Hiring a Shopify expert in Belgium: what to look for

Why an independent Shopify expert makes the difference

If you want to build or migrate a webshop in Belgium, you'll quickly come across dozens of Shopify agencies. The tricky part: many partners earn from monthly subscriptions or upsells, which means their advice isn't always entirely neutral. A true expert chooses the platform that fits your situation — not the platform that pays the most.

At Kattenberg 118 Studio in Antwerp, I work deliberately without commercial ties to software partners. That means I sometimes build a Shopify webshop, sometimes set up a Ghost site, and sometimes advise against using a CMS altogether. I ran two jewellery shops and a webshop with a team of twenty for fifteen years, so I understand what works in practice — not just in PowerPoint.

What should you look for when hiring a Shopify expert?

A good first conversation starts with questions about your business: What do you sell? Who are your customers? What's your realistic budget? If an expert immediately starts talking about themes or apps without asking about your goals, that's a red flag.

Also ask concretely about previous projects. For example, I built a bookshop on Shopify that went live within a week, migrated a complete Shopify POS setup including popup shop for a school, and guided a cutover from WordPress to Ghost for a client who wanted a faster, simpler site. That variety shows I don't get stuck in one approach.

Fixed price or hourly rate?

For one-off projects, I work with a fixed proposal: scope, timeline and price in one document. No surprises afterwards, no endless timesheets. You know upfront what you'll get and what it costs.

That's more transparent than an open-ended assignment that drags on, and it forces me to stay sharp. I treat your budget as if it were my own money — a reflex from the days when I had to watch every euro myself.

Shopify isn't always the answer

While Shopify is a solid platform for many webshops, it's not the holy grail. I built a fully custom Payload CMS admin environment for a client who needed more flexibility than Shopify metaobjects could provide. For another project, I actually advised a simple static page instead of a bloated CMS.

That honesty is rare, but it's what you deserve. You're paying for advice that serves your interests, not those of a software vendor.

Local or remote? Both work

I'm based in Borgerhout (Antwerp), but work just as easily remotely for clients in Ghent, Brussels or Limburg. The advantage of a local expert is that you can easily drop by for an intake or sparring session, but most projects simply run digitally — with clear updates and concrete deadlines.

Ready to get started?

If you're looking for a Shopify expert who advises honestly, works transparently and speaks from experience, have a look at the studio page. There you'll read more about how I work, what previous clients say, and how to schedule a first conversation — no obligations, just a normal chat about what you need.