How We Work · India & Worldwide
Our Process: Discovery to Go-Live in 2–3 Weeks
Every Cognito IT project follows the same clear, milestone-based process, so you always know what's happening, what's next, and when you'll be live. Fixed price. Defined deliverables. No scope creep.
⏱ Typical Project Timeline
1
Discovery Call
Day 0 · Free2
Proposal & Sign-off
Days 1–23
Design & Branding
Days 3–64
Development & Integrations
Days 7–145
QA, Training & Go-Live
Days 15–186
Post-Launch Support
30 daysThe Process
6 Steps from Brief to Live Store
Every project follows this sequence. No steps skipped, no surprises added. You'll always know where we are.
1
Day 0 · Free · 30 Minutes
Discovery Call
We start with a free 30-minute video call, with no sales pitch and no obligation. We want to understand your brand, your products, your target customer, and what success looks like for your Shopify store. We'll ask about your timeline, your existing tech stack, and any market-specific requirements, whether you sell in India, the USA, the UK, the UAE or elsewhere.
Brand & product briefing
Integration requirements mapped
Timeline & go-live goal agreed
Questions answered openly
What you need to prepare: Your brand name, a rough idea of your product range, and any existing platforms or tools you're currently using (WooCommerce, a payment gateway account, etc.).
2
Days 1–2 · Proposal & Sign-off
Scope, Proposal & Agreement
Within 2 working days of the discovery call, we send a detailed fixed-price proposal. It includes a full deliverable list, a milestone plan, the payment schedule, and our standard project agreement. Payment terms depend on the project and are written into the proposal before you sign. No hidden extras. If something isn't in the scope document, it doesn't get charged for, and if your requirements grow, we discuss it openly before acting. See how our pricing works.
Fixed-price proposal document
Full deliverables checklist
Milestone plan
Payment terms & agreement
Our commitment: The price in the proposal is the price you pay.
3
Days 3–6 · Week 1
Design, Theme & Brand Setup
We set up your Shopify store and configure the theme: a premium free theme, a paid theme you've selected, or a custom-designed layout. Your brand colours, fonts, logo, and visual identity are applied. We share a staging link so you can review and give feedback before development goes further.
Shopify account setup
Theme installation & configuration
Brand colours, fonts & logo applied
Homepage layout reviewed & approved
Navigation & menu structure
Mobile layout verified
4
Days 7–14 · Week 2
Development, Integrations & Products
This is where your market-specific build happens. Payments are integrated and tested in test and live mode: Razorpay or PayU for India, and the right gateway for your market elsewhere. For India, GST is configured with the correct HSN codes, Shiprocket or your logistics partner is connected for order sync, and COD is set up with OTP verification. Your product catalogue is uploaded with titles, descriptions, images, variants, and pricing, and all essential apps are installed and configured.
Payment gateway live integration
GST + HSN code configuration (India)
Shiprocket / logistics connected
COD + OTP verification setup (India)
Product catalogue uploaded
Apps installed & configured
Order notifications set up
GA4 + Meta Pixel installed
What we need from you: Product images and descriptions, your payment gateway details, tax registration details where relevant, and access to your logistics account. We'll send a clear checklist so nothing is missed.
5
Days 15–18 · Go-Live
QA, Training & Launch
Before going live, we run a comprehensive quality assurance checklist across desktop and mobile: every page, every button, every checkout flow. A test order is placed and fulfilled end-to-end. We then connect your custom domain, configure DNS, confirm your SSL certificate, and take the store live. We run a training session with your team covering order management, adding products, running discounts, and basic Shopify admin.
Full QA checklist completed
Test order placed & fulfilled
Custom domain connected
SSL certificate active
Google Search Console submitted
Team training session (60 min)
6
After Go-Live · 30 Days
30 Days of Post-Launch Support
Every project includes 30 days of post-launch support at no additional cost. This covers bug fixes, minor adjustments, questions from your team, and guidance through your first campaigns. We stay in touch through the channel we agreed at the start, whether that is WhatsApp, email or Slack.
Bug fixes & minor adjustments
Chat & email support
First campaign guidance
Team questions answered
After 30 days: We offer monthly retainer packages for ongoing development, CRO, and SEO, or you can return for specific projects as your brand grows. No lock-in required.
What's Included
Everything in Every Project
These aren't add-ons. They're standard on every Cognito IT Shopify build, with the payment and tax setup matched to your market.
Payments, Tax & Logistics
Razorpay or PayU (India), or the right gateway for your market
UPI, cards, EMI, net banking (India)
COD with OTP verification (India)
Shiprocket / logistics sync
GST + HSN code mapping (India)
Mobile-First Design
Mobile-first theme configuration
Thumb-friendly navigation
Fast mobile checkout
Cross-device QA testing
Core Web Vitals baseline
Analytics & Tracking
GA4 setup & purchase events
Meta Pixel with purchase tracking
Google Ads conversion tag
Google Search Console setup
XML sitemap submitted
Customer Communication
Order confirmations (WhatsApp in India)
Shopify email notifications
Abandoned cart recovery
Shipping update notifications
On-Page SEO Foundation
Meta titles & descriptions
Image alt-text on all products
Clean URL structure
Canonical tags configured
Robots.txt & sitemap
Handover & Support
60-minute team training session
Handover notes
30 days post-launch support
Chat & email access
Common Questions
Things Clients Ask Before They Start
What if my requirements change mid-project?
Minor changes within scope are absorbed at no extra cost. Significant additions, such as a new integration or a major new section, are discussed openly and quoted separately before we act. Nothing is charged that you have not explicitly approved.
How do you communicate during the project?
We agree a communication channel with you at the start (WhatsApp, email or Slack, whichever suits your team) and share a staging link early in the build so you can see progress. You receive regular written status updates covering what was done, what is next and any items we need from you.
What do you need from us during the project?
We send a clear client inputs checklist at the start: product images, descriptions, logo files, brand guidelines, payment gateway details, tax registration details where relevant, and access to your logistics account. We flag missing items early so they do not delay the launch.
What if we are not happy with the design?
Design is reviewed and approved at Step 3 before development starts, so you are not seeing a finished store you do not like. One full round of design revisions is included as standard. Additional rounds can be arranged if needed.
Can we continue working together after the project?
Yes. After the 30-day support period you can continue with us for CRO improvements, new features, Klaviyo setup, SEO and speed optimisation, on a monthly retainer or project by project. There is no lock-in.
Do you work with brands outside India?
Yes. We are based in Whitefield, Bangalore, and build stores for D2C brands across India and worldwide, including the USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Australia and Singapore. Project communication runs over video calls, chat and shared documents, and calls are scheduled in your timezone.
Why Cognito IT
A Process Refined Across 100+ Store Builds
This process isn't theoretical. It comes from building 100+ Shopify stores, and every step exists because it prevents a problem we've seen before.
Shopify-OnlyWe don't build WordPress sites or run social ads. Every team member works on Shopify, which means no learning curve on your project.
India-Ready and GlobalRazorpay, GST, Shiprocket and COD are standard for India projects. For other markets we set up the right payments, tax and shipping for where you sell.
Fixed Price, AlwaysThe proposal price is what you pay, because the scope is written down before work starts.
30 Days Post-Launch SupportWe don't disappear on go-live day. We're with you through your first sales and your first campaign.
Step 1 is Free
Book Your Discovery Call: 30 Minutes, No Obligation
Tell us about your brand. We'll tell you how we'd build your store and send a fixed-price proposal within 2 working days. Any timezone.
