Next.js Blog Theme

Jay Doe


Choosing the right platform for your business website can feel like choosing a mortgage — confusing, overwhelming, and somehow everyone online is shouting at you about it.

But honestly?  
You don’t need to know every technical detail to make a smart decision.  
You just need the truth about what each platform is *really* good at — and where it will absolutely drive you mad.

Let’s break down the four platforms most small businesses rely on: **Shopify**, **Squarespace**, **Wix**, and **WooCommerce**.  
Each has its place, but one of them will make your life *much* easier depending on how you sell.

---

## What You Actually Need From an E-Commerce Platform

Before we get into the rankings, let’s make sure you’re judging these platforms on things that actually matter — not flashy features you’ll never use.

A strong e-commerce website should give you:

- A clean, mobile-friendly design  
- Easy product management  
- Smooth checkout experience  
- Reliable payments  
- Clear shipping setup  
- Good SEO foundations  
- Integrations for email, reviews, marketing, etc.  
- Zero headaches when adding or updating content  

If a platform can’t deliver these, it doesn’t matter how pretty the templates are.

---

## Shopify — The Gold Standard for Selling Online

Shopify is the Beyoncé of e-commerce.  
You can try to look elsewhere, but eventually you’ll come back.

### Why it’s great  
- **Purpose-built for selling** — everything is designed around commerce  
- **World-class checkout** (highest conversion rates of any platform)  
- **Hundreds of beautiful themes**  
- **Simple product management**  
- **Apps for everything** (subscriptions, bookings, bundles, etc.)  
- **Fast, secure hosting**  
- **Built-in reporting and analytics**  

For businesses that want to sell seriously — whether it’s candles or clothing — Shopify is unbeatable.

### Why it might not suit you  
It isn’t the cheapest option.  
And if you need extremely customised layouts, you may need a developer.  
But for most small businesses? Smooth sailing.

---

## Squarespace — The Aesthetic All-Rounder

Squarespace is perfect if your brand vibe is “clean, curated, and Instagram-friendly.”

It’s a visual dream.  
And it’s surprisingly solid for smaller e-commerce shops.

### Why it’s great
- **Gorgeous templates**  
- **Perfect for service + product hybrids** (e.g., salons selling merch)  
- **Easy drag-and-drop editor**  
- **Built-in marketing tools**  
- **Cheaper than Shopify**  

Squarespace shines when you want a site that’s *as beautiful as it is simple to manage.*

### Why it might not suit you  
It’s not built for complex stores.  
If you want advanced filtering, multi-warehouse stock, bundles, or app integrations… you’ll hit limits quickly.

---

## Wix — Flexible, but Can Get Messy

Wix gives you a lot of freedom.  
Like… a *lot.*  
Enough that beginners often design something that looks like a 2010 Myspace page by accident.

### Why it’s great  
- **Drag-anything-anywhere editor**  
- **Good for small catalogues**  
- **Built-in apps for bookings, memberships, events**  
- **Affordable pricing**  

### Why it might not suit you  
Wix’s design freedom can backfire.  
Sites get messy, slow, or inconsistent — and that hurts your SEO.  
It’s also not strong enough for businesses that plan to grow their online shop seriously.

---

## WooCommerce — Powerful, but Developer-Heavy

If you want *full control* and you’re comfortable hiring a developer (or fixing things yourself), WooCommerce can be a beast — in a good way.

It runs on WordPress and turns your site into a shop.

### Why it’s great  
- **Unlimited customisation**  
- **Huge plugin ecosystem**  
- **Great for large, complex shops**  
- **You own absolutely everything**  

### Why it might not suit you  
You’re responsible for hosting, security, updates, backups… everything.  
If something breaks, it’s on you (or your developer).  
This is not a hands-off platform.

---

## Quick Comparison Table

| Platform | Best For | Ease of Use | Cost | Scalability |
|----------|-----------|-------------|------|-------------|
| **Shopify** | Product-focused businesses | ★★★★☆ | £19/mo+ | ★★★★★ |
| **Squarespace** | Aesthetic brands + mixed services | ★★★★★ | £12/mo+ | ★★★☆☆ |
| **Wix** | Budget-friendly, small shops | ★★★★☆ | £10/mo+ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| **WooCommerce** | Large, custom stores | ★★☆☆☆ | Varies | ★★★★★ |

---

## Which Platform Should *You* Use?

Here’s the simple version — no tech jargon, no overthinking:

- **Choose Shopify** if selling is your main goal and you want the most professional experience.  
- **Choose Squarespace** if you want something beautiful, simple, and perfect for smaller shops + service businesses.  
- **Choose Wix** if you’re on a tight budget and want flexibility (but not too many products).  
- **Choose WooCommerce** if you need total control and don’t mind hiring help.

---

## My Take (a.k.a. What I Recommend to Clients)

In 90% of cases, I recommend:

- **Shopify** for e-commerce-focused businesses  
- **Squarespace** for service-led brands that sell a few extras  
- **WooCommerce** only when the business needs deep custom development  

Shopify simply performs better for selling.  
Squarespace shines for visuals + simple shops.  
Wix works, but it’s not my go-to for growing businesses.

---

## Final Thought

Your website platform should make running your business easier — not turn you into your own IT department.

Choosing the right one saves time, boosts sales, and takes the stress out of managing your shop so you can focus on, you know… actually doing the thing you love.

---

### → Want help choosing or setting up your platform?  
I help small businesses build beautiful, sales-ready sites on Shopify and Squarespace — without the usual overwhelm.  
[Get in touch →](https://moxiethemes.com)


Trying to decide whether Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, or WooCommerce is the best home for your online shop? Here’s a clear, jargon-free guide to choosing the right e-commerce platform for your business.

Best Platforms to Build a Business Website With E-Commerce Features


Most small businesses don’t realise how much money they lose simply because Google has no idea where they actually *are.*

You could have the best products, the loveliest service, and a website that looks like it was handcrafted by angels — but if Google thinks you’re in “United Kingdom (unspecified)” instead of Croydon, Manchester, or Brighton… you’re basically invisible.

Local SEO isn’t glamorous.  
You won’t find anyone bragging about adding alt text to their location photos.  
But it quietly brings in the customers who live *near you* — you know, the ones most likely to buy from you.

Let’s make Google fall in love with your business and finally rank you where you deserve to be.

---

## What “Local SEO” Actually Means

Local SEO is just:  
**making sure your business shows up when someone nearby searches for what you offer.**

“Hair salon near me.”  
“Cake delivery Birmingham.”  
“Dog groomer Islington.”  

Google checks three things:

- **Relevance** — does your business actually match what they typed?  
- **Distance** — are you close to them?  
- **Prominence** — are you *known* locally (reviews, links, mentions, activity)?

You don’t need to be a marketer to nail this — you just need to do a handful of practical things consistently.

---

## Step 1: Sort Out Your Google Business Profile (GBP)

This one alone can skyrocket your visibility.

If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile, go do that immediately.  
It’s free. It’s powerful. It’s basically the key to the entire kingdom.

### How to optimise it properly

- Add **your real business name, exact address, phone number, and website URL**  
- Upload at least **10 high-quality photos** (space, products, staff, exterior)  
- Add **opening hours** (including special hours for holidays)  
- Choose **every relevant category** (you can have one main category + extras)  
- Add **products/services**, even if you list them on your website  
- Post updates weekly (offers, new products, events — treat it like a mini social feed)

### Why it matters  
Your GBP often appears *before your website* in search results.  
Neglecting it is like locking your shop door at lunchtime.

---

## Step 2: Make Your Website Shout Your Location

Google isn’t psychic.  
If your website never mentions where you operate, it can’t rank you locally.

### Add your location clearly on:

- Your **homepage** (“Serving clients across Kent & Sussex”)  
- Your **footer** (full address + clickable phone number)  
- Your **contact page** (map + directions)  
- Your **service pages** (“Bespoke landscaping services in Hertfordshire”)  

### Bonus points  
Create dedicated **location pages** if you serve multiple areas.  
Example:  
`/plumber-south-london`  
`/plumber-east-london`

One page per location — no stuffing them into one chaotic paragraph.

---

## Step 3: Nail Your On-Page SEO for Local Terms

This is the part everyone skips because it “sounds technical.”  
It isn’t. Promise.

### Focus on these:

- **Title tags** — “Mobile Dog Groomer in Hackney | HappyPaws”  
- **Meta descriptions** — short, punchy, and location-based  
- **H1 headings** — include what you do *and* where  
- **Alt text** — describe images and include the location where natural  
- **URL structure** — clean, simple, descriptive  

Example:  
`/manicure-salon-liverpool`

Write for humans first, sprinkle in keywords naturally.

---

## Step 4: Add Local Schema (If You Want to Be Fancy)

Schema markup is a small bit of code that helps Google understand your business details more clearly.

It’s optional, but brilliant.

Add **Local Business Schema** with fields like:

- Business name  
- Address  
- Phone number  
- Opening hours  
- Services  
- Map coordinates  

Your developer can add it in minutes — or you can use generators like Merkle’s.

It helps you appear in rich results and reinforces your local trust signals.

---

## Step 5: Collect Reviews Like They’re Gold (Because They Are)

Reviews are one of Google’s biggest ranking factors for local searches.

Aim for consistent, genuine, recent reviews.

### Tips:

- Ask every happy customer  
- Send them straight to your Google link  
- Reply to *every* review — even the weird ones  
- Add testimonials to your website for extra trust

And no, you don’t need 500 reviews.  
Ten real reviews beat fifty suspiciously identical ones.

---

## Step 6: Build Local Backlinks (Without Getting Spammy)

A backlink is simply another site pointing to yours.  
Local backlinks tell Google you’re a real business in a real community.

Ideas:

- Partner with local bloggers  
- Join business directories (not the dodgy ones — legit ones only)  
- Sponsor a local event  
- Collaborate with neighbouring businesses  
- Submit your business to local newspapers or “Top 10” lists  

Think: humans first, Google second.

---

## Step 7: Keep Your Business Details the Same Everywhere

Your:

- Name  
- Address  
- Phone number  

…must match **exactly** across:

- Your website  
- Google profile  
- Instagram  
- Facebook  
- Directories  
- Email signatures  
- Anywhere your business exists online  

If Google sees three different phone numbers and two versions of your address, it panics and ranks you lower.

---

## Quick Local SEO Checklist

| Task | Status |
|------|--------|
| Google Business Profile complete | ✔︎ |
| Address + phone added site-wide | ✔︎ |
| Location-based headings + titles | ✔︎ |
| Local keywords added naturally | ✔︎ |
| Images optimised with alt text | ✔︎ |
| Location pages created (optional) | ✔︎ |
| Reviews requested + replied to | ✔︎ |
| Local backlinks secured | ✔︎ |

If you tick most of these, you’re already outperforming half your competitors.

---

## My Take (a.k.a. What I Do for Clients)

When I optimise websites for local search, I focus on:

- Making the brand feel hyper-local  
- Ensuring Google instantly understands where they operate  
- Tightening up the technical SEO  
- Making sure their content is clear, helpful, and location-specific  
- Optimising their Google Business Profile for maximum visibility  

It’s not about gaming Google — it’s about giving it the cleanest, clearest information possible so it trusts you.

The result?  
More traffic, more enquiries, more bookings — minus the headache.

---

## Final Thought

Local SEO isn’t a one-off task.  
It’s a quiet, ongoing, extremely profitable habit.

Do a bit each month, keep your details consistent, and treat your local customers well — Google sees everything.

When you get it right, your website becomes a digital signpost pointing straight to your business, 24/7.

---

### → Want me to optimise your site for local search?  
I help small UK businesses get found locally with clean website structure, sharp SEO, and a proper Google setup.  
[Get in touch →](https://moxiethemes.com)


If you want customers in your area to actually *find* you, your website needs to be doing more than just looking pretty. Here's how to optimise for local search without hiring an SEO wizard.

How to Optimise Your Business Website for Local Search Results


Every small business owner hits the same moment eventually:  
That *“right, I need a proper website”* realisation.

You open Google. Search “best website builder.”  
Suddenly you’re knee-deep in comparison tables, acronyms, and YouTubers telling you that **Wix is both amazing AND terrible**, depending on the day.

Here’s the truth most people won’t tell you:  
**Yes, these platforms claim you can build a professional site without code.  
No, that does *not* mean you should do it all yourself.**

You’re the expert at what *you* do.  
I’m the expert at making websites that don’t look like they were assembled at 2am using a motivational quote and guesswork.

Still — website builders can be brilliant tools when used well, especially if you’re updating content yourself later.  
Let’s break down the best ones, what they’re actually good for, and why the “DIY everything” approach can quietly sabotage your business.

---

## Why Business Owners Shouldn’t Build Their Own Websites (Mostly)

Can you build your own website?  
Technically, yes.

Should you?  
*Probably not.*

Here’s why:

### 1. **You’re too close to your own business**
It’s hard to communicate your value clearly when you’re emotionally attached to every detail.  
Professionals know how to simplify, sharpen, and guide customers where they need to go.

### 2. **DIY websites often look DIY**
Even with drag-and-drop tools, it’s easy to accidentally create:

- weird spacing  
- uneven layouts  
- clashing fonts  
- fifty shades of not-quite-your-brand-colour  

Customers *can* tell.

### 3. **You’ll waste hours on things a designer solves in minutes**
Learning curves. Trial and error.  
YouTube rabbit holes that steal entire weekends.

Your time is worth more than that.

### 4. **SEO, accessibility, structure, UX — all get ignored**
Most DIY sites struggle with:

- slow loading  
- missing alt text  
- broken mobile layouts  
- messy menus  
- weak keywords  

A professional bakes all of this in automatically.

### 5. **Your website is your first impression**
If it looks unprofessional, people assume the business is the same.

So yes — use these platforms.  
But don’t confuse “no code needed” for “no expertise needed.”

---

## The Best Website Builders (and Who They’re Actually For)

Let’s skip the fluff and get straight into it.

---

## Squarespace — The Stylish All-Rounder

Squarespace is the platform for people who want something clean, modern, and beautiful — quickly.

### Why it’s great
- Stunning templates that look good *out of the box*  
- Easy drag-and-drop editing  
- Perfect for small service businesses  
- Built-in SEO, analytics, email marketing tools  
- Affordable monthly costs  

### When it’s ideal  
Portfolios, salons, coaches, creatives, local businesses.

### The catch  
Custom design still requires expertise.  
DIY layouts often end up looking *almost* right… but not quite.

---

## Wix — Flexible, Friendly, but Easy to Overdo

Wix is the “you can literally drag anything anywhere” platform.  
This is both its superpower *and* the reason many Wix sites look chaotic.

### Why it’s great
- True drag-and-drop freedom  
- Hundreds of templates  
- Built-in apps for bookings, events, members  
- Easy to get started  
- Good for budget-conscious businesses  

### When it’s ideal  
Startups, hobby sites, small businesses with simple needs.

### The catch  
Because there’s no rigid structure, inexperienced users often create cluttered, inconsistent pages.  
Good design requires… well, design.

---

## Shopify — Best for Selling (Even If You Don’t Code)

If your business involves e-commerce, Shopify is the clear winner.

### Why it’s great
- Highest converting checkout  
- Amazing templates  
- Professional product management  
- Secure, fast hosting  
- Apps for anything you can imagine (subscriptions, bookings, bundles)  

### When it’s ideal  
Anyone selling physical or digital products.

### The catch  
Shopify’s builder is simple but not magic — to make it look polished, cohesive, and on-brand, you’ll want a designer.

---

## Webflow — The “Designer’s Playground”

This is the platform everyone on Twitter raves about.  
It’s powerful, flexible, and wildly customisable — without code (mostly).

### Why it’s great
- Pixel-perfect design control  
- CMS capabilities for blogs, portfolios, dynamic pages  
- Smooth animations and interactions  
- Clean, semantic code output  

### When it’s ideal  
Established businesses, tech companies, design-driven brands.

### The catch  
Webflow is *not* beginner-friendly.  
A DIY Webflow site is basically a rite of passage into chaos.

---

## Quick Comparison Table

| Platform | Best For | Ease of Use | Design Quality | Scalability |
|----------|-----------|-------------|----------------|-------------|
| **Squarespace** | Service businesses, creatives | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| **Wix** | Budget-friendly quick builds | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| **Shopify** | E-commerce | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ |
| **Webflow** | High-end, custom sites | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |

---

## So Which One Should You Use?

Simple:

- **Squarespace** → You want something beautiful, cohesive, and easy to update.  
- **Wix** → You want extreme flexibility and a lower budget.  
- **Shopify** → You want to sell products professionally.  
- **Webflow** → You want a high-end, custom website and you’re not afraid to hire help.  

But whichever platform you choose — remember this:

**Your website builder matters, but your website designer matters more.**

Because even the best platform can’t fix:

- unclear messaging  
- messy layouts  
- poorly sized images  
- badly structured pages  
- confusing navigation  

That’s the work of someone who does this all day, every day.

---

## My Take (a.k.a. What I Tell Clients)

I love when clients take control of their site *after* the build.  
Update your copy, add products, tweak photos — brilliant.

But the initial build?  
The foundation?  
The structure, flow, branding, and SEO?

That’s where having a professional saves you:

- time  
- stress  
- money  
- lost customers  
- embarrassing DIY design decisions  

Use these no-code tools as *editors*, not as your entire web strategy.

---

## Final Thought

Website builders made websites accessible — which is fantastic.  
But accessibility doesn’t equal *expertise*.

Think of it this way:

You can buy scissors…  
but you wouldn’t cut your own hair for your wedding.

Your website is your business’s first impression.  
Make it count.

---

### → Want a website that looks professional *and* works beautifully?
I design websites for small businesses that feel premium, are easy to edit, and don’t rely on guesswork.  
[Get in touch →](https://moxiethemes.com)


Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, Webflow — which platform is actually worth your time, and why most business owners shouldn’t be building their website by themselves in the first place.

Top Website Builders for Creating Professional Business Websites Without Coding


People don’t buy things because they *need* them.  
They buy because something about your site — a word, a colour, a feeling — made their brain go, *“Ooh, yes.”*  

That’s the messy, wonderful world of ecommerce psychology.  
And if you understand even a little of how it works, you can design Shopify stores that convert without being pushy or sleazy.  

Let’s dig into what actually makes someone click **Add to Cart** — and how you can use that knowledge to your advantage.

---

## The Human Brain Is Lazy (and That’s a Good Thing)

We like easy decisions.  
When people land on your site, they’re not analysing your UX strategy — they’re subconsciously scanning for clarity, trust, and pleasure.  

Your job is to *remove friction* — every hesitation, every confusion, every “wait, what am I meant to do next?” moment.  

That’s what a good Shopify theme does:  
- Clear hierarchy (headings tell a story)  
- Obvious buttons (contrasting, no guesswork)  
- Logical flow from “ooh, that’s nice” to “yep, I’m buying it”  

The less your customer has to think, the more likely they are to act.

---

## 1. Trust Comes First

Before anyone clicks Add to Cart, their brain quietly asks one question: *“Can I trust this site?”*  

Trust signals can be subtle:
- Professional design (no pixelated logos or weird spacing)  
- Clear delivery and returns info  
- Reviews or testimonials  
- Real contact details  
- No weird surprises at checkout  

It’s not glamorous, but trust is the foundation of conversion.  
If your site looks sketchy, you could be selling gold bars for £1 and still struggle.

---

## 2. Emotion Sells More Than Logic

We all like to think we’re rational buyers, but most purchase decisions are emotional — logic just comes in later to justify them.  

Your copy and visuals should create a *feeling*.  
Excitement, calm, nostalgia, empowerment — whatever fits your brand.  

If someone looks at your product and imagines how it’ll make their life slightly better, that’s half the sale done.  

The Y2K Theme, for example, leans into nostalgia. It doesn’t just say “look at this feature,” it says “remember how fun the internet used to be?”  
That’s emotion — and it sells.

---

## 3. Social Proof = Safety Net

No one wants to be the first to try something.  
That’s why social proof is so powerful.  

Show reviews. Display “as seen in” logos. Mention your happy customers. Even something as small as “500+ orders shipped” reassures new visitors.  

It’s the digital equivalent of “this restaurant’s busy — must be good.”  
When people see that others have bought before them, the fear of regret disappears.

---

## 4. Urgency and Scarcity (Used Ethically)

Humans hate missing out more than they love saving money.  

That’s why countdown timers, low-stock messages, and “ends Sunday” sales work — they activate loss aversion.  

The trick is to use them honestly.  
If everything on your site says “Only 1 left!” for three months straight, people stop believing you.  

Use real data, real deadlines, and make your urgency feel authentic — not manipulative.

---

## 5. The Add to Cart Button Itself

Small detail, big difference.  

Your **Add to Cart** button should:
- Be bold, high-contrast, and above the fold  
- Use active, emotional language (“Add to Bag”, “Get Yours”, “Let’s Go”)  
- Visually react when clicked (motion reassures people that something’s happening)  

It’s one of the most-tapped buttons on your site — make it feel like an invitation, not a formality.  

If people can’t find or *feel* your Add to Cart button, they’ll simply give up.

---

## 6. Choice Overload Is Real

The more options you give, the harder it is to decide.  
If your store layout screams “look at everything all at once,” most visitors won’t choose anything at all.  

Guide people through your products like a friendly shop assistant:  
- Highlight a bestseller  
- Curate collections  
- Use comparison grids sparingly  

You’re not hiding products — you’re helping people find what they actually want.

---

## 7. Consistency = Comfort

Every colour, font, and button style should feel like part of the same story.  

When design is consistent, the brain relaxes.  
When design changes wildly between pages, people subconsciously think “something’s off.”  

Your site should feel like one smooth journey, not a series of random pop-ups.  

---

## How to Use All This Without Manipulating People

Good conversion design isn’t about tricking people.  
It’s about understanding what helps them make confident, happy decisions.  

That’s what *real* UX psychology does:  
- Builds trust  
- Removes friction  
- Reduces anxiety  
- Sparks emotion  

When you design with empathy and clarity, sales happen naturally.  

---

## The Takeaway

The Add to Cart click isn’t random — it’s a mix of trust, clarity, and emotion all firing at once.  
Your design either supports that moment or sabotages it.  

So before you add another gradient or scroll effect, ask yourself:  
> “Does this help someone feel more confident about buying?”  

If the answer’s yes, keep it.  
If not, scrap it.

---

### → Want a Shopify theme that already does the psychology bit for you?  
The **Y2K Theme** was built with all this baked in — smart layouts, visual trust signals, and animations that guide attention without slowing anything down.  
[View the Y2K Theme →](https://moxiethemes.com/templates/y2k-theme)


What actually makes people buy — the design, trust, and emotional triggers behind the almighty Add to Cart button.

The Psychology of Why People Click ‘Add to Cart’


Most people don’t think about their CMS until it’s too late.  
Usually, it’s when they’re three months into running a new website, trying to update one word on the homepage, and quietly Googling *“what does headless mean.”*  

If you’ve ever felt locked out of your own site, or stuck paying someone just to change a heading, this one’s for you.  

Let’s break down what a CMS actually is, and why **Netlify CMS**, **Sanity**, and **Storyblok** are three brilliant (and refreshingly modern) options — depending on how hands-on you want to be.

---

## What Is a CMS, Really?

A CMS (Content Management System) is just the tool you use to manage and update your website content — without needing to open your code editor or email your developer in a panic.  

Think of it as the friendly layer between you and your site’s code.  
You write blog posts, change images, and tweak text — it updates the real site automatically.  

If your current setup involves sending a spreadsheet and 12 screenshots to your developer every time you want to change something, you don’t *have* a CMS. You have a hostage situation.

---

## Netlify CMS — Perfect for Simple, No-Fuss Editing

If you want something lightweight and easy, **Netlify CMS** is a dream.  
It’s open source, works with static site generators (like Next.js), and gives you a clean dashboard to edit content directly.  

### Why it’s great
- **Visual editing:** You can see changes instantly while editing.  
- **Version control:** Every change saves in Git, so you can undo mistakes easily.  
- **Free to use:** No subscriptions or hidden pricing.  
- **Ideal for small sites:** Portfolios, service pages, or simple marketing sites.  

### Why it might not suit you
If you’ve got multiple authors, lots of dynamic data, or you want to expand into something complex later (like custom dashboards or multi-language content), you’ll probably outgrow it.

---

## Sanity — Structured, Scalable, and Seriously Powerful

**Sanity** is the one for people who like control — or, let’s be honest, for developers like me who want flexibility *and* visual editing.  

It’s a “structured content” CMS, which means you define exactly how your content works — products, blog posts, testimonials, anything. Then Sanity gives your team a clean editing interface built on those rules.

### Why it’s great
- **Real-time visual editing:** Their new Studio editor lets you see content changes live on your actual site.  
- **Structured data:** Perfect if you want to repurpose content across pages or apps.  
- **Collaborative:** Multiple users can edit together (like Google Docs).  
- **Developer-friendly:** Integrates beautifully with frameworks like Next.js.  

### Why it might not suit you
It’s *powerful* — but that also means setup is more technical. Once it’s in place though, it’s an absolute joy to use and scales beautifully with growing businesses.

---

## Storyblok — The Visual Builder for Non-Developers

**Storyblok** is the CMS for people who want a drag-and-drop experience but still want developer-grade flexibility behind it.  

It’s technically headless (so it can feed any site or app), but it doesn’t *feel* headless — you get a full visual editor that lets you move components around and preview content live.

### Why it’s great
- **True visual editing:** You drag, drop, and preview content on the actual page.  
- **Component-based:** Perfect for modular sites built with reusable sections.  
- **Multilingual support:** Built in, not bolted on.  
- **Editor-friendly:** Ideal if you want full control without touching code.  

### Why it might not suit you
It’s subscription-based and slightly pricier than Netlify CMS or Sanity, but for most small businesses the time saved in editing easily covers the cost.

---

## Which One Should You Pick?

If you like charts, here’s the quick-fire summary:

| CMS | Best For | Skill Level | Cost |
|-----|-----------|-------------|------|
| **Netlify CMS** | Simple static sites | Beginner | Free |
| **Sanity** | Custom, scalable sites | Intermediate | Free tier + usage-based |
| **Storyblok** | Visual, modular websites | Beginner–Intermediate | From ~$25/mo |

In plain English:

- **Netlify CMS** → you want simple, visual editing and don’t need fancy data structures.  
- **Sanity** → you want flexibility, scalability, and a future-proof system.  
- **Storyblok** → you want drag-and-drop editing that still looks professional.  

---

## My Take (a.k.a. How I Build)

When I create custom websites, I usually choose between **Sanity** and **Storyblok** — depending on how much control the client wants.  

If they want something they can update themselves easily, I lean Storyblok.  
If they want total structure and plan to scale, Sanity wins every time.  

Both give clients *real* control without breaking the design or depending on me forever — which is the point, isn’t it?

---

## Final Thought

Your CMS should make running your website feel easy — not like defusing a bomb every time you want to change a headline.  

If you’re constantly saying “I don’t want to break anything,” it’s time to upgrade your setup.  

A well-chosen CMS saves time, protects your sanity, and keeps your site consistent — even when you’re editing at 2am.  

---

### → Need help picking the right CMS for your next build?  
I help small businesses choose and set up the best system for their goals — whether that’s a simple Netlify build, a flexible Sanity setup, or a Storyblok-powered masterpiece.  
[Get in touch →](https://moxiethemes.com)


If you're building a website that needs to grow with you, your CMS choice matters. Here's how to pick between Netlify, Sanity, and Storyblok — without needing a developer dictionary.

Choosing a CMS: Netlify, Sanity, or Storyblok?


Let’s be honest — SEO sounds boring.  
It’s got that same energy as taxes, printer errors, and those little pop-ups asking you to accept cookies.  

But here’s the thing: if you’ve got a Shopify store and you’re ignoring SEO, you’re basically hiding your business behind a curtain and hoping people will stumble in by accident.  

So let’s skip the jargon and go through the basics — what actually matters, what you can ignore, and how to fix the big stuff without losing your will to live.

---

## What Even Is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is how you get your website to show up when someone Googles what you sell.  

And here’s the crucial bit: **you and Google actually want the same thing.**  
Google wants to give its users exactly what they’re searching for.  
You want people to find your business when they’re looking for what you offer.  

So SEO isn’t about tricking the algorithm — it’s about making your website useful, fast, and clear enough that Google goes, “Yep, this one’s good.”  

If Google is a librarian, SEO is you putting your book in the right section with a proper title, instead of chucking it under *miscellaneous* and hoping for the best.

---

## Titles and Descriptions — The Basics Everyone Skips

Every page on your Shopify site needs:
- A clear **page title** (what shows up in search results)
- A short **meta description** (the little sentence underneath)

Example:  
**Title:** Retro Pink Tote Bag – Handmade in the UK  
**Description:** Soft cotton tote with 2000s-inspired embroidery. Ships worldwide.  

That’s it.  
No keyword stuffing, no overthinking. Just describe what it is, who it’s for, and why it’s worth clicking.  

If your titles still say “Product Page – Shopify,” don’t panic — just fix them. Google loves clarity.

---

## Image Alt Text — Accessibility *and* SEO

Alt text tells Google what an image shows, and it’s also what screen readers read out for visually impaired users — so it’s not just about ranking, it’s about accessibility.  

Bad alt text: `IMG_4235.jpg`  
Good alt text: `Baby pink mini skirt with pleated hem`  

And great news — **Shopify now uses AI to automatically suggest alt text.**  
Fucking timesaver.  
You can still edit or tweak what it gives you, but it saves a massive amount of time if you’ve got a big store.

---

## Page Speed — Because No One Waits Anymore

If your site takes longer than three seconds to load, most people are gone.  

Shopify handles some of this for you, but you can help by:
- Compressing your images (TinyPNG is your friend)  
- Removing unused apps and scripts  
- Avoiding giant autoplay videos on your homepage  

You can test how fast your site is using Google’s own tool:  
👉 [Google PageSpeed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev/)  

A fast site doesn’t just please Google — it feels better for your visitors, which means more sales.  

If you’re on one of my themes, like **Y2K**, you’re already sorted. I build everything with lazy loading, compression, and clean code baked in. Because I hate slow websites as much as you do.

---

## Internal Links, Broken Links, and Redirects

Google crawls your site by following links.  
If your internal links are broken or missing, Google can’t connect the dots — and visitors can’t either.  

Here’s where most people go wrong:
- Renaming pages without setting redirects  
- Redesigning their site and forgetting that old URLs still exist  
- Deleting products or collections that other pages still link to  

I see it all the time — **broken links and missing redirects that quietly kill your SEO.**  

If you rename or restructure your site, always set up 301 redirects (Shopify makes this easy). It keeps your backlinks intact and tells Google, “Hey, this page just moved — don’t panic.”

---

## Clear Navigation Beats Fancy Graphics

Google’s not impressed by your hover animations.  
It wants simple navigation, clean structure, and pages that make sense.  

The easier your site is to explore, the more time people spend on it — and the more likely Google is to recommend it.  

Stick to short menus, sensible page names, and internal links that lead somewhere useful. Think “Shop”, “About”, “Contact”, “Blog” — not “Discover the Magic” or “Our Journey Through Retail Excellence.”

---

## Content Still Matters (Sorry)

Yes, keywords matter — but not like it’s 2010.  

If you sell candles, your homepage should probably mention the word “candles.”  
But don’t wedge it into every sentence like a lunatic.  

Instead, focus on writing descriptions and pages that sound human. Tell people what you sell, what makes it special, and how it helps them.  

If you’re genuinely helpful, Google notices. It wants good, clear answers — not keyword soup.

---

## Keep It Simple, Keep It Updated

You don’t need to chase every SEO trend.  
Just do the basics well, keep your site tidy, and update it every now and then.  

Google likes to see signs of life — new products, blog posts, small tweaks. A stale website full of broken links and outdated content tells Google you’ve gone quiet.

---

## The Shortcut Version

If you do nothing else, do these five things:
1. Write clear titles and meta descriptions.  
2. Add alt text to every image (thank you, AI).  
3. Keep your site fast.  
4. Fix or redirect broken links.  
5. Write like a real human.  

That’s 80% of SEO right there.  

The other 20%? That’s what I dig into when I run my **Shopify SEO audits** — the technical clean-up that keeps your site Google-friendly and sales-ready.

---

## Final Thought

SEO doesn’t have to be mysterious, manipulative, or mind-numbing.  
It’s just about making your website easier for people (and Google) to love.  

When you keep things clear, fast, and tidy, you’re helping everyone win.  

You get found.  
Your customers find what they want.  
And Google gets to feel smug about another good search result.

---

### → Need help with your Shopify SEO?  
I offer audits that show you exactly what’s broken and how to fix it — no fluff, no jargon, no nonsense.  
[Find out more at Moxie Themes.](https://moxiethemes.com)


SEO without the jargon — what it actually is, what to fix, and how to make Google love your Shopify store without losing your sanity.

Shopify SEO Basics for People Who Hate SEO


Every good idea starts with a little chaos — mine just happened to come with sparkles, pixel hearts, and a slight obsession with the early 2000s.

This is the story of how I built the **Y2K Shopify Theme**:  
fun, fast, unapologetically extra, and surprisingly well-behaved in Google’s eyes.

---

## The idea: make Shopify fun again

Most Shopify themes look the same: clean, minimal, polite.  
That’s lovely if you sell notebooks or linen, but not if your brand has *vibes*.  

I wanted to make something that looked **alive** — something that made people smile the second they landed on it.  
Think Myspace energy, but faster and less likely to crash your browser.

So the Y2K theme was born: bold colour, interactive effects, and a huge dose of nostalgia — all built with proper performance and accessibility in mind.

---

## The design phase: chaos with rules

I started with mood boards that looked like a 2004 MSN chat exploded — metallic gradients, bubblegum pink, glitch textures, pixel hearts, neon borders.

But even the loudest design needs structure.

- **Typography:** Rounded, retro fonts balanced with clean sans-serifs for readability.  
- **Colour palette:** Purple, yellow, pink — balanced by soft off-whites and dark greys.  
- **Layout:** Simple grid system with fluid spacing so all the effects still *perform* well.  

It’s all very Y2K, but built with restraint (and a touch of adult supervision).

---

## The fun stuff: interactive features

Here’s what I wanted to nail — *interactivity that feels magical, not messy.*

###  Cursor Effects
Five unique cursor trails you can toggle: sparkles, hearts, rainbow dots, glitch pixels, and a glowing hover halo.  
Built in lightweight JavaScript, wrapped with `prefers-reduced-motion` for accessibility, and smartly disabled on mobile.

### 3D Spinning Text
A WebGL-powered text section for hero headlines or announcements.  
It loads only when visible and falls back to static text on older devices — because motion should never murder performance.

### Countdown Timer
Perfect for drops or sales. Styled like a Y2K alarm clock with a confetti celebration when it hits zero.  
Uses Intersection Observer for lazy loading — no heavy scripts.

###  Dancing Cards
Product cards with animated borders, soft 3D tilts, and pixel bounce icons.  
All CSS transitions, GPU-accelerated for smoothness at 60fps.

---

## The secret weapon: performance-first build

Under the glitter, the Y2K Theme is **clean**.  
It’s built with **Shopify 2.0**, modular Liquid sections, and **Tailwind CSS** for speed and maintainability.

A few nerdy bits:

- Conditional loading: effects only run when needed.  
- Smart defaults: SEO titles, meta tags, and schema baked in.  
- Lazy loading everywhere.  
- 100% valid HTML and accessible contrast ratios (even on neon).  
- Core Web Vitals-friendly — LCP under 2s, CLS under 0.1.  

Basically: flashy front end, serious back end.

---

## The balance: nostalgia without noise

The challenge was to capture that early-internet playfulness without creating a sensory overload.  
So I added a global toggle in the settings:  

> **Party Mode / Pro Mode**  
> Party = all animations on.  
> Pro = simplified motion, maximum speed.  

It gives shop owners control — they can dial the chaos up or down depending on their brand.

---

## Lessons learned

1. **You can be fun *and* fast.**  
   Good code doesn’t have to be beige.  
2. **Accessibility isn’t optional.**  
   Animation without accessibility is just bad UX.  
3. **Details matter.**  
   Every cursor effect, hover, and gradient is there for a reason.  

Building this theme reminded me why I love frontend — it’s the perfect mix of design, psychology, and code.

---

## What’s next?

I’m already sketching ideas for the next theme (think pastel cybercore with productivity-app precision).  
But for now, the Y2K Theme is my proudest build — a mix of personality, performance, and pure serotonin.

---

If you want to see it in action:  
👉 **[View Live Demo](https://moxiethemes.com/templates/y2k-theme)**  
👉 **[Buy the Y2K Theme – $197 Launch Offer](https://moxiethemes.com/templates/y2k-theme)**  

> *Because websites shouldn’t just look good — they should work hard and make people smile.*  
> — Moxie


A peek behind the scenes of how the Y2K Theme was designed, built, and optimised — from chaotic inspiration to clean, SEO-friendly code.

Behind the Build: How I Created the Y2K Shopify Theme


Your site looks stunning. The colours slap, the fonts are on point, and the homepage feels like a mood board.  
So why aren’t people buying?

Because **pretty isn’t the same as profitable**. If your site is slow, confusing, or invisible to Google, it doesn’t matter how nice your gradients are — it won’t sell reliably.

Let’s fix that with a simple framework you can actually use.

---

## TL;DR

Design gets attention. Performance earns the click. Clarity gets the sale.  
Make it look good, yes — but make it **load fast, read clearly, and rank**.

Not sure where to start? Book an **SEO Audit** and I’ll tell you — plainly — what to fix first.

---

## The myth: “If it looks premium, it will convert”

Design matters — first impressions build trust. But **performance, clarity, and relevance** are what keep people clicking and buying.  
A site that takes 6 seconds to load or buries the add-to-cart button under art direction is just expensive wallpaper.

**Goal:** design for emotion, ship for speed, structure for search, and write for humans.

---

## What actually drives sales (in order)

1. **Speed** — fast sites get seen, explored, and trusted.  
2. **Clarity** — what you sell, why it’s good, and how to buy (above the fold).  
3. **Focus** — one clear action per screen; no cognitive gymnastics.  
4. **Proof** — reviews, real photos, trust markers.  
5. **Style** — the wrapper that makes it memorable (not the engine).

If you only optimise one thing this week, make it **speed**.

---

## How to balance design and performance (Shopify-friendly)

### 1) Keep hero sections light
- Use a single, well-compressed image or a CSS gradient instead of video.  
- Avoid heavy sliders; they tank LCP and no one waits for slide 3.  
- One headline, one subhead, one primary CTA. That’s it.

### 2) Ship images like a grown-up
- Export at the size you actually render.  
- Prefer modern formats (WebP or AVIF) where possible.  
- Lazy-load images below the fold.  
- Write descriptive alt text so search engines know what’s in the image.

### 3) Audit your apps and scripts
- Every app adds requests, CSS, and JS. Remove what you don’t use.  
- Prefer native Shopify 2.0 sections/blocks over plugins when you can.  
- Defer non-critical scripts until after the page is interactive.

### 4) Design for one action per screen
- Home: view a collection or shop “new in”.  
- Collection: filter then pick a product.  
- Product: choose variant then add to cart.  
If a section doesn’t move people to the next step, it’s decoration.

### 5) Write copy that sells, not just “sounds nice”
- Headline = what it is + who it’s for + why it’s great.  
- Bullets = benefits before features.  
- Kill filler like “we’re passionate” — prove it with specifics.

---

## Quick wins you can do today

- Replace the autoplay hero video with a still + gradient.  
- Compress your top 10 images and re-upload.  
- Set meaningful titles and meta descriptions (not “Home”).  
- Move reviews higher on product pages.  
- Trim the header to the essentials; fewer distractions = more clicks.  
- Test on mobile first. If it’s fiddly, fix it.

---

## A simple checklist for product pages

- Primary image loads under 2 seconds on mobile.  
- Clear price, variant selector, and a bold Add to Cart above the fold.  
- Benefits bullets in plain English.  
- Social proof visible without miles of scrolling.  
- Delivery/returns info one click away (no mystery fees at checkout).  
- Recommended products that actually relate.

---

## “But my brand needs motion and big visuals”

Same. You can have both — **style with restraint**:

- Use lightweight CSS transforms and opacity for motion instead of heavy JS.  
- Respect reduced-motion preferences and offer a site-wide “tone it down” toggle.  
- Animate one focal element at a time.  
- Load the fancy bits after the main content paints.

---

## Measuring what matters (not just vibes)

Open Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights and check these targets:

- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): 2.5s or less  
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): 200ms or less (or legacy FID ≤ 100ms)  
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): 0.1 or less

If you’re deep in the red, aesthetics aren’t your problem — **performance is**.

---

## When to call in help

If you’d rather not spend Friday night debugging render-blocking CSS, I’ll do it:

- **SEO Audit (£80):** a no-nonsense report with the exact fixes that move the needle.  
- **SEO Fix Package (from £600):** I implement the changes — redirects, speed, structure, metadata — without breaking your store.  
- **Website builds (Shopify/Squarespace/Custom):** fun, fast, and built to rank from day one.

> Because pretty websites are nice, but profitable ones are better.


Gorgeous won’t save you if your site is slow, confusing, or invisible. Here’s how to balance looks with speed, UX, and SEO.

Design vs Performance: Why Pretty Websites Don’t Always Sell


So, your Shopify site looks cute. The colours match, the fonts are vibing, and your friends keep saying “it’s so you.”  
But when you Google yourself? Page six. Maybe seven. Ouch.

Let’s fix that.

---

## The blunt truth

Most small business sites don’t rank because they’re built to *look* good, not to *work* well.  
Google doesn’t care how pink your buttons are — it cares whether your site’s fast, clean, and makes sense.

Here are five things likely holding your Shopify store back (and what to do about them):

---

### 1. You’re accidentally hiding from Google

If your store’s still got “noindex” lurking in your settings, Google’s politely pretending you don’t exist.  
In Shopify, go to **Online Store → Preferences** and make sure “Prevent search engines from indexing this site” is *unticked*.  
Yes, that’s an actual thing people forget.

---

### 2. Your product pages are clones

Copy-pasting product descriptions is the SEO equivalent of showing up to a party in the same outfit as ten other people.  
Write short, unique blurbs that describe what makes your product different — use your customer’s language, not AI mush.  
Google rewards originality; so do shoppers.

---

### 3. Your site’s slower than a dial-up connection

Oversized images and too many apps are silent conversion killers.  
Use **[Shopify’s speed report](https://www.shopify.com/uk/compare/sitespeed)** or a free tool like **[PageSpeed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev)**.  
Compress images, ditch the plugins you don’t need, and aim for that “green” score.  
Remember: fast = found.

---

### 4. Your titles and meta descriptions are tragic

“Home” and “Shop” aren’t titles, they’re missed opportunities.  
Your homepage title should say who you are and what you sell — something like:  
> *“Y2K-Inspired Jewellery | Neon Accessories for Bold People – Brand Name”*  

That’s the stuff Google actually shows to humans.

---

### 5. You’ve got broken links everywhere

Old URLs, deleted products, dodgy referral links — all of it chips away at trust.  
Run a quick broken link check and redirect anything that’s gone walkabout.  
Broken links = broken credibility.

---

## How to fix all this (without crying)

If you’re tech-savvy, you can clean up most of this yourself.  
If you’d rather not spend your Friday night Googling “canonical tags,” book an **[SEO Audit](https://moxiethemes.com/services)** with me.

You’ll get a clear, no-jargon report showing exactly what’s wrong and how to fix it.  
No fluff, no panic — just the truth and a plan.

---

## Key takeaway

Your Shopify site isn’t doomed — it’s just misunderstood.  
A few smart tweaks and a little SEO love can turn it from *invisible* to *unmissable.*


If your store looks great but Google’s ignoring you, here’s why — and how to fix it.

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