Ecommerce Case Study for Pure Luxe Apothecary

Pure Luxe Apothecary owner Leslie McNeilus came to us frustrated with her WooCommerce website and ready to grow her online sales revenue. She launched her line of natural skincare products in 2014, and while she’d had success on Etsy, landed a few wholesale accounts, and sold regularly at local farmer’s markets, she wanted to focus more of her attention on online sales. As this ecommerce case study will show, we worked with Leslie to refine her marketing strategy, improve her product photography, tell her brand’s story more clearly through effective copywriting, and develop a custom Shopify website that was designed to convert website visitors into customers.

Leslie recently left a review about her experience working with us on the web design agency directory Clutch. The interview below with Leslie was conducted via phone by Clutch’s team. We had no control over what was said in this interview (other than the work we actually did with Leslie on her Shopify design project, of course!), so you can read the original Clutch review and trust that this is an unbiased review of what it’s like to work with us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and sole maker for a small-batch, handmade, natural remedies business. I do everything from face and body products, to natural perfumes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aeolidia?

I wanted a solid online presence and an e-commerce shop to boost my image and overall brand. I wanted to generate more traffic so I could sell more online—both retail and wholesale.

I also wanted to create a user-friendly backend dashboard. I had some trouble with the previous platform and apps I was using, so I wanted to streamline things. Aeolidia offered a good solution to that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They made a brand new website on Shopify. They helped design a space for wholesale customers to place an order online, along with putting all the different software apps into one place. That made things really efficient. They also created a space for me to start blogging. Plus, they helped me figure out which features and pages I needed on the site to keep me on task and focused on the bigger picture.

They also provided assistance with marketing. I worked with one of their employees, who talked me through homing in a specific target customer and a mission statement for my business. They also provided me with copy for my website.

What is the team composition?

I worked with different people at different times. There was one main person overseeing the whole process. For the initial design phase, I worked closely with the designer. And for the marketing piece, I worked with their marketing person.

How did you come to work with Aeolidia?

I’ve followed the founder for quite awhile. She offers free resources and weekly newsletters, and I’m definitely her target market. I was watching, listening, and learning from her for probably two years before I decided to jump in and work with her. I initially approached them about doing a smaller project, but ended up doing a full website redesign.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $18,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them since June 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The site looks great and works well, and online sales are up. Also, having the blog has helped engagement and built an audience. Overall, I can see the impact of the analytics. I’ve learned more about how to use them, what they mean, and how to benefit more from them.

​​​​​​How did Aeolidia perform from a project management standpoint?

Basecamp was a home base for us all to communicate, share documents, and schedule things.

They had an efficient system. From the beginning, they had all of the different pieces scheduled out, timelines, and who was responsible for what. Every person on the team was warm and friendly, even though we were just communicating online. It was clear that they were interested and motivated to try and understand what would suit me best.

Nothing was just left open-ended or without a date, so I really appreciated that. There were no delays. They kept things moving at a good pace and they knew what they’re doing with their time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve really zeroed in on who they want to work with. A lot of their resources and offerings are valuable to small business owners. They tailor things to growing makers looking to take themselves to the next level.

​​​​​​Are there any areas they could improve?

I appreciated the fact that everything was online and efficient, but it would be nice to have more in-person gatherings with them.

​​​​​​Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have some business experience under your belt. It’s harder to maximize your work with them if you’re just getting started or just developing an idea. It’s fine if you don’t have a logo, a website, or branding nailed down, but you need to have a clear idea of what the core of your business is, why you you’re doing it, who you’re doing it for, and what your goals are. As long as you have clear goals and the core of your business is settled, they can really help you move really quickly.

Ready for your own custom Shopify website?

If your business is at a tipping point, you might be ready for a custom Shopify website. Many of our clients are like Leslie was before she came to us — they’ve been growing their businesses in a variety of ways, via wholesale accounts, licensing and/or an online shop. While many of our clients start out with an Etsy shop or a WooCommerce store like Leslie had, they often reach a point where those tools aren’t helping them meet their goals.

We are certified Shopify Experts and specialize in building custom Shopify websites and developing brand identity and logo design for creative product-based businesses. Browse our portfolio for more examples of our work, or get our rate sheet!