How Nicole Clarece launched a polished, performance driven Shopify website that finally matched the quality of her elevated dresses

Meet Nicole Clarece

Nicole Clarece is a performance fashion brand created for the woman who does it all and needs a wardrobe that keeps up. The debut dress collection is made from luxurious recycled performance fabric and designed for busy women who move between work, motherhood, workouts, errands, travel, and everything in between.

Her brand story is rooted in real life. According to the website copy documents, the founder created the dress because she was tired of juggling outfit changes for daycare drop off, boardroom meetings, workouts, and post work family time. She wanted one elevated dress that could perform the way her lifestyle demanded while still feeling polished, feminine, and comfortable.

The Nicole Clarece woman needs clothing that performs without compromising on style. Each dress blends luxury, sustainability, athletic functionality, and a flattering fit. Everything is responsibly made in the USA using certified recycled materials and each purchase supports the brand’s one-tree-planted initiative.

The challenge

Before working with WildHive, Nicole shared that her website looked nothing like the refined, sophisticated brand she worked so hard to create. She described her frustration clearly in her testimonial form:

“I was frustrated that my website didn't look as polished and professional as my dresses do.”

Her collection deserved a website that communicated its value, its quality, and its streamlined work-to-play mission. She needed a digital presence capable of:

• reflecting the refined nature of her brand

• explaining the value behind a higher price point

• supporting conversion oriented shopping

• guiding visitors through the details of each dress

• giving first time customers a sense of trust and confidence

As a first time founder funding the business herself, she expressed how emotionally challenging it felt to invest in her website before launch. She shared, “It is terrifying to put yourself out there and equally terrifying to add to your expenses when you’re pre-revenue” but she also expressed full belief that she needed the site to match the quality of her product.

Scope of work

Nicole hired WildHive for a full Shopify Website in a Week design and build. She also received DIY copywriting direction for each page so she could write optimized website copy using clear brand messaging, strategic structure, and skimmable formatting.

My role included:

• refining her site architecture

• designing conversion friendly page layouts

• creating a high end shopping experience

• guiding her through best practices for writing her own SEO copy

• ensuring the site could grow as her product line expands

Everything needed to feel premium, intentional, and aligned with the smart performance core of her brand.

My approach

Nicole’s brand guidelines and story were rich with emotion, intelligence, and clear positioning. The site needed to reflect sophistication while still feeling accessible and friendly.

Designing from her brand guidelines

Her identity is modern, clean, high end, and inspired by movement. I used her brand palette, typography pairings, and photography style to create a cohesive visual environment. The design choices support:

• luxury without rigidity

• athleticism without looking like activewear

• sustainability without looking earthy or rustic

• femininity without losing strength

The site needed to instantly communicate why her dresses sit at a premium price point. Layouts highlight fabric technology, craftsmanship, versatility, and her made-in-the-USA production. Each page reinforces the idea that one dress can carry a woman through every part of her day.

Creating a conversion minded homepage

Using the copywriting framework provided to her, the homepage now leads with a clear positioning statement pulled from the Copywriting document:

“The dress that does it all for the woman who does it all.”

The section that follows highlights key value points such as recycled fabric, made in the USA, UV protection, moisture wicking capabilities, and the one tree planted initiative. Each point is accompanied by an icon to help visitors instantly understand what makes her product special.

The homepage then moves into curated pathways that help shoppers browse the debut collection, join the waitlist, and explore real life styling examples. This structure makes the page skimmable and experience focused.

Clear product focused storytelling

Each product page features strategic sections based on the product copy framework in the document. I guided Nicole to write short, clear paragraphs that highlight performance features, built-in shorts, pockets, recycled fibers, UV protection, and versatility from work to play.

The product pages also incorporate FAQ sections that help reduce hesitation and answer common questions before a shopper needs to reach out for support.

Creating an effortless navigation experience

Because Nicole’s customer is a busy, multitasking woman, the site needed intuitive navigation and a calming layout. Pages flow naturally from story to product features, then into sizing, care, sustainability, and shipping details.

The paths are simple:

• homepage to debut collection

• collection to product pages

• product pages to check out

No unnecessary detours. Just clarity and confidence.

Guiding her through strategic DIY copywriting

Nicole chose to write her own copy using my detailed direction. I created custom worksheets that explained how to structure each section, what customers need to know, and how to optimize for SEO.

This allowed her to speak in her own voice while staying aligned with conversion psychology, search intent, and modern UX standards.

Technical SEO and performance improvements

Behind the scenes, I optimized:

• image compression

• page titles and meta descriptions

• alt text for accessibility and ranking

• structured product metadata

• internal linking between related products

• clean, search friendly URLs

These updates help her brand appear in searches related to work dresses for moms, sustainable dresses, dresses made in the USA, recycled performance wear, and versatile work to play outfits.

The results

The final website feels refined, premium, and aligned with the quality of her dresses. It reflects her brand’s mission, elevates her founder story, and clarifies the value of each product. The shopping experience is clean and intuitive which helps visitors move confidently into checkout.

Nicole described the impact clearly in her testimonial:

“The layout of the site, the visuals and content throughout are all very attractive. I hope to drive traffic to my site and get visits to convert to checkouts.”

She also shared that working together reinforced her confidence in investing in her brand:

“Whitney was such an amazing partner through the entire process and I'm so impressed by the site. I've also received a number of compliments on it.”

And when asked what she would tell someone considering working with WildHive, she responded simply:

“It is worth the investment.”

Why this project worked

This project resonated because the final website amplified everything that makes Nicole Clarece special. The design aesthetic matches the elevated feel of the brand. The copywriting framework empowers her to communicate the value behind her premium price point. The UX supports a busy shopper who wants clarity and confidence more than anything.

Key factors that made this project successful:

• brand aligned visuals that communicate quality

• skimmable layouts for fast moving shoppers

• conversion driven product storytelling

• custom guidance that helped the founder write strong SEO copy

• technical improvements that support visibility and speed

• a mobile first design that looks polished everywhere

The site feels strong, stylish, and ready to scale with her.

Key takeaways

• A premium product needs a premium website to communicate its value

• Busy women shop quickly, so clarity and skimmability matter more than ever

• Good SEO starts with structure and messaging, not just keywords

• DIY copywriting can work beautifully with the right creative direction

• A cohesive brand experience builds trust and supports conversion

Ready to elevate your launch with a site that moves with your brand?

If you want a website that blends aesthetics with strategy and gives your customers a smoother, easier shopping experience, I would love to help.