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We moved Somewhere Good from headless to a custom Shopify theme. Here’s what changed and why it matters for your brand.

Headless sounds great in theory: full flexibility, complete control, performance gains. In practice? For most growing brands though, it’s a maze of complexity, maintenance and dependency.

Somewhere Good—a clothing brand known for bold, graphic-led staples crafted from premium materials—learned that the hard way.

“We started out headless—lured by the promise of flexibility and performance—but quickly ran into all the usual pain points: rising dev costs, slow turnaround times.” – Somewhere Good

They came to us stuck in a setup they couldn’t manage. Every small update needed a developer. Nothing moved fast. So we rebuilt their site on Shopify—properly. Custom theme, intuitive tools, zero dev bottlenecks.

Here’s what we fixed, what changed and what to know before you go headless.

When your team can’t touch your site, that’s a problem

Somewhere Good had a sleek frontend. But they couldn’t:

Everything was hard-coded or buried in a CMS. Marketing ideas stalled while they waited on dev availability.

“A site that made simple updates a chore. For a start-up, it was unsustainable.”

We gave them full control—without the code:

App changes that don’t need developer support

Popups targeted by location and Klaviyo list

UK visitor? They see a 20% promo. EU visitor? A shipping update. All set up by the client, not us.

If you’re not a dev-led company, that gets expensive. Fast.

A streamlined Shopify theme. No plugins duct-taped together. No guesswork.

A site that’s easy to manage—and hard to break

Now their team can focus on the experience, not the architecture.

Headless doesn’t guarantee speed—or visibility

Somewhere Good’s headless build looked slick, but behind the scenes:

JavaScript-heavy pages that slowed load time and blocked indexing

Fixing it would’ve meant custom code and long-term dev cost.

Now they’re in control of how the site performs—and how it shows up in search.

If you can’t test apps without code, you’re stuck

They were locked into a single returns provider—not by choice, but because the content couldn’t be changed. Same with popups. Same with policies. Even testing a new tool was a dev project.

“Moving to Shopify and working with S8 has given us reliability, speed and freedom to focus on the business, not the backend.”

It can be. If you’re running multiple channels or serving custom user journeys—it might make sense.

But if what you actually need is control, flexibility and speed—without the technical baggage—Shopify isn’t just easier. It’s smarter. It gives your team the tools to move fast, test ideas and grow on your terms.

Somewhere Good made the switch. Now their site works harder so they don’t have to—with a platform that powers their growth, not their to-do list.

Stuck in a headless build that’s slowing you down? We specialise in smart, seamless migrations to Shopify—cutting the complexity, keeping what works and giving you a site your team can actually run with.


Shopify vs headless: what brands really need to know

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As two of the most flexible e-commerce platforms available, Shopify and WordPress offer distinct strengths. We break down their key differences in usability, scalability, pricing and long-term viability with expert insights.

Choosing the best platform for your business

Behind every successful online store is a solid platform. When done right, it powers growth and streamlines day-to-day operations. When done wrong? It leads to mounting complexity, wasted resources and long-term tech debt.

Shopify and WordPress (typically via the WooCommerce plugin) are two of the most popular ecommerce options available. But while Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform, WordPress is a content management system that’s been adapted to support selling online. One offers a streamlined, hosted solution built for commerce from the ground up. The other provides total control, but demands time, tech skills, and ongoing maintenance.

So, which is right for your business? Let's break it down.

Shopify vs WordPress: Which platform is more user-friendly?

Shopify is built for businesses that want to launch quickly and manage their store without hiring a development team. The drag-and-drop store builder, pre-designed themes and intuitive admin panel make it accessible to merchants of all sizes. Features like automated updates, built-in hosting and 24/7 customer support mean that technical maintenance is handled for you, allowing businesses to focus on growth. Shopify also includes a growing suite of AI-powered tools like Shopify Magic, designed to help merchants generate product descriptions and automate workflows.

Shopify's user-friendly interface is a major advantage for brands that want to scale fast. The ability to manage everything—from product uploads to order fulfilment—without technical expertise makes Shopify an easy choice for merchants who want to focus on selling, not problem-solving.

WordPress, on the other hand, is a content-first CMS that has been adapted to support ecommerce through WooCommerce. Setting up a WordPress site with ecommerce capabilities requires choosing a hosting provider, installing WordPress and WooCommerce, and configuring various plugins for payments, SEO, security and backups. The flexibility is powerful, but the learning curve can be steep.

While developers appreciate the level of control WordPress offers, non-technical merchants may find the setup and maintenance overwhelming. For these users, Shopify offers a far more approachable experience.

Shopify vs WordPress: Scalability and performance

Setbacks make all the difference when growth is the goal.

Shopify provides enterprise-grade scalability without merchants having to worry about infrastructure management. Shopify Plus, the platform’s enterprise solution, is designed to handle high-volume transactions, peak traffic spikes and global multi-store operations. Shopify’s 99.98% uptime, globally distributed CDN and automatic server scaling ensure that brands can continue growing without infrastructure bottlenecks. Brands like Allbirds and Gymshark have leveraged Shopify to scale rapidly while maintaining sub-two-second page load speeds, which is crucial for conversion rates.

Unlike platforms that require extensive infrastructure upgrades as they scale, Shopify automatically adjusts server resources and optimises performance across its global cloud network. This means brands can launch seasonal campaigns, flash sales and influencer collaborations without worrying about site crashes or checkout failures.

WordPress can scale effectively, but only with a proper technical setup. Performance is heavily influenced by your choice of hosting provider, server configuration, caching plugins and CDN setup. As traffic increases, brands may find themselves investing more in DevOps and performance tuning to maintain acceptable site speed and reliability. Whilst managed scalable infrastructure exists for WordPress, it can be extremely difficult to set up or expensive.

For brands prioritising long-term growth without added complexity, Shopify offers a scalable infrastructure that eliminates the risks associated with performance bottlenecks.

Shopify vs WordPress: Customisation & flexibility

WordPress is designed for simple content management, but brands can extend it with plugins for full control over design and functionality. It allows for custom workflows, rich content publishing tools and complex product configurations through plugins and custom code. However, with this level of flexibility comes complexity—installing new plugins or updating core software can sometimes cause compatibility issues that need developer intervention.

For brands that need fully custom checkout flows, advanced blogging capabilities or industry-specific workflows, WordPress provides a high degree of freedom. But this freedom comes at a cost—updates to custom-built features often require extensive testing, and maintaining integrations requires ongoing development resources.

Shopify takes a structured approach to flexibility. Through Liquid templating and Shopify Functions, brands can customise their store’s front-end and business logic without modifying the platform’s core.

For 90% of businesses, Shopify offers all the flexibility needed without the overhead of managing custom code, server security or software updates. Brands that require extreme customisation may still prefer WordPress, but Shopify provides a strong middle ground for brands that want to move fast.

Because hidden costs can make 'free' more expensive.

WordPress and WooCommerce (the most popular ecommerce plugin to pair with) are free to install, but 

the real costs lie in hosting, development and ongoing maintenance

. Expenses include premium themes and plugins, security tools, performance optimisation and developer retainers. Depending on your setup, total costs can easily exceed those of a hosted solution.

Running a WordPress store means investing in reliable hosting, managing security updates and allocating resources for technical support. Brands that aren’t prepared for these costs often struggle with downtime, plugin conflicts and unexpected compatibility issues when upgrading.

Shopify follows a predictable pricing model.

 Standard plans range from $29 to $299 per month, with Shopify Plus starting at $2k+ per month. Shopify’s hosted infrastructure means brands don’t need to invest in server maintenance, security patches or performance tuning, significantly reducing long-term costs.

For growing businesses that need cost predictability, Shopify provides a lower total cost of ownership than WordPress while eliminating unexpected expenses related to hosting, development and software maintenance.

Shopify vs WordPress: Which has better apps and plugins?

The right tools give your store a competitive edge.

Shopify provides access to over 12,000 apps that extend store functionality. The Shopify App Store is carefully curated, ensuring that third-party solutions meet high standards for security, usability and effectiveness. These apps cover everything from advanced SEO optimisation and AI-driven customer engagement to subscription management and logistics automation. Shopify also natively integrates with Meta, Google, TikTok, Amazon and Klaviyo, making omnichannel selling seamless and scalable.

. This ecosystem offers extensive functionality, but plugin quality and compatibility vary widely. Many e-commerce-specific plugins require careful vetting, configuration and ongoing support. While WooCommerce supports a broad range of integrations, setting them up often requires developer involvement, especially for more complex workflows.

Shopify vs WordPress: Global selling and shipping

simplifies logistics with Shopify Shipping

, which offers discounted carrier rates, real-time tracking and seamless label printing. Its multi-location inventory system allows merchants to track stock across warehouses and stores, reducing overselling and fulfilment delays. For international selling, Shopify Markets enables brands to manage currency conversions, taxes and region-specific checkout experiences, making cross-border commerce straightforward.

WordPress offers robust inventory and shipping tools through WooCommerce extensions; however, they rely heavily on third-party plugins. While WordPress supports multi-site architecture, enabling businesses to create separate storefronts per region, setting up localisation features like unique pricing and tax compliance requires additional configuration and support. Compared to Shopify’s built-in global selling capabilities, WordPress demands more technical oversight to manage international operations effectively.

Which platform turns more clicks into customers?

Shopify includes built-in SEO tools, automated email marketing integrations and seamless connections to advertising platforms like Google Ads and TikTok. Shopify’s marketing ecosystem allows brands to launch targeted campaigns, track customer behaviour and optimise conversions with minimal technical setup.

A strong example of Shopify’s marketing power is its abandoned cart recovery feature. 

Klaviyo’s dataset on abandoned cart emails reports an average open rate of 41.18%, a 9.50% click rate, and a revenue per recipient of $5.81

, demonstrating the effectiveness of automated follow-ups in converting lost sales. By leveraging Shopify’s email automation and customer engagement tools, merchants can recapture revenue with minimal effort.

WordPress supports advanced marketing strategies but relies on third-party extensions for SEO, email marketing and analytics. While WordPress allows for deeper campaign customisation, merchants must manually install and configure tools like Google Tag Manager, email automation platforms and affiliate tracking software. Unlike Shopify, where these tools integrate natively, WordPress users often require development support to implement advanced marketing automation.

It should be effortless, but some platforms make you work for it.

Shopify provides fully managed security with PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, fraud detection tools and automatic security patches. Because Shopify hosts all stores on its own secure cloud infrastructure, merchants don’t have to worry about managing SSL certificates, applying security updates or protecting against DDoS attacks. Shopify’s fraud protection algorithms help merchants identify high-risk transactions, reducing the chances of chargebacks and payment fraud.

With proper protection, configuration and attention, WordPress can be secure, but merchants are responsible for their own security updates, server protections and compliance measures. Since WordPress is self-hosted, merchants are responsible for securing their environment, including regular updates and monitoring for vulnerabilities. Installing third-party plugins or failing to update plugins and WordPress core can expose stores to potential exploits. Businesses running WordPress need dedicated IT support or a managed hosting provider to maintain security at the same level as Shopify.

Shopify vs WordPress: Which do experts recommend?

When it comes to expert recommendations, Shopify consistently ranks as the best choice for most businesses due to its ease of use, scalability, and comprehensive ecosystem.

"Shopify is the best all-around e-commerce platform on the market today, offering a balance of usability, customization, and affordability that makes it ideal for businesses of all sizes."

TechRadar highlights Shopify’s user-friendliness and vast app ecosystem, stating that 

"Shopify’s intuitive design and extensive integrations make it a leading choice for merchants looking for a hassle-free way to launch and scale an online store."

On the other hand, WordPress is still widely praised for its blogging capabilities and developer flexibility. It remains a viable option for content-first businesses or brands with unique technical needs and in-house expertise.

In independent user and business ratings, G2 ranks Shopify as the leading ecommerce platform, citing its reliability, extensive app ecosystem, and strong customer support, whereas WordPress often ranks lower for e-commerce-specific features.

It’s faster to launch, easier to manage and more cost-effective than WordPress—without sacrificing scalability or flexibility. Shopify empowers brands to focus on growth, not platform maintenance.

Shopify

Wordpress (WooCommerce)

"WordPress is very popular for a reason, with huge flexibility making it a jack of all trades. For our e-commerce sites, however, we prefer Shopify, as it focuses on mastering e-commerce and making it as easy as possible for you to manage your store, products, and orders. Using Shopify allows you and our development team to focus on enhancing the website itself instead of hosting, infrastructure, plugin compatibility, and security."

– Alistair Shepherd, Head of Development at Series Eight

Most Shopify migrations are completed using a mix of third-party tools and developer support to ensure accurate transfer of customer data, order history, product catalogues, SEO settings, and site structure are transferred accurately so businesses can switch platforms without disruption. Shopify’s automated solutions help preserve your store’s structure, including product variants, collections, and customer profiles, so nothing gets lost in the transition.

At Series Eight, we ensure a smooth transition by focusing on data integrity, storefront optimisation, and seamless integration with Shopify’s native tools and apps. Our expertise ensures your new store is not only functional from day one but also optimised for long-term growth. We replace previously custom-built WordPress features, eliminating unnecessary development and reducing long-term costs. Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem replaces the need for complex, hard-coded solutions, allowing businesses to scale efficiently without ongoing developer intervention.

A successful migration isn’t just about moving data—it’s about ensuring your Shopify store is optimised for performance, usability, and growth. We ensure that previously custom workflows, integrations, and checkout experiences are translated effectively within Shopify’s framework.

Our team ensures your Shopify store isn’t just a replica of your old WordPress site—it’s an upgrade. We optimise for better efficiency, improved user experience, and long-term scalability, so you’re not just migrating—you’re future-proofing your business. Replatforming is more than just moving data—it’s an opportunity to streamline operations, improve site performance, and reduce long-term costs. Shopify ensures that brands migrating from WordPress can focus on growth, not platform maintenance.

Shopify vs WordPress: choosing the right e-commerce platform for growth

Shopify and BigCommerce both promise scalability and performance, but how do they actually compare? We explore key differences in user experience, pricing, flexibility and growth potential to help you make the right call.

Your e-commerce platform does more than process transactions—it shapes how you scale, how efficiently you operate and how easily you grow. Choose well, and you get speed, stability and flexibility. Choose poorly, and you could face mounting development costs and roadblocks that slow you down.

Shopify and BigCommerce are two of the biggest names in e-commerce, but they cater to slightly different needs. One is known for its polished, plug-and-play experience. The other builds more native functionality into its core product, often appealing to merchants who want more built-in power without relying on apps.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which platform is more user-friendly?

Shopify is built for businesses that want to 

launch quickly—36% faster than BigCommerce on average

—and manage their store without hiring a development team. The drag-and-drop store builder, pre-designed themes and intuitive admin panel make it accessible to merchants of all sizes. Features like automated updates, built-in hosting and 24/7 customer support mean that technical maintenance is handled for you, allowing businesses to focus on growth.

Shopify’s ecosystem also includes an expanding range of AI-powered tools, such as Shopify Magic, which helps merchants generate product descriptions and automate workflows.

BigCommerce is also a hosted platform with an intuitive dashboard, but it leans slightly more technical. Its feature-rich interface gives you more control but at the cost of a steeper learning curve. There are more options built into the platform by default, which is powerful—but can also be overwhelming for new users or those without technical expertise.

For most businesses, Shopify’s user-friendly interface makes store management easier and faster while still offering flexibility when needed.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Scalability and performance

Shopify provides enterprise-grade scalability without merchants having to worry about infrastructure management. Shopify Plus, the platform’s enterprise solution, is designed to handle high-volume transactions, peak traffic spikes and global multi-store operations. Shopify’s 

, globally distributed CDN and automatic server scaling ensure that brands can continue growing without infrastructure bottlenecks. Businesses like Allbirds and Gymshark have leveraged Shopify to scale rapidly while maintaining sub-two-second page load speeds, which is crucial for conversion rates.

BigCommerce also scales effectively and is built on Google Cloud infrastructure. Its native multi-storefront functionality, strong API capabilities and support for internationalisation make it a strong contender for businesses looking to grow. However, it may require more manual configuration to match Shopify's automation and load optimisation.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Customisation & flexibility

BigCommerce provides advanced built-in functionality out of the box—from faceted search to flexible discounting logic and user roles. For businesses with specific operational requirements, these built-ins reduce reliance on third-party apps and simplify complex configurations. However, to get the most out of the platform, brands will still need developer support, especially when working with BigCommerce’s headless framework or APIs.

For example, a B2B retailer looking to support complex pricing structures or customer-specific catalogues may benefit from BigCommerce's robust native functionality. However, building these workflows still requires technical input, especially if you want to integrate external systems or build custom checkout logic.

Shopify takes a structured approach to flexibility. Through Liquid templating and Shopify Functions, brands can customise their store’s front-end and business logic without modifying the platform’s core. Shopify’s headless commerce capabilities allow businesses to create unique storefronts while benefiting from Shopify’s security and scalability.

For most businesses, Shopify offers all the flexibility needed without the overhead of managing server-side code or complex integrations. Brands that require deeply tailored backend functionality may lean toward BigCommerce, but Shopify provides a strong middle ground for brands that want to move fast.

BigCommerce offers plans starting from $39/month and does not charge additional transaction fees when using third-party payment gateways. This can make it an attractive option for merchants who don’t want to be locked into a proprietary payment system.

However, BigCommerce enforces revenue-based plan upgrades—

automatically moving merchants to higher-tier plans once they exceed $50k/year for Standard and $180k/year for Plus

—which can lead to unpredictable costs for fast-growing brands.

Shopify follows a predictable pricing model. Standard plans range from $29 to $299 per month, with Shopify Plus starting at $2k+ per month. While Shopify charges transaction fees if you don’t use Shopify Payments, its flat-tier pricing and growing built-in toolset keep overall costs transparent and manageable.

For growing businesses that need cost predictability, Shopify provides a lower total cost of ownership in the long run, with 

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which has better apps and plugins?

BigCommerce offers a smaller app marketplace, with around 1,200 apps. Many core integrations are supported, including Mailchimp, Google Shopping and Meta, but the ecosystem is less mature than Shopify’s. You may need to work more closely with developers or third-party providers to achieve similar outcomes.

Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem and native integrations give it the edge for businesses that want to scale quickly without relying on custom-built solutions.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Global selling and shipping

Shopify simplifies logistics with Shopify Shipping, which offers discounted carrier rates, real-time tracking and seamless label printing. Its multi-location inventory system allows merchants to track stock across warehouses and stores, reducing overselling and fulfilment delays. For international selling, Shopify Markets enables brands to manage currency conversions, taxes and region-specific checkout experiences, making cross-border commerce straightforward.

BigCommerce also supports multi-currency, international domains and regional settings. Its multi-storefront architecture enables regional targeting and B2B setups from one account. However, configuring these options typically requires more setup time and greater technical input.

Compared to Shopify’s built-in global selling capabilities, BigCommerce demands more oversight to manage international operations effectively.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Marketing features

Shopify stores achieve a 12% higher conversion rate

BigCommerce offers similar capabilities but relies more heavily on external marketing tools for email automation, analytics and CRM. While it integrates well with platforms like HubSpot and Google Tag Manager, merchants often need more configuration to get everything working in harmony.

Shopify provides a more integrated experience that makes it easier to launch, manage and optimise marketing efforts from day one.

BigCommerce is also secure, but merchants are responsible for more aspects of security, including certain updates, third-party software patches and integration monitoring. While the platform meets PCI standards and supports SSL, the merchant retains more control—meaning more responsibility. Businesses that lack a dedicated IT or DevOps team may find these requirements challenging.

For merchants who want to trust that their platform has security covered without extra input, Shopify is the more streamlined and hands-off option.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which do experts recommend?

 notes that BigCommerce is "a powerful e-commerce platform with strong inventory options, many themes, and zero fees from third-party payment gateways." However, they also mention that it "lacks Shopify's integrated point-of-sale software and Wix Stores' dashboard simplicity." ​

Industry analyses suggest that while BigCommerce offers robust features suitable for businesses with specific needs, Shopify's ease of use and comprehensive ecosystem make it the preferred choice for a wide range of businesses seeking a scalable and user-friendly e-commerce solution.

After years of working with brands at every stage of their e-commerce journey, we’ve seen firsthand the difference Shopify makes. It’s faster to launch, easier to manage and more cost-effective than BigCommerce—without sacrificing scalability or flexibility. Shopify empowers brands to focus on growth, not platform maintenance.

BigCommerce

Shopify’s migration tools ensure that customer data, order history, product catalogues, SEO settings, and site structure are transferred accurately so businesses can switch platforms without disruption. Shopify’s automated solutions help preserve your store’s structure, including product variants, collections, and customer profiles, so nothing gets lost in the transition.

At Series Eight, we ensure a smooth transition by focusing on data integrity, storefront optimisation, and seamless integration with Shopify’s native tools and apps. Our expertise ensures your new store is not only functional from day one but also optimised for long-term growth. We replace previously custom-built features, eliminating unnecessary development and reducing long-term costs.

A successful migration isn’t just about moving data—it’s about ensuring your Shopify store is optimised for performance, usability and growth. We ensure that custom workflows, integrations and checkout experiences are translated effectively within Shopify’s framework.

We’ve seen first-hand how migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify can streamline operations, improve performance and reduce technical overhead. By replacing custom legacy workflows with Shopify-native tools and integrations, brands are able to simplify campaign management and reduce long-term development costs.

Our team ensures your Shopify store isn’t just a replica of your old BigCommerce site—it’s an upgrade. We optimise for better efficiency, improved user experience and long-term scalability, so you’re not just migrating—you’re future-proofing your business.


Shopify vs BigCommerce: choosing the right e-commerce platform for growth

Your website design isn't just about a pretty interface—it's a crucial conversion driver, and common mistakes within it can silently sabotage your sales and growth. Let's dive into how to fix them.

Mistake #1: No clear hierarchy on the homepage

The homepage feels noisy - every block is fighting for attention. There’s no clear structure, resulting in users not knowing where to focus.

If the message isn’t clear in the first 5-8 seconds, people leave. In fact, visitors can form a first impression in as little as 0.05 seconds (50 milliseconds!). 

Use a clear visual hierarchy by sizing your headline 2-3x larger than body text, limit each section to one key message, and group related elements with consistent padding to naturally lead users from intro to CTA.

Some menus have too many items, unclear labels, or they hide important pages in dropdowns or way down the list.

People get lost or frustrated and leave before they even find what they’re looking for.

Limit your primary navigation to 5-7 clear items, use familiar terms your audience expects (like “Pricing” or “Contact”), and check your analytics and heatmaps to understand what users are actually clicking..

CTAs like “Learn more” don’t say much. Sometimes they’re positioned too low on the page or missing completely in key places.

If you don’t tell users what to do next — clearly and confidently — most of them won’t do anything.

Use clear, specific copy like “Get your free demo” or “Sign up for 20% off”. Make the CTA stand out visually and test different positions depending on the device or page.

The site looks good on desktop, but it breaks on mobile. Text is too small, images go off-screen, and buttons are hard to tap…

Most users are on mobile. If it doesn’t work well, they’ll leave instantly.

Design with mobile in mind from the start. Make sure layouts adapt well, buttons are easy to tap, and things load fast. Also, test it on real devices, not just Figma previews.

Some forms ask for way too much info. Everything is in one long list with no help or structure. It feels heavy.

People drop off when forms look complicated. Especially on mobile, they just give up before even starting.

Start by removing any fields you don’t absolutely need for the first interaction, group related fields visually, and use tools like Typeform or multi-step forms to break longer processes into bite-sized, low-friction steps that feel easier to complete.

5 Web design mistakes killing your conversions

If you’ve ever admired the slick, emotive product photography and motion behind some of our client projects, chances are, you’ve witnessed the quiet magic of S8 Studios.

We recently sat down with Rita and Bruno, the duo behind our creative space in Braga, Portugal, to talk about how the studio came to be, how they collaborate, and why, in an AI-dominated world, there's still no replacing the real thing.

For Bruno, photography started as a side passion—a hobby born at mountain bike races with a group of mates and a camera. Rita, on the other hand, traces her love for photography back to her dad.

“He wasn't a professional, but he loved taking film photos of us growing up, displaying them around the house—and he was really good at it. We even used to have a tiny film developing studio tucked inside a cupboard at home. So that was my first contact with it, and I think that’s what first got me curious.”

So, how did Series Eight end up with a full-blown photography studio?

“It was a post-Covid thing. I was working from home in a small one-bed flat and honestly just started feeling isolated. I told Mario (Co-Founder & CEO) I needed a change—a new environment—and that maybe we could add photography as a service.”

The initial vision? It was a tiny studio room. But with support from our CEO, Mario, and CMO, Dimitris, Bruno’s idea grew…substantially.

“They pushed me to find a bigger space, something that could scale. When we found the spot in Braga, it just made sense.”

Rita and Bruno’s collaboration is what makes it sing. Bruno brings the tech mastery (no wonder Rita calls him a total geek), while Rita leads on styling and direction.

“I figure out the kind of lighting we’ll need, and Bruno knows exactly how to bring it to life. That’s pretty much how we work—of course, we support each other too. Sometimes I’ll help with the setup, and sometimes Bruno chips in with creative direction."

In a time where AI-generated imagery is everywhere, you may be wondering, what makes real photography still so relevant and so essential? Here’s Rita and Bruno’s take on it.

“Control and emotion. Photography lets us control the exact look and feel. You can’t get that with AI.”

“And especially in e-commerce, people want to see the real thing. AI is powerful, but it doesn’t always capture the product’s true essence. Photography still wins when it comes to light, texture, and that human element.”

For the team, the studio isn’t just about taking pretty pictures—it’s the glue that connects Series Eight’s full-service offering and creates a seamless experience for clients who want everything under one roof.

“We already do branding, web, and marketing. Photography completes that. Without strong imagery, even the best website can fall flat—especially with minimal design. This way, we control the visuals from start to finish. And because everything happens in-house, we’re not chasing down multiple agencies for assets or waiting days for replies. It keeps the process smooth, fast, and cohesive for our clients.”

Looking ahead, the team has its sights set on levelling up—with bigger, bolder shoots that bring every detail to life. Think full production: models, makeup, styling, outdoor shooting, and more.

The goal isn’t just to create great content, but to lead fully integrated projects where branding, web, marketing and photography all work in harmony. Because S8 Studio isn’t just a physical space. It’s a creative hub. And a reminder that when everything connects, the results are unforgettable.

If you’re after content that connects, a team that gets it, and a space built to spark ideas—you’re in the right place. S8 Studio is in full swing, and we’re always ready to create.

Meet the S8 Studios crew

Which e-commerce platform is right for your business? We break down the key differences between Shopify and Magento in usability, scalability, pricing and long-term viability with expert insights and real-world comparisons.

Your e-commerce platform isn’t just a tool—it’s the foundation of your online business. The right choice can mean seamless scaling, effortless management and a better bottom line. The wrong choice? Well, that can lead to ongoing headaches, expensive development costs and unnecessary complexity.

Shopify and Magento (now Adobe Commerce) are two of the biggest names in e-commerce, but they cater to different needs. One is a fully hosted, plug-and-play solution designed for speed and ease of use. The other is an open-source, self-hosted platform that offers flexibility but demands significant technical resources.

Shopify vs Magento: Which platform is more user-friendly?

Shopify is built for businesses that want to launch quickly and manage their store without hiring a development team. The drag-and-drop store builder, pre-designed themes and intuitive admin panel make it accessible to merchants of all sizes. Features like automated updates, built-in hosting and 24/7 customer support mean that technical maintenance is handled for you, allowing businesses to focus on growth. Shopify’s ecosystem also includes an expanding range of AI-powered tools, such as Shopify Magic, which helps merchants generate product descriptions and automate workflows.

Shopify's user-friendly interface is a major advantage for brands that want to scale fast. The ability to manage everything—from product uploads to order fulfillment—without technical expertise makes Shopify an easy choice for merchants who want to focus on selling, not problem-solving.

Magento, on the other hand, is a developer-first platform. Setting up Magento requires configuring servers, installing the software manually and optimising performance. While this flexibility allows for deep customisation, it also means that non-technical merchants face a steep learning curve. Even basic tasks like updating the store’s design or adding new features typically require custom development or third-party extensions. The added complexity makes Magento better suited for businesses with dedicated IT resources or those requiring highly specific custom workflows.

Shopify’s CMS makes store management easier for businesses that want a streamlined experience, while still offering the flexibility for custom development when needed.

Shopify vs Magento: Scalability and performance

Shopify provides enterprise-grade scalability without merchants having to worry about infrastructure management. Shopify Plus, the platform’s enterprise solution, is designed to handle high-volume transactions, peak traffic spikes and global multi-store operations. Shopify’s 99.98% uptime, globally distributed CDN and automatic server scaling ensure that brands can continue growing without infrastructure bottlenecks. Businesses like Allbirds and Gymshark have leveraged Shopify to scale rapidly while maintaining sub-two-second page load speeds, which is crucial for conversion rates.

Magento can scale effectively, but only if merchants actively manage server resources, caching and database performance. Large-scale operations require investments in dedicated hosting, performance tuning and frequent security updates to keep the store running smoothly. Without proper optimisation, Magento stores can experience slow load times and higher bounce rates, especially during high-traffic events like Black Friday. Businesses looking to scale globally with Magento must also configure their own CDN and cloud hosting, often requiring DevOps support.

Shopify vs Magento: Customisation & flexibility

Magento is designed for brands that require total control over their store’s architecture. It offers custom workflows, complex product configurations and integrations beyond Shopify’s built-in tools. However, with this level of flexibility comes complexity—installing new extensions or updating Magento’s core software can sometimes cause compatibility issues that need developer intervention.

For brands that need fully custom checkout flows, product configurators or industry-specific workflows, Magento’s open-source framework allows for complete flexibility. However, this comes at a cost—updates to custom-built features often require extensive testing, and maintaining integrations requires dedicated development resources.

For 90% of businesses, Shopify offers all the flexibility needed without the overhead of managing custom code, server security or software updates. Brands that require extreme customisation may still prefer Magento, but Shopify provides a strong middle ground for brands that want to move fast.

Magento’s open-source version is free, but the real costs lie in hosting, development and ongoing maintenance. 

Magento Commerce starts at $22,000 per year,

 and total costs, including a development team and hosting, can quickly exceed six figures. 

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A sit down with the S8 longtimers

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