Your website shouldn’t be what holds you back. It’s where people buy, discover your brand, and come back again and again. It should be built to grow with you, not against you.
At Actuate, we deliver high-performance eCommerce website development built for modern growth. Whether you’re replatforming, launching from scratch, or need custom features, our team creates scalable, conversion-focused solutions that work for your business.
We’re a proven eCommerce development agency in the UK brands trust to drive performance, not just launch sites. From technical execution to long-term support, we help you unlock your next nice problem.
We get to know your business, goals, and challenges inside out. Then we deliver a short, sharp NNP Workshop video – zero fluff – that highlights what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs fixing fast. We’ll show you exactly how to transform your site and what’s holding you back from growth. All delivered by experts who’ve done it before.
Solving the Next Nice Problem
We don’t just build for today – we build for what your business can become. Every project is designed with growth in mind. Our eCommerce development services ensure your site supports your long-term goals through high-performing code, seamless integrations, and future-ready architecture.
Harness the power of flexibility with Magento Open Source. Our certified developers leverage this robust platform to build customisable, feature-rich stores without the enterprise price tag.
Perfect for: Mid-sized businesses seeking powerful functionality with complete ownership of their digital ecosystem.
Our Magento Open Source services include:
Custom theme development aligned with your brand identity
Extension integration and custom module development
Performance optimisation for lightning-fast page loads
Comprehensive security implementation
Mobile-responsive design that converts across all devices
Adobe Commerce
Adobe Commerce
Adobe Commerce
Elevate your eCommerce operation with Adobe Commerce, the enterprise-level solution that powers some of the world’s most successful online retailers.
Perfect for: Growing enterprises with complex requirements and ambitious sales targets.
Our Adobe Commerce expertise covers:
Advanced B2B functionality implementation
Multi-store setup and management
Content staging and preview capabilities
Visual merchandising and product recommendations
Sophisticated inventory and order management solutions
Seamless integration with Adobe Experience Cloud
Shopify
Shopify
Shopify
Unlock enterprise-level eCommerce without the typical complexity. Shopify Plus delivers advanced functionality with the same user-friendly experience that makes Shopify so popular.
Perfect for: High-growth brands and established businesses seeking scalability without technical overhead.
Our Shopify Plus offerings:
Automation workflows for efficient operations
Customised checkout experiences
International expansion strategy and implementation
Headless commerce architecture
High-volume transaction optimisation
Script development for personalised shopping experiences
Aero Commerce
Aero Commerce
Aero Commerce
Experience the perfect balance of flexibility and ease-of-use with Aero Commerce, the UK-built platform designed specifically for mid-market retailers.
Perfect for: UK retailers looking for a platform that understands British eCommerce needs.
Our Aero Commerce services:
End-to-end store development and design
Performance-focused implementation
UK-specific payment and shipping integrations
Custom module development
Seamless ERP and third-party system integration
Integrations That Scale With You
As your business grows, your tech needs to keep up. We help make sure your ecommerce platform talks to the rest of your tools – cleanly, reliably, and without a pile of workarounds. That means no more order delays from mismatched systems or stock issues caused by manual updates.
Whether you need to connect warehouse and inventory software, streamline fulfilment through logistics integrations, or bring in new payment gateways, we tailor the setup to suit your operations. For businesses running large catalogues, we make sure product and inventory data stays accurate across platforms. If you’re focused on international growth, we support integrations that handle multi-currency payments and regional delivery.
We also connect your marketing tools – like Klaviyo, your CRM, or loyalty software – to make sure your campaigns are firing on live customer data, not stale exports. From ERP systems to custom product feeds, we make your backend work smarter so your team can get on with scaling.
Sometimes off-the-shelf features don’t cut it. That’s where we come in. Our eCommerce website development team designs and builds custom functionality tailored to your business, whatever you need – from advanced filtering logic or a unique checkout flow, to something entirely new.
You’ll get solutions that solve real challenges and enhance how your site works for both your team and your customers. We keep the experience slick, performance strong, and your store easy to manage. All delivered by a team that understands how to build clean, scalable, high-performing eCommerce – without unnecessary complexity.
Recovery Projects
If your site’s half-finished, unstable, or not performing, we’ll step in. We rescue projects, fix critical issues, and help you get live without wasting what you’ve already invested.
We start by auditing what’s there – assessing code quality, platform setup, and missed opportunities. Then we create a prioritised plan to finish the job properly, implement what’s missing, and ensure your store functions exactly as it should. Whether it’s integration gaps, UX problems, or technical snags, we help you move forward with confidence and clarity.
A recovery project doesn’t mean starting over. It means making the most of what you’ve already built, solving the blockers, and getting your site ready to support real growth.
Their team leverages their expertise to provide sound opinions and advice to guide the project in the right direction.
Daniel Wright
Reliant
What our clients say
Working with Actuate is a pleasure — they are really trying to help, they listen and offer solutions to solve the problems. Thanks for all your help so far.
Rafael Bielinski Buller Ltd
I worked with Actuate on the redevelopment of the Pickett London website. Their team is an excellent asset for any company or team, it was a pleasure to work with them – easy to communicate with, easy to reach and always willing to help.
Oliver Moser Pickett
Without Actuate’s help and support, our original website wouldn’t have succeeded. Time was of the essence, and Actuate stepped in to deliver a swift turnaround. The new site has performed exceptionally well ever since. We continue to grow thanks to Actuate. ❤️ Thanks guys!”
Chantelle Telford Robinsons of Bawtry
I like working with Actuate because they care about what they do, they clarify the detail to get the job done right. They have worked incredibly hard with our complex needs and have been on hand for help and advice every step along the way…
Catherine Lund-Barker Elcometer
We have worked with Actuate for several years and have been constantly impressed by their work ethic, solid development skills and attention to detail. They continue to amaze us with their knowledge of Magento to meet our growing needs
How do I choose between Magento and Adobe Commerce?
One of the most important parts of your eCommerce strategy is your choice of digital platform, ensuring this fits with the needs of your growing business. That’s exactly why we take a holistic view of your entire business, assessing your overall aims, sales goals and growth ambitions.
So, what is the difference between Magento and Adobe Commerce?
Magento is a great choice for start-ups and SMEs, offering customisable open-source eCommerce applications, which can be added at any point, it is free to use and therefore provides maximum functionality for no annual fee; once built, the only costs to cover are your domain and hosting.
Adobe Commerce and Adobe Commerce Cloud are commercial platforms with additional features and support options. It’s perfect for national or international businesses with multiple branches or franchises as it can create sub-accounts with different pricing, offers and even products using the tiered account structures, making regional management hassle-free, and far less time-consuming.
Adobe Commerce is usually a better choice for medium-large organisations as both are licenced software and have an annual fee; however, this can depend on your specific circumstances and your projected turnover growth. Our eCommerce experts are always happy to advise; simply hop on a call.
What is the average lifespan of a website?
Ultimately, this depends on your site’s ability to grow with your successful, expanding business. A flexible site with customisable features will offer maximum scalability – growing as you grow. This prevents you from frequently rebuilding your site. In fact, we only build sites that we guarantee will meet your needs for the next 3 – 4 years, minimum.
Is page speed important for SEO?
In short, very.
Okay, we’ll expand on that. Google’s Core Web Vitals Search Algorithm rewards websites that optimise their site speed and performance to better user experience for their customers. So, the faster your site, the stronger your SEO, contributing to your overall position on the search engine results pages, or SERP.
But how fast does a website need to load? The ideal page load speed is 1-2 seconds. But it is worth keeping in mind that delays are costly. According to research by SEO consultancy, Hobo, 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if pages take longer than 3 seconds to load. A 2-second delay in load time resulted in abandonment rates of up to 87%.
The faster your performance the better. As a certified Hyvä theme partner, we are able to turbocharge your site, delivering lightning speeds, and the very best shopping experience for your customers – which, by extension, maximises your sales.
What payment methods are accepted by Magento and Adobe Commerce?
Both platforms support a wide variety of payment gateways offering wide consumer choices including PayPal, Braintree, WorldPay and Authorize, along with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Amazon Pay. Magento 2 also includes credit options, such as Klarna and Clearpay.
What is the best security for eCommerce websites?
As you’d expect from Adobe, both Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce have a whole host of cybersecurity features to protect both you as a business and the Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of your customers.
Secure Payment methods, as above, mean that you’ll remain compliant with the PCI Standard, whilst frequent updates for Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce ensure that all known vulnerabilities are immediately remedied by Adobe. We highly recommend that all Magento customers migrate to Magento 2, mitigating any cybersecurity risk, keeping your customer data safe, and your business legally compliant.
Can eCommerce be used to sell digital goods or professional services?
Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce both support the sale of digital downloads and services as well as the physical products that you might traditionally associate with eCommerce.
Whether you are selling Business-to-Business, (B2B), Business-to-Consumer, (B2C), or Direct-to-Consumer, (D2C), we can advise on the best platform for your business.
Can I arrange a face-to-face meeting to discuss my website’s development?
Well of course, we love nothing more than meeting new, like-minded people, and as great as video calls are, there is nothing better than getting our heads together around a table.
We offer a free consultation with absolutely no obligation.
Our Magento and Adobe Commerce agency in Manchester is located centrally, right by Piccadilly train station. Let us know when’s good for you, and we’ll pop the kettle on.
Can’t meet us in person? That’s not a problem, just drop us a line and we’ll hop on a video call.
