How much does web design cost in Perth?

Web design costs in Perth vary depending on scope, functionality and integration requirements. Custom-built websites designed for performance and growth require strategic planning and development.

Do you build SEO-friendly websites?

Yes. Every website is built with strong technical SEO foundations including site speed optimisation, clean architecture and search-ready content structure.

How long does a website project take?

Project timelines vary depending on complexity, but most website builds range between 6 to 12 weeks from strategy through to launch.

Why choose a Perth web design agency?

Working with a Perth-based web design agency ensures local market understanding, direct communication and tailored strategies aligned with your business environment.

Mary Stribley, Author at Lethal Digital

The 2026 Ecommerce Forecast: What’s In, What’s Out, What’s Next

There’s no shortage of “Top 50 Trends for 2026” lists out there right now. Most of them say the same thing: AI is huge. Video social content is king. Sustainability matters.

Groundbreaking!

So instead of giving you a bloated scroll-fest of generic predictions, we’ve pulled together what we’re actually seeing, hearing, and helping our clients plan for in 2026. The things that really matter, and how to future-proof your brand now so you’re not playing catch-up halfway through the year.

Let’s get into itttt.

IN: Brands that act like media agencies

Gone are the days of posting a flatlay and calling it content (unfortunately!)

The brands winning in 2026 are focusing on storytelling. They’re building personality-filled brand ecosystems: Email content that reads like a blog straight from the founder’s pen, Reels that don’t even feel like promo, packaging that feels like a moment you simply have to post to your story…

What this means for you:
Start thinking beyond “marketing” and into media. How can you educate, entertain, or inspire? Could you start a podcast? Interview your customers? Tell your brand story as it actually happened? Share the fun (and the chaos) BTS of your day-to-day?

You don’t need a full production team, just a point of view and consistency.

The brands standing out right now are the ones whose founders you know by face. The ones you’ve seen pop up on your feed enough to feel like you kind of know them. You know how they started, what they believe in, what they’re building… because they tell you. Not by listing features, but by telling the story behind the product. Not by pushing products, but by pulling you into their world.

OUT: Over-reliance on UGC that looks the same

Look, UGC isn’t going anywhere… but it does need a revamp. Same-same mirror selfies from customers don’t quite cut it anymore. Likewise, surface-level testimonials that all tout the same base benefits “so comfy”, “so soft”, “so cute”, feel like noise now, rather than conversion tools.

In 2026, your UGC needs direction. Set creative briefs. Add a narrative. Don’t be afraid to ask for storytelling, not just testimonials.

What to try instead:

UGC with a before/after – get your UGC creators (or customers) to show how their skin has transformed, how those leggings don’t dig in like this other pair, how a technical process has transformed from hours-long to seconds
Review storytelling – Don’t be afraid to ask reviewers to give tangible benefits – “I wore this to my friend’s wedding and got 4 compliments!”, “I’ve gone from 4-5 hours of sleep a night to a solid 8-9+!”
Competitions/giveaways designed to attract specific storytelling content – Show your activewear in action at the gym to enter, tell us your face recipe to use our product in, tell us the most unexpected benefit you’ve had using our product… etc.

IN: Smart integration of AI – without losing the soul

AI isn’t the enemy of good business, just using it badly is.

Brands that use AI to work smarter (not replace the human parts of their brand) are soaring in 2026. Think: AI helping with product recommendations, email optimisation, predictive stock planning… not writing your entire website for you.

Find 6 ways we recommend you use (and NOT use) AI in 2026 here

OUT: “Good enough” websites

It’s 2026, the market is more flooded than ever… so your website needs to work harder than ever. Your website is not just your shopfront, it’s your sales team, customer support, and brand experience all in one.

The brands getting left behind? The ones still coasting on DIY themes, hard-to-navigate navs, slow load speeds, and confusing product pages.

A website that looks and feels DIY doesn’t scream ‘trustworthy’ to cold consumers, and can even turn them off your brand for good. Investing in a web glow-up is the kind of thing that feels like a lot upfront, but pays dividends for years to come.

Here’s where we start when future-proofing DIY websites:

Mobile-first design (seriously, check your own site on your phone, a majority of shoppers will never even see your desktop site)
Clear, intentional navigation – Get granular, help people find what they want fast
Metafields used properly to cleanly display info
Polished, customised websites so you don’t look like every other brand with the same theme
Custom size guides, ingredient lists, how-to guides, FAQ pages, etc.

Discover a few other things that we, as an agency who revamp DIY websites every day, immediately look at when facing a founder-created site

IN: Building community, not just followers

A large audience is good. A large engaged is 10x better. With so many options to choose from for all industries, building loyalty is the goal of 2026

In 2026, the brands thriving aren’t the ones with 100k silent followers, they’re the ones with 1,000 true fans who buy, share, and actually care.

Founding executive of Wired magazine Kevin Kelly coined the concept of ‘1000 true fans’, the idea that you don’t need millions of customers to build a successful brand, but simply one thousand ‘true’ fans: One thousand people who would remain loyal to your brand, continually come back for more, and always ready to consider any new product you had to offer.

And how we do this? Through connection

People crave connection. They want to feel seen, heard, and part of something. If your brand talks with them, not at them, you’re already ahead of most.

Things to try:

Reply to DMs like a real person, not a call centre. Speak professionally, but colloquially. How would you help a friend who had a problem or thought to share with your brand?
Use polls and Q&As to actually shape product dev
Bring your customers into your process (from naming collections to choosing colours)
Start a close friends list or exclusive IG circle to share BTS, VIP polls, exclusive offers
Make email feel personal, not like a mass send. Be intentional about every email.

Bottom line: Talk to your customers like people, not just buyers. And watch what happens!

OUT: Hiding behind aesthetics

We love a sexy brand as much as the next – but if your brand is only visuals, it’s just not going to cut it anymore (sorry).

In a world where stunning branding is more accessible than ever (hellooo Canva, hellooo AI), visuals alone don’t set you apart. If your packaging is gorgeous but you can’t clearly say who you’re for or what makes you different, you’ve got a vibe, not a brand.

And consumers are only getting sharper. They can spot a pretty shell with nothing behind it. They’re seeking substance, story, connection, alignment.

People buy from brands they like even more than they buy for packaging and products that look pretty.

In 2026, design is still very important – but design with depth wins 9/10.

IN: Founder-forward content

For our camera-shy founders, rest assured you don’t need to be the face of your brand 24/7, but popping up now and then? A game-changer.

Founders who show up (even casually) build trust faster. People want to know who they’re buying from. They want to root for someone. If you’ve ever had someone comment “so proud of you” on a product launch? That’s what we’re talkin’ ‘bout!

Ideas to try if you’re not sure where to start:

A casual “day in the life” reel
A post explaining why you started the brand
A BTS clip from a shoot, event, or production run
Sharing lessons from launch day, year one, or a recent fail (people love the transparency)

You don’t need a polished script or perfect on-screen confidence (nervousness can actually be endearing!) just show up as you.

IN: Clear positioning in cluttered categories

Let’s be honest: Pretty much every ecommerce category is saturated. BUT, that doesn’t mean don’t launch. It means you need a solid point of difference from the jump.

This doesn’t mean you need a completely never-before-seen product, or to reinvent the wheel… sometimes this differentiation can come from the details:

What materials do you use?

Are they sustainable, biodegradable, or made with ethical labour?
What’s your founder story?
Do you give back a portion of sales to a charity/an affiliated group?
Do you solve a common problem in a unique way?
Do you have a striking tone of voice or bold packaging that sets you apart from more generic options?

If you can’t be the first – you can be the most memorable. Have the boldest voice. The most refined experience. The sharpest message. The clearest values.

In 2026, the brands that win in busy spaces aren’t necessarily the cheapest or even the “best” – they’re the ones people remember.

Tips to sharpen your positioning:

Nail your one-liner (if you can’t explain your brand in one sentence, start there)
Define what makes you different that actually matters to the customer
Audit your main competitors and make sure your tone isn’t blending in
Lead with your strongest product, claim, or story… don’t bury it on page 3

OUT: Waiting for the “right time” to level up

Hard truth: If you’re waiting for a moment when you’ll have more time, more money, more clarity, or more confidence, 2026 is not going to wait with you.

The truth is, the brands that grow are the ones that move. They test. They build while it’s messy. They refine as they go. If you’ve been sitting on:

A site that “mostly works”
A logo you’re kinda over
Emails you keep meaning to fix
A brand refresh that’s half done in a Canva folder…

This is your sign. It doesn’t need to be a full rebrand. But something needs to shift if you’re serious about growth this year.

When you’re ready to dive in, our recommendations are as follows:

Partner with experts you truly trust – investing money into an expert feels daunting enough as it is, so we recommend you seek a team you feel aligns with your vision and needs. Hop on a phone call or Zoom with them before you sign any contracts, and go with your gut.
Don’t go for the lowest quote… just because it’s the lowest – Unfortunately, you get what you pay for! Stay within budget, but look at the quality of work over the bottom line.
Come prepared – Before you jump on any calls or request quotes, have a solid idea of what you’re looking for, what you need, and what your dream revamp looks like.This helps you find a partner best aligned, and helps your quotes remain the most accurate.

How to Use AI to Grow Your eCommerce Brand… And How to Definitely NOT Use It.

Once upon a time (read: five minutes ago), AI felt like a futuristic tool reserved for tech bros, sci-fi movies, and crew members on the USS Enterprise. Now? It’s in your email platform, your ads manager, and it’s even offering to rewrite that happy birthday message on Facebook for you.

But as AI tools get more powerful and accessible a lot of eCommerce brand owners are asking the same question: How do I use this without sounding like a robot and sucking the soul out of my brand?

Here’s the thing: AI isn’t the enemy of good biz. Used well, it actually frees you up to do more of the human stuff – the creative, strategic, meaningful things that can’t be automated.

But it’s a fine line between

Let’s break it down.

1. Use AI to enhance your creativity, not replace it

AI’s great for helping you get started.

Staring at a blank screen? Ask it to draft a first-pass headline or product description. Need campaign ideas? Use it to brainstorm based on your brand tone and seasonal moments.

But we recommend: Do not copy-paste. Your job is to shape it, humanise it, and make sure it actually sounds like you. AI is a tool, you’re still the thinker.

Think of it like your soundboard, more than your monkey behind the typewriter.

And remember: People can clock AI writing from a mile away now, and for many, it turns them off. The AI copy may flow better, and be a bit more grammatically correct than your off-the-cuff writings, but nothing beats copy that sounds genuine, real, human, and a little wabi-sabi.

2. Let AI do the busy work

Let’s pivot and talk email here for a second – a core element of your ecommerce business (and if it’s not… put it on your 2026 to-do list, stat)

You don’t need to be writing every subject line or manually segmenting your email list anymore. Most major email marketing tools like Klaviyo now include built-in AI that helps with the more repetitive tasks.

That doesn’t dehumanise your brand, it just gives you more brain space and ability to deliver without suddenly becoming an expert at email audience segmentation overnight.

Some helpful things AI can help with:

A/B testing subject lines
Predicting optimal send times
Generating dynamic product feeds
Predicting inventory or purchase behaviour

Necessary caveat: As you scale, we recommend your reliance on these tools reduce increasingly. AI is going to reproduce very formulaic, safe results, so sometimes the best way to up your results is with that expert human touch, and a little breaking out of the mold.

3. Personalisation that feels… well… personal

When done well, AI can actually make your customer experience feel more human. Think: Tailored product recs, smart bundles, targeted flows based on real user behaviour. It’s not creepy, it’s convenient – showing people content they want to see.

The key is to make it feel intentional, not overly automated.
No “Hi <first name>” fails. No cold, lifeless transactional copy. Just useful, relevant, timely experiences.

4. Don’t use AI where your eCommerce brand needs heart

AI can help with first drafts, but it really can’t tell your story for you.

Your founder journey, product purpose, origin story, values… this is the good stuff. The stuff that builds emotional connection. Don’t outsource it – feel it, write it, connect with it!

Same goes for:

More sensitive or complex customer service replies
Brand values or mission statements
Tone of voice guidelines
Final pass on copy – always human eyes before publish

5. Do use AI to make life easier for your customers

You know when you have a tiny question while shopping online and instantly dread the idea of jumping into a 45‑minute live chat queue, email chain, or worse… having to call someone (shudder).

This is where AI is actually brilliant. Having an AI-powered chatbot available to answer simple questions, troubleshoot basic issues, or point customers in the right direction can save everyone time. No waiting, no back-and-forth, no disappearing into an abandoned inbox. Just quick, accurate answers based on your brand’s own knowledge base.

In moments like this, prioritising your customer’s time and convenience is invaluable. It reduces friction, builds trust, and gives people the kind of fast, smooth experience they expect in 2026.

Necessary caveat: Convenience should never come at the expense of actual support. Make sure there’s always an easy-to-find human fallback. If someone explicitly asks for a real person, or if the AI bot can’t resolve the issue, they should be able to reach a human quickly and without jumping through hoops or discovering the secret password to get connected to a living, breathing person.

6. Build a brand that uses AI, not one that sounds like AI

This is the litmus test! If your copy, content, or campaigns are starting to feel generic, templated, or like they could belong to any other brand… that’s when the red flag starts flying.

As we mentioned, while it’s improving by the day, people can still often clock AI from a mile away. Use it to get the ball rolling when you need, but try to ensure that about 60-70% of the words, creativity, visuals, are yours. It matters, it makes a difference, it sets you apart from every other AI-driven brand.

AI should support your creativity, not dull it. You still need vision, taste, judgement, humanity.

In conclusion… Sounding, feeling, and being human will always be a good thing.

AI is your assistant, not your identity. Use it to save time, spark ideas, and streamline what can be automated, but keep the creative strategy, storytelling, and heart firmly in your very human hands.

And remember: In this new age of AI, the occasional minor human error (a missing comma, a funny typo, a clunky sentence) often endears people to your eCommerce brand more than ever. So, don’t be afraid to be human!

You Built Your Brand on Canva… Now What?

Before we launch into this guide, let’s make one thing very clear: You don’t need to feel bad about building your brand in Canva.

It probably helped you move fast, test your idea, and get to market. That’s a win.

But now you’re seeing traction. You’ve outgrown the templates, you’re ready to invest in building something with longevity, uniqueness, polish.

This is your guide to what happens next – and what to expect when you DIY less and invest in premium design/marketing/strategy help.

1. First of all: You did great

Getting started is half the battle, and you did it – you got your brand out there. You built something from nothing, and DIY-ing your way using tools like Canva gave you momentum to get off the ground.

This stage was crucial for testing your product, proving your concept, and finding your people.

But Canva was built for speed – not for scale. As you grow, you may start to notice a few cracks.

2. Signs you’ve outgrown your DIY brand

Your logo isn’t a vector and looks blurry when scaled up
Your brand colours are inconsistent across platforms/change up every other week
Your visuals feel similar to other brands in your niche
Your packaging, website, and socials don’t feel cohesive
You’re constantly tweaking things to “make it feel more professional”
You’re nervous about sending your files to printers or stockists

If any of that rings a bell, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed… It means you’ve hit your next growth milestone.

3. Common issues with Canva-built brands

Let’s break down what might need to be addressed when you’re ready to scale:

✏️ Your logo

Most Canva-made logo design aren’t vector-based – which means they can’t be scaled up without losing quality. If your logo only exists as a JPG or PNG, you’ll run into limitations when it comes to printing, signage, or anything beyond Instagram.

You’ve also probably got just one version of your logo, when what your brand actually needs is a full suite: Stacked versions, submarks, colour variations, and formats for different use cases. Without those, things start to feel inconsistent, fast.

And because many Canva logos are built from templates, there’s a good chance your design isn’t as unique as you deserve it to be – or doesn’t fully reflect your brand’s personality.

What an agency may do with your logo

Good news: A Canva-made logo isn’t automatically a bad one. If you (and your customers) love it, a good agency will often refine it – not replace it.

What they may offer is:

A vector rebuild: Redrawing your logo in pro software as a vector file, with proper variations included for flexibility.
A logo refresh: Polishing what you already have – think better font pairing, alignment, spacing, and visual balance.
A full rebrand: Only if the logo feels outdated or limiting, and you’re ready for a new direction that reflects your growth.

🔠 Your typography

Fonts play a huge role in shaping your brand’s personality – but Canva fonts are often chosen for convenience, not intention. Many are overused, lack character, or don’t translate well across platforms.

If your brand uses different fonts across your website, socials, and packaging – or if you’re constantly tweaking things to “make it feel right” – it’s a sign your typography needs a little structure.

What an agency may do with your typography

Don’t worry, you don’t need a fancy custom-made font – just a solid system you can use with ease.

What an agency might offer:

Font curation: Selecting 1–2 hero fonts that align with your brand’s tone and work across all platforms – digital, print, and product
Typography rules: Defining hierarchy and usage (like what’s used for headings, body text, calls-to-action) so everything feels unified and considered

🎨 Your colour palette

Does your brand have SET colours you go-to every time, or a general vibe you try to hit with the colour picker each time? If its the latter, it’s time for some structure.

DIY palettes can often lack balance, accessibility contrast, or consistency across digital and print. You might not have official HEX, CMYK, or RGB codes, and what looks like a cute minty green on screen turns out muddy in packaging.

Without a structured palette, things start to drift… and your brand stops feeling cohesive.

What an agency may do with your colour palette:

Palette refinement: Reviewing your existing colours and expanding or adjusting them to create a more balanced system.
Usage-ready codes: Supplying exact HEX, CMYK, RGB, and Pantone values – so instead of using the colour dropper to get the vibe of your brand shade of pink, you use the exact right one, every time.
Stripping it back: A good brand palette comes from less, not more. A good agency will work to arm you with a small but powerful set of colours – and show you (and your team) exactly how to use them

📖 Your brand story

When you’re moving fast, the “story” side of your brand can often get left behind – or patched together with bits of mission statements, trending phrases, and whatever your competitors are doing.

And when we’re just repackaging what competitors are doing… we’re not building a brand that sticks.

As your audience grows, the vague messaging starts to hurt. If people can’t quickly grasp what makes your brand different, and what it stands for (and why it matters) they’ll move on. Consistent storytelling builds trust, loyalty, and long term value.

Your brand deserves a solid way of speaking, a solid mission, and a solid foundation, so everything you put out into the world feels quintessentially you.

What an agency may do with your brand story

A strong brand story doesn’t mean a dramatic origin tale – it means clarity, consistency, and connection.

Positioning and messaging: Helping you define your “why,” your target audience, and what sets you apart from the others – then putting it into language that sticks.
Tone of voice development: Finding the right voice for your brand – one that feels authentic to you, flexible, and easy to apply across all platforms.
Story integration: Making sure your core narrative shows up clearly on your website, packaging, emails, and more – so your brand feels cohesive everywhere.

4. What doesn’t need to be thrown out?

Good news (again): Working with an agency doesn’t mean starting from scratch.

Your original ideas, product values, tone of voice, and community still matter. A good agency will work with what you’ve built – not against it.

Often, we treat the original brand as an MVP and ask ourselves:

What’s worth keeping?
What’s working that just needs refining?
Where can we level up without losing your vibe?

This might look like:

Rebuilding your logo (not changing it)
Defining your brand strategy (based on your existing story)
Creating a consistent identity system (using your current aesthetic as a base)

5. What your next step could look like

Depending on where you’re at, here are a few common next steps:

A brand refresh

Perfect for brands that are 80% there, but need polish
Refines your existing logo, fonts, colours, voice
Adds consistency across your touchpoints

A full rebrand

Best for brands that are pivoting, growing fast, or have totally outgrown their look
Starts from scratch with strategy, story, and visuals
Future-proofs your business for where it’s going – not just where it’s been

A brand system build-out

You keep your current brand look, but create assets to scale:
- Social kits
- Email designs & builds
- Packaging design (if needed)
- Website UI
- Guidelines
- Brand Bible

6. Final thoughts: It’s not about making it perfect. It’s about making it yours.

You don’t need to apologise for DIY-ing your brand, you just need to know when it’s time to upgrade.

If you’re building something long-term – something that deserves recognition, loyalty, and love – you’ll need a brand that can grow with you.

And that’s where the real fun begins.

What We Actually Fix on Most Brands’ Websites

(Hint: It’s not always the fonts. Not the logos. It’s the stuff that actually loses you sales.)

When most people think about refreshing their website, they focus on the fun stuff: New colours, fresh fonts, maybe even a shiny new logo.

But truthfully? While those things are certainly important, they aren’t usually what is holding you back the most.

As a digital agency that spends waaaay too much time deep in the back end of Shopify builds, here’s the truth: Most brands don’t need a full rebrand. They just need to stop making the same mistakes that quietly kill conversions.

So, here’s what we’d actually fix on your DIY site.

1. Your hero banner is trying to say four things at once

A hero banner can make or break a user’s experience – it’s the first thing they encounter on your site! So if it’s messily designed, or is trying to just do and say far too much, it’s an instant conversion killer.

Pick one clear message. One product. One offer. One value prop.

People aren’t reading paragraphs of text. They’re not sifting through 3 competing offers on the same graphic. You’ve got 3 seconds to make them stay – don’t waste it trying to be everything at once.

2. You’re not giving people a reason to scroll

The purpose of your homepage is to drive people around your site, and through to the checkout screen. So, your homepage layout matters.

Something we see in DIY website layouts is people using all the fancy blocks their Shopify theme offers, just because they’re fancy and cool.

Instead, we focus on a short but functional layout that helps people:

Get a fast but comprehensive overview of your brand and offering
Showcases your best products to entice a click-through (bestsellers, or trending new arrivals)
Navigate to the area they want to be in (If they’re on your site in search of jumpers, they should be able to find your jumper collection in 1-2 clicks)
Want to stay on your site, and navigate around

3. Your nav is cluttered, chaotic, or cute (and not in a good way)

Have you ever been on a website with a nav menu that just doesn’t work – a drop-down that disappears as you’re trying to click a link, a menu full of broken links, a navigation cluttered with everything but the page you’re actually looking for?

Yeah, nothing is more frustrating, and nothing drives people away faster.

Reorganising your header and footer navigation menus is one of our first areas of action. The focus should be on fully comprehensive navigation, while having as few links as necessary. Sounds tricky, but definitely possible, and certainly crucial to good conversions.

4. Your homepage has no social proof

No social proof is a one-way ticket to your new prospective customer Googling “Is [Your Brand Name] legit???” – not the best first impression.

We want to see reviews, UGC, “as seen in” logos, or a quote from someone who loves your product. Bonus points for video, imagery of the customer, and verified, up-to-date reviews.

If you wouldn’t buy from a site that has zero proof of quality… why should your customers?

5. Your pop-ups are annoying

Pop-ups can be a great conversion tool when they’re used well. Unfortunately, most aren’t.

The art of a good pop-up comes down to a few simple things:

Timing: Don’t have it appear the second someone lands on your site or reappear on every page they visit. That’s how you annoy people into closing the tab.

Instead, trigger it after they’ve scrolled a certain percentage down the page – once they’ve started warming up on their own and are more likely to opt in.
Offer: If you’re not offering something genuinely valuable – a solid discount, freebie, or enticing perk – don’t show a pop-up at all. It’s digital clutter.
Simplicity: Keep it short and sweet. One or two fields max before submitting – ideally just one. You’ve only just met; no one’s ready to hand over their entire life story yet.
Mandatory fields: Name and email, that’s it. Requiring a phone number, location, and shopping preferences upfront is a fast way to turn interest into uuugh irritation.

6. Your product pages are doing the bare minimum

If your product pages have one photo, three bullet points, and a generic AI-generated description… don’t expect high conversions.

People want details. Fit info. Size guidance. Care instructions. Close-up images. Comparison charts. UGC, video, social proof. Ingredients, fabric content, instructions for use.

And they don’t want to dig through a wall of text to find it.

Use Shopify’s metafields to structure your content neatly, and customise your theme’s product page to your product – don’t just rely on the default template. Dumping everything into the description box? That’s how you lose people.

Shoppers crave clarity. The more you show, the less they hesitate.

7. You have no post-purchase experience

The brand experience doesn’t end at checkout.

Post purchase follow-ups are prime real estate for continuing the experience, building loyalty, and getting repeat purchases.

Most brands leave them looking like generic auto-responses from 2009. Invest in something more for the people who matter most to your brand – your paying customers!

8. Your mobile experience is… rough

This one’s simply a non-negotiable.

77% of users are visiting your site on their phone. Seventy-seven percent! Read that again.

If your mobile site sucks, so will your conversions.

If you haven’t gone through your entire site on mobile lately – from homepage to checkout – do it today.

Are the buttons tappable? Fonts legible? Popups easy to close? Banners still look polished and professional on smaller screens? Is the navigation intuitive, or rage-inducing? Are any widgets blocking core info/buttons?

Because if it’s clunky on your phone, it’s worse on theirs. And you’re losing sales.

Final thoughts

You don’t need to overhaul your entire brand to improve your website.

In fact, sometimes the biggest wins come from small, unsexy fixes – the things that make the experience smoother, clearer, and more trustworthy.

Clean up the friction. Lead with clarity. Make it easy to buy.

Then you can play with fonts.

Perth’s Fashion Ecommerce Scene: The Activewear Brands That Are Leading the Pack

When asked to describe Perth, many may use words such as “simple”, “sleepy”, “slow-paced”. Three adjectives that Perth’s fashion ecommerce scene is anything but.

Fashion ecommerce is a highly competitive field, one that many aspiring business owners have tried to enter, many with struggling levels of success. And one particularly tricky niche to break into? Activewear.

With high overhead costs, complex inventory management, ever-increasing storage space needs, and fierce competition, Stepping foot into the activewear industry is certainly not for the faint of heart.

On top of these challenges, operating out of Perth presents an added obstacle: Living in the most remote city in the world can often mean limited supplier access, higher shipping costs, and a bustling scene over east to constantly compete with.

And yet, despite all of this, a number of activewear ecommerce brands have emerged and quite frankly, are making the impossible look easy.

Today we want to dive into three iconic Perth activewear and fashion labels: Leelo Active, Two Tags, and Hyperluxe, and discover what secret sauce led them to turning their ideas into true Perthonalities.

Leelo Active: Attainable luxury, made candid

Founded in 2019 by Perth couple Bethany Walker and Sean Meyer, Leelo Active perfectly captures the essence of the popular Gen Z concept of “That Girl” — elevated, quietly luxurious, sharp, crisp, clean.

Leelo’s inventory boasts sleek, minimal designs with impeccable garment quality, all perfectly curated to sell a lifestyle, rather than an outfit.

Have a scroll through Leelo’s content and you’ll be hit with an onslaught of effortlessly stylish women in their perfectly curated outfits that seem to say, “Oh this? I just threw it on, but look how effortlessly chic I am.”

It’s the epitome of attainable luxury, and it’s working.

Browse through TikTok and you’re likely to stumble upon a seemingly candid ad of a Leelo model casually crossing the road with a coffee, presumably after a satisfying workout. So we click on the ad, not because we cannot find leggings elsewhere, but because we want to be her.

With no signs of slowing down, Leelo has recently been acquired by popular apparel wholesaler, Stylerunner, a perfectly matched partnership between two accessibly luxurious, ‘That Girl’ brands; further proof that this small brand has a long term business strategy that is anything but small.

What can we learn from Leelo?

Prioritise quality: You cannot sell ‘quiet luxury’ with poor product quality. High quality keeps people coming back.
Sell the lifestyle: Where do your customers secretly (or not so secretly) want to be? Do? Feel? Capture that, weave your product in, and sell that.
Plandid is king: For apparel brands, the planned candid (or ‘plandid’) is a click-worthy advertising creative option.
Find like-minded partners: Aligning with brands that reflect a similar ethos to yours can accelerate your growth and expand your reach.

TwoTags: Made for the people, by the people

If you’ve ever baulked at the price of a pair of name brand leggings, you’re not alone. This shared experience was one of the first dominoes that led Perth-based activewear brand TwoTags to its initial success.

TwoTags, the brainchild of former construction manager Max Huang, launched in 2017. While their initial success was modest, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated their growth.

Max surveyed 3000 customers and discovered that around 75% were wearing activewear “more than ever” during lockdowns. He also heard directly from those same customers what they wanted to see within that activewear: Lower price points, inclusive sizing, leggings with pockets, to name a few.

Immediately acting on this intel, Huang got to work developing more cuts and styles of his bestseller leggings to include superior construction, pockets that could hold more than a few gold coins, and a size range extending up to 4XL. And all of this was maintained within an affordable price point.

And the result? Booming success.

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TwoTags’ swift and noticeable actioning of this feedback has earned them passionate customer loyalty, transforming Max’s humble garage-run business into a multimillion-dollar empire.

What can we learn from TwoTags?

Continually ask for feedback: Listening to your customers pays dividends.
Action that feedback: True customer loyalty is formed when customers see you actioning their feedback.
Inclusivity is crucial: Sizing inclusivity within any apparel brand is paramount
Pockets: People love pockets!

Hyperluxe: The cool sister we all wish we had

If you’ve ever wondered what all the cool girls are wearing, all you need to do is browse the storefront or e-shelves of Hyperluxe.

Founded by sisters Cassie and Madi Sharpless, Hyperluxe has become a go-to destination for stylish and high-quality activewear, leisurewear, and everything in between.

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Inspired by a desire for a curated collection of unique, high-quality pieces that align with their own values of wellness, health, and movement, the young entrepreneurs have found significant success by creating a business that they themselves would love to shop at.

Hyperluxe’s success largely comes down to having a finger ever-on the pulse of fashion, culture, and trends. Browse their shelves on any given day and you’ll find brands that are ‘if you know, you know’ levels of cool. This expert curation transforms Hyperluxe from a simple wholesaler to a personal shopper, your go-to destination for your next staple piece; whether you need a new bikini for summer or some new shorts for your spin class, Hyperluxe has you covered.

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Their meticulous curation of products and brand partnerships, paired with an engaging and warm social media presence, has framed Hyperluxe as that cool older sister we all wish we had. But this one actually lets us wear her clothes out.

Hyperluxe’s hybrid approach, combining bustling physical stores and a curated online presence, further solidifies their status as a true lifestyle brand. This allows customers to shop in-person or online, depending on their needs and preferences.

What can we learn from Hyperluxe?

Build the business you want to shop at: You can find significant success in building a brand that reflects your personal style, desires, and values.
Learn what’s ‘cool’: Keeping your finger on the pulse of trends that affect your target demographic is paramount to ongoing success —what’s in one day could be out the next.
What you say ‘no’ to is just as important as what you say ‘yes’ to: Brands like Hyperluxe find success in being meticulous about which brands and items they stock. Keep your standards high and your partnerships aligned to your overall brand.

It’s no secret the apparel industry is one that a lot of people want to enter, but not all succeed in. By standing on the shoulders of these industry giants, we’re able to glean important insights into what makes for a successful brand.

And the unfortunate truth? There is no one secret formula.

However, what there is is common threads we can identify:

Selling a lifestyle: Whether it’s the quiet luxury of Leelo, the everyday uniform of TwoTags, or the cool girl curation of Hyperluxe, people want to buy products that will help them better become the person they wish to be. Meet them there.
Know your audience, and know them well: Whether you’re building a brand you’d love to shop at yourself, like Hyperluxe, or you’re a former construction manager like Max Huang of TwoTags in constant communication with your audience, understanding your customers’ needs and preferences is paramount.
It’s not just activewear: And it never was. A common thread between these three brands (and any other successful activewear or athleisure business you may scroll by) is a thorough understanding that these leggings you’re selling aren’t just being put on for gym sessions. They’re worn for coffee with the girls, for a WFH day away from the office, for a day of running endless errands. Don’t limit your success by only marketing your product by its primary usage.

Are you an apparel brand keen to action these learnings? Need a little help? We’d love to chat, contact Lethal Digital today!

What The F*%# Is Dropshipping And Should I Be Doing It?

So, you’ve listened to a few marketing podcasts, read a few business blogs, and are convinced that dropshipping is the golden ticket to your entrepreneurial dreams. But before you start brainstorming witty storefront names, let’s take a closer look at the world of dropshipping and have an honest look at whether or not that ticket truly is golden, or just tin foil.

So what even IS dropshipping?

In simple terms, dropshipping is an e-commerce model where you run an online store without physically stocking any of your products. Instead, whenever a customer makes a purchase, you then order the item directly from a third-party supplier who then ships it to the customer. You never even touch the product.

What are the pros of dropshipping?

Low financial risk: Since dropshipping eliminates the need for you to hold inventory, you have no need to buy a product before it sells. With dropshipping, you only buy a product once you’ve made a sale—meaning you will never have stock that you can’t sell.
Work from home, cafe, beach, anywhere: In the age where WFH is king, dropshipping businesses are very appealing due to the flexibility of running them. As long as you have an internet connection, you can manage your biz from anywhere in the world.
Stock whatever you like: Since you’re not tied to ordering physical stock and moving it, you can offer a wide range of diverse products without the headache of managing a large inventory.
Easy to start: Platforms like Shopify have streamlined the dropshipping process, making it easy to set up, run, and manage, even for those without a thorough understanding of e-commerce, business, and the like.

What are the cons of dropshipping?

Skinny profit margins: While dropshipping means your outset costs are slim to none, so are the profit margins. Cutthroat competition, a saturated market, and other expenses can really eat into your earnings.
Customer service nightmare: Pro: You never hold inventory, Con: You never hold inventory… so how do you know the inventory you’re selling is any good? As the face of your business, you’re responsible for handling customer complaints and issues, even if they stem from a faulty product sent by your supplier.
Sloooow shipping: Dropshipping suppliers are notorious for long shipping times, as the products usually come from international suppliers. In the world of instant gratification, your customers may be turned off by your 2-4 week lead times.
Saturated market: “Dropshipping seems so easy! So why isn’t everyone doing it?” Well, a lot of them are! And a lot of them are selling identical products, even using identical images from their suppliers. Since you’re not selling unique, original products, you are competing with thousands of brands offering the exact same products — how will yours be different?
Unethical manufacturing: It bears importance to note the ethics of many dropshipping products and suppliers. Sure, it may be very appealing to sell a handbag for $50 that you purchased from your supplier for $5, but this deal comes at a significant ethical price — the exploitative and unfair labour practices endured by the people who made that very product. Choose your suppliers cautiously.

Should I start dropshipping in 2024?

Look, we’re not your mum, so we’re not going to tell you what to do (because you STILL haven’t cleaned your room), but here’s a few words of advice:

The decision to dive into dropshipping depends on your risk tolerance, your dedication, and your goals. It’s not a guaranteed shortcut to success like many an entrepreneurial podcast will have you think, and it requires a considerable amount of effort and attention, especially now in such a saturated market.

Would we opt for it ourselves? Probably not.

The early days of setting and forgetting a dropshipping store and making big bucks are over. The oversaturated market means one thing: Even a dropshipping storefront requires a LOT of work, investment of money into marketing, and time spent maintaining your store.

And in our minds? If we’re spending that much time on a business, we’d much prefer to work with a supplier to create unique product/s to sell, market, and be proud of.

Becoming an entrepreneur has never been more accessible. If you have an idea, ecommerce platforms like Shopify make it incredibly easy to get started. And if you need an extra helping hand? Well, we’re always here to help too ????

Well, I want to try dropshipping anyway!

If you’re gung-ho about giving dropshipping a go, here’s some things to consider:

Do your best to source ethical suppliers: Your margins may get slimmer, but your impact on the people who craft your materials (and the quality of their work) will be vastly better. A reliable supplier will be the backbone of a successful dropshipping business.
Opt for quality over quantity: While it’ll be tempting to stock everything your supplier offers, instead carefully choose a niche that aligns with your interests, market demand, and has room for growth.
Be honest with your customers: It’s imperative to be transparent about shipping costs and delivery times. Slow shipping + unexpected fees = unhappy customers + bad brand reputation.
Be prepared to become a customer service PRO: When it comes to dropshipping, you MUST be ready to provide excellent customer service. This means addressing inquiries quickly and handling returns, issues, refunds, resend, etc. professionally and with your customer’s best interests at heart.
Make sure you’re legally compliant: Yep, it sounds boring, but legal compliance is essential for any business to avoid BIG trouble down the line. Ensure your business complies with all legal requirements, including tax, GST, consumer protection laws, etc.
Do NOT skimp on the marketing budget: Since the dropshipping world is so heavily saturated, your branding and marketing are ESSENTIAL. You’ll need to develop a thorough marketing plan, social media strategy, and invest into paid advertising to drive people towards your store. Building brand awareness will be your #1 goal upfront.

Overall, dropshipping can definitely be a viable business model, but it’s also vital to be realistic about all the challenges involved too. As with any business endeavour, you will only get out of it what you put into it. Plus or minus 4 weeks shipping time.

The Bottle Battle: RIP Frank Green & Long Live Stanley

Is it just us, or does it seem like just yesterday that Frank Green water bottles were the undisputed cool kids on the block? In fact, we just wrote a blog wondering why there was such hype around a water bottle. Little did we know what was to come. All 1.2L of it.

Fast forward a year, and the internet has declared a new hydration champion – the massive 1.2L, handle-touting Stanley Quencher Tumblers. It’s not just about staying hydrated anymore; it’s a full-blown Bottle Battle.

As of 2024, Stanleys have dominated TikTok, the #StanleyTumbler hashtag clocking in over 10 million views in just the past few months.

We’re sure many a parent have baulked at the hefty price tag (about $80 in AUD) and asked the question:

What on earth is the hype about Stanley?

As we discussed in our Frank Green blog post, the truth is that it’s more than just a bottle; it’s a symbol, an aspiration, a membership into a lifestyle. In the grand scheme of consumerism, it’s not about the object, but the meaning attached.

The mix of clever branding, finger-on-the-pulse marketing, and influencer-lead social media acclaim only amplifies this allure, turning a mundane item into a canvas for showcasing a clean, responsible, and well-hydrated lifestyle.

Something as simple as a water bottle suddenly becomes a social statement for what type of person you are. And what extravagant budget you have for hydration equipment.

And to add fuel to the marketing fire? An actual fire.

You may have seen it, the TikTok tale of a woman whose car met an explosive fiery demise, yet her Stanley miraculously survived, and on pulling it out of the ashen wreck, it rattled, still full to the brim with ice.

This video alone would have been an accidental viral marketing masterpiece, but the savvy team at Stanley only worked to amplify this virality.

The viral video was quickly stitched by Stanley’s official account, where they pledged to replace her car and showered her with an arsenal of new Stanleys. A feel-good story absolutely peppered with product marketing.

So what about poor Frank?

You’ll be glad to know Frank Green are not suffering too much. As with all mega trends such as the current Stanley craze, too comes the counterculture and contrarians who refuse to buy into trends, instead opting for the alternatives, of which Frank Green bottles now are.

And just as we postulated in our original blog, Frank Green’s excellent branding and brand story are their backbone. Sustainability and ethical manufacturing are two pillars that will never be a passing trend, and are one many people strongly align themselves with; an alignment that transcends TikTok trends.

In the end, the Bottle Battle reveals a deeper truth about our consumer habits and how important branding is when it comes to selling a product.

We’ve got the it-girl Stanley; She’s sleek, she’s trendy, she’s the new must-have accessory to prove you’re wealthy, healthy, and oh-so-hydrated.

Then we have the classic Frank Green. Stylish but not boastful, sturdy but not ugly, the reliable essential that reminds yourself that ultimately, you can be both eco-friendly and cool at the same time.

But ultimately? They’re water bottles. They do the same job, they carry the same liquids. Their branding is where the craze truly stems.

In truth, our obsession with water bottles transcends functionality. It’s about identity, lifestyle, and the narratives we spin around the objects we own. The real question is whether or not you want to spend $80 to spin that fireproof narrative.

Branding

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