DevIT is a Shopify development company and eCommerce development services provider that began its journey in software development and custom web development in 2013. Since then, we’ve grown a lot - expanding our expertise across different areas and gaining valuable experience along the way. 

One of the things we’re most proud of is the strong community we’ve built: this year, we reached 

 across eCommerce development projects and Shopify app development. We’re truly grateful to every company and individual who trusted us with their ideas and projects.

Communication has always been at the heart of what we do. Working closely with our clients on a wide range of projects has taught us a great deal - not just about development, but about building meaningful, long-term partnerships. In this article, we’d like to share some of the key lessons we’ve learned along the way.

Who Our Clients Are: Types of Projects We Work With

Before diving in, we’d like to take a moment to describe our clients and highlight just how diverse they are. They come from different industries, have varying levels of technical expertise, and approach development with different expectations.

Back in 2013, we were a young startup eager to take on new challenges. Our first clients were individuals looking to build simple online stores or create modern designs for their projects. We were excited to help bring their ideas to life and achieve their goals together.

thumbnail_eleven jewelry

eleven jewelry

Today, we continue working with small projects alongside larger ones. These projects typically take less time and deliver results within 1–3 months.They allow us to move faster, see results quickly, and stay flexible throughout the process. Such projects often encourage creativity, as we can experiment with new ideas and approaches without long timelines.

Over time, we began partnering with clients who were looking for long-term collaboration. These projects typically fall into two main categories:

1.	Ongoing improvement and support of an existing product

2.	Development and launch of custom solutions and web applications

 - is unique because the product has already been developed before we join the process. This means we dedicate a significant amount of time to analyzing the existing solution, conducting an expert assessment, and identifying areas for improvement. Based on this, we create a structured action plan that aligns with the client’s goals and expectations.

The second type of long-term project involves 

developing and launching a product from scratch

. Over the years, we’ve built a strong team of experts across various fields, which allows us to handle even complex projects. From the initial idea to design and technical implementation, we have the resources and expertise to bring products to life.

thumbnail_Real America`s Voice

Real America`s Voice

One thing we’ve learned early on is simple: there’s no one universal solution. Each client requires a tailored approach, and understanding their background and readiness is the first step toward building a successful collaboration.

Over the years, we’ve gained extensive experience across a wide range of industries. Since 2013, we’ve successfully delivered eCommerce development services and custom software development projects in areas such as e-commerce, media, social networks, healthcare, fintech, real estate, construction, entertainment, travel & hospitality, and education.

Working with such diverse areas has allowed us to better understand different business models, user needs, and technical challenges. This variety not only strengthens our expertise but also helps us bring fresh ideas and best practices from one industry to another.

thumbnail_Industries We Work With

Industries We Work With

Every client comes to us with a unique level of knowledge and experience, and we always take this into account when building our collaboration.

We truly enjoy working with clients who have great ideas but may not be technically experienced. In these cases, we’re happy to guide them through the process - explaining each stage, clarifying details, and sharing our knowledge along the way.

At the same time, not all clients need this level of involvement. Some prefer to trust us with the process and stay less engaged in day-to-day development, focusing on their own priorities. We fully respect this approach as well. It reflects their confidence in our expertise and a clear understanding of the agreed plan.

Average Cooperation Time: What the Numbers Say

In the previous section, we explored the different types of projects and clients we’ve worked with. We also mentioned short-term and long-term collaborations. Based on this, we can estimate the 

thumbnail_Average Cooperation Time

Average Cooperation Time

It is also important to highlight that a significant portion of our clients choose to return to us. Currently, 

 of our clients come back for additional services. This level of trust is influenced by several factors, which we will explore in the next section.

At the same time, we want to mention that there are situations where we have had to close projects before completion. Currently, around 

 of projects have been discontinued due to various reasons.

One of the key reasons why clients continue working with us is 

 for Shopify apps and eCommerce solutions. Often, clients come to us for development, complete their project, and move on. However, after some time, many return for updates, audits, and further improvements.

They trust us as a reliable development company with deep product knowledge. This allows us to make enhancements efficiently and safely, ensuring that improvements are implemented without disrupting existing functionality.

But, in addition to this, we have feedback from our clients, so we can highlight the following reasons why customers stay or return to us:

We define goals and timelines from the very beginning. This ensures a smooth process and eliminates surprises along the way. This also helps build trust and ensures realistic expectations for every project.

Transparent processes & meeting deadlines

Our workflows are clear and structured. We keep our clients informed throughout the project. We also respect deadlines and consistently deliver our services on time. If a particular stage requires more attention than initially expected, we always inform the client in advance and clearly explain why additional time is needed for proper implementation.

We don’t just follow instructions - we offer ideas and suggest improvements. Our team looks for creative solutions that add extra value to every project. Because the final result matters to us. And if we see an opportunity to make something even better, we always share our ideas and suggestions.

We adapt to changing requirements and client needs as projects evolve. Every project is unique and situations can evolve. That’s why we remain flexible - ready to adjust our approach and adapt the process when needed. This allows us to stay effective in dynamic environments.

Challenges & Project Failures: What Didn’t Work

DevIT continuously invests in our team’s growth and strive to expand our knowledge and capabilities. However, it’s impossible to know everything, and failures also happens in our work.

Here we can share an example of our own failure, which happened recently with one of our own products.

DevIT, in addition to outsourcing services, also develops its own apps on the Shopify platform. In 2023, our team launched the app 

. Unfortunately, at that time we did not fully account for certain market specifics and the rapid evolution of technologies. As a result, after a couple of years, we made the difficult decision to close the project. You can read more about our reflections and key insights in the article - 

When it comes to working with clients, as mentioned earlier, we always try to set goals at the beginning of the collaboration so that the future implementation meets the client's expectations. However, there are cases when the delivered outcome may not fully meet the client’s needs. This can happen due to changes in project scope, evolving business priorities, or shifting requirements during the development process. Such projects were either closed during development, or paused at a certain stage. 

Biggest Lessons Learned: What 700+ Clients Taught Us

We recently crossed the milestone of 700+ clients. At the beginning of our journey, we could only dream of this result. When we look back on the journey we’ve taken, we feel a strong sense of pride and joy in what we’ve accomplished over the years. Here are some insights we’ve gained from our experience - principles that will continue to guide the way we work with clients.

There is no single rule or algorithm of actions. Each client and eCommerce project or Shopify app development case is unique.

Trust is built through consistency, not promises

Trust comes from reliably delivering on what we say, time after time. Clients value steady performance and predictable outcomes more than big promises at the start.

Communication issues are the root of most problems

Most project challenges are not technical but related to misunderstandings or missing information. Clear, ongoing communication helps prevent issues before they grow.

The best results come when you act as a partner, not a vendor

When we work as an extension of the client’s team, the quality of outcomes significantly improves. Shared responsibility and mutual involvement lead to stronger, more successful products.

thumbnail_The Scale of Experience

The Scale of Experience

These are the insights and conclusions we’ve drawn from our experience. Reaching this point is incredibly motivating and inspires us to keep growing and improving. As a result, we continue to refine our skills, gain deeper expertise, and set new goals for the future.

700+ Clients Later: Lessons That Shaped Our Approach

Insights

Software Development

What Is Mantle and Why Shopify App Developers Used It

Mantle is a SaaS platform designed primarily for developers and companies that build apps for the Shopify ecosystem. It acts as an "operating system" for running an app business, combining analytics, billing, customer management, email marketing, automations, and support tools in one platform.

Key Features of Mantle for Shopify App Businesses

This is why many companies used Mantle instead of building their own analytics and billing infrastructure.

In June 2026, Mantle announced its shutdown, confirming that the platform will discontinue its services and customers must begin planning their Mantle data migration. Most services will stop operating on August 14, 2026, while customers using Mantle Billing have until September 30, 2026 to migrate.

This news came as a real shock to us, as our company is deeply integrated with the Mantle platform. We have always valued it for its effectiveness and functionality. Just last year, our CEO, 

 powered by Mantle, and we were proud to be part of that experience.

Last week, we joined thousands of other Shopify app businesses in receiving the official announcement about the Mantle shutdown, prompting us to start planning our migration from Mantle.

thumbnail_Mantle is winding down

Mantle is winding down

How We Are Managing Our Mantle Data Migration

As DevIT develops its applications on the Shopify platform, we rely on Mantle on a daily basis. Over time, we have accumulated a significant amount of data from clients who use our apps. Preserving this information is critical for us, as it allows us to continue analyzing our business processes and delivering high-quality services.

Given this situation, we decided to migrate from Mantle to an alternative platform while ensuring the security and integrity of our historical business data. Over the past 10+ years, we’ve built up a substantial volume of data, and moving it securely and accurately requires time and careful planning from our team.

We understand how time-consuming and complex it can be to transfer data from one service to another. Whether you're looking for a Mantle alternative, need assistance exporting data, or require a complete migration strategy, our team can help.

As Mantle prepares to shut down, many Shopify app companies are evaluating alternative solutions for analytics, billing, customer management, and reporting. 

Depending on your business requirements, you may choose an existing SaaS platform or invest in a custom-built dashboard that provides complete control over your data and workflows.

At DevIT, we help Shopify businesses migrate from Mantle and build custom analytics dashboards, billing systems, and reporting solutions tailored to their operations.

If you have any questions about migration - or if you’d prefer to leave it to experienced professionals - feel free to reach out to us at support@devit.software. We’ll be happy to assist you every step of the way.

Build a Custom Dashboard as a Mantle Alternative

If you're looking for a custom Mantle replacement or a Shopify app dashboard tailored to your business, our team can help design and develop a scalable solution. We can design and develop a custom dashboard tailored to your specific requirements.

To get started, simply contact us at any comfortable way for you: 

. We’ll be happy to discuss all the details with you and guide you through the entire development process.

If you're planning to migrate from Mantle or build a custom replacement, you can get a rough estimate before contacting our team.

Use our Project Cost Calculator to estimate the scope, timeline, and approximate budget based on your project requirements. It's a quick way to understand what your migration or custom dashboard project may involve.

The latest news has come as a surprise to us all. However, we believe that every ending also marks the beginning of something new, and that every challenge opens the door to new opportunities.

Of course, we are genuinely sorry to see Mantle closing. At the same time, we are ready to move forward and already have several solutions we’re prepared to share with you. Simply contact us if you have any questions.

Mantle Shutdown: What Happened, How to Migrate Your Data, and the Best Alternatives

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept. It's an integral part of our daily work, especially for IT specialists. AI tools help simplify complex tasks and support innovation, changing how we solve problems and create solutions.

The rapid pace of technological advancement demands efficiency and adaptability. AI helps by automating tasks, providing useful insights, and speeding up development. In today’s competitive market, using AI is not just an advantage — it’s essential for staying ahead and working efficiently. For IT specialists, this means less time on repetitive tasks and more time for strategic thinking. As a result, they can produce higher quality work and more innovative solutions.

Our company uses AI in different departments to improve efficiency and results. Here are some of the main AI tools and services we use.

thumbnail_Management & Operations 950x500.png

Management & Operations 950x500.png

Effective management is the key to productive team work. At our company, we actively use AI across several areas of our work. In management and operations, AI tools help us organize tasks, analyze data, and optimize planning processes. We’ve noticed that task management is now 

, thanks to AI tools. This allows our team to focus more on strategic decisions rather than routine coordination.

 to improve our CRM by automating data entry, predicting sales trends, and scoring leads. This helps our sales and operations teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time building relationships.

) uses AI to improve recruitment. It filters resumes, identifies the best candidates based on set criteria, and automates initial communication, which reduces hiring time and improves candidate quality.

We also use it for internal management tasks such as tracking employee vacations, working hours, and progress.

. This AI notetaker transcribes discussions, summarizes key points, and identifies action items. It ensures that no crucial detail is missed and frees up participants to fully engage in conversations without worrying about taking extensive notes.

 helps us analyze large volumes of information, synthesize complex data, and generate new ideas based on project documents. It acts as an invaluable assistant for strategic planning and decision-making.

For development, AI-powered tools assist our developers with code generation, debugging, and documentation. This 

 and helps maintain high coding standards while reducing errors.

. They help generate code, complete functions, and provide real-time suggestions. This speeds up development and helps us keep high coding standards.

 enhances the coding experience by providing AI-powered code suggestions, refactoring ideas, and debugging assistance, making the development process smoother and faster.

 for development. They help us understand complex code, find solutions to problems, and write tests. This makes development faster and helps us build more reliable software.

thumbnail_UX 950x500.png

UX 950x500.png

AI also plays a crucial role in our design process, enabling quicker iterations and more effective user experiences. 

The combination of these tools allows our design team to rapidly prototype websites, generate design system components directly in Figma, and brainstorm complex UX flows. 

 helps in conceptualizing user interactions and logic. 

 is reserved for highly specific, challenging image generation needs.

The most popular services that our marketing specialists use are 

These large language models are indispensable for generating compelling marketing copy, crafting engaging social media posts, generate interesting ideas for content, and structure articles. They help us maintain a consistent brand voice and produce high-quality content at scale.

According to our observations, in general, our creative team now spends 

As you can see, we use AI for different purposes and in different departments. Moreover, we 

. For example, our team successfully developed 

, a Shopify app that lets customers visualize outfits on themselves from a single photo. By integrating AI into the core experience, we boosted user engagement, increased conversions, and enabled viral growth through social sharing.

thumbnail_How AI Affects Our Work 950x500.png

How AI Affects Our Work 950x500.png

The impact of AI on our work is significant. It helps us work faster, improve quality, and spend more time on creative and complex tasks. It doesn’t replace people — it supports our team and helps us deliver better results faster.

Using AI has also changed how our IT specialists work in several important ways:

AI has become an integral part of how we operate. We see it as a powerful tool that complements our team’s skills and helps us continuously improve. As technology evolves, we will keep exploring new ways to integrate AI into our processes while maintaining a strong focus on quality, innovation, and client success.

How We Use AI in DevIT: AI Tools That Help Our Team Work 40% Faster

AI / ML

This May was traditionally rich with events. We had the incredible opportunity to attend a series of high-value events focused on the startup and small business ecosystem. 

From networking with tech startup founders to engaging with European business communities in Canada, each event offered unique perspectives and connections. Here are our most exciting events for May 2026.

Together Toronto and YC S26 Application Session

. This event brought together tech startup founders, investors, and operators for an evening of networking and insightful keynote sessions. 

Founders shared honest, behind-the-scenes stories about building companies — highlighting both challenges and the frameworks that helped them move forward. The conversations encouraged attendees to rethink their own approaches to work and growth.

For us, it was a great opportunity to connect with the local startup ecosystem and learn from real-world experiences. DevIT has been working in the startup creation field for over 10 years, so we were especially pleased to share our experience with early-stage projects.

Lessons Learned: Investors and Funders May Edition

On May 14 our representative had the pleasure of visiting 

. The event was designed for early-stage founders and gathered on the one stage experienced investors and funders to share real, market-driven insights on the funding application process.

The session explored what investors prioritize, how funding is allocated, and where founders often misalign with expectations. Speakers shared honest insights into today’s investment landscape and offered practical tips for anyone looking to secure funding. The event also created space for meaningful discussions and networking with key players shaping early-stage capital.

Lessons Learned- Investors and Funders May Edition.jpg

thumbnail_Lessons Learned- Investors and Funders May Edition.jpg

 attended Shopify Study Hall on May 19, held in 

 Toronto Office. This was a closed-door event for app developers, agency partners, and merchants.  

thumbnail_Shopify Study Hall 2.jpg

Shopify Study Hall 2.jpg

Shopify experts shared their knowledge on how the platform is evolving with AI-driven shopping, where assistants can discover and even purchase products for users. They explained what this shift means for brands and how businesses should adapt. 

The session also included hands-on workshops focused on building scalable solutions with the new technologies. We’ve got on-demand support from Shopify Advisors for troubleshooting and share feedback on their platform experience. We appreciated the opportunity to gain practical advice on how to effectively implement AI in our own work.

thumbnail_Shopify Study Hall.jpg

Shopify Study Hall.jpg

European Chambers MeetUp: EUCCAN’s 30th Anniversary Celebration

The event marked three years of the meetup series, which has become a popular platform for building meaningful connections across Toronto. This is a key networking opportunity for the European-Canadian business community, and we were happy to be there.

For us, it was an evening filled with great conversations, new connections, and a true sense of celebration. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, making it easy to engage with many interesting people and exchange ideas.

thumbnail_European Chambers MeetUp.jpg

European Chambers MeetUp.jpg

May 22 was a special day for us, as DevIT attended an exciting event - 

This event was focused on three key pillars of modern business success: technology, capital, and innovation. There were also over 50 booths from different industries, that showcased services designed to support small business owners.  

Experts provided a structured, practical approach to helping businesses understand how these elements work together to drive growth. Real-world case studies highlighted how entrepreneurs successfully combine these drivers to scale and strengthen their businesses.

thumbnail_The Small Business Show. .jpg

The Small Business Show. .jpg

OneEleven Pitch Showcase - Toronto Tech Week Edition

 was held during Toronto Tech Week. The event brought together some of the city’s most promising startups and key players in Canada’s innovation ecosystem.

The event featured live pitches from high-potential companies. They presented their experience to a room of 150–200 founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem leaders. 

Designed to spark connections and highlight emerging opportunities, the event also served as a platform for startups to gain visibility and build momentum. It was a dynamic gathering where we celebrated innovation and growth within the Canadian tech community.

This May was filled with engaging and valuable events for our team. Being surrounded by like-minded people is important to us. DevIT had great opportunities to network, exchange ideas, and explore new partnerships and collaborations. We’re excited to keep growing and contributing to the development of Toronto’s tech ecosystem.

DevIT Event Digest – May 2026

Most Shopify cart drawers are technical graveyards - static containers where conversions go to die. While merchants obsess over landing page optimization, the cart experience remains a neglected, unbranded utility. We treated this stagnation as a product bug.

 was engineered to kill the era of the passive cart. We transformed the primary entry point to checkout into a high-velocity sales touchpoint, with Shopify conversion rate optimization baked into the architecture.

The Strategic Mission: Scaling Shopify AOV with Intent

A cart should do more than hold items; it should close the deal. ShopCart provides a no-code conversion engine that replaces manual theme hacking with high-performance business logic:

thumbnail_2026-04-23_12.25.41.png

ShopCart app.png

The Tech Stack: Core Web Vitals & Search Performance

We didn't pick tools based on trends; we picked them for architectural reliability.

The admin interface is built on Remix. In the Shopify ecosystem, state synchronization is the primary failure point. Remix ensures a server-driven architecture where merchant configurations stay synced with the 

. On the backend, we utilized MongoDB with Prisma ORM to handle complex, nested widget data with strict type safety.

We believe merchant tools should feel invisible. By utilizing 

, we inherited the native UX language of the Shopify Admin. This ensures that the app feels like a native part of the Shopify dashboard, providing a seamless experience for store managers.

thumbnail_free gift choosing shopcart.png

free gift choosing shopcart.png

The Development Reality: Shipping with 100% Team Turnover

One of the most defining moments of ShopCart’s journey: The team that started the project wasn't the one that shipped it.

Midway through development, the engineering team rotated entirely. In most software projects, this leads to a "knowledge debt" that kills momentum. We survived because we treated documentation as a functional requirement. Because every architectural decision and API quirk was logged, the new team didn't have to "guess" the logic. They picked up the blueprint and kept moving. It proved our internal mantra: Code without documentation is a future bug.

The Pivot: Choosing Conversion Over "Feature Bloat"

During the MVP phase, we faced the "Innovator’s Trap" - designing advanced widgets that would look incredible in marketing but delay the launch by weeks. We made the executive call to cut the bloat.

In professional product management, success is measured by Time-to-Value. We focused on the high-impact essentials: Customizers, Rewards, and Upsells. This allowed us to deliver a stable, conversion-ready tool that worked perfectly on Day 1 rather than a "perfect" project that never launched.

The ultimate validation of our engineering: 

 passed Shopify’s App Review in less than 24 hours. While the industry standard is 10–14 days, our record turnaround was due to:

thumbnail_ShopCart Shopify app store.png

ShopCart Shopify app store.png

Stop Losing Money on Your "Basic" Cart: The Engineering Behind ShopCart’s 24-Hour Launch

Startups

 stepped into the heart of the local tech community at Convivium's 

. It was a night dedicated to networking, sharing ideas, and exploring how the Canadian ecosystem supports high-scale innovation.

The atmosphere was a mix of high-growth founders and industry experts. Beyond the networking, our CEO walked away with a perspective-shifting realization regarding Canadian tech funding strategies and how companies can better manage their R&D budgets.

thumbnail_16.04 - Rodion - Event 2.jpg

16.04 - Rodion - Event 2.jpg

The Main Insight: Don’t Pay Full Price for Your Own Innovation

The event was a masterclass in financial strategy. Elizabeth Gartey, founder of Salesgrowth Development Inc. and a leading expert on government funding programs, provided a roadmap for finding and securing non-repayable financing. Her insights focused on helping companies build effective growth strategies by utilizing subsidies that many entrepreneurs simply overlook.

Adding a deep dive into technical tax credits was special guest Gregory Molev, an expert in the 

. Gregory shared his specialized knowledge on how businesses can turn their "technical uncertainties" into real financial resources, particularly through programs like SR&ED and OMMITC.

Navigating the Canadian business funding ecosystem allows founders to:

Networking, Ideas, and the Toronto Tech Community

Our Blog

700+ Clients Later: Lessons That Shaped Our Approach

Mantle Shutdown: What Happened, How to Migrate Your Data, and the Best Alternatives

How We Use AI in DevIT: AI Tools That Help Our Team Work 40% Faster

DevIT Event Digest – May 2026

Stop Losing Money on Your "Basic" Cart: The Engineering Behind ShopCart’s 24-Hour Launch

Business Boosters: DevIT at the Event in Toronto to Explore New Tech Funding Insights

Your Mobile Site is Costing You Sales. iMobile is the Cure.

Satellites, Silk-Screening, and the Art of the Exit: Inside the Flippa Toronto Meetup 2026

The Accidental Product: How a Support Ticket Changed Everything

When a Good Idea Isn’t Enough: The Lifecycle of a Shopify App