Answering the Top Tech Questions Asked by the Beauty Industry

1. What features should a beauty ecommerce website have?

A beauty brand website, like any successful website, should prioritise the following things:

• A visually engaging, user-friendly, mobile-first design
• Clear, concise user experiences that streamline the journey
• Personalised recommendations that mirror in-store experiences
• Advanced search and filtering tools to help customers quickly find what they need
• Authentic reviews, social proof elements, and user-generated content
• High-value blog content, and well-optimised SEO

2.  How important is mobile optimisation for beauty brands?

More than 60% of worldwide traffic comes from smartphones, so the question is: how willing are you to accommodate more than 60% of your potential customers?

If the answer is very, then you’re in the right place.

3.  How do I improve my website’s speed and performance?

A poor performing website can be the result of any number of things. The first step is to highlight where these problems originate.

Google PageSpeed Insights, Screaming Frog, and other performance monitoring tools are a good starting point. Review the recommendations, and implement improvements where necessary.

Common performance issues can arise from poorly-optimised imagery, large CSS and JavaScript files, uncached CDNs, or poorly-written code.

4.  Can I integrate a booking system for virtual consultations or treatments?

You absolutely can!

Integrating an online booking system is a smart way to offer virtual consultations or treatment appointments.

Third-party solutions offer user-friendly scheduling tools that sync online, manage payment processing, and include features like automated reminders.

5. How can I ensure my website is SEO-friendly from launch?

SEO is not an afterthought. It requires planning from the very early stages of web development so that it is deeply seeded into every aspect of the site.

Comprehensive keyword research, an SEO-friendly URL structure, appropriate meta tags, and high-quality, and engaging content to drive organic traffic are the key to successful SEO.

6.  What’s the best way to showcase product reviews and user-generated content?

The best way to display product reviews and user-generated content is to integrate it into your site.

Depending on your choice of ecommerce platform, there are plenty of integrated review widgets, video testimonials, and interactive galleries that can be implemented to achieve the desired results.

7.  Is custom website development better than using a template?

The answer to that depends entirely on your brand.

Custom website development offers a tailored experience that can be great for reflecting your unique brand identity. They’re a great choice if you need advanced functionalities, and optimised technical performance, but they will come with a larger cost.

Templates can be more cost-effective, quick to deploy, and offer a degree of flexibility for customisation, but come at the loss of true individuality, which may be a dealbreaker.

8. What are the most effective digital marketing channels for beauty brands?

The most effective digital marketing channels for beauty brands are, unsurprisingly, the visually driven social platforms.

Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest will draw in an audience through vivid storytelling and influencer collaborations.

Follow this up with a strong email marketing strategy, and targeted PPC campaigns to boost brand awareness, engagement and ultimately drive sales.

9. How do I grow my email list and use it effectively?

The best way to get people to sign up to a mailing list is to have a hook.

Most brands offer special discounts, or free samples to entice sign-ups from new subscribers, which is great for early adoption, but the key is to keep them engaged.

Once you have built your list, segmenting your audience and delivering personalised, value-packed campaigns will ensure higher engagement and conversion rates by addressing individual beauty needs and preferences. The more you drill down in your audience segmentations, the more you can push a more personalised experience.

10. What kind of content works best for beauty brands?

For paid ads, content that combines visually compelling imagery with real-life testimonials, user-generated content, and before-and-after demonstrations tends to perform exceptionally well, as it resonates with beauty consumers seeking authentic transformations and relatable results.

For organic traffic, don’t forget that trends are trends for a reason. Strike a balance between popular content, and finding your own mark. Individuality will make you stand out much better than being another sheep in the herd.

Working with relevant content creators helps to reach new audiences that will vibe with your brand. Creative, educational, and engaging videos or carousel ads that highlight product benefits and provide clear calls-to-action can drive both awareness and conversions.

11. How can I track the ROI of my digital marketing campaigns?

Tracking ROI requires establishing clear performance metrics from the outset. Conversion rates, sales figures, engagement levels, and customer acquisition costs will give you great insight into your ROI.

Use tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and your chosen marketing automation platform to attribute revenue to each campaign accurately. Regularly analysing this data allows you to refine your marketing strategies and achieve better overall returns on your advertising spend.

12. What’s the difference between organic vs. paid social media strategy?

Organic social media revolves around earning engagement naturally by sharing authentic, consistent content that builds community and brand trust over time, whereas paid social media uses targeted advertising to achieve immediate reach and engagement by investing financially.

The important thing to remember is that organic and paid are equally important. While you might see quicker wins with paid traffic, you’ll be making a serious investment by building up a strong content and SEO strategy.

The best results often come from blending both approaches, using organic efforts to build credibility and paid ads to scale your message and drive quick conversions.

13.  Should I run ads on Google or social platforms, or both?

A hybrid approach typically works best.

Google Ads capture high-intent searches and drive conversions through targeted queries, while social platforms provide a visually immersive environment for storytelling and engagement.

By balancing both, you can efficiently reach potential customers at different stages of their buying journey, tailoring your message to each platform’s strengths.

14.  How can I use retargeting ads to increase conversions?

Retargeting ads are a brilliant method for reconnecting with visitors who didn’t convert on their initial visit.

How do you do this? By showcasing personalised product recommendations, exclusive discounts, or persuasive testimonials that remind them of the benefits they left behind. This focused approach helps recover lost sales by targeting warm leads with dynamic, tailored messaging that nudges them back to purchase.

15.  How do I use analytics to improve my digital strategy?

When dealing with analytics, you get out as much as you put in. Half-baked analytics will leave you none the wiser, so put the work in first to get your data as strong as possible.

Monitor key performance indicators such as traffic sources, conversion rates, user behaviour, and engagement metrics across all digital channels. By analysing this data, you can identify trends, uncover content or UX shortcomings, and refine your marketing tactics to better meet the needs of your beauty audience, from adjusting ad spend to personalising website experiences.

16.  How do I use analytics to improve my digital strategy?

Effective A/B tests should focus on critical elements that directly impact user engagement and conversions.

Popular areas for A/B testing includes testing headline and copy variations, different CTAs, image or video placements, colour schemes, layout modifications, and even timing for push notifications.

These experiments will give you the chance to identify the most compelling design and messaging strategies that resonate with your beauty audience.

17.  How can I increase customer retention and repeat purchases?

If you want to build customer retention, you need to give them a reason to return.

This doesn’t just mean implementing engaging loyalty programmes and tailored product recommendations. It means providing exceptional customer services, creating continuous post-purchase communication, and strengthening your brand image.

Customers need to know you are the place to go for value. Focus on the human element, and resonate with your audience.

18.  How can I increase customer retention and repeat purchases?

The beauty industry is in a great position to promote upselling and cross-selling. Customers visiting your site want to look their best, which puts you in the best position to provide guidance.

This involves strategically recommending complementary products at key points in the shopping journey, while using persuasive visuals and bundle discounts to add value and enhance the customer experience.

This is all driven by data, so look at what your existing customers buy, then tailor these into cross-sell opportunities.

19.  How do loyalty or rewards programs benefit my site?

Loyalty is the biggest win you can hope for. Not only are you turning one-time buyers into long-term customers, but you’re also getting them to do the heavy lifting for you.

How often have we been recommended a product by a friend or family member? These recommendations don’t happen by chance. They are built on a mixture of product quality, great customer service, and genuine value.

Loyalty programmes reward repeat business by incentivising customers with exclusive perks, discounts, and personalised experiences, which not only foster long-term customer retention but also reduce acquisition costs and encourage brand advocacy.

20.  How do I compete with big beauty brands online?

While it might seem daunting to go head-to-head with the dominant beauty brands, it really shouldn’t. It requires leveraging your niche strengths, focusing on a highly targeted, authentic brand voice and personalised customer experiences that resonate with a specific audience.

By utilising agile digital marketing strategies, investing in quality content, and harnessing data insights for personalised campaigns, smaller brands can effectively stand out and gain traction even in a crowded market.

Velstar: your partner in success

No matter where you are in your business journey, Velstar is here to help. As a Shopify Premier Partner, we’ve partnered with some of the biggest beauty brands, specialising in building, growing, and scaling beauty brands.

Get in touch to see how we can help your business grow.