Why the Queen City?
Why We’ve Focused on Being Cincinnati’s Best Shopify Agency
Okay, okay. As a St. X and Miami U. grad, I’m clearly bias towards Cincinnati and the Midwest. After college, I moved to Chicago and founded my first e-commerce business there. But Cincinnati has always been where I’ve wanted to raise my family and grow my business long-term.
That said, the decision to found Human Code as a premier Shopify agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, wasn’t driven simply by sentimentality or a love for Skyline Chili.
I believe strongly that Cincinnati is positioned to become the Midwest’s leading community for technology startups, particularly in the e-commerce space. Here’s why:
1. Cincinnati is already the headquarters of many large “CPG” brands, and those brands are going direct to their consumers
Cincinnati is the headquarters of a handful of Fortune 500 companies, such as Procter and Gamble and Kroger, which are leaders in the CPG or “Consumer Packaged Goods” industry. In part, this network has supported the growth of other Cincinnati-based CPG brands, such as Gorilla Glue.
Across the U.S., we are seeing a growing trend of large CPG businesses building out their own e-commerce experiences. While the online sales of CPGs will always be dominated by the likes of Walmart and Amazon, these brands have realized that they can better engage with their customers through direct sales, which will in turn support their sales across all channels — both digital and brick-and-mortar.
This dynamic positions Cincinnati-based digital agencies, particularly design and e-commerce agencies, for immense growth. It has also created significant opportunities for “software as a service” (SaaS) companies in the area that focus on e-commerce tools.
2. Cincinnati’s Got Talent
With great universities in town, such as the University of Cincinnati and Xavier, Cincinnati is pumping out some really talented technologists. Moreover, because of Cincinnati’s reasonable cost of living, engineers and designers in Cincinnati are significantly more affordable than comparably-skilled talent on the West and East Coasts. This helps agencies and software companies in Ohio compete and offer their customers tremendous value.
3. Cincinnati Is Focused on the Growth of Its Tech Sector
Since 2013, Cincinnati’s tech startup community has tripled in size. This is due, in large part, to the factors above. However, it’s also due to the dedication and focus of supporting organizations, such as StartupCincy and CincyTech.
Shopify Cincinnati
As we continue to grow, we look forward to giving back to the Shopify community here in Cincinnati. If you’re interested in Shopify, run a business on Shopify, or work with Shopify as a developer or general technologist, give us a shout. We’d love to connect, buy you coffee, and grow this community in the city that we love.
Originally published at https://humancode.io.
