Gift shop and boutique website: what shoppers look for

People open a gift shop's website to ask four things. Are you open now? What's new? Can I get it without coming in? What if it doesn't fit or they don't like it? Most shops have a cart; what's missing is the plain information around it.

In October 2026 we opened 32 independent gift shop, boutique and local-goods shop websites in 22 towns and 16 states, on a phone and a computer. Twenty-nine had a cart (22 on Shopify). Hours were posted on 27, but only 2 had a phone number you could tap on the first screen, only 7 showed any reviews, and none of the 8 clothing boutiques mentioned plus sizes. This guide goes in order of how much each part matters.

Make your hours, seasons and phone easy to use

People search "open now", "open late" and "open Sunday". Eight shops stated seasonal or holiday hours, which matters if you're in a tourist town.

1. Click Business info and set Regular hours. Use Note under hours for what doesn't fit, like "Closed Mondays in winter".
2. For summer, fall or winter schedules, add Seasonal hours. See Set seasonal hours.
3. For holidays and sale weekends, use Holidays and special hours. See Add holiday hours and closures.
4. Type your Phone, then click Menu and turn on Call bar on phones. See Add a call bar on phones.
5. Add an Open today section near the top of your home page.

For a surprise closure, click We’re closed today, then Publish. For a month-long notice, use the Announcement bar. See Announcement bar.

Say what you carry

Gift shoppers search for a person or an occasion, like "gifts for kids" or "hostess gifts". Two shops had a page of lines they carry, and the makers' shops told each maker's story.

• Add a Services section called "What we carry", with a card for each category, a Photo and a short Description.
• Name your best lines and local makers. For a maker, add a photo and two sentences about them.
• Put your town and kind of shop in your home page's search title, like "Gifts and home decor in Brevard, NC". See Set a page's search title and description.

Show what's new

Visitors come back for new stock. Belle Rive says "New arrivals every Thursday", which gives people a day to plan around.

• A few pieces a week: add a Gallery section with a Caption on each photo, like "Linen scarf, $38". Change it when stock changes.
• Instagram as your feed: a Social posts section shows posts you pick; it doesn't update itself. See Show Facebook and Instagram posts.
• Tell people: the Newsletter sending add-on emails your list. See Send a newsletter.

Let people buy without visiting

Say what shoppers can do: ship, pick up, or order by phone.

• Your own shop elsewhere: if you already run Shopify or Square Online, keep it. Click Menu, then under Header button set the Button text to "Shop online" and Goes to to Another website….
• A short list here: the Online store add-on suits a signature line, gift bundles and pickup items, not hundreds of changing pieces. Add each under Lists › Products › Add product. Use Choices for sizes and Extras for gift wrap, and ask for a gift message under Questions for the customer. See Sell products with the online store. Connect Stripe first: Connect Stripe.
• By phone or Instagram: send a payment link once they say yes. See Request a payment.

The store has no stock count. A one-of-a-kind piece that sells in your shop stays buyable until you turn on Sold out. Do it the moment it sells; see Mark a product sold out.

Know what the store can't sell

The store's payments run on Stripe, which restricts or bans some things a gift shop may stock. Two of the 32 shops listed CBD and two sold knives.

• Not allowed: CBD above the local THC limit, tobacco and vapes outside the law, swords and machetes, pepper spray, counterfeit or unauthorized brand-name goods, and adult products.
• Ask Stripe first: CBD with only trace THC, and folding knives.
• Sell those in person, and keep them off the store's Products list.

Post your return rules

Sixteen of the 32 stated a return rule, and 8 of those listed final-sale items. New York, for one, requires a store to post whether it gives refunds, and a store that doesn't can owe a buyer a refund for 30 days. Other states have their own rules.

1. Write your rule in your FAQ: the days, refund or store credit, what to bring, and what is final sale (sale items, jewelry, gift cards, vintage).
2. With the Online store, put it under Store › Settings › Returns and fine print. It shows in the cart and on every product.
3. Say it at the register too.

Be honest about prices and claims

This isn't legal advice, and states differ.

• "Regular price": the Products list has Regular price (optional), shown crossed out. The FTC says a "was" price must be one you really charged for a reasonable time.
• "Made in USA": it means all or virtually all of the product is made and sourced in the United States. "Handmade" and "made in town" must be true too.
• Native American work: federal law lets you say "Native American" or name a tribe only for work made by a member or certified artisan. Otherwise say "Native American style".
• Children's items and kids' jewelry: a shop can't knowingly sell products that break the lead limits. Ask each maker for their Children's Product Certificate and keep it.

Gift cards, wrapping and baskets

Thirteen of the 32 had gift cards, and one stated free gift wrapping.

• Add the Gift cards and coupons add-on, then a Gift cards section with Amounts to offer. Buyers pay online and you scan the card at the till. See Sell gift cards on your site.
• Federal rules say a gift card can't expire within five years, and some states are stricter. Say on the page whether yours expire.
• Say whether wrapping is free, and how long a custom basket takes.

If you sell clothes: sizes

None of the 8 boutiques mentioned plus sizes and only one had a size guide, yet people search "boutique with plus size". Put your size range and a size guide in your FAQ. In the Products list, use Choices (optional) for sizes and turn on Sold out on a size you've run out of. See Add sizes, colors and other choices.

Take work from local makers

Only 2 of 32 explained how a maker gets on their shelf, though many say makers are the point. Add a "Sell your work with us" page: what you take, your consignment split, when you pay, and how to apply. Add a Form section from the Contact ready-made form and turn on Let people attach photos. See Forms and your inbox.

Some states, New York among them, treat consigned crafts as the maker's property and the sale money as held for the maker. Keep a list of what you hold for whom, and pay on your schedule.

Events, trunk shows and personal shopping

• Click Lists, then Edit events, and add each event with its Date, Where and Full details. Use Repeats for a monthly night. See Events.
• For a personal shopping or style session, say what it costs and how to book. The Bookings & RSVPs add-on takes appointments; see Take bookings on your site.
• If you run a free loyalty list, say what it earns and whether it expires. A paid membership that renews follows state renewal laws, so say how it bills and how to cancel.

Show your reviews

Only 7 of the 32 showed any. Handwork shows its Google rating and review count, which is the one to copy.

1. Add your best Google reviews to your Reviews list.
2. Add a Reviews section to your home page.
3. Paste your Google review link into Leave-a-review link in Business info.

Don't offer a coupon only for good reviews. See Reviews and Ask for reviews.

Photos that sell

Your own photos do the most. Shoot in daylight:

1. The storefront from across the street, with the sign
2. A wide shot from the door
3. Each wall or table of goods
4. Each product straight on, with a size shot
5. A maker's tag or the maker at work, with their permission
6. You or your staff helping someone

Until then, Free photos has good ones for "gift shop interior shelves" and "boutique storefront entrance". See Free photos. Add a short Describe this photo to each; see Describe your photos.

Answer what people ask

Add an FAQ section. Shops get asked:

• Are you open today? Do your hours change in winter?
• Where do I park, and are dogs welcome?
• Do you ship? What does it cost?
• What is your return policy?
• Do you sell gift cards? Do they expire?
• Do you carry plus sizes?
• I make something. Can you sell my work?

Lists › FAQs › Suggest questions drafts more from your site. See Use suggested questions.

Tips

• Read your site once a season for old hours, a sale that ended, or a "regular price" that no longer applies.
• Photo-only pages with no prices send people to the phone. Put a price in each caption.