Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Erin Alexander, the creator of Product Powerhouse, a web design agency and education resource for product makers and sellers.

Erin, a wife and mom of two, has extensive experience building Shopify websites for both new and seasoned entrepreneurs. She is passionate about empowering women to build the businesses of their dreams by leveraging Shopify’s capabilities. In this episode, Erin shares invaluable insights into the world of Shopify, from choosing between Etsy and Shopify to the importance of product listings and themes.

I am excited to dive into this topic with her, especially since I have two Shopify websites of my own.

Mentioned In This Episode

• How to get in touch with Erin: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠⁠Erin's Shopify Store⁠⁠

  Free Gift: ⁠How to Design a Shopify Homepage that Converts Like Crazy⁠

• Don't forget to join our wait list for the next HobbyScool online learning summit. Our summits are free to attend and you can be the first to know when the next summit launches by ⁠joining our newsletter here.

Unlocking the Power of Shopify with Erin Alexander

In today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Erin Alexander, the creator of Product Powerhouse, a web design agency and educational resource for product makers and sellers. Erin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, especially when it comes to building and optimizing Shopify websites.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the key takeaways from our conversation with Erin, offering you practical insights and tips for leveraging Shopify to grow your online business.

Choosing Between Etsy and Shopify

One of the most common questions Erin encounters is whether to start with Etsy or Shopify. For beginners, Erin suggests choosing the path of least resistance. Many people find it easier to get started on Etsy due to its user-friendly setup and built-in customer base. However, Erin emphasizes the importance of having both platforms in the long run.

"Etsy is great at bringing in new traffic because of its cult following, but Shopify gives you more control," Erin explains. "Ultimately, having both allows you to leverage the strengths of each platform. Etsy can drive traffic to your products, while Shopify can provide a customizable, branded shopping experience."

Getting Started with Shopify: Focus on Products First

When it comes to setting up a Shopify store, Erin’s advice is refreshingly different. Instead of getting overwhelmed by choosing a theme right away, she recommends starting with your product listings.

"Your products are the most important part of your store," Erin emphasizes. "Begin by creating detailed product listings with descriptive titles, engaging descriptions, and high-quality images. This approach not only helps you understand your inventory better but also makes it easier to choose a theme that complements your products."

Understanding Shopify Themes

Shopify themes play a crucial role in the look and functionality of your online store. Erin explains that the theme you choose determines not only the aesthetics of your store but also its built-in features. Shopify offers both free and premium themes, each with its own set of functionalities.

"The Dawn theme, which is Shopify’s standard free theme, is fantastic for getting started," says Erin. "Shopify has been investing heavily in improving this theme. However, premium themes offer more flexibility and advanced features, which can be beneficial as your business grows."

Erin also advises against sticking rigidly to pre-filled theme sections. "Clear out all the default sections and start from scratch. Design your homepage and other pages in a way that tells your brand story and builds trust with your customers."

Enhancing Functionality with Shopify Apps

One of Shopify’s strengths is its extensive app ecosystem, which allows you to add extra functionalities to your store. From apps that facilitate customer reviews to those that enable subscription services, the possibilities are vast.

"Most apps come with a cost, but they can significantly enhance your store's functionality," Erin notes. "For instance, using an app to request customer reviews can build social proof and trust. Always weigh the cost of an app against the value it brings to your business."

Practical Tips for Building a Shopify Store

Erin concludes with practical tips for anyone embarking on their Shopify journey. Here are some key takeaways:

1. Start with Products: Focus on creating detailed product listings before selecting a theme.

2. Use High-Quality Images: Images are crucial for online sales. Ensure they are clear and varied.

3. Research Themes: Choose a theme that offers the features you need and aligns with your brand.

4. Leverage Apps Wisely: Invest in apps that offer significant value and enhance your store’s functionality.

5. Customize Thoughtfully: Design your pages to tell your brand story and guide customers through their buying journey.

Conclusion

Building a successful Shopify store involves strategic planning and thoughtful execution. By starting with your products, choosing the right theme, and leveraging powerful apps, you can create a customized shopping experience that resonates with your customers. Erin Alexander’s expertise provides a valuable roadmap for anyone looking to make the most of Shopify’s capabilities. Whether you're just starting out or looking to optimize your existing store, these insights can help you take your online business to the next level.

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Transcript:

Dr. Destini Copp [00:00:49]:

And my special guest today is Erin Alexander. Erin is the creator of Product Powerhouse, a web design agency and education resource for product makers and seller. She's a wife, mom of 2, and loves being by the water. And Erin has been building Shopify websites for many years working with brand new businesses to seasoned entrepreneurs. She knows a lot about how to build a website that sells online, and she loves supporting other strong women building the businesses of their dreams. And, Erin, I am super excited to jump into this topic with you. I have 2 Shopify websites of my own, so I'm very passionate about it.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:01:42]:

But before we get into the questions that I have, can you tell the good audience just a little bit more about you and how you help people?

Erin Alexander [00:01:50]:

Yes. Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me, Destini. I'm so excited to chat with you today. So I like she said, I'm Erin. I live in Washington with my family, and I have been an entrepreneur for 8 years. I am currently I help product based businesses really learn to use and leverage the power of Shopify. A lot of people think it's just a website, and it's really much more than that.

Erin Alexander [00:02:21]:

Like, the website is maybe the main piece of it, but there's a lot of ways to use it to really build your business. So I teach people how to get creative with their design, how to get creative with the solutions available on Shopify, and really how to leverage the power of everything Shopify can do for their small business.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:02:46]:

Now, Erin, I guess the first question I have for you, and I'm sure you've gotten asked this question quite a bit. If somebody is considering or they know that they need an online presence to sell their either their digital products or their handmade products that they have created, and they're trying to decide between Etsy and Shopify. What do you generally tell people?

Erin Alexander [00:03:10]:

Yeah. I do. I get this question a lot, and I I think if you're just getting started, my suggestion is to go with the one that feels like the path of least resistance. For a lot of people, they think it feels easier to get a Shopify, sorry. For a lot of people, they think getting up on Etsy is gonna be quick and easy, and it's less stressful. And if that is how you feel, if that seems easier, then I highly recommend you go that route. If for some reason, like, I would say, like, 90% people think that building an Etsy store is gonna be easier than building a Shopify store. Ultimately, I think you should have both.

Erin Alexander [00:03:55]:

If you're going to be selling on Etsy, you should also have a Shopify store or at least a website of your own, even if it's not a Shopify store. They really work well together. Etsy is great at bringing in new traffic because they have, like, a cult following. People love Etsy. And but you have more control over Shopify, and you can do different things on there. So, ultimately, you wanna have both. But if choosing one seems easier to get started, that's the way I think you should go.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:04:25]:

And I think that's one of the reasons why I went with Shopify instead of putting up my shops on Etsy was I wanted that control. Right? But I also had the audience built, so that was another another thing for me. But I definitely wanted that control. So if somebody is wanting to build out their their shop on Shopify, what are some of the first couple of steps that you recommend that they take that won't stress them out or won't overwhelm them in the beginning?

Erin Alexander [00:04:55]:

Yeah. That's such a good question because I think it's a lot different than what most people would say. When you go into Shopify, the very first thing that you're gonna do is they're gonna be like, okay. Pick a theme. That is super overwhelming. I kind of think about things differently. The most important thing on your store is your products. So I think that you should start creating product listings first.

Erin Alexander [00:05:20]:

I think you should go in and set up a full product because you're gonna need to know, like, what's the name of your product? How are you gonna describe it? What images are you gonna have? And you can put all of this product listing information in place. And then when you are looking at themes, you have a better idea of what you need and what you want once you start seeing it. So when you start a Shopify store, it's gonna come with Shopify's, like, base free theme. It's called the Dawn theme, and it it's gonna come with that already installed. So you can look at your product listings even before you've actually selected a theme. Putting in your products first means that, like, they will be populated in the different fields where, like, it's showing you a feature collection or a feature product. It helps you visualize things better if you can put in some product listings first. I also think, like, your product like, I I mean, I already said this, but your product is the most important part of the store in the first place.

Erin Alexander [00:06:20]:

So spending your time putting in your products and understanding how that works is gonna make everything else inside of Shopify easier.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:06:30]:

And I've never heard anybody say that, but that is such an important point is going when you're first starting to build your website there is to start with the products, and I think that's a great tip there. So when somebody is building out their product, what are some things that they need to keep in mind? What do they need to have ready to start doing that?

Erin Alexander [00:06:51]:

Yeah. So the basics are gonna be things like a good product title that is descriptive of what the product is. So excuse me. A a description of your product. You know, whether you've already, like let's use it, like, a candle maker, for example. If you have a candle and you're going to you're gonna wanna create a descriptive title, so something probably around the scent, the size, and you're gonna wanna have that information. Then you have your product description, which is pretty obvious, you know, like, describe the product. A lot of people want to, like, maybe include a little bit of storytelling in this.

Erin Alexander [00:07:30]:

You also wanna have maybe some bullet points that clearly list things out for people who are just gonna scan your text because people probably won't read a really long description. However, you do want to have a little bit of a description because that's what Google likes to see. So if you want to get benefit from SEO, you wanna have some kind of description on there. And then you're gonna have your product images. So you can have as many images as you want. You know, you're gonna probably have an individual image of the product, maybe the product in use, maybe someone holding the product or using the product or, you know, flat lay styled styled versions of your product. You could have as many as you want. You can even have video in there inside of Shopify.

Erin Alexander [00:08:16]:

And then you start getting into some more of the logistics. So that would be, like, how much does it weigh? Are there other variants as in, like, different sizes or different colors or different scents or whatever it is that you're kinda doing? And then that's then you also are gonna put in your inventory here. You can put in the price it costs you, like whatever the base price is. That way you can see your profit margins and things like that in the back end of Shopify. Then you can start building in, like, even more custom customized things with Shopify's meta field. So, like, let's say let's say you're, like, a retailer and you wanna include the well, the vendor is already built in, but maybe you wanna include some custom information, like a special size chart or different things like that. You can use meta fields to do that. That's really like the meat of what you need for a product listing.

Erin Alexander [00:09:01]:

There's a lot that can go into it. It it could really be as detailed as you'd like. It could be as simple as you'd like, but those are gonna be the things you need to get started.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:09:10]:

And would you say that the images are one of the most or one of the most important parts of that product listing?

Erin Alexander [00:09:17]:

Oh, absolutely. People are gonna look through the images more than they actually read the text, so you wanna have really good clear images, a variety of different styles. You know? I always like to say it, like, at least 3, usually. Like, one of the product by itself, one of the product on a person or with a person or, like, next to a person. That way, like, they can really visualize themselves. Any, like, details that they need to know, like, up close shots, Those things are really, really important.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:09:48]:

Now you mentioned a few minutes ago about the theme in Shopify. Can you tell the folks, and a lot of people listening here might not know what that means. I'm using the Dawn theme, which I think you mentioned was the, you know, kind of the standard or what it what a Shopify store comes with. And then I think for one of my other stores, I purchased 1, but I can't remember off the top of my head what I purchased there. But can you walk people through what do you mean by that theme and and what somebody should look for in a theme when they're just starting out? Because I think when you go to the website, there's a lot to choose from. Right?

Erin Alexander [00:10:28]:

Yes. Absolutely. There's 100 of Shopify themes. So the the the theme is what determines how your store looks, And it also includes some of the built in functions. So the Dawn theme is, like, the standard Shopify's basic free theme. There are a handful of free themes inside of Shopify, like, in the Shopify theme store that you can choose from, and they are all based on the Dawn theme. So, you know, if you see one like, I think there's one called craft. Craft is just the Dawn theme styled differently.

Erin Alexander [00:11:08]:

The Dawn theme is actually a really great theme. I have been using it more and more. There's a lot you can do with it. Shopify has been investing in building that theme out. However, there are also premium themes, and premium themes are developed by 3rd party Shopify developers. They are vetted by Shopify if they are in the Shopify theme store, which means that they have to follow a pretty strict standard when it comes to, like, their the way they create their code, the way they respond to customer service, the way that they have documentation of their themes to to help you build out your store. The premium themes have a lot more flexibility in terms of the design, so you'll have different types of content sections, you know, like different types of galleries or different types of sliders or different types of ways to display your testimonials. And they also sometimes have built in features.

Erin Alexander [00:12:03]:

Like, they might have built in feature that sends out of stock notifications or, like, back in stock notifications. Or they might have I'm trying to think of a good example. Like, maybe they have some different product tabs built in or, you know, there's a bunch of different things. Most of the time, all of the themes have the base features. You know, they're all gonna allow you to put video in. They're all gonna allow you to put images in. But the theme determines how it looks. So, like, whether things are, like, maybe full width.

Erin Alexander [00:12:35]:

Not every theme allow is designed to have images that go from edge to edge of your screen. So those themes really have some different features. Previously, I was always like, you need to buy a free theme. The the free previously, I was always like, you have to buy a theme. The the free version is just not good. Like I said, Shopify has been investing heavily in the new Dawn theme or it's relatively new. And so I actually I have a second Shopify store that does use the Dawn theme, and I think it's fantastic, especially if you can add in some apps that can really help you customize it, which I'm happy to share those if you're interested too. But when you're really looking for a theme, the main thing you want to focus on are the features.

Erin Alexander [00:13:23]:

Like, what options does the theme have that you need? For example, some people really wanna have a mega menu, and a mega menu is, like, one of those menus that drops down, and it has, like, a lot of different layers, and sometimes there's a image in it. Not every theme offers a mega menu. So I recommend you do some research. And this one of the things that helps is if you have your products in place and you know what you need for your products to display the way you want them to is do some research about the features you need. You know? Do you need, or or do you have something that's gonna go out of stock often and you wanna have notifications for your people that tell them when something's out of stock? All those different features you can find in a theme built in, or maybe you'll see a feature in a theme and you're like, oh, that would work really well for my my product. So I recommend you research first, find the features that you want, and try to find a theme that has those features. That's gonna save you money in the long run because you won't need to either add them in with code or use an app to get those extra features.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:14:34]:

And is it pretty easy just to, like, start with the free theme, maybe Dawn theme? And if you find, like, 2 years down the road that it's just not serving your needs anymore, is it pretty easy to move to one of the paid themes?

Erin Alexander [00:14:47]:

Yes. Absolutely. I totally recommend that. If you haven't been if you haven't been selling on Shopify and you're, like, not sure and you're just not ready, I would absolutely start with the free theme. When you switch themes, all of your product listings, all of your collections, all of your blog posts, all of your pages, I'm gonna say pages with, like, a little asterisk by them. Okay? All of that content stays. You don't have to redo any of it. What you do have to redo is, like, building out your homepage and putting the content in place.

Erin Alexander [00:15:18]:

But if you have an older version, it's really easy to, like, copy and paste. You're gonna have a lot. You you might have new features, so you might, you know, get to add new things or take things out, but it is really easy to switch. It'll just take you time to rebuild your pages as in, like, your home page. If you have pages that have different sections like your about page, those might take you some time to rebuild. But overall, it's much better to start with the free theme and then upgrade later.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:15:48]:

So let's talk about some of those apps that you mentioned a few minutes ago. I know that some of these apps cost money. Some of them are free. And and, you know, since they cost money, it's extra cost, right, that new shop owners might not be aware that they have to do. So walk us through exactly how that works on Shopify.

Erin Alexander [00:16:10]:

Yeah. So Shopify out of the box does, you know, a handful of things. It's pretty pretty standard ecommerce stuff. But then you can add on these apps that give you additional functionality or additional design options or, you know, it can just make your store really customized. Like, if you wanted to sell a subscription box on Shopify, you can do that with extra apps. If you wanna sell bundles on Shopify, you can do that with extra apps. I always recommend, like, sending setting up an app that will setting up an app that will send out a request for your customers to leave a review after they've made a purchase. So different apps cost money.

Erin Alexander [00:16:56]:

Some are free. I would say most apps actually cost money. And I mean, like, I know that this frustrates people, but it's really what makes Shopify unique is that it's allowing you to build a really customized store, and it allows you to get exactly what you need. So for the most part, most apps are, like, maybe under $10 a month or maybe able to have a onetime fee. I always recommend looking at the fees in terms of, like, what is this going to give me or what is it going to save me? Because I'm just like you. I I mean, like, the listeners. I don't wanna pay it extra for things that I don't need. But if if an app is going to really, like, help me get, like, more sales or, you know, do different things, and it's worth the price for me.

Erin Alexander [00:17:54]:

So I, you know, I have a list of, like, 20 apps that I recommend. And, you know, depending on the store and depending on your needs, every store is gonna need different things, but I always recommend installing an app that will request reviews. I really like stamp. Io. The free plan on that one is fantastic. The paid version is only $15 a month, and it does give you a lot more options, which is something I love. And I use the paid version on one of my sites, and I use free version on one of my sites. It just really depends on what you need and what you want.

Erin Alexander [00:18:28]:

And sometimes I think people get a little bit hung up on having to pay for those apps. And so, like I said, my suggestion is think about what it's gonna bring you in return, but, also, is this something you could wait on? And, you know, maybe you don't set up an automated subscription box right away. Maybe you wait until you have, like, 20 members or something so that it's actually gonna save you time. You can really think about those things. I also don't don't like to install apps like page builders or things that have reoccurring fees for my design because I feel like I could hire a developer to to code that for a one time fee rather than, like, the life of my website. So there's a lot of nuance when it comes to apps, but I think that those are something that you have to kinda think about, which is another reason why I recommend you research your functions before you pick a theme. That way you could perhaps find a theme that does some of the things you are wanting without needing to add an app.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:19:26]:

And I definitely think that those are some good tips, and I'm kinda like you. On one of my stores, I have some more paid apps, and the other ones, I'm using some of the free versions. So I think that's some really good tips there. Erin, before we wrap it up here, any last minute tips for the audience?

Erin Alexander [00:19:43]:

Yeah. I think the number one tip I have people building their Shopify store is don't follow the theme. So when you install a theme, it's gonna have these pre filled in sections. It's gonna say, like, oh, talk about your brand here. Put a gallery here. Those are just the way they're designed is to highlight the theme, not to highlight your business. So I recommend you pick out your theme and then clear out all of the sections and start from scratch. I actually have a workshop where I teach people the 7 essential sections to or for your Shopify homepage that's gonna help tell your brand story and also build trust with your customers.

Erin Alexander [00:20:25]:

So build up that know, like, and trust factor so that they want to make a purchase. It also leads them through the buyer's journey. So that's every every section is very strategic and the reason behind it. And I have a training that's completely free. It's and it talks about each of those sections, why you want them, and how to put them and, like, how they work in your Shopify store, and I even show examples and things like that. So I have that actually, you can get it at product powerhouse.co/homepage. And I know I gave Destini the link, so you're I know you'll share that too.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:21:01]:

Yes. Absolutely. We're gonna make sure that that link for that free workshop is in the show notes so everybody has access to it. And, Erin, also, can you let people know where they can find you, your website, Instagram, whatever you wanna share there?

Erin Alexander [00:21:16]:

Yeah. Absolutely. So the honestly, the number one place to is to find me is my podcast, which is called Product Powerhouse. You can find that on, well, all the shop all the podcast apps, but I think that the podcast apps are getting smaller and smaller. So, you know, Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to podcasts, I have the podcast published. My website is product powerhouse.co, and I have a bunch of resources and digital products, you know, like, little bite sized things. I also have a full course that teaches, like, really how to leverage Shopify for people who want to learn it. Then if you wanna hang out with me on social media, the best place would be Instagram, which my handle is product dot powerhouse.

Erin Alexander [00:21:58]:

That's where I show pop pictures of my puppy and

Dr. Destini Copp [00:22:02]:

It is a cute one. It's a very cute puppy.

Erin Alexander [00:22:05]:

He is adorable. Yes. He's my baby. And then that's also where I share, like, tips. Like, I'll share a lot about apps I'm using, apps I'm loving, and just Shopify tips and things like that.

Dr. Destini Copp [00:22:18]:

So, Erin, thank you so much for joining me and sharing all of your wisdom about Shopify, one of my favorite tools to use. Yeah.

Erin Alexander [00:22:26]:

Thank you so much. I had a great time.