up reliable staging and production environments, enabling safe iteration and controlled releases. We upgraded the Ruby runtime, performed incremental gem and package upgrades, and introduced stronger error tracking and logging. We also optimised queues and job handling to shrink timeouts and reduce noisy failures.
Architecture Modernisation: REST → GraphQL & Data Workflows
To reduce API chatter and improve performance, we migrated selected data flows from REST to GraphQL and refactored core product sync operations. We tackled DRIP lifecycle logic (create → configure → publish) and hardened image/asset pipelines to make catalogue operations dependable at scale.
Product Experience: Polaris, Accessibility, and Mobile
We reworked admin screens to align with Shopify Polaris patterns, tightened copy and localisation surfaces, and added client‑side validations to reduce friction. Mobile tasks included responsive tables, search/filter ergonomics, and contextual Save Bar usage to protect merchant work in progress.
What We Shipped
Shopify Store (Refactor)
- Cleaned up header/footer, buttons, and CTAs; simplified navigation and added prominent “Book a Demo” and “Download” actions.
- Improved content hierarchy on Home, Pricing, FAQ, Reviews, and Portfolio pages; addressed spacing, copy, and component consistency.
- Corrected review schema and refined meta surfaces; fixed image handling to stop blurring and improve perceived performance.
- Introduced customer logo sliders, modal detail views, and clearer “View All Reviews” pathways to social proof.
- Implemented responsive fixes across iPhone/iPad; addressed keyboard and overflow issues on form pages.
Shopify App (Re‑architecture & Features)
- API Evolution: Converted product endpoints to GraphQL where appropriate; updated to 2024‑07 and 2025‑01 API versions on schedule; added health checks and deprecation tracking.
- Polaris UX: Adopted Polaris components throughout; fixed table responsiveness; improved search, filters, and bulk actions.
- Contextual Save Bar & Validation: Implemented proper save‑states, disabled destructive actions during save, and added granular client‑side validations for DRIP creation.
- DRIP Authoring: Added flat‑price options, custom type input, publication and location fields, template selection, and default values; improved image selection with thumbnails and custom image sync.
- Bulk Operations: Built CSV import for DRIPs; improved product search (SKU/variant), pagination, and dashboard stats.
- Reliability: Upgraded background job handling, reduced duplicate jobs, optimised product sync performance, and introduced Rollbar monitoring for exceptions.
- Security & Permissions: Refined scope requests, protected access for unsubscribed users, hardened impersonation utility, and added unit testing around sensitive flows.
- Operational Excellence: CircleCI research and deployments, Hatchbox environment work, managed database migration, and production replica testing for safer releases.
“Built for Shopify” — What It Took
Shopify’s premium standard measures how well an app behaves in the Shopify ecosystem. We aligned Returns for Sale to these expectations:
- Performance: Reduced API calls via GraphQL and optimised job throughput; measured LCP and interaction timing; addressed image and asset bottlenecks.
- Design Consistency: Polaris‑native UI with consistent patterns, clear empty‑states, and accessible focus/keyboard handling.
- Merchant Safety: Contextual Save Bar integration, robust form validation, and rollback‑safe deployment pipelines.
- App Health: Error and exception tracking (Rollbar), API health reviews, and automated smoke testing on staging and production replicas.
- Listing Quality: Documentation, screenshots, and store listing updates to communicate value and support.
- Compliance & Upgrades: Timely API version updates, permission hygiene, and secure handling of billing/impersonation utilities.
The result: A professional, merchant‑friendly experience that meets Shopify’s top standard while remaining maintainable and extensible for future features.
Technical Deep Dive
Runtime & Packages
We upgraded Ruby and performed incremental gem and package upgrades to unlock performance improvements and security patches. This reduced incompatibilities with newer Shopify API releases and improved CI reliability.
API Health & Versioning
We audited admin API usage and replaced legacy endpoints; added regular API health checks, documented deprecations, and ensured migrations for 2024‑07 and 2025‑01 windows were complete ahead of deadlines. GraphQL endpoints were adopted to batch queries where it offered clear wins.
Background Jobs & Product Sync
We refactored product sync to reduce duplicate work and added safety checks around long‑running jobs. Product image update logic and DRIP completion edge cases were fixed to prevent partial updates.
DRIP Authoring & Publishing
We restructured the DRIP creation flow into clearer steps, adding controls for locations, markets/publications, and theme templates. Flat price, custom types, and image selectors were added with validation to prevent misconfiguration. Search across SKUs, variants, and product titles reduced time to configure promotions.
Observability & Release Engineering
Rollbar provided exception visibility; LCP/INP monitoring highlighted device‑specific regressions. We moved to managed databases and simplified deployments, validating on staging before pushing to production. CircleCI investigation and Hatchbox pipeline work improved delivery speed and safety.
Shopify Store UX & SEO Improvements
Conversion‑Driven UX
- CTA clarity: consistent primary actions for “Book a Demo” and “Download”.
- Navigation and header/footer consolidation; reduced vertical whitespace on key templates.
- Pricing page re‑layout with clearer tiers and enterprise contact path.
- Modal content for “Why Download” with strong call‑to‑action at end.
SEO Website Audit
Performance Audit
