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Shopify Accessories Stores: Weekly Inspiration Issue #7

Table of Contents

“Excercise? I thought you said accessorize!”

 

Hello you. Nice to see you’ve landed on our humble blog once more. This is the seventh part of our series that delves into Shopify accessories stores. Last week we looked at some inspirational Shopify services stores.

If you don’t know what this series is all about, or you have just landed on this post, I’ll fill you in quickly.

As experts in eCommerce, we provide tools and information to inspire you and help you succeed as a Shopify merchant. The Weekly Inspiration Issue Series gives you insight into Shopify merchants from all niches who have had amazing success, as well as actionable solutions you can use today to start your own Shopify online store.

As the title of the post might suggest, this week it’s all about accessories!

I’m excited to get stuck into this one with you as accessories really do define style. I’m a strong believer in the smaller things bringing the bigger pieces together to create a complete package.

Now, what exactly do I mean by this statement?  

Let me sum up the importance of paying attention to the finer details not only in fashion but also your business, and show you how accessories can be used as a great analogy for merchant success.

 

The Tipping Point

If you haven’t read this incredible book by Malcolm Gladwell yet, I suggest you get on it immediately if you’re serious about scaling your business.

The Tipping Point explains how ideas spread like epidemics, and how a few small key elements and people come together to create these epidemics.

I’m talking about epidemics of all sorts. Social epidemics. Fashion epidemics. Disease epidemics. When traced back to their “tipping point”, Malcolm Gladwell and other key researchers he interviewed found out some astounding facts.

For an idea to reach its tipping point - the point where an idea suddenly spreads like wildfire - there are three types of people involved:

  1. Connectors – they have a massive social network and are strong influencers who allow ideas to spread from one social group to the next.
  2. Salesmen  – they’re charismatic, boast about ideas they love and their positive energy is contagious.
  3. Mavens  – they hoard information such as deals trends in order to be a source of great tips to their network - these people get a kick out of sharing this information with others.

 

It’s hard to imagine that huge epidemics, like the Hush Puppy Shoes epidemic I mentioned in my Shopify Shoes Stores blog post, can all start from a few key people in the right place at the right time.

That being said, there are a few more factors that should be considered if you really want an idea to go viral and spread to the masses.

I’m talking about stickiness. An idea needs to be unique and interesting enough to be “stick” in peoples minds and be worth talking about.

Now bear in mind this is an extreme summarization of this incredible book. But the key points to remember are:

  1. Once an idea reaches the tipping point, it spreads like fire.
  2. Three kinds of people are responsible for getting ideas to tip.
  3. Without stickiness, no idea will ever tip.

 

So when applying these principles to your Shopify store consider:

  • Am I neglecting the smaller aspects of my business that could really make my idea tip and spread like an unstoppable wildfire?
  • How can I leverage connectors, salesmen and mavens to spread my message or product? Are there social media influencers I could collaborate with?
  • How can I market my product to truly make it “stick”? In this world of information overload, it’s critical to market yourself to stand out.

 

The Tipping Point

I’ve personally read this book and it holds some baffling discoveries that you could apply to your Shopify eCommerce store or any business for that matter.

The Tipping Point of any business is much like accessories to an outfit. Clothing may physically take up more space in your closet, but accessories are the important details needed to complete each look.

So in hopes that you the above information really speaks to you on the level that it resonated with me, here are some inspirational Shopify stores in the accessories industry.

 

Inspirational Shopify Accessories Stores

Black Optical

Black Optical Home

Black Optical have been in the eyewear game for 20 years. Drawing inspiration from friends around the world, they boast a minimal style Shopify store that’s easy to navigate.

On their homepage, you'll notice four models wearing glasses from four different categories, with two different purposes making navigation all the easier for the buyer. 

 Black Optical Team

The team consists of six and their company page gives you an intriguing insight into their lives. Each member answers unique questions such as “What is your soul food?” and “What is your favorite era in history?”.

It’s refreshing to get to know each member on an alternative level. I get the impression these are a bunch of super creative individuals.

 Black Optical Social Buttons

Black Optical have made their social media easily accessible by adding buttons that link directly their social pages.

Social Sharing Buttons app has these capabilities, among many other in the Shopify app store. A strong social media presence is vital in 2018 to stay on top of your customer's pain points and have casual communication.

 Black Optical Toolbar

The right pop up toolbar is minimal and easy to navigate. There are sections to shop by, search options as well as an email signup all conveniently located in one place.

I really enjoy basic black and white layouts like this and appreciate unique features such as their “culture”  section which boasts curated music playlists for shoppers to enjoy.

 

MVMT

MVMT

If you’re an active Instagram user I would be surprised if you haven’t come across MVMT. They’re rocking 1 million followers on the platform and sponsor a damn load of influencers to plug their products. Obviously an extremely successful marketing method.

Two college dropouts founded MVMT (pronounced movement) and it’s currently the worlds fastest growing watch brand.

 MVMT email pop up

An email pop captures attention when I first land on the page and the text used is emotionally charged, asking the reader to become part of something conceivably greater - “join the MVMT”.

When you’re looking to add a feature like this to your Shopify store there are many options to go with. The most popular email capture tool would have to be MailChimp.

 MVMT Instagram Shop

Shop by Instagram sections like the one above are becoming ever more popular and shouldn’t be overlooked. The power of this platform is that models can be seen using items in a relatable and stylized manner, and creates more desire for the products.

 MVMT Instagram Shop

Clicking on the images provides a feature I absolutely love. The option to buy a combination of items based on their social posts.

MVMT are essentially being your personal stylist by pairing accessories that fit well together aesthetically, showing you how they wear, and giving you the option to purchase the same look instantly.

 MVMT footer tools

A huge range of currency options is available so you don’t get confused by conversion rates. An underlooked feature in my opinion.

There’s also an integrated blog, newsletter sign up, MVMT insider scoop, affiliate options and guarantees at the footer of each page.

 

LITTER

 LITTER Home Page

Chains on chains! LITTER is a San Francisco based jewelry line boasting a humble 20k followers on Instagram and a neatly arranged online store. Their collection page is long form and showcases some of the most unique and diverse woman's jewelry I’ve seen.

 LITTER Sale Promo

The homepage carousels between images of models and this. Huge, bold typeface letting us all know about their massive sitewide sale.

 LITTER email pop up

You’re also prompted to sign up to their email list - although with a different persuasion technique - to be an insider and get the latest scoop on sales, new releases and more.

Humans by nature HATE to miss out, so this is definitely an effective form of copywriting that doesn’t rely on puns or humor.

Another option to use email capture on your own store is PixelPop Popups & Banners available on the Shopify app store.

 LITTER Lookbook

I was quite impressed by this LookBook section. The subtle change of color as you hover the mouse over an image is pretty neat. The LookBooks give you an insight into collections and how to style them. Its value like this that gives LITTER credibility and contributes to higher conversion rates.

 

Joggo Bag

 Joggo Bags

Joggo Bags mission? Driving social change one bag at a time. Joggo’s values are at the heart of everything they do. They use sustainable materials and contribute 10% of all proceeds to refugee education initiatives.

 Joggo Pop Ups

Just look at this! Email pop up collection tool and a chatbot offering recommendations on bag customization. Chatbots are essential for most online stores now, especially when it comes to customizable items and stores that need a higher level of support in general.

Chatbots are the future as we continue to develop A.I - these will only become more and more advanced.

A great chatbot that links directly to your Facebook Messenger is Facebook Chat Box. Rather than being A.I. it allows you to chat live with your customers wherever you are, and used properly will absolutely lead to higher sales.

Reason being, once the shopping experience becomes too difficult for the prospect, they’ll simply go somewhere else. Chatbots solve this problem by allowing you to solve their problems.

 Joggo Bags Hover Over product

The subtle feature when you hover the mouse over a product just makes the buying experience that much more streamlined. You have the option to “View Detail” or “Add to Cart”.

 Joggo Blog

 

Meet The Change Makers is a blog series. Because their mission statement is so strong, it makes sense to have a sectioned dedicated to the ones driving the mission.

But what’s so powerful about this technique?

Words tell. Stories sell.

Humans are social animals and have been storytelling around campfires for thousands of years. It’s biologically inherent, so it makes sense to use storytelling to emotionally engage your audience and build trust.

 

Joggo Meet The Change Makers

 Joggo Blog Meet the Change Makers

Clicking on Eva Maria's thumbnail, there’s Instagram access, recent posts, a bio and even sales products all synced and conveniently in one place. Clever but subtle cross-selling.

If you’re looking for capabilities like this for you own Shopify online store, check out PageFly. It’s the easiest way to build fully customizable online stores with no complex coding required, and they offer a 14-day free trial. Just drag and drop!

 

Yelena Noah

 Yelena Noah

Yelena Noah draws inspiration from her Cameroonian and Swedish heritage. Each piece revolves around powerful symbolism and tells a story.

Yelena started painting symbols from a young age and has blended influences for her jewelry from many areas of her culture and life.

Reading Yelena’s bio, you get a strong sense of spiritualism and philosophical beliefs. The idea of her belief in the power of symbols spreads through to her designs and creates a unique but powerful brand image.

 Yelenah Noah Product Page

The product page showcases the item from different angles, materials break down and a story behind each piece.

Storytelling on the product page can be used to emotionally stimulate the buyer and tip them over the edge to make the decision to purchase. Clever move!

 Yelenah Noah Press Section

This section dedicated to press features is awesome. What can give a brand more credibility than being in the spotlight of esteemed magazines and blogs?

It seems Yelena is a semi-celeb and is doing exactly what she should be to gain her buyer's trust.

 Yelenah Noah Lookbook

The Lookbook also shouldn’t be overlooked. The option to “download” these posts for later consumption is a neat feature.

 

Black Optical Mobile   MVMT Mobile LITTER

  Jogga Bag Mobile    Yelenah Noah Mobile  

The mobile versions of these sites are equally as impressive. The email pop ups and chat bot features translate across to nearly all of these stores on mobile. Really important as it’s estimated that 80% of online shoppers purchase through their phones or tablets.

When you’re looking to ensure your store is mobile compatible, the PageFly app I mentioned earlier allows you to do so.

 

Now, all of these inspirational Shopify accessories stores have one major thing in common.

They leveraged Shopify apps to their advantage. The Shopify app store contains thousands of apps developed by the best brains in the industry. And they’re all designed to boost your online business.

Recently I curated a list of some of the best apps for increasing sales and conversions for your Shopify online store, feel free to check it out here.

And if you haven’t made your mind up about Shopify yet after this super enticing post, sign up for your free 14-day trial and come back and tell me you don’t love this revolutionary eCommerce platform.

Developments in technology like Shopify are changing the game, allowing the average person to step up and pursue their dreams of selling stuff online - something that seemed like a monster task just 5 years ago!

Fancy living anywhere in the world working from the comfort of your computer? Shopify can make that possible.

I believe in the power of implementation. That’s why I write these posts, to bring value to your life and business through the medium of words. If you have any questions, I would love to hear from you!

Until next week!

 

P.S - Don't forget to check it out

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