If you’ve ever wrapped up a Shopify project, sent your invoice and immediately thought, “Right… where’s the next one coming from then?” it’s safe to say you’re in good company.
Project work pays well in bursts and (importantly) can keep things interesting. But whether you’re a one man band or a big name agency, you’re still wedded to a sales pipeline you can’t afford to ignore.
Is there a better way to beat the revenue rollercoaster? One that doesn’t involve working more hours or hiring five more people? We’d argue that shifting from projects to products can be a huge help in this department, and Shopify automation with a tool like Arigato can be one of the cleanest and most scalable ways to set about it.
The Problem with Project-Based Work
Project-based work comes with a few problems baked in. Unless you have a lot of time to dedicate to your pipeline, revenue probably comes in spikes, not streams. This can lead to high pressure periods where you’re at risk of burn out, and quiet spells where anxiety starts to creep in. You’re only ever a few weeks away from needing to sell again, and scope creep on the projects that you do land can feel like an unwelcome inevitability.
Ultimately, growth is always going to be capped by how much work your team can physically do. So even when things are going well, there’s a fragile balance. Chances are, you’re building bespoke solutions over and over again.
Which raises the question, if the problems are repeating… why isn’t the solution?
Why Shopify Automation Is Perfect for Productization
Shopify merchants don't care about features. They want:
- More revenue per customer
- Less manual work
- Systems that run while they sleep (or at least while they’re on holiday)
The good news is that most of these outcomes are driven by a relatively small set of repeatable automations. From abandoned cart and browse recovery to inventory and fulfillment triggers. Different store, same underlying mechanics. That’s what makes automation such a strong candidate for productization, and a great place to pin your specialization.
From Custom Work to Productized Service
This is where the mindset shift happens. Instead of thinking: “What does this client need?” you start to think “Which of our systems does this client need?”
Look back at your last five to ten Shopify projects. You’ll likely find patterns. Similar flows being built? Similar problems being solved? Similar outcomes being promised?
That’s demand. And the solutions you’ve already found are the supply. Armed with this knowledge you can start to turn common deliverables into defined modules, packaging them under a clear, outcome-led automation offer and building rock-solid retainers that help both sides of the retainer equation immeasurably.
Structuring Your Shopify Automation Retainer Offer
Core Retainer Components
Retainers aren’t so much about building as they are about improvements. When it comes to demonstrating clear wins, core components might include the ongoing optimisation of automations, performance monitoring (AOV, LTV, conversion rates) as well as testing and iteration. Add in regular reporting and insight and you’ll have created an appealing offer that’s structured, solid and (most importantly?) sustainable.
Tiered Packages
This is where we’d suggest there’s no need to overcomplicate things. Your packages could look something like this...
- Starter - Core flows set up and optimised
- Growth - Advanced automation + testing and iteration
- Scale - Full lifecycle automation + strategic input
When it comes to communicating value, it’s important to show that each tier increases impact, not just activity.
Pricing
AKA - the bit it’s very easy to overthink. If you’re pricing based on time, you’re leaving money on the table. Automation has a clear line to revenue, so use it.
Anchor pricing against outcomes (e.g. recovered revenue, increased repeat purchase rate.) Position it as an investment, not a cost. Again, we’re charging for impact, not effort when it comes to automation. Ultimately, your clients care less about how long it took, and more about what it actually did for them. And this can be an easy link to show when it comes to automation.
Positioning Automation As a Retainer
No one wakes up thinking, “I’d really love to buy some automations today.” Most are thinking “How do I increase repeat purchases / recover lost revenue / stop my team from drowning in these manual tasks?” (Okay, a few are probably thinking about coffee before that!)
It’s important that your messaging reflects that. So instead of leading with “We build Arigato Automation flows” you could try something like “We increase revenue per customer through automated lifecycle journeys.”
Same work. Different perception. Again, people buy impact. Add in some clear metrics and case studies, and suddenly your retainer feels like something a brand can’t afford to miss out on.
Onboarding & Delivery
Every agency handles these things in their own way, but when it comes to packaging automation in a strong and structured retainer package, these four steps can get you off to a well-defined and productive start.
Step 1: Audit
- Store setup
- Existing automations
- Missed opportunities
Step 2: Roadmap
- What’s being implemented?
- What’s being improved?
- What’s coming next?
Step 3: 30–60–90 Day Plan
- Early wins (prove value quickly)
- Mid-term optimisation
- Longer-term strategy
Step 4: Communication Rhythm
- Setting up regular calls
- Performance summaries
- Async updates (because no one longs for more meetings!)
5 Ways Arigato Automation Helps Make This Model Work
Let’s be honest: productizing a service only works if the delivery doesn’t turn into chaos behind the scenes! This is where Arigato quietly does a lot of heavy lifting.
Works beautifully with Shopify
Arigato works seamlessly within Shopify’s ecosystem, which means rewer fragile integrations, faster set up and interaction, and perhaps best of all, fewer “why did this break?” moments.
Custom Enough to Feel Tailored, Standardised Enough to Scale
Build sophisticated workflows with conditional logic, branching and triggers without disappearing into weeks of dev work. Each client gets something that feels (and performs) in a truly bespoke way. But you’re able to lean on a refined and repeatable system on the backend.
Perfect for Templating
Those repeatable use cases we mentioned earlier? With Arigato, you can build once, save as templates and then adapt and deploy them across clients quickly. Consistency up. Delivery time down. Margins improved. Everyone wins.
Ongoing Optimization Without Rebuilds
Retainers rely on incremental improvements over time. From an agency perspective, this usually means iteration, as opposed to constant reinvention. Arigato makes it easy to adjust workflows, test new logic and refine based on performance. No need to start from scratch every time.
Less Tool Sprawl, Less Headache
When your automation stack is fragmented, your service becomes harder to manage (and, by extension, harder to scale.) Arigato helps centralise things and integrates with all the big hitters – fewer platforms to juggle and simpler onboarding for clients. So you spend less time troubleshooting, and more time actually improving things.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
Over-customising everything
Ultimately, if every client is a snowflake, you don’t have a scalable product. Yes, you’ll refine based on individual use cases, but getting a really rock solid stable of baseline automations that you know pack a real punch is vital if you’re going to solve common problems for a lot of clients.
Underpricing the retainer
The packages that you’re offering are designed to have a significant impact on the revenue of the businesses you’re helping. Price accordingly.
Taking on the wrong clients
While you do want to create something that’s scalable, ultimately low-volume stores means limited upside (for both of you!)
Build It Once, Improve It Forever
The move from projects to products isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about focusing your effort where it actually creates value.
Shopify automation gives you a rare combination:
- High demand
- Clear ROI
- Repeatable systems
And with the right setup (and the right tools) it becomes something you can package, scale, and improve over time – a true asset to any retainer, for client and agency alike.