Mademois-elle is one of our newest sign-ups and their product is something new to South Africa. We sat down with Liezel from Mademois-elle to find out how she found the setting up process on Shopify and how easy, or hard, it was to learn about getting an online store up and selling.
When did you start your Shopify store?
LB: I started Mademois-elle on the 8th of April 2016 and officially launched the store on the 27th of April.
What do you sell?
LB: “Often the best inventions come to those who saw a problem, trialled various solutions and found the best fit.” This was the case with Mademois-elle! While planning a trip to Europe during the winter, staying warm but also stylish and comfortable was a fashion priority. Finding the right boot to fit is hard enough let alone adding a tall sock or leg warmer. So, while looking for inspiration on Pinterest – I found boot cuffs. After numerous google searches through numerous online shopping websites I was left heartbroken not being able to find them in South Africa and so, Mademois-elle was born.
What are boot cuffs I hear you say? Boot cuffs are a clever way to have the appearance and warmth of a sock at the top of a boot without the full length of a sock. Boot cuffs complete any winter outfit with style and distinction and you can easily add a pop of colour or simply give your older boots a new lease on life with this year’s latest fashion trend. Mademois-elle has 10 different styles catering to all personal preferences in decadent winter shades.
As a dedicated follower of fashion I also believe that it’s just as important to look effortlessly comfortable and cozy on casual wintry days lounging around the house, so Mademoi-elle also sells Boot socks. They are warm, come up to and over the knee and will definitely keep your feet and legs toasty.
How long did it take you to setup your Shopify store?
LB: It took me almost three weeks and that was working every single day including weekends, early mornings and late nights. It wasn’t always easy, there were days of frustration and tears and I really had to get used to trying new things, learning steps, doing something wrong and starting over. I watched YouTube videos on similar subjects, read instructions, I even tried to understand and edit the code and of course I messed it up a few times but I didn’t give up and tried day after day to get it all done right. Also I asked a lot of questions! Some of them were a bit crazy if i think about it, but Jenn was such a star dealing with me bombing her emails – but it was all part of the learning process.
I wanted to launch Mademois-elle earlier but because this was my only chance to get it right, I decided to redo all my product photos. I though “this is what I sell, they have to shine!” I also wanted to make 100% sure that each and every step had been taken to ensure the shop runs smoothly, from each page of the website through to the email notification templates. They took me an entire Saturday to create but they work absolutely perfectly and they look beautiful. I use Klaviyo Email Templates. Spending the initial build time on the website as well as on the back office was key to me. Getting this right in the first place will make it so much easier for me once Mademois-elle gets going as then I can concentrate to marketing and enjoy the sales and interacting with my clients. All the frustration pays off when you see the end result and everything works smoothly.
How will you market your store?
LB: I started marketing Mademoi-elle on social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest five days before opening. I did posts of sneak peaks of our stock, photos of the “behind the scenes” shoot we did for the socks and cuffs and did a countdown to the store launch. I have realised the importance of understanding social media marketing and at the moment, Facebook adverts are doing well for us. Making sure I have a post on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest every other day is important to keep my audience excited. I also think it is great keeping up with a blog post, it gives a little bit of insight to our readers about our products and how they can use them.
For Mademois-elle at the moment, “word-of-mouth” and having a presence at popular markets will be our top priority. Our product is new in South Africa so our clients need to see and touch it to understand what it is and how to wear it. May is a nice, busy month for us with the markets so you’re more than welcome to pop by and say hi! We will be at the Jackal Creek Wine/Golf Festival on the 29th May as well as the Bryanston Country Club Freedom Day Market on the 16th of June.
What do you find is the most useful feature on Shopify since you signed up?
LB: While I was creating the website, I found the Theme editor page very helpful as I constantly had a feel of what the site would look like. It was easy to see what needed changing, like if all the photos lined up and if the pages flowed. When I started the site design I followed the template but soon the creative juices started flowing and I changed things up to suite my brand and having this page really helped. Now that the store has launched I absolutely love my HOME page. I love seeing how many visitors I’ve had, which products were viewed as well as seeing what’s on the “recommended reading” section. I also find myself spending time on the REPORTS page, it’s great to see who clicked on what and what stood out for visitors. This gives great insight as to where to focus and where to improve.
What are you looking forward to by using Shopify over the next 12 months?
LB: My biggest excitement is seeing how something so small could become everyones’ favourite fashion accessory this winter. I would not be able to achieve this without my Shopify store and I’m looking forward to seeing how the business will grow and how much I will learn in the process. Starting my online store was not easy, but I have loved it each step of the way. We are passionate about bringing South African fashionistas all things pretty and this is just the start!
Go to mademois-elle.co.za to shop for these great little boot cuffs and boot socks!
