Nexus Media
Boosting Shopify Development for an Established eCommerce Player
About the client
Founded in 2008, NexusMedia is a leading eCommerce product company specializing in public Shopify apps. With a portfolio of 25 commercially successful applications used by over 38,000 store owners, NexusMedia has established itself as a key player in the Shopify ecosystem. Transitioning from a service-oriented model to a product-focused business, the company has grown to become one of the largest developers of Shopify applications.
Service provided: Shopify Public App Development and Support
Business Challenge
Scaling Development Capacity. Despite having a skilled internal development team and well-organized product management processes, NexusMedia faced challenges in scaling its operations to meet growing demands. The competitive talent market made it difficult to attract experienced Shopify developers quickly.
Meeting Product Development Timelines. Several applications in their portfolio required a specialized technology stack for development and support. Managing simultaneous demands for feature development, bug fixes, and technical updates created delays in launching new features and products. To ensure consistent progress, the company decided to augment its team by partnering with Grodas.
Addressing Customer Feedback Efficiently. The increasing volume of enhancement requests and new features placed additional pressure on their support and development teams. To maintain their commitment to customer satisfaction and improve response times, NexusMedia sought additional technical specialists to provide prompt updates and support.
The Solution
Team Allocation and Process Optimization
The collaboration between NexusMedia and Grodas began with the refactoring of several public Shopify apps. Over time, the partnership expanded to include ongoing support and feature development for additional public apps, as well as the creation of several custom applications for internal use by NexusMedia’s team.
The scope of work was analyzed and broken down into smaller, manageable tasks. Grodas implemented features and enhancements in alignment with the detailed specifications provided by NexusMedia's product management team.
The dynamic nature of the development process required a flexible strategy and approach to resource allocation, ensuring alignment with the client’s evolving and changing goals and priorities. The Delivery Manager was responsible for coordinating resources, optimizing team productivity, and ensuring consistent alignment with NexusMedia's expectations.
Dedicated teams were established, each focusing on specific Shopify applications or custom projects. This structured approach facilitated streamlined workflows, efficient resource utilization, and effective budget management, ensuring the success of both public-facing and internal projects.
Development Support and App Enhancement
While NexusMedia maintained control over project management, core applications, and strategic decision-making, Grodas provided technical support for their Shopify applications.
Our development team contributed in the following areas:
- Identifying specific requirements for the Shopify apps.
- Developing new functionalities based on client requirements.
- Technically updating public apps to meet the latest Shopify standards.
- Refactoring and preparing two new applications for release.
- Providing ongoing technical support for 7 apps managed by Grodas.
Technical Implementation: Quality and Scale
The primary goal of the collaboration was to augment the client’s core team with experienced Shopify experts, integrated advice, and high-quality practices—all at a reasonable price. Our development team added value by:
- Leveraging the latest technologies: Implemented best practices in e-commerce and streamlined development processes.
- Engaging technical expert teams: Involved specialized Shopify, front-end, and back-end teams to ensure high-quality app development.
- Modernizing applications: Refactored several existing apps, introduced new functionalities, and optimized performance.
- Ensuring compatibility: Ensured that all apps were compatible with the latest Shopify platform versions.
- Developing internal tooling: Created a system to monitor remote server status, with automated notifications and server management capabilities.
Technical implementation of a custom project (website): Developed a custom website to address the marketing needs of the client’s product management team, helping them achieve their business goals more effectively.
Our development approach focused on delivering fast, functional, and modern Shopify apps by implementing the latest tech trends, optimizing performance, and ensuring platform compatibility. By incorporating elements of the Agile methodology, we facilitated transparent communication, aligned stakeholder expectations, and maintained a consistent work pace. This led to a trusted partnership, allowing us to adapt quickly to evolving priorities while minimizing micromanagement.
Technologies and tools we used:
Back-end: PHP, Laravel, Slim, Redis, MySQL, Shopify API, third-party APIs
Front-end: JavaScript, Vue.js, React, Shopify liquid, Shopify Polaris, HTML, CSS
Deployment: GitHub; GitLab, AWS, Docker;
PM: Asana, Jira, Google Workspace; Slack
What Our Client Says:
"They have been doing a great job so far."
Denys Shchotkin,
Founder, NexusMedia