My Story
Hi, I’m John Davidson, a freelance Shopify developer based in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, building custom eCommerce stores that help businesses grow online.
I’m self-taught. I took up the keyboard during the pandemic lockdown and became a man possessed, coding websites, breaking websites and rebuilding websites. I often wonder what life was like before the obsession took hold, and what it was like without all these bugs demanding my undivided attention. What began as a hobby is now how I make a living for me and my family.
Since then I’ve gone beyond client work and built, launched and run my own Shopify store, from product setup and fulfilment through to search visibility and analytics. I know what a store owner is up against, because I’m one.
What I Do
- Custom Shopify store setup and design: from first launch to a full rebuild, designed around your brand rather than a stock template
- Theme development and customisation: custom Liquid sections with schema settings you can edit in the theme editor, built and tested locally with Shopify CLI, Git and GitHub
- Technical SEO and analytics setup: Google Search Console verification, DNS records, sitemap submission, GA4 connected to Shopify, UTM campaign tracking, and on-page SEO and internal linking
- Print-on-demand and product setup: Shopify with Gelato fulfilment, plus product structure, tagging, smart collections, shipping profiles and pricing that protects your margin
- Shopify app integration: extending your store with the right apps, not the most apps
- Speed optimisation: fast, mobile-responsive stores
- Domain, DNS and email setup: connecting your custom domain to Shopify, configuring DNS records, and setting up professional email on your own domain (Google Workspace)
- Migration and ongoing maintenance: moving stores across and keeping them healthy
I’m also learning JavaScript, so my skill set keeps growing.
Why Work With Me
Every brand deserves a store that reflects its identity. I build tailored Shopify solutions, not cookie-cutter templates. Whether you’re launching your first store or scaling an existing one, I’ll help you create a professional, reliable, high-performing site that engages customers and drives sales.
Let’s Build Together
Looking for a dedicated Shopify freelancer who can bring your vision to life? I’d love to hear from you.
Communication is key to a successful store. I’ll update you every day I’m working on it, and I’ll run decisions by you as we go. If you ask me to do something I don’t yet know how to do, I’ll tell you. Every day is a school day in Shopify development, and as I learn, you’ll learn too, about running a store and a business.