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Jewelers, Furniture, Auto

Persona 2: The "Retail Entrepreneur" (for Growth-Oriented SMBs - Jewelers, Furniture, Auto)

  • Name: Mark "Sparky" Johnson (owner of Sparky's Auto Repair & Sales)
  • Role: Owner/Manager of a retail business or service center.
  • Demographics: 35-60 years old, hands-on business owner, passionate about their product/service.
  • Goals:
    • Drive foot traffic and online inquiries/sales.
    • Effectively showcase their product inventory or service capabilities.
    • Build local brand loyalty.
    • Convert website visitors into leads or customers.
    • Differentiate from competitors.
  • Challenges/Pain Points:
    • "Our website doesn't sell/convert": Looks good but isn't generating business.
    • Product/inventory management: Difficulty updating online catalogs.
    • E-commerce complexity: Wants to sell online but overwhelmed by the tech.
    • Local SEO: Not showing up when people search "car repair near me."
    • Seasonal promotions/updates: Needs flexibility for quick changes.
    • Competition from larger chains/online retailers.
  • Motivations for Hiring You: Tangible results (more sales, leads), user-friendly admin for updates, attractive and professional online storefront, local market expertise, ability to integrate with existing systems (POS, inventory).
  • How They Look for Solutions: Google searches for "web development for [auto dealers]," local marketing agencies, industry forums, competitor analysis.
  • Keywords/Phrases: "E-commerce website," "online catalog," "lead generation for retailers," "local SEO," "inventory integration," "mobile-friendly shop."

Moving to Scenario 2, we shift from the "Heart-Led" non-profit to a performance-driven e-commerce environment.

This scenario is designed to test how a competitor handles "App Bloat," technical debt, and the balance between no-code ease (Shopify) and custom engineering. As a front-end developer, you’ll be looking to see if they audit the code and conversion funnel or if they just try to sell a prettier theme.

Scenario 2: The Scaling E-commerce Store (Shopify/Medium)​

  • The Persona: "Marcus," co-founder of a successful Tri-State-based lifestyle brand (e.g., sustainable home goods or high-end fitness apparel).
  • The Goal: Marcus has a Shopify store doing $250k–$500k in annual sales, but growth has plateaued. The site feels "heavy," mobile conversion is 50% lower than desktop, and they have 25+ apps installed—many of which they don't use.
  • Budget Anchor: Marcus is willing to spend $15k–$25k for a redesign, but he needs to see a clear ROI (Return on Investment) through increased Average Order Value (AOV) or lower bounce rates.

The Outreach Script (Email / Contact Form)​

Subject: Inquiry: Shopify Redesign & Performance Audit for [Brand Name] "Hi, I’m the co-founder of [Brand Name]. We’ve been on Shopify for three years and have hit a wall. Our site has become slow and cluttered with too many apps, and our mobile customers are bouncing at a much higher rate than desktop. We’re looking for a partner who can do more than just a 'visual refresh.' We need a technical audit of our current setup, a more streamlined UX to help increase our AOV, and better integration with our email marketing (Klaviyo). We’re looking to move quickly to be ready for the spring season. Do you specialize in Shopify performance, and what does your 'discovery' phase look like for a store of our size? Thanks, Marcus."

The "Deep-Dive" Secret Shopper Questions (For the Phone/Zoom Call)​

  1. The "App Bloat" Test (Technical Debt):
  • Question: "We have about 25 apps right now. I’ve heard they slow down the site. Will you help us figure out which ones we can delete or replace with custom code?"
  • What to look for: Do they offer a Technical Audit? A weak firm will just say "We'll check it out." A pro firm (like your agile firm) will talk about Liquid optimization or replacing apps with native Shopify features to reduce JavaScript execution time.
  1. The "Mobile-First" Test (UX/Design):
  • Question: "Our mobile conversion is half of our desktop. What specific mobile UX changes do you usually recommend for brands like ours?"
  • What to look for: Do they mention Thumb-zone navigation, One-click checkout (Apple/Google Pay), or Sticky 'Add to Cart' buttons?
  1. The "Revenue Growth" Test (Marketing/CRO):
  • Question: "We want to increase our Average Order Value. Can you build in things like 'Frequently Bought Together' or 'Free Shipping Progress Bars' without making the site feel spammy?"
  • What to look for: This tests their CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) knowledge. They should discuss Information Hierarchy—where to place these triggers so they help the user rather than annoy them.
  1. The "Data Ownership" Test (Analytics):
  • Question: "I feel like our Shopify data doesn't match our Google Analytics. How do you ensure our tracking is actually accurate after the redesign?"
  • What to look for: Listen for GA4 Server-side tracking or GTM (Google Tag Manager) mentions. If they don't care about the data, they aren't a "Growth Partner."
  1. The "Scale" Test (Dev/Stakeholders):
  • Question: "If we double our traffic next year, will this new theme hold up, or will we need to move to something like 'Shopify Plus' or a custom React frontend?"
  • What to look for: This tests their long-term vision. A good agency knows when a client is outgrowing a basic theme and when to suggest Headless or Plus.

How to Grade Them (Your Internal Research)​

MetricRed Flag (Template Slinger)Green Flag (Agile Tech Firm)
Speed Approach"We’ll use a fast theme.""We will run a Lighthouse audit and optimize the critical rendering path."
App Strategy"Keep the apps you like.""We’ll audit every app for impact vs. performance cost."
ROI FocusFocuses only on "Look and Feel."Focuses on "AOV, LTV, and Conversion Rate."
Agile Delivery"It’s a 4-month project.""We can ship the optimized Cart & Checkout first as a sprint."