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Designing an ecommerce website on Shopify for your feminine boutique that actually sells can be tricky. You know your products better than anyone, but being that up close and personal makes it easy to lose outside perspective.
It’s like losing 35 lbs but wearing the same oversized pants because you still see yourself as the old you. The truth? You need new pants for your new body.
The vision you have on the inside needs to match what everyone else sees on the outside. This is also true for your ecommerce shop.
An online store requires a completely different structure than a service based business. Right now, there might be conversion killing mistakes on your site that you can’t even see.
Let’s evaluate your shop with fresh eyes, and these 5 must haves so you aren’t caught with your pants down, leaving money on the table!
1. A Bold Header Image or Slider
I recently saw a Shopify site with a massive wall of text in the hero section. No photos. No graphics. Just the equivalent of a high school book report. Don’t make this blunder!
Your online shop should instantly captivate the viewer and draw them in. Let the PRODUCTS do the talking, not your text. Stick to one bold headline, a subheading, and a clear call to action button.
Here’s where professional product photos come in. If you don’t have the best ones, creating an attractive website hero section is still possible by using our Canva website banner templates or by grabbing a full feminine Shopify theme to combine your images with clean, eye catching layouts.
Pro Tip: Avoid dark, depressing overlays or photo only backgrounds that swallow your text. Find the sweet spot between a stylish layout and a clear, readable message!
2. An Email List Builder (Usually a Coupon)
It’s a must-have and almost expected, that you’ll have some kind of welcome coupon offer in exchange for an email. In fact, some people go looking for it, if it’s their first order on a site. 🙋🏻♀️
You know list building is important, so if you skip this part, you’re watching potential customers slip through your hands that a) would have purchased had their been a standard welcome discount and b) maybe won’t purchase now, but will in the future if you keep emailing them offers and deals and relevant content.
Honesty hour: As an ecommerce brand, I once tried offering a coach style lead magnet filled with advice. It completely flopped. Now, we offer a simple coupon and a Brand Taste Test sample. It’s our winning list builder!
Make sure your lead magnet leads directly to your end goal: sales.
3. Featured Bestsellers & Collections
Use your homepage real estate to put your products front and center. If you are brand new, feature what you hope will be your bestsellers. If you have the data, feature your actual top performers.
Organize your items into clear collections so buyers can explore what interests them most. If they don’t know a product exists, they can’t buy it!
Ditch the walls of text and long bio and company history on your homepage; swap them for stunning product photos and summarized info that immediately answers the customer’s biggest question: “Is this for me?”
4. Upsells & Cross Sells
Missing out on upsells and cross sells is like using dollar bills for campfire kindling. While I love a good toasted marshmallow (burned on the outside please) I love extra cash in my bank account more.
On product pages and checkout screens, you can include:
- Upsells (The Add On): A product that enhances the main purchase. (e.g., Selling a kayak roof rack? Upsell the tie down straps.)
- Cross Sells (The Related Category): A lateral suggestion. (e.g., Suggesting a bike rack that fits the same roof hardware.)
Your goal is to spark ideas. Customers can’t buy what they can’t see, so consider offering a discount for bundling items together to make the offer irresistible! I’ve seen awesome conversions for my upsells on my product pages!
5. Trust Building Social Proof & Policies
Unlike Amazon or Etsy, independent sites don’t come with built in trust. No one has heard of “Jan’s Fancy Cat Socks” juuuust yet.
You have to prove that real people buy from you and that you will help them if things go wrong with their order. Here is how to build that trust:
- Social Proof: Add a live chat (that you actually answer), customer popups, and imported testimonials.
- Humanize Your Brand: Use video content showing the real people behind the team.
- Clear Policies: You must have a Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and a clear Return/Refund Policy. Not only is this legally required in many jurisdictions, but it gives buyers much needed reassurance in case they run into an issue.
Even if you don’t offer refunds (like us, since we sell digital templates), state it clearly. Let them know how they can contact you if an issue arises. People just want to know they aren’t throwing their money into a black hole never to be seen again with no recourse.
The Final Check
Whether your shop is years old or launching tomorrow, evaluate it against these 5 must haves to make sure you’ve got the best chance of converting browsers into purchasers ( of multiple items nonetheless!)
Our top tip: Pretend you have never seen your website before. How easy is it to search, add to cart, and checkout? How trustworthy does it feel?
It’s time to finally look in the mirror at what your site is really saying to the outside world. It just might change everything!
Realizing your website might be caught with its pants down? Don’t panic! You don’t have to build these trust factors, upsell blocks, or beautiful layouts from scratch.
We’ve baked all 5 of these ecommerce must haves directly into our feminine Shopify themes so you can skip the tech headaches and launch a high-converting boutique in an afternoon.
Shop our Shopify Themes below and find the perfect fit for your brand! 👇
