Is your Shopify homepage helping or hurting your sales? And how to fix it!

Let’s talk about your homepage.

You’ve probably spent hours perfecting your product pages, writing your About copy, and tweaking your pop-up… but your homepage? It might still be trying to do 27 things at once, leaving your customer confused, overwhelmed, and quietly clicking away.

A well-structured homepage is essential for guiding visitors, building trust, and driving sales. While there’s always room for creativity, the most successful Shopify homepages follow a clear, strategic layout based on proven UX (user experience) principles. Small businesses like ours also have to do things a little differently to the big brands.

I recently ran a Homepage workshop inside Ecomm BFF (aka my brilliant membership where small business owners get ongoing support with Shopify, Klaviyo and everything in between) about what makes a Shopify homepage layout work and what might be silently sabotaging your sales.

Whether you're starting fresh or doing a tidy-up, here’s your Shopify homepage blueprint, broken down into bite-size, easy to digest sections, with tips and real talk all the way through.

First things first: What’s the actual job of your homepage?

Your homepage is your digital shopfront. Its job isn’t to do everything, it’s to:

• Introduce your brand and products

• Guide people somewhere else on your site (ideally to shop!)

• Reassure them that they’re in the right place

• Build trust quickly

Most people spend just 44–82 seconds on a homepage. That means you’ve got about a minute (if you’re lucky!) to make a strong impression, so let’s make that minute count.

Try looking at your homepage through the eyes of a first-time visitor. Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Is it obvious what I sell?
2. Can I tell where to click next?
3. Would I feel confident enough to make a purchase?

If you’re not sure, this breakdown will help.

Six essential sections to improve your Shopify homepage layout:

1. Hero section (above the fold)

Set the scene with one strong, clear message.

Beauty Pie

That top section of your homepage is prime real estate. This section is your first impression, so don’t waste it on a random aesthetic image or a vague headline.

Your visitor should instantly know:

• What you sell

• Who it's for

• And what to do next (hint: that’s usually “Shop now”)

What to include:

• A bold image or short and snappy video

• A headline that says what you do or sell

• A subheading (optional)

• One clear CTA (e.g. “Shop new arrivals” or “Browse ceramics”)

Toast

DO NOT use a slideshow.

I know they’re tempting, but they just don’t work. Tests have shown that sliders can decrease conversion rates by 30% to 50% and only 1% of visitors bother to swipe trough them.

Pro tip: Think “one bold image, one clear message, one button.” That’s it.

2. Featured products +/or collections

Make it super easy to shop straight away. Show what you sell and guide customers to browse your range.

Glassette

Once you've welcomed your customer, don’t make them dig. Show off a handful of bestselling products or seasonal highlights right away.

What works well:

• Bestsellers

• New arrivals

• Current seasonal picks (e.g. “Summer essentials”)

Passenger 

Use clean product grids with product names, prices and CTA buttons (e.g. “Add to basket” or “View product”). Don’t just show images without context.

Pro tip: You can repeat this type of section further down the page to keep people browsing. Think of it like giving little doorways into your shop as they scroll.

3. Collection previews

Let customers explore your range in a way that feels organised.

Sezane

Not everyone is ready to shop a specific product right away, some people prefer to browse by category. This section helps them do just that.

Ideas to try:

• Shop our collections: Homeware, Clothing, Jewellery, Gifts

• Shop our gifts: Gifts for her, for him, for kids

• Shop by mood: Cosy, Bold, Minimal, Playful

Gymshark

Where to place it: Top half of your homepage is best. You can also repeat this section further down with a different focus (e.g. gift guides later in the year!).

4. Brand story sections

Build trust and help people emotionally connect with you and your brand values.

BySarah

This bit isn’t just fluff. Especially for small brands, storytelling is often what converts someone who’s choosing between you and Amazon.

What to include:

• A short blurb about what makes your brand special

• Icons or bullet points showing USPs (e.g. “Handmade in the UK”, “100% Organic Cotton”)

• A founders’ story or mission statement

• Your values and why you do this

Ancient & Brave

This doesn’t need to be super long, but it should feel warm, human and purposeful.

Pro tip: Place this before or after product sections, depending on how brand-forward you are

5. Testimonials and social proof

Build trust quickly using real voices and validation.

Disko Kids

New visitors need reassurance that you’re legit. Social proof can signal credibility and be the tipping point between “just browsing” and “add to cart.”

What to show:

• Customer reviews (via Judge.me or similar app)

• Press logos or quote snippets

• UGC (real-life customer pics or videos using your product!)

• Screenshots of kind messages or tags from Instagram

Pro tip: Don’t wait until you have 100 reviews to add this section. A few well-placed words from happy customers go a long way. Even if you only have a few reviews, use them.

6. Shoppable UGC

Add personality and relatability through “in the wild” product use.

Sweetbee Organics

This one’s a little more advanced, but it’s growing in popularity and super effective.

Think of it as a mini Instagram feed that looks and feels like real customer content. It’s especially useful if your products are visual (clothing, homeware, jewellery, etc.) and you have customer photos to share.

Bonus if it’s actually shoppable, clicking the image takes the customer to the product page!

Tala

Your homepage doesn’t need to be perfect, complicated, or full of flashy bells and whistles. It just needs to do its job: welcome people in, show them what you sell, and guide them clearly towards shopping.

If your homepage is currently trying to tell 10 stories at once, this is your sign to simplify.

• Keep your messaging clear

• Use images with purpose

• Think of your homepage as a journey not a dumping ground

And remember, your homepage isn’t a one-time job. Review it regularly to make sure it still reflects your collections, your goals, and what your customers need right now.

If you want feedback, help making changes, or just a little cheerleading as you go, come and join us in Ecomm BFF. We’ve got workshops, real-time advice, and a whole bunch of smart, kind small business owners ready to support you. Let’s make your homepage your hardest-working team member.