
Features of a successful fashion ecommerce site: Is yours up to scratch?
03.07.2019
Fashion ecommerce is a winner-takes-all game. With 20% of the top fashion brands taking 100% of the economic profit, the industry is more competitive than ever.
So, what do the best ecommerce fashion brands all have in common? What makes the top sites, well… top? We’ve laid out the key characteristics of all the best fashion stores so you can make sure you hold your own against the competition.
They’re great at communicating product details & quality.
Until technology takes a giant leap forward to the point where we can instantly teleport a product into a shopper’s living room, ecommerce stores have to find easier ways to communicate the finer details of their products. This is where an online shopping experience falls short of a brick-and-mortar store.
Let’s look at the ways some of the best online fashion brands are doing this.
Detailed product descriptions & photography
Ally Capellino specialises in high-end bags and accessories. When asking their customers to part with a considerable amount of money, it’s vital for them to be able to demonstrate the details and quality of their products.
One way Ally Capellino does this is through a wide range of high-quality photography. Their product images are clear enough to show the quality of the material and varied enough to show the product from every angle, even inside.
These images, coupled with a comprehensive description and a list of product details, leave shoppers feeling confident that there’ll be no nasty surprises when they receive their order. Alongside these details, Ally Capellino has also included a guide on caring for the bag.
A good product description is one of the most valuable tools in your arsenal. It should include materials, key features, sizing, fit (if necessary) and what the product’s purpose is. Is it best-suited to everyday or occasion wear? Night in or night out?
Product videos
If you’ve got the resources, you could go the extra mile and include a video alongside your product photography like ecommerce giant ASOS. This helps shoppers see the fit of a garment and how it moves when worn, and can also work to reduce buyer hesitation and return rates.
They clearly advertise an easy (preferably free) returns policy.
There are few guarantees with online clothes shopping. You can’t ensure the item your shopper ordered will fit or that it will be appropriate for what they had in mind. A clear returns policy is essential for easing this barrier to purchase.
It’s not unusual for online shoppers to buy multiple sizes or options with the intention of returning the ones that aren’t suitable, and most people expect to be able to do so at no extra cost.
Try before you buy
A complex, expensive returns policy could be costing you vital sales – sales that ASOS and other fashion ecommerce giants will gladly pick up. ASOS go one step further to ensure their customers find the right fit by using Klarna, a pay-later checkout option that allows shoppers to ‘try before they buy’.
They have a strong personality, tailored to their customer.
In a crowded industry, the most successful fashion brands are the ones that customers can easily identify with.
Your brand should speak the language of your audience, with a consistent personality that’s communicated through your imagery and content. Shoppers should be able to get a sense of your brand’s personality across your channels – whether that’s on-site, socials, email or in-app. It should shine through every element of your site – not just your homepage and blog posts, but also your FAQ page, your returns policy and any UX copy.
Talk like their best friend
One easy place to convey your brand’s personality is in your product descriptions.
Take a look at Pretty Little Thing’s product descriptions below, tailored to their core audience of gen Z.
The most successful fashion brands and stores successfully create and maintain personalities that are both familiar and aspirational to their core demographic. The result is that their customers see their brand as a tool for self-expression. This is what you want. If you can capture this, you’re on to a winner.
They help customers create a ‘look’.
You might have noticed that Pretty Little Thing’s product descriptions also help their customers visualise what to pair each item with, as do their model and lifestyle pictures. There’s a multitude of tools you can provide to help your customers with this (and encourage them to spend a little more in the process).
‘Complete the look’
This is the tool for upselling in fashion. But it’s only going to work if you feature full outfits in your product imagery.
So it’s this:

And not just this:

Your customer has already clicked through to view one product, but chances are they’re going to be interested in the entire outfit, which presents an opportunity for you to add to their order. In fact, it can be frustrating when brands don’t do this. It means customers have to hunt for the other products the model is wearing.
Make it as easy as possible for shoppers to add the additional items to their bag. Here’s how New Look do it:
Lookbooks
Fashion is aspirational. Shoppers want to keep at the forefront of the latest trends, so show them what they are. A striking video or a collection of photos can immediately inspire a shopper when landing on your site.
Lookbooks also give you another opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality – which your shoppers can use as inspiration to create outfits that express themselves.
Fashion edits
Similarly to lookbooks, fashion edits help inspire your shoppers with the latest trends. By grouping similar products together, edits give you the chance to capitalise on these shifting trends – such as utility style, denim, animal prints, etc.
Edits and collections also help direct shoppers to the kind of outfits they’re looking for. For example, you might have a festival edit, a workwear collection and a range devoted to ‘summer nights out’.
Here’s an example from Marks and Spencer:
Not only does this give Holly Willoughby fans a clear idea of how to replicate her style, but it also capitalises on Holly’s fame and steers her audience towards Marks and Spencer.
Shoppable onsite Instagram feeds
Shoppable Insta feeds are an ideal way to target a young customer base, and can be an effective way to capture window shoppers. Not everyone landing on your site has a clear idea of what they want, so give them a chance to see what your models, influencers and customers are wearing on a day-to-day basis.
To make sure you have a successful feed, it needs to be packed with lifestyle imagery – not just posed or product shots. A good rule of thumb is to include a maximum of 20% product shots, with the rest of your feed devoted to aspirational lifestyle imagery.
When customers don’t know what they’re looking for, these tools inspire them before they go elsewhere to find out. If you’re not already leveraging these tips, now’s a great time to do so. And once you do, you can enjoy increases in average order value and repeat purchases.
They cater to all types of shoppers.
Not everyone shops in the same way. Some need inspiration to identify what they want, while others know exactly what they’re looking for.
These features will ensure you’re catering to all your visitors and their different shopping styles:
Filter by popularity
It’s all about confidence. Customers looking to follow the trends (or perhaps the opposite) will find browsing your store much easier with this function.
Site-wide search
It’s always surprising to see a fashion site without this function, but it happens. Some shoppers are in a hurry and are looking for something specific, so help them find it on your site before they move onto the next.
Wishlists
Whether they’re short on funds or short on time, visitors aren’t always on your site with the immediate plan to buy. Offering a wishlist feature encourages shoppers to create an account and save the items they’d like to buy next time. They’re also ideal retargeting opportunities, making them a valuable tool for your marketing team.
‘You may also like’
Not only does this offer shoppers inspiration, but presenting similar options can also stop you from losing a customer when their size or preferred colour is out of stock. ‘You may also like’ sections give your shoppers that kind of personalised experience that encourages them to keep looking and keep shopping.
They’ve got an all-around strong, beautiful site.
Customers’ expectations for online shopping are higher than ever. Aside from all the other key elements of an ecommerce site (such as a responsive design, clear navigation and fast-loading webpages), you need to deliver personalised shopping experiences that are, as a minimum, equal to the brands dominating the market.
At the end of the day, fashion is about aesthetics. If your site doesn’t look good, your brand doesn’t look good.
Not sure how to get started? Get in touch today. We design beautiful, high-end and high-street fashion sites for some of the biggest UK brands.
By junowebdesign
At Juno eCommerce we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. As a result we are transparent in everything we do.
This policy explains when and why we collect personal information about people who visit our website, request information or enquire about a product / service from Patchworks.
The policy explains how we use that information, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.
We may change this policy from time to time so please check this page to ensure that you’re happy with any changes.
By using our website, you’re agreeing to be bound by this Policy.
Any questions regarding this Policy and our privacy practices should be sent, by email, to: info@junowebdesign.com.
Who are we?
Juno eCommerce
Where to find us
16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS, United Kingdom
How to contact us in case of a complaint
+44 (0)115 941 8122
info@junowebdesign.com
How to contact us to request access to, or change, any personal data we may hold on you
+44 (0)115 941 8122
info@junowebdesign.com
ICO Registration Details
We are registered as a Data Controller with the Information Controller’s Office (ICO).
Registration Number: ZA376490
How do we collect information from you?
We obtain information about you when you use our website, email us or call us to enquire about our products and services, or if you register to receive one of our newsletters. We also collect information about you when attending industry-specific exhibitions, events and through networking.
We do not react to Do Not Track (DNT) signals, as any details captured are for the sole purpose of enquiring about, or signing up for, the Patchworks Integration Platform as a Service.
What type of information is collected from you?
The personal information other than business information that we collect might include your name, address, email address, IP address, and information regarding what pages are accessed and when.
Like many other websites, https://www.junoecommerce.com/ uses cookies. ‘Cookies’ are small pieces of information sent by an organisation to your computer and stored on your hard drive to allow that website to recognise you when you visit. They collect statistical data about your browsing actions and patterns and do not identify you as an individual.
Cookies enable us to provide you with a personalised experience, both online and via other media.
It is possible to switch off cookies by setting your browser preferences. Please refer to your specific browser’s help / settings for more information on how to switch off cookies. Turning cookies off may result in a loss of functionality when using our website.
How we use your personal information
We use personal information about you in connection with the following purposes:
(Please Note: we will never keep paper copies of any of your personal data)
Fulfilling your requests:
to provide you with the information, products and services that you have requested from us
to complete any transaction you are undertaking with us
to carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into you and us
to administer any promotion or competition that you enter via our website(s)
to allow you to participate in interactive features of our service, when you choose to do so
in the course of processing a job application or enquiry
to meet a legal or statutory obligation.
Marketing:
to provide you with information about other goods and services we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased or enquired about
to measure or understand the effectiveness of advertising we serve to you and others, and to deliver relevant advertising to you, which may be based on your activity on our website(s) or the website of another Juno eCommerce Company or third parties’ websites
to make suggestions and recommendations to you and other users of our site about goods or services that may interest you or them, which may be based on your activity on our website(s) or the website of another Juno eCommerce Company or third parties’ websites.
If you no longer wish to be contacted for marketing purposes, please email us on info@junowebdesign.com.
Service Improvements and account management:
to ensure that content from our site is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer
to administer our site and for internal business administration and operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes
to notify you about changes to our service and to send you service emails relating to your account
as part of our efforts to keep our site safe and secure
to manage and operate your account with us
Please Note: We do not use automated decision making tools.
Sharing your personal information
We will not share your information with 3rd parties for marketing purposes.
However, we may pass some information to our third party service providers, agents, subcontractors and other associated organisations for the purposes of completing tasks and providing services to you on our behalf (for example to process products and to keep you informed).
When we use third party service providers, we disclose only the personal information that is necessary to deliver the service and we have a contract in place that requires them to keep your information secure and not to use it for their own direct marketing purposes. Please be reassured that we will not release your information to third parties beyond the Patchworks Network, unless you have requested us to do so, or we are required to do so by law, for example, by a court order or for the purposes of prevention of fraud or other crime.
These third parties may include:
Credit reference agencies and other companies for use in credit decisions, for fraud prevention
We may transfer your personal information to a third party as part of a sale of some or all of our business and assets to any third party or as part of any business restructuring or reorganisation, or if we’re under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation or to enforce or apply our terms of use or to protect the rights, property or safety of our staff and customers. However, we will take steps with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected.
Controlling your information that we hold
If we do not have a business relationship with you, then you have a choice about whether or not you wish to receive information from us.
We will not contact you for marketing purposes by email, phone or text message unless you have given your prior consent. We will not contact you for marketing purposes by post if you have indicated that you do not wish to be contacted.
You can change your marketing preferences at any time by contacting us on info@junowebdesign.com
You have the right to ask us not to process your personal information for marketing purposes.
You can exercise your right to prevent such processing by checking or unchecking certain boxes on the forms we use to collect your data. You can also exercise the right at any time by contacting us on info@junowebdesign.com.
How you can access and update your information
The accuracy of your information is important to us. If you change email address, or any of the other information we hold is inaccurate or out of date, please email us on info@junowebdesign.com.
You have the right to ask for a copy of the non-business personal information Patchworks holds about you.
If you wish to raise a complaint regarding how we have handled your personal data, please email info@junowebdesign.com in the first instance and the Patchworks Team will investigate and report back to you.
If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are processing your personal data not in accordance with the law you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Keeping your information safe
When you give us personal information, we take steps to ensure that it’s treated securely. Any personal information is encrypted and protected via SSL and secure data storage. When you are on a secure page, a lock icon will appear on the bottom of web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
We may store your personal information on Google and Amazon’s Clouds and in our Portal, CRM, Messaging, Accounting, Support and Email Service Provider software.
To read the detailed specification of how the third parties we work with keep your data safe, please click on each of the relevant links below:
https://cloud.google.com/security/compliance
https://www.digitalocean.com/security/
https://aws.amazon.com/security/
https://www.hubspot.com/security
https://slack.com/security
https://www.xero.com/accounting-software/security
https://www.atlassian.com/trust/security/
https://mailchimp.com/about/security/
https://www.elastic.co/legal/privacy-statement
In addition to the security and compliance policies documented above, Patchworks have GDPR compliant contractual agreements and / or Data Processing Agreements in place with each of our data processing sub-contractors.
Non-sensitive details (your email address etc.) are transmitted normally over the Internet, and this can never be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your information, we make our best efforts to ensure its security on our systems. Where we have given (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access certain parts of our websites, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.
We will hold your data for no longer than we need it for, or if you have advised you wish us to delete it or we have a legal reason such as tax purposes. We aim to keep your data no longer than 5 years in all other cases.
You can request a copy of our retention schedule by emailing
info@junowebdesign.com.
Patchworks agree to the individual redress principle, which requires that individuals have a right to pursue legally enforceable rights against Data Collectors and Processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or a government agency to investigate and / or prosecute non-compliance by Data Controllers and / or Processors.
Should a data breach occur, every person whose data we control will be notified within 7 business days.
Keeping children safe
We are concerned to protect the privacy of children aged 18 or under. If you are aged 18 or under‚ please get your parent/guardian’s permission beforehand whenever you provide us with personal information.
If we learn that we have collected the personal information of a child under the relevant minimum age without parental consent, we will take steps to delete the information as soon as possible. Parents who believe that their child has submitted personal information to us and would like to have it deleted may contact us on info@junowebdesign.com.
Profiling
We may analyse your personal information to create a profile of your interests and preferences so that we can contact you with information relevant to you. We may make use of additional information about you when it is available from external sources to help us do this effectively. We may also use your personal information to detect and reduce fraud and credit risk.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites run by other organisations. This privacy policy applies only to our website‚ so we encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit. We cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sites even if you access them using links from our website.
In addition, if you linked to our website from a third party site, we cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of the owners and operators of that third party site and recommend that you check the policy of that third party site.
Transferring your information outside of the European Union
We operate internationally. As part of the services offered to you by Juno eCommerce, the information which you provide to us may be transferred to countries outside the European Union (“EU”).
By way of example, this may happen if any of our servers are from time to time located in a country outside of the EU. These countries may not have similar data protection laws to the UK. By submitting your personal data, you’re agreeing to this transfer, storing or processing. If we transfer your information outside of the EU in this way, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected as outlined in this Policy.
If you use our services while you are outside the EU, your information may be transferred outside the EU in order to provide you with those services.
We keep this Policy under regular review.
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