What Does a Typical Ecommerce Redesign Cost?

Redesigning an ecommerce site isn’t just a visual upgrade – it’s often a full rebuild of your storefront, user experience and performance. Done well, it can increase conversion, improve retention and support long-term brand growth. Done poorly, it can slow down your store, damage SEO and waste six figures of budget.

So how much should a redesign really cost?

The answer depends on your store’s complexity, goals, and how custom you want your experience to be. Here’s a breakdown of what you should expect to spend – and where that money actually goes.

The Short Answer

A typical Shopify redesign costs:

• $13K–$25K NZD for small brands using a premium theme with light customisation

• $35K–$60K NZD for mid-stage brands using a heavily customised theme or partial headless setup

• $80K–$160K+ NZD for established brands building a fully bespoke or headless experience, often with CRO and content strategy baked in

Budgets may increase if your store has multiple currencies, complex product types, subscription logic or deep integration requirements.

What Influences the Cost?

1. Scope of Work

Are you redesigning a few key pages, or rebuilding your entire storefront? Full-site redesigns typically include:

• Homepage

• Collection pages

• Product pages (PDPs)

• Cart and checkout

• Navigation, footer, mobile UX

• Landing pages, content templates and blog

2. Strategy and Research

More advanced projects start with:

• CRO audit

• Heatmaps and session recordings

• Analytics review

• Competitor benchmarking

• Content and messaging workshops

This phase is optional, but it often leads to stronger design decisions and better ROI.

3. Custom vs Theme-Based Build

Theme-based redesigns (e.g. using a custom version of Dawn) are faster and cheaper, but less flexible.
Bespoke builds (including headless setups) offer full control over UX, performance and future-proofing – but they require more dev time and maintenance.

4. Team Structure

Are you working with a freelancer, a small studio or an ecommerce agency? Pricing varies accordingly:

• Freelancers: Lower hourly rates, but limited capacity

• Studios: Efficient and design-led, good for lean brands

• Agencies: More strategic and scalable, but higher fees

Make sure your partner understands Shopify deeply – not just design or WordPress.

What’s Included in the Cost?

A solid ecommerce redesign typically includes:

• UX and UI design (Figma or similar)

• Design feedback and revisions

• Shopify theme development or custom build

• Mobile optimisation

• Performance and speed testing

• QA and bug fixes

• Post-launch support (30–60 days is common)

Optional add-ons:

• SEO migration

• Copywriting

• Email template design

• CRO and A/B test planning

• Analytics setup (GA4, Triple Whale, etc.)

What’s Not Included (But Often Needed)

Some brands forget to budget for the extras that make a redesign actually perform:

• Brand photography or video

• New product descriptions or content blocks

• Post-launch CRO testing

• Technical SEO fixes

• Third-party app reviews or replacements

Treat your redesign as a foundation – not the final product. The performance gains often come from what you do next.

Red Flags to Watch For

• Vague proposals with no breakdown of deliverables

• Designers who aren’t familiar with Shopify limitations

• No mobile designs or accessibility considerations

• Ignoring performance or load speed

• Promising ‘increased conversions’ without any data or testing plan

If an agency can’t show you live examples, test results or a structured approach – keep looking.

Final Word

Your ecommerce redesign is an investment in customer experience and future growth. Whether you're spending $15K or $150K NZD, make sure you're paying for strategy and outcomes – not just visuals.

Want a second opinion on a quote? We’re happy to review a proposal and tell you what’s realistic – no pressure.