Beauty is a fast-moving, highly competitive ecommerce category. Shoppers want transparency, personalization, and trust. This guide distills what we've learned from powering high-performing beauty storefronts and shares actionable strategies you can use to elevate your own digital experience.
Table of Contents
What Today’s Beauty Shoppers Expect
Beauty consumers are among the most informed and selective in ecommerce. Before making a purchase, they look for visual proof, education, and reassurance that a product will work for their unique needs.
Industry Knowledge:
Social proof is the primary purchase driver
Instagram are primary discovery channels
Average beauty consumer researches 7+ products before purchase
65% of consumers read ingredient lists completely
78% of beauty purchases start with product reviews
Video Content drives 3x higher conversion than static images
Before/after photos matter more than product descriptions
How to Build a Storefront That Converts
Your storefront is your first impression. And for beauty brands, it has to work like a combination of magazine editorial, video tutorial, and conversion engine.
9 Ways to Optimize Your Beauty Shop Experience:
Avatar Header: header showcasing brand name with any ongoing offer or
brand/product callout.
Influencer or Celebrity Video: Include a short video of a creator or founder applying the product to build trust and engagement right from the start.
Product Shot: Use colorful product card images that feature a popular shade to make bestsellers instantly recognizable.
Product badges: Tag items with labels like “Bestseller,” “Exclusive,” or “Back in Stock” to create urgency and guide shopper decisions.
Reviews: Showcase customer reviews that include real images to provide social proof and increase buyer confidence.
Banners: Add banners on your shop that highlight key perks such as free shipping, easy returns, or special promotions.
Press Mentions: Feature media coverage with recognizable logos or “As seen in” badges to build credibility with new visitors.
Offers Messaging: Place important offers like “Free Shipping” visibly at the top of the page so shoppers see them without scrolling.
Product images: Use clear hero images that show the product in detail, and display all items when promoting bundles to set expectations.
Below is another example that shows all 9 features in FERMÁT:
Pro Tip: Make every product in the video shoppable directly on the page
Mastering Shop & PDP Optimization
Shop optimization is all about designing the storefront to attract, educate, and convert customers at the very top of the shopping journey.
There are 3 popular formats to choose from:
Video Shop: A storefront layout that centers around a short-form video (like GRWM or a founder demo).
Advertorial: A landing page or enhanced PDP that functions like an editorial ad.
GRWM (Get Ready With Me): A high-performing video format featuring a celebrity or influencer personally using the product.
JLO example of GRWM:
PDP optimization focuses on improving the product detail page to answer customer questions, reduce friction, and drive conversion. In beauty, it must combine education, comparison tools, and emotional validation like social proof or before/after results.
PDP Optimization Includes:
(click arrow for drop down menu description)
Visual Shade Matching & Swatching
Visual Shade Matching & Swatching
First image should show the shade applied on real skin
Include a vertical carousel next to a swatch selector for better UX
Categorize swatches into themes like “Best Sellers” or “Nudes”
Check out Friction Reducers
Check out Friction Reducers
Enable Apple Pay (noted for high adoption in beauty)
Default to one-time purchase rather than subscription
Make return/exchange policies visible near the CTA
Product Education and Proof
Product Education and Proof
Add clinical results or claims (like “100% saw improved texture”)
List product benefits, ingredients, usage, awards, and styling tips
Best reviews describe outcomes (e.g., “cleared my dark spots in 4 weeks”)
Use categorized product grids to help customers discover products that match their needs and shopping intent like:
Concern (acne, aging, sensitivity)
Product Type (cleansers, serums, masks)
Collection (sensitive skin, brightening)
Winning Angles to Layer Into Your PDPs
When creating a PDP, it’s important to include a USP (Unique Selling Proposition), also called a "winning angle." A USP is the key feature, benefit, or message that makes your product stand out from competitors, and gives the customer a reason to choose you.
In beauty ecommerce, USPs often include:
Clean ingredients or non-toxic formulations
Cruelty-free or vegan certifications
Dermatologist-developed or clinically proven results
Inclusive shade ranges
Sustainable packaging
Personalized recommendations (e.g., quiz-based routines)
These USPs build trust and reinforce credibility at a moment of high intent.
A/B Test Examples for Experimentation:
Here are four A/B test ideas you can run to quickly improve performance across your product pages and checkout experience.
Each test is backed by results from real beauty brands using FERMÀT.
Test Focus | Test Variation | Performance Impact | Why It Works |
Ingredient Education | Basic vs. detailed ingredient descriptions | 18% lift in conversion rate | Shoppers are more confident when they understand what’s inside the product. |
Before/After | One photo vs. 2–3 progress photos over time | 22% increase in conversion rate | Showing long-term results builds trust and makes benefits feel more real. |
Routine Building | Single product vs. full skincare routine layout | 35% higher AOV with routine layout | Customers prefer to buy products as a routine when it’s presented clearly. |
Sample Strategy | Pre-selected vs. Choose-your-own samples Gift With Purchase (GWP) | 15% increase in conversion rate | Giving customers choice increases engagement and makes them feel in control. |