The Scale of Experience
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 700+ clients 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.
One-time eCommerce development projects
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.
- Example: Eleven Jewelry
- Duration: 2 months
- Description: We designed and developed an interactive Shopify widget as part of our Shopify app development services, combining visual appeal with functionality to enhance user engagement and deliver a more personalized experience.
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.
Long-term projects
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
The first type of project – ongoing improvement - 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.
- Example: Real America’s Voice
- Duration: 2 years
- Description: We created a Multi Services Ecosystem - a full-scale media platform designed for speed, scalability, and seamless content delivery.
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.
Industries We Work With
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.
Level of Client Involvement
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 average duration of cooperation for each type:
- Short-term projects — around 3-4 months
- Long-term projects — around 1.5 years
It is also important to highlight that a significant portion of our clients choose to return to us. Currently, 40% 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 2% of projects have been discontinued due to various reasons.
What Makes Clients Stay
One of the key reasons why clients continue working with us is ongoing support 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:
Setting expectations early
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.
Proactive approach & creativity
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.
Flexibility
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 Grammar Content Assistant. 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 a Good Idea Isn’t Enough: The Lifecycle of a Shopify App.
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.
Not every client needs the same approach
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.
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.