8 Great Tips to Kickstart Your Holiday Marketing! + FREE gift

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Stylaquin1

Get Your Holiday Sales off to a Sane Start

Okay, so it’s October, and Halloween is almost upon us, which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and then OMG the holidays and the busiest time of the year are almost here. If you’re a Shopify store owner selling, well almost anything, getting ahead of the holiday tsunami will help your bottom line and your peace of mind. Here’s a quick list of things to get nailed down now and a free gift from me to make it easier.

Sales strategy

Unless you only sell Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving decorations, you don’t need to be having a sale. I know, I know, all the big stores are having sales and you will be killed if you don’t. Take a deep breath and consider if you can really compete on price, online, against the big box stores… If you can—then sale away! If you’re a niche boutique then think about the overall landscape before you offer up margin. Here are some things to try before resorting to sales. My general position on sales is they are the best way to get rid of unsold merchandise after the holiday, but should only be use sparingly, if at all, before the holiday.

Compete as a small business

Small Business Saturday is November 25th this year. Reach out to your customer base and remind them how great they will feel supporting a small or local business. Have a special event either in your store or online. It can be interviews with experts, meet the team, or help with the problem you solve for your customers. It can be as simple as how to find the prefect gift, or outfit, or how to spice up the holiday. Everyone is looking for tips and ways to make their loved ones feel appreciated. They want to connect, and engage, and feel the magic of the season.

Pricing

Shoppers are especially price conscious around the holidays, but not always on the low end. Everyone has a list of people they buy for and the gift they give needs to fit the level of appreciation/love they feel for the recipient. Let’s say you need to get a gift for your child’s teacher, it will probably fall in the under $20 range. Your spouse would probably feel unappreciated with a $20 gift. A big client might warrant a gift costing over $200, but a small one might only need a token. This is why making categories based on price works so well during the holidays. Gifts under $30 is a great price point, so is gifts under $50. Gifts over $100 can also work.

Does Your Site Do This?

It can with Stylaquin! Stylaquin is the easy to add Shopify app that transforms your website. Stylaquin makes shopping faster, more engaging, and more fun. Stylaquin shoppers stay longer, view over 85% more products, come back more often, and buy more when they do. Find us in the Shopify App Store.

Get attention without discounting

Hammacher Schlemmer always has one item that is insanely expensive. Think $250,000 for a personal submarine. They don’t expect to sell many (or any), but it gets attention. Think about how your store can get attention without discounting. Do you have a unique item with a story? Can you create an offer that’s unique? Can you start a challenge? Can you do something that makes your store stand out? (Hint: Stylaquin is absolutely bomb for that.)

Make a collection for sale items rather than the whole store

If you feel you simply MUST have a sale, rather than have a sale on everything, why not make a collection of sale items and call it Santa’s Bargain Bin. That way shoppers who are out looking for discounts get what they want without devaluing the rest of your merchandise.

Stocking stuffers and table gifts

If you have items that are under $20, or a high end customer base that lets you go higher, think about creating collections of stocking stuffers and table gifts. Teaching your audience how to make the holidays special is about surprising and delighting them with things they haven’t thought of. Tell stories about the most special gift you have received, or the most surprising gift you’ve received. How can the merchandise you sell surprise and delight your customers and new visitors? Selling bath products? How about a dirty Santa bath set. I have no idea what it would be, but I would look at it if you had one. Kids’ gift collections and pet gift collections are great for blog posts and social media.

Add a Styling Board and a Wishlist!

The Stylaquin Idea Board keeps customers engaged in two ways: it’s an interactive styling board where shoppers can collect and curate all the things that interest them; and it also acts as a wishlist that shoppers can return to. Find us in the Shopify App Store.

Collections are an underused tool

Every Shopify store has collections, and there is a myth that the collections need to be in the top nav. You can make collections for anything and just use them for emails. Color collections, hidden collections, magic collections, surprise collections can all exist on your store and be part of an email campaign without being in your nav. You could make a Shopify collection of products that have the most meaning to you personally and share that with your customers. Johanna Gaines would totally do that, you can too.

Put a bow on it!

I’m including a download for my simple Holiday Bow image as my holiday gift to you.
bow_red.png
Add it to any product image and voila—It’s a gift! Slap in on your home page from November 1st to December 31st. The classic holiday bow hasn’t changed in a very, very long time. Sometimes the easiest things are the things that just work.

Use Brand Colors to Make Your Shopify Store POP!

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Stylaquin1

Brand colors can make your site more consistent and more recognizable.

Think of your company as a person. The core values are its soul, the name is the body, the logo is the little black dress, and the brand colors are the accessories that tie it all together.

Great brand colors are a foundational element of a great brand. Getting your brand colors can be tricky. There are some real challenges; like if you pick pink and teal, how do you make it work for Christmas? What about pastels? They look great at Easter, but not so much at Kwanzaa. Before you give up or throw a dart at the Itten color wheel, think about what colors mean to you, then be brave.

Does Your Site Do This?

There’s a festival in India called Holi – the festival of colours – Holi marks the last full-moon day of the lunar month and celebrates the beginning of spring and the victory of good over evil. People literally throw colors on each other. The colors mix, and swirl, and drip, and go everywhere. Holi made me see that there is nothing to fear when it comes to color combinations.

So what are the rules for brand colors?

Every year Pantone picks its “Color of the year”. This year was Viva Magenta. It’s a bold choice. The actual Pantone logo is often Black and grey which, it must be said, goes with every color. By picking very neutral main colors, Pantone assures that their logo can work with any color. But Pantone also makes their logo just about every color when it suits them. They are the svenglis of color. Target and Coke just stick with their very specific and copyrighted shades of red. So the rules for Pantone would seem to be different from the rules for Target and Coke. The truth is there aren’t any rules when it comes to color but, before you regret the time you’ve spent reading this post, I’ll share a some helpful guidelines.

Add a Styling Board and a Wishlist!

Guidelines for using Brand Colors

Pick colors you like—you will be stuck with them for years and after that it will be harder to change. You can find inspiration for colors in a picture, landscape, flower, or piece of art.

Pick a bold color for your main color unless you are going for a minimalist tone-on-tone look. Again, you can make just about anything work, but you have to be consistent in order for it to be meaningful and recognizable.

Stick with it even when it’s hard. Any color combo can work. Look at Howard Johnson’s for an iconic but unusual pairing. Where things go off the rails brand wise is when folks get bored or scared. Target NEVER moves away from red, Home Depot NEVER moves away from orange. You have to commit.

Start with one color. It’s easier to have one main color than many colors. Lots of iconic brands have one main color, L.L. Bean is green, Target is red, Pacific Life is blue, Home Depot is orange, and so on. I bet you saw the color for each of those brands in your head as you read them.

If you’re brave or a pro add a second. If you want to dial up the color recognition further, go with two colors like McDonalds or Pepsi. At Stylaquin we have two main colors, Stylaquin green and Stylaquin magenta. We also have four additional colors that all work together. I chose the Stylaquin colors so that they’d stand out and get attention. Holi was my inspiration. I love bright colors. But bright colors don’t work for everyone, and we encourage customers to choose whatever color works for their brand when they add Stylaquin to their site. Working with multiple colors adds visual complexity.

Here are a few more tips on working with brand colors.

Create seasonal palettes that work with your main color(s). If you’re a Shopify clothing, fashion and/or accessories store, you will probably have seasonal items, and seasonal sales. Creating palettes ahead of time, and then reusing them, is just one more thing off of your always full plate.

Colors are like flowers, they usually work together, so don’t stress. Think of all the times you’ve seen a bouquet of wild flowers that surprised and delighted you. Colors usually magically go together. Some people have strong opinions about color and that’s okay, but I’ve never seen a garden that clashes. Once you have the basics chosen, you’ll develop go-to combos and things that just work. Forcing it just makes it harder.

You can go with the tide, or against the tide. If you sell things that fly, like kites, choosing sky blue as your main color can work. That’s going with the tide. You can also go against the tide and choose yellow, or orange, which will always pop on blue, Going with the tide typically produces a more calm color palette, Going against the tide usually gives designs more energy.

Play. Designers rarely finish where they start. They play and noodle, and make mood boards, and play some more. Then they let everything sit for a bit. Then they show it around, and then play more, and then finally make a decision. There’s an industry joke: How many Art Directors does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Eleven. One to do it and ten to say “I don’t know, what do you think?”

Consistency is the key to creating recognizable brand colors. Create a document that explains your brand colors and how to use them. Be sure to include the RGB web color codes and the matching CMYK print percentages. When you find an OMG amazing color combo that you love and goes perfectly with your brand color(s), write it down and add it to your palette. Be sure that everyone who contributes to your brand has a copy of the brand colors document, and an understanding of how to use your brand colors.

Rock your Shopify Store with Killer Apps

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Stylaquin1

Navigating the World of Shopify Apps for Stores that Sell Clothing and Accessories

Venturing into the Shopify App Store can feel akin to a child stepping into a candy store – so many options, yet so little time. And just like that child, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. With an array of apps labeled ‘essential’ for your Shopify clothing store, how do you determine which ones will genuinely elevate your customers’ experience? The solution lies in understanding the heart and soul of your store – your customers.

The Challenge: Filtering the Essential from the Extravagant

Every entrepreneur’s journey in the Shopify realm invariably includes a pitstop at the app store. The goal is simple: enhancing functionality, aesthetics, and user experience. However, the process? Not so much. Here are the challenges many face:

Overchoice: With thousands of apps vying for attention, how do you select the right one?
Compatibility: Will the app seamlessly integrate with your store’s theme and ethos?
Value Addition: Does the app offer genuine value, or is it just another shiny tool?

Does Your Site Do This?

Adopting a Customer-Centric Approach

The best way to address the app-selection dilemma? Flip the script. Instead of thinking about what you want for your store, consider what your customers desire. Here’s a guideline:

Simplify the Browsing Experience: Your customers should find joy in the journey, not just the destination (or purchase, in this case). Consider apps that simplify and enhance the browsing process.
Personalize Their Journey: Apps that allow customization and personal curation can turn a passive browser into an engaged buyer.
Retain and Re-engage: Think about apps that can draw your customers back, turning them into repeat visitors.

The Easy Way to Get Everything You Need in One App

Among the myriad of apps available, Stylaquin stands out, particularly for Shopify clothing stores. Here’s why:

Look Book Experience: Shopping becomes a delightful journey with Stylaquin’s Look Book, allowing users to flip through products much like they would in a magazine. Not only is this faster, but it’s about as close as you can get to the joy of flipping pages, and finding new things that delight and engage you.
Idea Board: The Idea Board is a revolution in the digital shopping realm, especially for female shoppers. It allows them to curate, change, and visualize their selections, an online experience that traditional wishlists simply cannot match. It’s not just about adding items to a cart; it’s about creating a personalized narrative of one’s style journey. Best of all, the idea board remains active as long as the Stylaquin cookie exists, so when shoppers return, all the things they liked are right there waiting for them.

Add a Styling Board and a Wishlist!

Why Stylaquin Resonates with Female Shoppers

Women shop differently than men, but the online shopping experience was designed for the way men shop. Now both experiences can exist on the same site at the same time. Women, more than just buying a product, are investing in an experience, a story. Stylaquin’s Idea Board offers just that – a space where they can weave their own story, visualize combinations, switch things around, and truly engage with the products. While the digital experience isn’t the same as in person shopping, Stylaquin’s offerings mirror the fun, and engagement of an in-person shopping spree.

Reimagining Your Shopify Clothing Store with Stylaquin

The road to selecting the perfect apps for your Shopify store is paved with challenges. However, by putting yourself in your customer’s place and choosing tools like Stylaquin that genuinely understand and enhance the shopping experience, you can turn these challenges into opportunities. Remember, in the vast digital ocean of e-commerce, it’s the quality of engagement, the depth of connection, and the joy of the journey that sets your store apart. Choose wisely, and let Stylaquin guide your customers on a shopping adventure like no other.

Hey Marketers—Permission Slip will make you sad

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Stylaquin1

There's a Privacy App called Permission Slip that's Coming for Your Customers

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, bad marketers are like fire ants, they find any little crack in wall and they swarm in to get at the goodies. Privacy apps are proof that customers are fed up and saying “STOP!” As this gets worse, and it will, there will be apps and hoops and bots, and, and, and… Bad marketers are making it hard for the rest of us. Bad Marketers—stop it!

What is Permission Slip?

Permission Slip is an app for Apple and Android phones that’s free from Consumer Reports that promises to banish ads and make the internet safe for browsing. The gadget guys were breathless about how great it was in the article I read. I haven’t added it to my phone yet because I like being marketed to. Permission Slip’s fate will be determined by customers who may discover that no ads isn’t ideal either. Good marketing actually make their lives better by sharing solutions to their problems, showcasing new things of interest, and highlighting great pricing on things they buy. Great marketing makes shopping fun, creates community and inspires devotion.

So why are customers resorting to apps?

Does Your Site Do This?

The problem is that we need to get real about what it takes to get customers and keep them. It isn’t bombarding them with sales and ads, and it isn’t stalking them. (Though the stalking thing does seem to work better than I thought it would. Yah, my hands are not clean on this.) Regardless of what black arts we dabble in, the truth is that our relationship with our customers is largely transactional. Online stores without a brick and mortar location are especially vulnerable to losing the fun factor of shopping.

Shopping is either a chore or entertainment

There are folks who hate to shop and only do it to eat, and not be naked. There are folks who love going shopping and can’t wait to see what’s new or on sale. Cyber Monday sends chills up their spine. Online shopping is currently designed for the folks who want to get in, find what they need, and get out fast. We should maybe give a little more love to the ones who actually love it, since they spend more. Just saying.

Add a Styling Board and a Wishlist!

And then there’s the confusion factor

Have you ever watched someone who loves to shop actually shop? They open a different tab for each product they like because they want to consider it, but don’t want to add it to the cart. This is a great truth. All the folks reading this, who love to shop, are smiling and nodding, while the non-shoppers are having an Ah Ha! moment about all the times they borrowed a computer and thought “Good grief, why would anyone have so many open tabs?”

Who are these strange people?

For the sake of gender equality we’ll just call them power-shoppers. (Women! They’re mostly women!) Power-shoppers like choice. Power-shoppers don’t want just a blue shirt, they want the perfect blue shirt that goes with the pants they love, and the jacket, and the shoes. Power-shoppers deserve an elevated shopping experience that works for the way they shop. If you want to see what that looks like, (and you managed to ignore all the cool blinking images in this post), check out Stylaquin! Stylaquin is a Shopify app that transforms the online shopping experience for power-shoppers. Shoppers stay longer, view more items, come back more often, and buy more when they do! Go ahead and check it out!

Crazy Better than a Shopify Wishlist!

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Stylaquin1

Crazy Better Than a Shopify Wishlist!

Wishlists are so old fashioned, and yet they work. Before you sigh and think “Well it’s just something we need to add…” Take a moment to consider something infinitely better. The traditional Shopify wishlist has been transformed into a dynamic, engaging, and revenue-multiplying adventure by Stylaquin.

The Silent Workings of a Traditional Wishlist

The conventional wishlist just sits there. At best it acts as a subtle reminder of coveted items, a silent nudge towards conversion that lingers in the corner of a shopper’s digital experience. For the store owner, it silently accumulates data, reflecting potential future sales that live somewhere between desire and action. While beneficial, driving both engagement and potential revenue, it prompts the question: Is there something better?

Does Your Site Do This?

Unlocking the E-Commerce Potential with Stylaquin

The better answer is Stylaquin, an innovative and patented tool that doesn’t merely catalogue desires like the traditional wishlist but elevates them, turning passive interest into an active, engaging, and conversion-driving experience.

A Fun and Engaging Visual Journey

For your shoppers it’s a page-flipping experience that turns browsing into an adventure, inviting exploration, and prolonged interaction with your products.

For you, the retailer Stylaquin creates a mesmerizing first impression that lingers, driving engagement, which not only boosts SEO, but also promotes deeper exploration into your product catalog, increasing the likelihood of added cart items.

Beyond the Wishlist

Shoppers, especially women shoppers, want a digital playground where they can not only save but play with all the things that caught their eye. Power-shoppers often open separate windows for each product they like and then click through the tabs to see them. With Stylaquin, they don’t have to because everything is in one place.

Stylaquin creates a treasure trove of data revealing not just what your customers want, but a deeper insight into their preferences and shopping behaviors, enabling more targeted marketing and better stock decision-making.

Data Analytics: Actionable insights

Stylaquin gives you an in-depth view into your customer’s journey. The Insights Panel shares insights that go beyond just what customers bought or left in their cart, but also shares what they liked and almost bought. enabling you to harness product marketing strategies that can elevate engagement, retention, and ultimately, revenue.

Add a Styling Board and a Wishlist!

Traditional Wishlist vs. Stylaquin

While a traditional wishlist captures desires, Stylaquin’s Look Book and Idea Board weave them into a narrative, actively engaging customers, prolonging their journey on your site, and incrementally increasing the chance of conversion and average cart value. The traditional wishlist silently holds potential purchases; Stylaquin dynamically showcases them, transforming save it for later desire into active engagement, creating a shopping environment that doesn’t just encourage browsing but invites customers to revel in it.

Driving Profits Through Enriched Customer Engagement

With Stylaquin, you’re not just implementing a tool; you’re embedding a truly unique experience into your Shopify store, one that seductively whispers to your customers to stay, explore, play, and yes, purchase.

The Easy to add Shopify Wishlist that sets you apart!

It’s easy to add Stylaquin to your Shopify site. Just look for us in the Shopify App Store. You can set up Stylaquin in less than 15 minutes and then just sit back and watch your customers play, driving not just sales, but developing a relationship that ensures they return, time and time again, to continue their journey.

Tailoring the Best Clothing App Experience on Shopify

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Stylaquin1

The Perfect Fit: Tailoring the Best Clothing App Experience on Shopify

The Intersection of Fashion, Tech, and E-commerce

Fashion, with its ever-evolving trends and distinctive personal expressions, has always been an art form that captures both the culture today and how far we have come. Fast forward to the digital age, and we’re at the unique intersection where fashion meets technology, resulting in an exhilarating fusion that’s reshaping the very way we shop. This fusion is most evident in platforms like Shopify, where e-commerce makes it easy for fashion retailers at all levels to sell to a vast audience. But are they connecting with their audience on a deeper, more interactive level? Because to get ahead of the pack, It’s not just about selling clothes anymore; it’s about offering an immersive experience.

Criteria to Evaluate Shopify Clothing Apps

Before diving into the best clothing apps available on Shopify, it’s crucial to understand the parameters that set these apps apart:

User Experience (UX): A simple, intuitive interface is key. The user should not only find the app easy to navigate but also enjoyable.
Integration: How seamlessly does the app integrate with Shopify and other essential tools?
Features: Does the app offer unique features that can significantly elevate the online shopping experience?
Scalability: Can the app support a growing business, adapting to increased traffic and product inventory?
Support and Updates: Regular updates and prompt customer support can make a world of difference.

Does Your Site Do This?

Top-Rated Clothing Apps on Shopify

Stylaquin: At the nexus of intuitive design and technological innovation, Stylaquin stands out as a premier choice for fashion entrepreneurs on Shopify. Two of its standout features include the Look Book, offering shoppers a magazine-esque browsing experience, and the Idea Board, allowing users to curate and visualize their fashion choices in a unified space. For store owners, the insights generated by Stylaquin, concerning customer preferences, can be revolutionary in driving marketing strategies and product placements.
Size Recommendation Apps: One major hurdle online fashion retailers face is ensuring customers choose the right size. Apps like Kiwi Size, Fit Quiz, and Robosize These apps use customer data, like height, weight, and fit preferences, to recommend the most suitable size, reducing return rates.
Virtual Dressing Rooms: Giving shoppers the ability to virtually try on clothing items using augmented reality could be a game-changer. For now just being able to collect and curate the things that shoppers find interesting will improve the online shopping experience. Stylaquin has a feature called the Idea Board that does just that. Power-shoppers find this particularly helpful.
Inventory Management Tools: For the business side of things, keeping track of inventory is crucial. These apps help store owners manage stock levels, track bestsellers, and identify items that may need promotional boosts. Shopify has a full range of inventory management tools built into the platform, but stores who have special events, pop-up stores, and affiliate sales may need advanced tools that can only be found in an app.

Features That Make These Apps Indispensable for Fashion Entrepreneurs

Personalization: Modern shoppers crave personalized experiences. Tools that utilize AI to offer tailored product recommendations based on browsing and purchase history are constantly improving. Apps like Wiser, Drift AI, and Frankie AI are are showing improved sales and conversions, by helping shoppers see items they may have missed.
Interactive Browsing: Stylaquin’s Look Book is a prime example of how browsing can be transformed into an interactive experience, making shopping more engaging and enjoyable.
Insights and Analytics: Beyond the front-end customer experience, apps that provide valuable data can transform a store’s strategy. Knowing what products resonate with shoppers, and which don’t, can guide inventory decisions and marketing campaigns. Shopify makes it easy to connect Google analytics which goes into great deal, perhaps overwhelming detail for some. Stylaquin is the only app that can provide analytics on the entire shopping experience for Stylaquin shoppers. It also has an insights panel that shares the most actionable insights and explains how to use them.
Loyalty Programs and Incentives: Apps that enable stores to offer rewards, points, or discounts for repeat customers can foster brand loyalty and encourage repeat business. Shopify has too many Apps to list, all with slightly different features and benefits. Be sure you know what your customer is looking for before adding a loyalty app. Just increasing customer engagement and making your store stand out in the crowd, like Stylaquin does can deliver significantly more repeat visits and create loyalty without giving up margin or adding complexity.

Remember to make it fun!

The big truth about shopping is that there are three kinds of shoppers, Those who love to shop are the ones you should focus on first. Stylaquin was invented because women deserve a better online shopping experience. One that’s faster, more beautiful, more intuitive and one that makes it easy to explore and engage with all the fabulous products they find. That’s what makes a shopping experience memorable and worth coming back for!

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