Website Best Practices for Shopify Stores

Your Shopify store is your 24/7 sales channel. Even if most of your sales happen in-store, your website works while you sleep — it captures emails, shows up in Google searches, and lets customers browse your full inventory without driving across town.

1. Link Your Store Everywhere

Every email you send should link to your store. Email signature, newsletter, party confirmations, follow-up messages — all of them. Customers can't visit a site they can't find. A link in every email is the single highest-ROI thing you can do, and it costs nothing.

• Email signature: Add your store URL to every staff member's email signature.
• Newsletter: Feature new arrivals or collection links in every send via OneShopRetail.
• Party confirmations: Include a link to your "Plan a Party" page and party-themed collections.
• Order follow-ups: Send links to related collections or new arrivals. Automate in OneShopRetail.

2. Link Your Shopify Store on Your Main Website

Your main franchise website should have a clear, prominent link to your Shopify store.

• Make sure the "Shop Online" link is visible in navigation — not buried in a footer.
• Link to specific collections when possible (e.g., "Browse New In-Box Sets").
• Add a Shop menu item to your main site's navigation.
• Create shopping sections on your main site pages (About, Parties, etc.).

3. Drive Customers to the Website — Even for In-Store Pickup

When a customer calls to ask "Do you have X set?" — send them to your website instead of just answering over the phone.

Three reasons:

1. It captures their email. Every online order registers the customer. You can't market to someone whose email you don't have.
2. It builds your search ranking. Google sees the traffic. More visits = more authority = higher rankings.
3. It trains customers to check the site first. Over time, they'll stop calling and start browsing.

4. Keep Your Inventory Current

• Upload new inventory as you add it to the POS. Use the "Add" tag to send new items to Shopify.
• Don't delete sold items. Out-of-stock items still bring traffic from Google. Deleting creates 404 errors that hurt rankings.
• Mortar handles inventory automatically. When an item sells in-store, Mortar removes it from Shopify automatically.
• Restocked items reactivate on their own. No action needed.
• Use consistent photos. NIB = clean stock-style photos. Used = well-lit, neutral background, showing actual condition.

5. Collect Emails Relentlessly

• At the register: Ask every customer to sign up for the loyalty program at checkout.
• On the website: Make sure your newsletter signup is visible — not hidden in a popup.
• OneShopRetail captures emails automatically when orders sync to the POS.

6. Use Google Business Profile

• Keep hours, address, and phone number current.
• Post photos of new arrivals, store events, and party setups monthly.
• Link your Shopify store in the website field.
• Ask happy customers to leave Google reviews.

7. Watch Your Analytics

• Shopify Analytics: Check weekly — visitors, orders, top sellers.
• Google Search Console: See what people search for when they find your store.

The Monthly Checklist