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Hi Reader,

One of the shop owners we work with described themselves as "reluctant capitalists," which we found amusing but also apt. I want my business and myself to be a force for good in the world, but I have to work in the world as it is now.

For the most part, I believe Aeolidia is making the world a tiny bit better. Shopping small from independent brands strengthens communities and encourages originality, diversity, and connection. We feel good making purchases that support artists and independent business owners (and their families) with empowering, self-directed work. There’s a different way to shop, and it encourages humanity!

However, I worry about the strain that ecommerce puts on the environment due to shipping and packaging. So many products are made in poor working conditions or out of unsustainable materials. How do we in the retail economy try to increase the joy and shared connection that purchases can bring without doing more harm than good?

This is becoming more personal to me, as you'll see soon when we unveil the project we've been working on! I have been thinking about sourcing products while decreasing negative environmental and human impact. How can we trust manufacturers without visiting factories? How do you run a sustainable retail business?

I am so curious: How important is this to you? What feels good about being in business, and what concerns you? What steps have you taken to be a better custodian of our planet and your community? I'd love to know. Will you email me back? If I get enough responses, I can create a resource list to share with you.

Q&A

Here's a reader question about product reviews, as answered by Helen Hulskamp, Ecommerce Strategist on our team:

Q: I am hesitant to add product reviews to my site. What if I get fake or negative reviews?

A: We strongly encourage the use of a product reviews app on every Shopify site we build, and we encourage brands to push through their hesitation. Here are some top reasons to add reviews to your site:

Most shoppers consult reviews before making a purchase. Baymard Institute found that up to 95% of participants in usability testing “sought user reviews when considering a product.”
You will be able to approve reviews so nothing inappropriate appears on your site automatically. We recommend keeping less-than-glowing reviews and responding to them in the reviews section. It is a great opportunity to showcase customer service.
Reviews can provide structured data for rich search engine results, making your site stand out in Google and get more clicks via eye-catching reviews stars.
Testimonials from your customers contain a wealth of insights into what matters most to your customers, in their own words. You can leverage these insights to dramatically optimize your marketing messaging.

Additional Resources:

We have a full blog post all about product reviews.
Judge.me -- our preferred reviews app

Question: Answered

Our team includes experts in branding, design, development, email & SMS/text marketing, search engine optimization, copywriting, conversion optimization, ecommerce strategy, business growth, and more. Have a question for us? Email back, and I'll consult one of our experts and share one weekly response over email.

Interesting Clickables

⚓️ Read past issues of Aeolidia's newsletter here

AI is making jewelry now… kinda.
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Searchanise has a Black Friday Sale - 20% off all annual plans for all new users without an active subscription. This offer is valid until November 30, 2024. Promo Code: BFCM24.

From the Aeolidia Portfolio

A custom Shopify Plus website for Hello Adorn.

The Challenge

Hello Adorn came to us looking to take their high-traffic jewelry site to the next level with a new, custom Shopify Plus design. They wanted to improve the experience to decrease customer service requests, increase conversion rates and other sales KPIs, and become more efficient in operations and logistics. Aesthetics were also important: our goal was to create a compelling customer experience infused with Hello Adorn’s warm, minimal spirit.

Our Approach

We designed a well-organized, responsive layout with simple, beautiful brand details to give the site a minimalist yet warm feel. Editorial-style photography paired with engaging copy will keep customers scrolling, and product education pages will reduce customer inquiries and increase purchases. This site features painterly illustrations and custom icons—they are minimal with a hint of playfulness for their 20-something customers.

VIEW CASE STUDY