NirvanaCanada

Ecommerce website development

[ OVERVIEW ]// 01

Online stores for Vancouver businesses

Nirvana Canada is a Vancouver-based team that designs and builds online stores for businesses selling to consumers, to trade buyers, or to both. A good ecommerce website is clear, engaging and easy to use, with intuitive navigation and a quick, secure checkout.

We define each project's requirements, from inventory management, order processing and customer administration to shipping integrations and payment gateways. Then we build on the platform that fits how you operate: Shopify, WooCommerce on WordPress, an enterprise platform such as Magento, or a custom build. If you already have a store, we can redesign it, move it to a new platform, or support it after launch.

What we build

  • Store design: custom UI/UX design and responsive layouts for category, product, cart and checkout pages.
  • Catalogue and search: categories, filters and search that help buyers find products.
  • Checkout, payments and shipping: payment gateways and shipping integrations.
  • Integrations: accounting and inventory tools. For Bred Made By ED. in Whistler we integrated their accounting software and customised inventory control and order pickup scheduling.
  • Accounts and B2B features: logins, account pricing, quick quotes and dealer ordering.
  • Migration and SEO protection: inventory content and URLs, plan redirects, test key pages and monitor the transition after launch.
  • Support after launch: software upgrades, security updates for payment gateways and bug fixes.
[ PLATFORMS ]// 02

Shopify, WooCommerce or custom

The right platform depends on your catalogue and pricing, your order, fulfilment, returns and tax rules, the systems the store must connect to, and who will run it day to day. We map those first, then recommend one. Compare the options in our Shopify vs WooCommerce vs custom guide.

Shopify

Shopify offers the ease of a hosted online store. It suits stores that want a fast launch, managed operations and standard commerce features. The trade-off is that some requirements depend on apps or run into platform limits. For Espresso Planet, a Canadian coffee and espresso machine retailer with more than 25 years in business, we built a fast Shopify store with simple search and a quick checkout. For Shopify themes, apps and Shopify-only projects, see our specialist Shopify development page.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is an ecommerce plugin for WordPress. It fits businesses that publish a lot of content or want to own their hosting. The trade-off is more responsibility for hosting, extensions and maintenance. We built Fannie's Florist in Richmond on WordPress and WooCommerce so customers can order arrangements online. See WordPress development.

Custom and enterprise platforms

A fully custom build makes sense when your workflows set you apart and standard features would force workarounds. It also has the highest engineering and upkeep cost. Magento is an enterprise platform with robust ecommerce features. See Magento development.

[ MIGRATION ]// 03

Moving an existing store

A migration moves product and customer data. It also has to protect the search traffic your store already earns. No agency can guarantee unchanged rankings after a move. The sensible approach is to inventory valuable pages and URLs, redirect them deliberately, test before launch, and monitor indexing afterward.

For Espresso Dolce, a coffee and espresso machine wholesaler with two locations, we migrated thousands of records into a store that handles transactions every day. Read our website migration and SEO protection guide.

[ B2B ]// 04

B2B and wholesale stores

Trade buyers need accounts, their own pricing, quotes and large orders, not just a cart. We build those features into the store rather than bolting them on.

[ CASE STUDIES ]// 05

Two store projects

Vortex Restaurant Equipment

Vortex Restaurant Equipment sells restaurant and commercial kitchen equipment across British Columbia from a retail store in Vancouver. Their old ecommerce platform was simple and out of date, so we redesigned their online store.

The store runs on Shopify with a custom theme, Boost AI Search & Filter for the catalogue and Judge.me reviews.

What changed: The rebuilt store made national shipping possible and brought an increase in sales for the company. Nirvana has managed the store for more than five years.

Read the Vortex case study

Sterling Glass Hardware

Sterling Glass Hardware supplies premium hardware for glass railings, shower systems, pool fencing and architectural projects. It has a deep, technical catalogue and serves both trade and retail customers.

We built a custom Magento store with a detailed product catalogue, customer accounts and a quick-quote feature.

What changed: Customers can browse products, manage orders and find technical resources in one place.

Read the Sterling case study
[ PROCESS ]// 06

How a project runs

Nirvana's designers, developers and content writers handle design, build, integrations and copy. Your team supplies product data and photography, confirms fulfilment and tax rules, and reviews each stage. Before launch, we agree who controls hosting, domains, apps, licences and support access.

  1. 01 / DISCOVER

    Discover and define

    We clarify goals, content, existing problems and integrations before deciding what to build. For a store, that also covers the catalogue, pricing, fulfilment, returns and tax rules.

  2. 02 / DESIGN

    Design the store

    We map the key journeys, from category and product pages to cart and checkout, and the admin your team will use every day.

  3. 03 / BUILD

    Develop and test

    We build the responsive pages and features, then test the store on real devices and check payments and shipping before launch.

  4. 04 / LAUNCH

    Launch and improve

    We plan redirects and handover, check the critical paths after launch and prioritise the next improvements.

[ OUTCOMES ]// 07

What to expect after launch

No agency can promise sales figures. Results depend on your products, pricing, traffic and competition. A launch should set a baseline to measure against: conversion rate, checkout completion, average order value and product-data quality.

After launch, we can keep the store updated and secure through website support and maintenance, and grow traffic through ecommerce marketing.

[ PROJECTS ]// 08

Recent Projects

All work
[ buyer guides ]// 09

Plan the investment first.

Our buyer guides set out what this kind of work costs in Canada, which questions to ask and how to compare proposals — read them before you brief an agency.

All buyer guides
[ faq ]// 10

Questions about ecommerce projects

Should we choose Shopify, WooCommerce or a custom platform?

Shopify suits a fast launch and standard commerce features. WooCommerce suits WordPress-heavy sites and owners who want control of hosting. Custom builds suit distinctive workflows, at the highest cost. We recommend a platform after mapping your catalogue, order rules and integrations.

Can you move our store from WooCommerce or Magento to Shopify?

Yes. We handle Magento-to-Shopify and WooCommerce-to-Shopify migrations, including product and customer data, theme changes and app integrations. We also map URLs and redirects to protect existing search traffic, though no one can guarantee unchanged rankings.

Do you build B2B or wholesale stores?

Yes, including dealer ordering for Omland Hospitality Products, B2B logins on Shopify for Atesco Industrial Hygiene, and customer accounts with quick quotes for Sterling Glass Hardware.

Can the store connect to our accounting or inventory system?

Often, yes, but the method depends on the systems, the data flow and the security requirements. For Bred Made By ED. we connected their accounting software to a WooCommerce store. Share the tools you use and the task the connection must perform so it can be scoped properly.

What affects the cost and timeline?

Product volume, integrations, B2B rules, content, migration and custom checkout logic, plus design complexity and review cycles. A short discovery call turns these into a realistic scope and quote.

Will our team be able to manage products and orders?

Yes, if it is planned from the start: decide which products, orders and content your team will manage, and build the admin and training around that.

Do you work with businesses outside Vancouver?

Yes. We are based in Vancouver and work with clients across Canada, the USA and beyond.

Tell us what the store needs to do next.

Share your store URL, what you sell and the problem to solve. We'll start with the right questions.

Our Work