ZAYN DHALLA Say Hello

Shopify

I built my first Shopify
store from Colombia.

I've been hooked ever since.

I was on a two-week trip to Colombia and somehow ended up spending part of it building my first Shopify store. Since then, I've become obsessed with what makes a store feel credible, easy to shop, and actually convert.

Shopify is where I learned that owning the storefront means owning every detail.

  • 5%+ Shopify conversion
  • 6-figure E-commerce businesses
  • Liquid Custom storefront work, hands on the theme
See how I think about conversion View stores I've worked on
First store. Different country. Same obsession.

How it started

It started on vacation.

I was on a two-week trip to Colombia and probably should have been completely unplugged. Instead, I found myself building my first Shopify store — figuring out themes, adding products, setting up collections, and learning how the whole thing actually worked.

What started as a way to pass time quickly turned into a serious rabbit hole. I realized how much control a direct storefront gives you, and I've been hooked ever since.

The store was the souvenir I actually kept.
Cartagena, Colombia

The bigger picture

Ownership changes the game.

With Shopify, you're not just selling products. You're building a business. That changes everything.

  1. Traffic

    Nobody is handing it to you.

  2. Merchandising

    You decide what gets seen and how it's presented.

  3. Conversion

    Every little friction point becomes your problem.

  4. Brand

    You control how the business feels.

  5. Customer relationship

    You own the experience before and after the purchase.

Conversion

5%+ changed how I look at every storefront.

Strong conversion was never one clever trick. It was a collection of small things done properly, measured, and improved.

  1. 01 Before they trust you

    • Clarity
    • Trust
    • Credibility

  2. 02 While they're shopping

    • Merchandising
    • Navigation
    • Copy
    • Product structure

  3. 03 When they're ready to buy

    • Mobile UX
    • Speed
    • Checkout

Every store eventually comes down to two questions: what are we asking someone to do, and what is quietly stopping them?

Under the hood

Sometimes the theme
doesn't do what I want.

I like being close enough to the storefront that I can actually change it. That means working with Liquid, custom sections, product templates, collection layouts, navigation, and page structure when the default theme isn't enough.

  • Liquid
  • Custom sections
  • Product templates
  • Collection layouts
  • Navigation
  • Content blocks
  • Merchandising systems

A practical approach, not just theory.

1<!-- Stratus Contact / Support Hub Section -->2<section class="sw-contact" aria-labelledby="sw-contact-title">3  <div class="sw-contact__inner">45    <!-- Hero -->6    <header class="sw-contact__hero">7      <div class="sw-contact__eyebrow">8        USA-Based Support9      </div>1011      <h1 id="sw-contact-title">12        Need help finding the right filter or part?13      </h1>14    </header>
Real custom section from the Stratus Water Systems storefront — written to replace what the theme couldn't do.

What I obsess over

The details that actually move the needle.

  1. 01

    Product pages

    Does the page answer the questions someone needs before buying?

  2. 02

    Collections

    Can someone find the right product without thinking too hard?

  3. 03

    Mobile UX

    Does the store actually work where most people are shopping?

  4. 04

    Navigation

    Can shoppers move through the catalogue naturally?

  5. 05

    Merchandising

    Are we presenting products in the right order and context?

  6. 06

    Trust

    Does this feel like a place worth giving money to?

Still one of my favourite sounds on the internet: cha-ching.

Putting it into practice

Where I apply it.

View all projects

The bigger context

Owning the storefront means owning every excuse.

Shopify gives you control. It also gives you responsibility. That's the tradeoff — and the opportunity.

  • High control
  • Customer ownership
  • Full conversion responsibility
  • Traffic responsibility
  • Brand freedom
  • Built-in intent
  • Lower brand control
  • Marketplace rules
  • Higher competition
  • Limited customer ownership
  • Niche discovery
  • Marketplace search
  • Shared customer relationship
  • Lower price tolerance
  • Less control over experience

Each platform has its strengths. Shopify is where I got to do everything — and that's what kept me coming back.

Back to E-commerce Overview

Writing

Thinking about Shopify.

View all writing

Let's talk

Want to talk Shopify?

I can talk about themes, product pages, collections, Liquid, merchandising, conversion, and why a store feels off for longer than most people probably want to listen.

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Same obsession. Next chapter.