Can you still express a strong brand identity on a limited budget?

Yes. In this case, we used a template as the foundation while adding parallax to the first-view section and animations to section headings, bringing depth and movement to an otherwise static layout. The result preserves a premium brand impression while keeping design costs down.

How do you organize the page structure?

We asked the client to organize everything they wanted to communicate as a brand using a mind map. The second level of the map became individual pages, and the third level and beyond became sections within those pages. In this case, the resulting site has a well-structured collection of pages beyond the product pages — including the brand story, key ingredients, and manufacturing background — that convey the brand's identity in depth.

How did you approach the information design for product pages?

We first clarified the product's selling points during the requirements phase, then used Shopify metafields to customize the layout. Core brand claims like 'formulated with 92.8% CLEPS®' are placed prominently, while specs such as volume, skin type, and expiry are organized in separate fields — so shoppers can quickly decide whether the product suits them.

cepolab | New Shopify EC launch for a cosmetics brand

Q: Can you build a customer list without spending heavily on ads?

Yes. We implemented a signup flow using Shopify's official Forms app, where customers receive an exclusive first-time benefit when they register. Because the offer reaches shoppers at the moment their purchase intent is highest as they browse the site, it helps build a customer list without ad spend and contributes to improving ROAS when ads are run.

May 14, 202611mm編集部

Industry: Beauty
Request Type: New
Build Type: Partial Custom
Estimated Cost: Approx. ¥1,000,000

"Keep the budget lean, but never compromise the brand" — this is the case of a Korean bio-beauty brand with a track record of 6 million units sold, launching its Japanese EC site from zero with no prior experience running an online store.

Using a template as the foundation, we implemented parallax in the first-view section and animations on section headings to add depth and movement to the layout. We supported the full build end to end: organizing the page structure with a mind map, designing product information using metafields, and implementing a member registration strategy using Shopify Forms.

The result is a site that preserves a premium brand impression while keeping design costs low — built entirely from scratch, including the initial work of figuring out where to start.

cepolab

It was our first time developing and operating an ecommerce site, but their careful discovery process helped us identify and fill the gaps, which made the launch go smoothly. Their accurate advice after the renewal has also been a real source of confidence.

Expressing brand identity on a limited budget

We applied parallax to the first-view section of the top page and added animations to section headings on inner pages, bringing depth and movement to an otherwise static layout.

By maximizing what the template could express, we kept costs down while preserving the impression of a premium brand.

Launching an EC site from scratch

The client had no prior experience running an EC store. We worked together from the very beginning — starting with "where do we even begin?"

No idea what pages are needed

We asked the client to organize everything they wanted to communicate as a brand using a mind map.

We used the second level of the mind map to define individual pages, and mapped the third level and beyond onto sections within those pages.

The brand story, key ingredients, manufacturing background, and other content a cosmetics brand needs are now systematically in place — creating a structure that communicates the brand's identity beyond the product pages.

No idea what to include on product pages

We clarified the product's selling points during the requirements phase, then used Shopify metafields to customize the product information.

Core brand claims like "formulated with 92.8% CLEPS®" and "made with just five ingredients" are placed prominently, while specs such as volume, skin type, and expiry are organized in separate fields.

The result is an information design that lets shoppers quickly decide whether the product is right for them.

Acquiring new customers in the Japanese market — building a list without heavy ad spend

In a crowded cosmetics market, cost per acquisition (CPA) tends to run high, making it expensive to rely solely on advertising for new customers. We proposed and implemented a signup flow where customers receive an exclusive first-time benefit upon registering as a member.

Using Shopify's official Forms app, we placed a floating button at the bottom of the site.

Because the offer reaches shoppers at the moment their purchase intent is highest as they browse, it helps build a customer list without ad spend and contributes to improving return on ad spend (ROAS) when ads are run.

FAQ

We handled the entire brand site launch end to end — from organizing page structure and designing product information to implementing the member registration flow. We supported the client from the very beginning, including helping them figure out where to start, as they had no prior experience running an EC store.