Headless Shopify storefront that actually converts
Custom Next.js frontend on top of Shopify's battle-tested checkout and inventory. The flexibility of a bespoke storefront, the reliability of Shopify's backend.
Shopify's built-in themes are fast to set up but hit a wall when you need custom UX, specific performance targets, or design that doesn't look like every other Shopify store. Going headless gives you a React frontend you fully control - while keeping Shopify's checkout, payments, inventory, and fulfilment working exactly as they do today.
95+
Lighthouse - faster than any theme
TypeSafe
GraphQL with auto-generated types
0
Changes to Shopify checkout or payments
30 days
Post-launch support included
Trusted by founders & teams in
Smit Parekh
Full-Stack Developer
Gujarat, India · available worldwide
I'm the only person who touches your code. You talk directly to the senior developer writing every line - no account managers, no juniors, no handoffs. React, Next.js, Node.js, TypeScript and PostgreSQL, end to end.
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- 4+ years shipping production web apps
- 20+ live systems across FinTech, SaaS & AI
Everything included in every engagement
No upsells. No surprise change orders. One scope, one price.
Next.js storefront with Storefront API
Full product catalogue, collections, cart, and checkout flow via Shopify Storefront API or Hydrogen-compatible GraphQL. Typesafe with auto-generated GQL types.
95+ Lighthouse - faster than any Shopify theme
Server-rendered product pages with ISR, next/image for every product photo, and a Time to Interactive under 3 seconds on real mobile hardware. Themes can't match this.
Custom UI that matches your brand
Pixel-perfect product pages, collection filters, search, wishlist, and cart drawer - designed to your spec, not limited by a theme's section schema.
SEO-first product & collection pages
Server-rendered metadata, Product schema, BreadcrumbList schema, automatic sitemap, canonical URLs, and hreflang for international stores. Designed to rank.
Shopify checkout & payments untouched
Shopify Checkout handles payments, fraud protection, Shop Pay, and local payment methods. Nothing custom here - you keep everything Shopify already does well.
Webhooks for inventory & order sync
Real-time stock updates, order confirmation flows, and fulfilment status pushed to your storefront via Shopify webhooks. No stale product data.
Results that build trust
The numbers behind the work - measured on real production data, not demos.
95+
Lighthouse - faster than any theme
TypeSafe
GraphQL with auto-generated types
0
Changes to Shopify checkout or payments
30 days
Post-launch support included
The tools I actually use in production
Modern, battle-tested, and chosen for fit - not hype.
Frontend
- Next.js 14+
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- Framer Motion
Commerce
- Shopify Storefront API
- Shopify Admin API
- GraphQL Codegen
- Shopify Checkout
Search & CMS
- Algolia
- Shopify Search
- Contentful
- Sanity
Deploy
- Vercel
- Cloudflare
- ISR
- Shopify Webhooks
How we'll work together
Predictable, written-down, no surprises.
- 01
Commerce audit
Review your current Shopify setup: products, variants, metafields, markets, and checkout customisations. We identify what headless gives you vs what it complicates before committing.
- 02
Design & data model
Storefront wireframes, Shopify metafield schema for custom product data, and GraphQL query plan. No frontend work until the data layer is locked.
- 03
Storefront build
Product pages, collection pages, cart, search, and account flows built iteratively with Vercel preview deploys. Lighthouse gated on every PR.
- 04
Launch & redirect
DNS cutover plan, 301 redirects from old URLs, Search Console notification, and 30 days of post-launch support. Zero ranking loss on transition.
AWS Certified
Solutions Architect
I'm Smit Parekh - a full-stack developer who writes every single line of your code
With 4+ years of experience shipping production systems for FinTech, SaaS, and AI startups, I work as a senior individual contributor - no juniors on your project, no account managers between you and the work. Every commit, every architecture decision, every deployment lands on my machine first.
I specialise in the TypeScript ecosystem - React & Next.js on the frontend, Node.js / NestJS on the backend, PostgreSQL for data, and AWS for infrastructure. I've built headless e-commerce stores, multi-tenant SaaS platforms, real-time dashboards, AI-powered tools, and performance-first marketing sites. The common thread: clean code, zero tech-debt handover docs, and measurable business results.
10+ production apps shipped
FinTech, SaaS, AI startups & e-commerce
95+ Lighthouse scores, guaranteed
Performance baked in from day one
AWS Certified Solutions Architect
Infrastructure decisions you can trust
Direct, async-first communication
You talk to who writes every line of code
My daily stack
Pricing that matches the work
Starting prices. Final quote in writing after a 30-minute scoping call.
Storefront MVP
New stores or simple catalogues
$5,000starting
- Home, collection, product, cart pages
- Storefront API integration
- Mobile responsive, 95+ Lighthouse
- Delivered in 3-4 weeks
Full Custom Storefront
High-traffic or design-led brands
$12,000starting
- All pages + search + account + wishlist
- Algolia or Shopify search
- International markets + hreflang
- Delivered in 6-10 weeks
Theme → Headless Migration
Replacing an existing Shopify theme
$8,000starting
- URL parity + 301 redirect plan
- Zero ranking loss on cutover
- Performance before/after report
- Timeline based on page count
Me vs. an agency vs. hiring in-house
Three ways to get this built. Here's the honest comparison.
Best value Solo Dev (me) $80-$120 /hr or fixed | Agency $150-$300 /hr blended | In-house hire $80-$120K /yr + benefits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start date | 1-2 weeks from quote | 4-8 weeks onboarding | 8-16 weeks to hire |
| Who writes the code | Senior dev - every single line | Junior assigned to your account | Whoever you manage to hire |
| Communication | Direct - you talk to who codes | Via account manager first | Direct, but management overhead |
| Flexibility | Scale up or down any time | Locked to contract length | Fixed headcount, hard to change |
| Code ownership | 100% yours, full handover docs | Depends on contract terms | Yours, but bus factor risk |
| Risk | Weekly demos, fixed scope | Scope creep & handoff gaps | Wrong hire = months lost |
Questions I get asked first
Why go headless instead of using a Shopify theme?+
Three main reasons: performance (95+ Lighthouse vs typical theme scores of 40-65), design control (not limited by a theme's section schema), and flexibility (integrate any CMS, loyalty program, or search provider). The trade-off is complexity - it's more expensive to build and maintain. For high-traffic, high-AOV, or design-led brands, the conversion lift justifies it.
Does headless Shopify affect checkout?+
No - Shopify Checkout (and all its payment methods, Shop Pay, fraud protection) remains completely untouched. The cart is built on your Next.js frontend; checkout happens on Shopify's hosted checkout page.
Will we lose SEO rankings when we migrate?+
Not if the migration is handled correctly. I build a URL parity map, implement 301 redirects for any changed URLs, keep metadata identical, and notify Google Search Console on launch day. With ISR, pages are server-rendered and indexable from day one.
Can you integrate with Shopify Plus features?+
Yes - checkout extensibility, custom B2B pricing, market-specific content, and Shopify Functions are all available via the API layer. Plus features are supported but not required.
What about Hydrogen (Shopify's official headless framework)?+
Hydrogen is great if you want to stay in the Shopify ecosystem long-term. I prefer Next.js when clients want more framework familiarity, better hiring market, and Vercel's ecosystem - but I can also build in Hydrogen if that's the preference.
Let's scope your project
Tell me what you're building. I'll reply with a written estimate within 24 hours - no sales call required.
Related services
Often paired with shopify development.
E-commerce Development
Headless Shopify or custom commerce on Next.js - sub-second product pages, SEO-tuned catalog, and a checkout designed around the data, not the template.
Web Development
From the database schema to the deployed Next.js frontend, I ship modern web apps designed to rank, convert, and scale. One engineer, full ownership.
Performance Optimization
Core Web Vitals fixed, bundle sizes cut, LCP under 2.5 seconds. I audit, prioritize, and implement - or give you the plan to do it yourself.
Frontend Development
Production-grade React and Next.js frontends with a focus on accessibility, performance, and design systems. Built to scale across teams and devices.