High Tail Hikes

A simpler buying journey cleared the path for a premium dog gear brand on Shopify.

The Challenge

High Tail Hikes is a fast-growing dog gear brand on Shopify, that is on a mission to deepen the bond between dogs and their persons through handcrafted gear. What sets products like their standout BioThane leash apart is that they’re highly customizable—dog owners can choose from a plethora of options for the leash’s hardware, width, length, color, and more. The only problem was, all that decision-making in the buying journey was not exactly a walk in the park for customers. Founder Liz Williams partnered with us and two other experts to uncover (and solve) what was keeping her website visitors from staying around long enough to buy.

Our Approach

Before Aeolidia joined the project, Data Marketing Expert Jess Gleim and Brand Strategist Calvina Nguyen found that visitors were encountering friction in the buying process, and the brand’s visual identity was not matching up to its premium quality. We refined the site navigation and home page design so it feels inviting, as enticing to a dog and their person as an open field. Next, to increase conversions at the product page, we designed and built a custom tool that walks shoppers through the process of customizing their leash. It’s important to note that the leash builder didn’t reduce the number of options. Instead, we made selecting each choice intuitive and mobile-friendly.

Our Roles

Visit the website

39%

increase to gross sales

29%

order increase

Average Order Value increase

High Tail Hikes about page — We knew from collaborators Jess and Calvina’s previous insights that friction in the buying experience and a cluttered visual identity was holding the brand back. Informed by their new growth strategy and branding refresh, we built a custom About page that makes it clear that High Tail Hikes is a mission-driven, premium brand that customers can trust.

The many customization decisions involved in ordering High Tail Hikes’ bestselling leash was causing shoppers to wander away. Aeolidia designed and built a custom leash builder tool that reduces overwhelm by easily prompting customers through each step. Choosing hardware, width, length, color, and add-ons no longer feels like work, making it more likely that customers will go all the way through checkout. Because we built the tool with functionality across product types, High Tail Hikes customers will continue to receive a consistent, seamless experience as the brand grows.

Sales of long-line customizable leashes are up over 10% since launch!

Dog leash color customizer and options on Shopify

Building a leash in a color, size, and length that your dog will love should be fun. The new customization page allows shoppers to easily choose from standard and limited-edition colors, then add a two-tone accent. The process feels personal and detailed, without the overwhelm.

One of High Tails Hike’s most unique differentiators was also causing its biggest friction point: their leashes come in many different lengths, but it was hard for customers to visualize why that mattered. Aeolidia added much-needed context by pairing lengths with recommended activities. Now shoppers quickly see which styles are best for everyday walks, hiking, or training.

Hardware options for a Shopify product customizer for dog leashes — Before, optional leash upgrades like an add-on D-ring or a built-in traffic handle gave the customization process a cluttered feel. Aeolidia organized these choices into a dedicated customization section, making it simpler for customers who forgo add-ons, while providing an extra personalized touch for those who want it.

At the heart of High Tail Hikes is a mission to deepen the bond between dogs and their people as they go on walks. Together with Jess and Calvina’s foundational work, we built a website that does the same—complete with new copywriting that translates the features of High Tail Hike’s products into emotion-driven storytelling—to keep customers connected as they journey through their purchase.

For brands with detailed, highly customizable products, strategic product-page design can mean the difference between a customer abandoning their cart or completing a purchase. With customer overwhelm out of the way, the path for growth becomes clearer.

As Liz put it, “I’m no longer overwhelmed—I’m excited about the future.”

I was worried about the investment, but I think it was well worth it to end up with a beautiful, clear, and easy to navigate website. We have a complicated, custom handmade product, and customers were very unclear about how to make their selections. From the very start, I felt very seen and supported working with Aeolidia. Communication was kind, timely, and crystal clear. The work was outstanding and high quality, and I now have a professional website that I can build on for years into the future.