Pieter, owner of a successful online household-goods store, is always looking for ways to reach his customers better. With the rise of social commerce, he sees an opportunity to grow his store. Today he tells how he's tackling it with the help of Theme Xtra, the powerful support of a support agent through a service package and smart social commerce strategies.
"I always thought social media was mainly for younger generations," Pieter starts. "But I noticed customers were asking questions or wanting to order products via Instagram and TikTok more and more. That got me thinking: how can I use social media not only as a marketing tool, but also as a sales channel?"
Social commerce — selling through platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest — turns out to be a game-changer. Pieter decided to adapt his store accordingly, with help from Shopify's extensive features and the versatile Theme Xtra.
Pieter chose Theme Xtra because it's specifically designed for shops with a broad assortment. "The theme is not only fast and user-friendly, but also offers countless integrations that fit social commerce perfectly. Think visually attractive product pages that can be shared on social media effortlessly."
One feature that immediately caught Pieter's eye was the ability to create 'Shop-the-Look' pages. With those, customers can buy multiple products from a setting or post in one go. "That was perfect for my new TikTok strategy," Pieter says.
"I'm not techie," Pieter admits with a laugh. "Luckily, through the service package of Theme Xtra — which costs $89 per month — I have access to a dedicated support agent. They helped me with small technical tasks and rolled out changes I received from my marketing team."
The support agent supported Pieter with linking his product catalogue to TikTok, adjusting the look and feel of his product pages for mobile users and optimising certain theme settings. "It's reassuring to know I can always call on someone for technical questions," he says.
With his store fully optimised for social commerce, Pieter is now focused on the following strategies:
Pieter has linked his product catalogue to TikTok. "My videos reach thousands of people, and with one click they can view and order products. That lowers the threshold enormously."
Pieter works with influencers who have a loyal, engaged following. "They create content where my products take centre stage. That feels authentic and often delivers more conversions than expensive campaigns."
"One of my most successful experiments was a live shopping event on TikTok. I showed my products, answered questions and offered exclusive discounts. Customers could order directly during the livestream."
With Shopify's analytics tools Pieter knows exactly which products are popular and which social media channels drive the most traffic. "I keep adjusting my strategy based on the numbers," he says.
Since switching to social commerce and rolling out Theme Xtra, Pieter has seen impressive results:
A 40% rise in mobile conversions, thanks to the optimised product pages.
35% growth in traffic from TikTok and Instagram.
Better customer engagement through live shopping and direct interaction on social media.
Want to get started with social commerce like Pieter? Here are a few tips:
Optimise your store for mobile users
Use a theme like Theme Xtra that delivers fast load times and an intuitive mobile experience.
Integrate TikTok Shopping
Link your product catalogue to TikTok and use the buy buttons in videos.
Work with micro-influencers
Choose influencers that fit your brand and have an authentic connection with their audience.
Experiment with live shopping
Use TikTok or Instagram Live to demo your products and offer exclusive deals.
Analyse and optimise
Use Shopify's analytics tools to understand what works and where you can improve.
With the right tools and strategies you can — like Pieter — get the most out of social commerce and take your store to the next level. Have you tried social commerce yet? Share your experience in the comments!
