Skeleton Crew Creations: a Shopify revamp built on honest data
E-commerceUSHandmade candles, jewelry and true crime gifts2026About one week
300+ websites shipped, clients in 4 countries
- Shopify theme build
- 9 category product templates
- Cart drawer with add-ons
- Store data and SEO cleanup
The challenge
Where we started.
Skeleton Crew Creations is run by its founder, Jess, a former first responder and forensic investigator. She hand-pours bleeding skull candles and true crime themed jar candles, makes earrings from upcycled bullet casings, and sells merch and gift cards, all in a voice of dark humor and sarcasm aimed at true crime fans. Most sales happen in person at markets and events, so the website was the weaker channel and the one with the most room to grow.
We began with a read-only audit of the live store on October 19, 2026. The live theme was a lightly edited copy of Shopify's Spotlight theme. A separate revamp theme on Shopify's Horizon theme matched the prototype the client had approved, but it was an unfinished draft without the commerce wiring a launch needs.
The audit found problems a shopper would hit on the first visit. The announcement bar promised free shipping over $30, while checkout only gave free shipping from $50. The home page ran about 20 phone screens, with a hero that had no button and a collage showing a placeholder card. Real reviews existed in the store's review app, but none showed. The cart drawer had no free-shipping progress or add-ons. Underneath, none of the 222 product images had alt text, two products had placeholder SEO titles such as 'Untitled Oct1_00:18:14', 15 internal links returned 404, and two structured data stacks competed on every product page, with made-up GTIN codes on most variants.
The brief had three goals: a store built to convert, higher order value and repeat purchase, and a marketing program (email flows, reviews, list growth) ready to switch on. Free apps only.
Our approach
What we built.
Keep the approved look and finish the job underneath it. We built in a separate, unpublished WitsCode theme and never edited the live theme or the in-progress revamp theme. A knowledge base of 187 linked files on the catalog, store setup, brand and live site audit stayed current with every change. The build added category product templates, a cart drawer, an honest workshop page, real reviews and one free-shipping setting for the whole theme. Anything a shopper would see on the live store was staged for approval first.
Review the work in layers. Four review passes (correctness, prototype fidelity, compliance, accessibility), each run by a separate reviewer agent, checked the build. Three launch-fix rounds followed, each checked by a second agent, plus a page-by-page walkthrough. A launch runbook adds a 47-check read-only preflight and one-command publish and rollback scripts.
Fix performance at the source. Only the visible product photo loads, and phone thumbnails reserve their box from the first paint, so the buy column stays put. Fonts no longer block the first paint: the build self-hosts Special Elite, loads Inter from Shopify's font CDN, and makes no Google Fonts requests. The hero video starts after the page loads, pauses offscreen, and is skipped on Data Saver and 2G connections.
Build accessibility in, then test it. axe-core 4.14.0 reports 0 serious or critical issues across 9 page types at desktop and phone widths, with the cart drawer and phone menu open. The live theme has critical form label issues on the home page and on every product page. The build adds pause buttons on the marquee and the hero video, keeps focus in place after every cart update, and lifts low-contrast text such as the contact page stamp from 4.12:1 to 5.3:1.
Output one clean structured data graph. The theme now outputs Organization and WebSite, BreadcrumbList, ProductGroup with variants for products with options, and a rating only from reviews visible on the page. The made-up GTIN codes are gone, and all 44 JSON-LD blocks on 19 preview pages parse. Every page has one real text H1, and the theme strips a stray trailing separator from stored SEO titles, so titles like 'Gift Guide - - Skeleton Crew Creations' cannot come back.
Fix the store data, not just the theme. Some fixes could not wait for launch, so they went into the store data, where shoppers see them on the current theme today. A guarded script ran every write: it re-checks the store identity, writes only when the live value still matches the snapshot we read, re-reads after writing, and ships a rollback file. It set product types on 44 products, rewrote SEO titles and meta descriptions on 29 products, added alt text on 100 product images, and removed past ship dates, such as a T-shirt still promising a September 7th ship date in late October. All 62 catalog writes succeeded with 0 mismatches on re-read. The air freshener's only photo was a workbench shot, so a square close-up cropped from the owner's own photo became photo 1.
Send every old link somewhere live. On October 27, 2026 we checked all 21 old URLs: each answers one 301 and lands on a page that returns 200. Before, 16 returned 404, one redirect ended on a 404, and four bounced up to three times to the home page.
Build order value into the cart. The free-shipping line sits above the price of a single candle, and the build is designed to close that gap with one more item. Scent-matched add-ons appear on product pages, the cart drawer and the cart page, and a free-shipping progress bar moves the cheapest add-on that closes the gap to the front with an 'Adds free shipping' tag. Every product card has Add to cart and an inline size chooser, phones get a sticky Add to cart bar, and a wholesale route sends retailers to the client's Faire shop. Badges such as Best Seller and True Crime are driven by product tags, so the client can change them without code. Candle quantity breaks and a free-shipping threshold option are prepared and ready for the client to switch on.
Claim nothing the data cannot back. Reviews come only from the store's review app, and review sections hide when a product has none. Presenting invented text as customer reviews is what the FTC rule on fake reviews (16 CFR 465) prohibits. Every free-shipping message reads one setting that equals the checkout rule, and a launch check fails if they ever disagree. Burn time, wax type and size show only where a product's own data states them, so the draft's template-wide '30+ hour burn' and 'Soy wax blend' claims were removed. Pickup reads 'on select items' because pickup is set up on 10 of 42 online products, and the workshop page collects a waitlist instead of selling seats because no dates or terms are confirmed yet. New SEO copy uses facts from each product's own description and photos.
Make the hero show the product. The brief called for a cinematic product hero with the candle on the right, so the copy on the left stays readable. We made it with Higgsfield Seedance 2.0 from the client's real product photos: the wick lighting, red wax bleeding down the skull, and a lineup of skulls on dark marble. We generated 7 shots and kept the best 6. The result is a silent 13.2 s seamless loop, a 1080p file for desktop and a lighter 720p file for phones, and in an unthrottled test the poster frame painted in 1.3 s on desktop and 0.78 s on a phone.
Get the marketing program ready to switch on. Email and SMS automations stay off until the client approves them, because they send to real customers. What is ready, all on free Shopify tools: copy and click-by-click setup for 13 lifecycle flows, Q4 campaigns with a 12-month calendar from November 2026 to October 2027, and a market booth QR page and kit to capture in-person buyers by email.
The numbers
What we measured.
| Measure | Before | After | How we measured it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product templates | 1 template for all 42 online products | 9 templates: generic, skull candle, candle, fragrance, bundle, jewelry, apparel, gift card, workshop | Template files in the build theme; template assignments on 56 products and 3 pages |
| Phone product photo thumbnails | None: a swipe slider with a '1/6' counter | 72 by 72 px thumbnails, reserved from first paint | Element boxes measured in Playwright at 390 px |
| Google Fonts stylesheet links on the home page | 21, render-blocking | 0 | HTML counts and Playwright network log on home, product, contact, collection and article pages |
| Home hero first paint of the largest element | Static banner, not measured with the same script | Video poster: 1.3 s desktop, 0.98 s laptop, 0.78 s phone | Playwright on Edge, unthrottled, PerformanceObserver LCP |
| Serious or critical accessibility issues | Live: critical form label issues on home and every product page | 0 on 9 page types at desktop and phone | axe-core 4.14.0 at 1440 and 390 px, including open cart drawer and phone menu |
| Theme Check | 0 errors, 179 warnings (unfinished revamp draft) | 0 errors, 60 warnings (October 20, 2026) | shopify theme check on the theme folders |
| Product images with alt text | 0 of 222 | Alt text on 100 images; cards fall back to the product title | Admin API read of product media, re-read after each write |
| Placeholder SEO titles | 2 | 0 | Crawl of 95 indexable pages and live HTML title check |
| Indexable pages without a meta description | 9 | 6 (an intentionally empty page, the all-products page and 4 policy pages) | Crawl of 95 indexable pages |
| Old links that dead-ended | 16 returned 404, 1 redirect ended on a 404, 4 bounced up to 3 times | 21 of 21 answer one 301 to a page that returns 200 | curl -L on every path, October 27, 2026 |
| Made-up GTIN codes in structured data | 115 of 142 published variants | 0 | Live and build crawl of 91 sitemap URLs; JSON.parse of every block |
| Product entities per product page | 2 (theme plus an SEO app) | 1 | Same crawl |
| Real reviews shown to shoppers | 0 | 9 reviews on 6 products, on product pages, cards and the home page | Review app data read through the Admin API; preview renders |
| App embeds carried to the new theme | 0 in the unfinished revamp draft | 5 (forms, chat, pre-order, back in stock, email popup) | Theme settings diff and home page asset check in the preflight |
| Catalog data writes | 23 of 42 online products without a product type; 13 products with a misspelled tag | 62 of 62 writes succeeded, 0 mismatches on re-read | Guarded writes that run only when the live value matches the snapshot |
| Launch readiness | Unfinished revamp draft, not ready to publish | 47 of 47 preflight checks passed on October 20, 2026; a full pull that day showed the live theme untouched by our work (362 files, 0 differences) | Read-only preflight script: store identity, theme roles, theme check, remote diff, app embeds, checkout wording, free-shipping parity, 25 URL renders, verification tag |
Before and after
What changed.
Before screenshots show the previous store as it ran before the new theme. After screenshots show the new theme. Each before image says where it came from.
The home page first screen
The first screen had no route to shop, and the page's only H1 was the logo image.
On desktop, the logo header, menu and announcement bar took 470 of the first 900 px, and the hero was a text box over two photos with no button. On a phone, a 174 px header and a welcome slide sat above a photo, and the headline started below the fold. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
The header and marquee take 115 px. The first desktop screen holds the headline, two buttons, three proof points, the moving hero video and the top of the trust strip. On a phone, the header, a video band and the headline all fit on the first screen.
One free-shipping promise
Unexpected costs at checkout drive cart abandonment. The site must never promise what checkout does not honor.
On October 19, 2026 the live bar said 'Free Shipping On All Orders Over $30!', while checkout gave free shipping only from $50. A $30 to $49.99 cart paid $5 for shipping. Source: Live site, captured October 19, 2026 (no phone capture of the $30 line exists).
Every free-shipping message in the theme reads one setting that equals the checkout rule ($50 today) and shows only to US visitors paying in USD. On phones it is the first marquee message. A launch check fails if the theme and checkout ever disagree.
The bestsellers grid
The best-selling label was not true. The grid now follows sales data and lets shoppers add to cart from the home page.
An app block titled 'Featured Products / Discover our best-selling products' with no collection set, so it listed every published product A to Z, earrings and a T-shirt near the top. The section was 4,246 px tall (6,520 px on a phone); the image shows its first part. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
'The Evidence / Bestsellers, straight from the crime scene': six candles chosen from online sales, a Best Seller badge, real review stars where reviews exist, an add button on every card and a 'View the full lineup' button, in 1,569 px. The hero's Shop bestsellers button jumps here.
Real reviews on the home page
Social proof where shoppers decide, using real reviews only.
No reviews on the home page. The header's Reviews link opened a page of Etsy screenshots, one review per phone screen. Source: Closest equivalent on the live site, captured October 27, 2026 (the Reviews page linked from the header).
'Witness Statements / The crew has spoken' with four real reviews from the store's review app: stars, quote, verified purchase and product. Reviewer names are masked in these images.
The product page first screen on a phone
Title, price and the buy button belong on the first screen. On phones the in-page button sits at about the same depth as before, so the sticky bar is what keeps a buy button in view.
A 425 px logo header and the announcement bar pushed the title down to 486 px, and Add to cart started at 837 px, below the fold. On a phone the first screen held the header, a photo slider and one line of the title. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
The title starts at 212 px. Breadcrumb, Best Seller badge, free-shipping line, three benefits, scent row and Add to cart (top at 579 px) all sit above the fold. On a phone: the photo with thumbnails, the title, and a sticky Add to cart bar from first load.
The buy box
One primary action. Express checkout moved to the cart drawer and cart page. The prototype's soy wax benefit became 'Made by one human' because the wax type is unconfirmed.
Title, $30.00 USD, a Shop Pay line, an outlined Add to cart with a stronger purple Buy with Shop button under it, More payment options and pickup. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
Eyebrow, price, a free-shipping line tied to the checkout rule, three benefits, a Scent row with notes, one red 'Add to cart · $30.00' button, stock line, the Faire wholesale line, Shop Pay installments, pickup, a scent-matched add-on and a gift option.
A sticky Add to cart bar on phones
A buy button stays in view on phones whenever the in-page button is off screen.
Description text and no buy button in view. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
A bar with photo, title, price and Add to cart fixed at the bottom. The chat bubble moves up 84 px to clear it.
Scent cards instead of a dropdown
Scent first, then one buy action, then the matching candle.
A Scent dropdown, quantity, Add to cart and Buy with Shop. Both sides show the Cedar and Amber scent selected. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
'Pick your poison' scent cards, a 'Not sure? Try the sampler' link, the buy row, In stock, the Faire line, Shop Pay, a 'Pairs with' candle in the same scent and the gift option.
The cart drawer
The cart is where the free-shipping line can lift order value.
A drawer with the line item, an estimated total and Check out. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
'Your evidence bag': a progress bar ('You are $20 away from free shipping'), a scent-matched add-on (Room and Linen Spray in Cedar and Amber, $10, one-tap ADD), an order note, a red CHECK OUT and VIEW FULL CART.
The collection grid
Bigger cards with a buy button on each, and larger photos and buttons on phones.
A 6-column grid of small cards showing only photo, title and '$30.00 USD'. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
A filter sidebar beside a 3-column grid of cards with badges, real ratings and an Add to cart or Choose options button. On a phone the build shows one card per row: about 1.5 products per screen instead of 6.
The Faire wholesale link
The client asked for her Faire link on the site. All three Faire links on the page use her exact link.
The Faire shop address was plain text that could not be clicked. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
A red 'Shop wholesale on Faire' button with an external-link icon that opens the client's Faire shop in a new tab.
A form you can read
A form nobody can read collects no leads. The page also got a meta description.
The form heading, intro and section label printed dark on dark and were nearly invisible, and Submit was dark gray. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
The same form, readable: light text, white labels and a red Submit button, under a 'Case notes' header band.
The email popup matches the store
The popup reads as part of the brand.
A white card over the dark site. Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026.
A dark card that matches the site behind it.
A product photo that sells
Shoppers see the product they are buying.
The main image was the cluttered workbench shot. Source: Saved copy of the live page from October 19, 2026, re-rendered with the live theme's own CSS and scripts.
The close-up of the three skeleton fresheners, on the live store today.
Search snippets that make sense
A placeholder title earns no clicks. Cards show the full title and description, not Google's truncation.
Title 'Untitled Oct1_00:18:14 - Skeleton Crew Creations'; meta description ' - Skeleton Crew Creations'. Source: Title and description served on October 19, 2026.
'Spooky With a Booty Car Air Fresheners, 3 Pack' with a real description.
The full set
Every page we compared.
Home page
The live home page was long and mostly decorative. The new one is half the length and every section leads somewhere.
Home
The whole home page
Every section now has a job and a route to shop. On a phone, shop by category moved from 13,400 px down the page to 1,074 px.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
The live home page ran 11,392 px on desktop and 16,736 px on a phone, about 20 phone screens, across 13 sections. One was a slideshow with no slides. Four were empty or misplaced app blocks.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
The new home page runs 5,599 px on desktop and 9,458 px on a phone: hero, trust strip, category tiles, bestsellers, workshop band, about, reviews, then the newsletter and footer.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
The live home page ran 11,392 px on desktop and 16,736 px on a phone, about 20 phone screens, across 13 sections. One was a slideshow with no slides. Four were empty or misplaced app blocks.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
The new home page runs 5,599 px on desktop and 9,458 px on a phone: hero, trust strip, category tiles, bestsellers, workshop band, about, reviews, then the newsletter and footer.
Home
Announcement bar and header
Shoppers reach products sooner, and the first message is an offer. Moving text needs a pause control under WCAG 2.2.2.
A 425 px round logo, a country and currency selector, account and cart icons and a menu row, then a gray two-slide announcement slider that opened with a welcome line. On a phone the header and slider took 229 px, a quarter of the screen.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A 37 px red marquee (free shipping over $50, pickup on select items, hand-poured, workshops) with a pause button, above a 78 px sticky header with logo, tagline, menu, search and cart count. On a phone the two take 101 px.
A 425 px round logo, a country and currency selector, account and cart icons and a menu row, then a gray two-slide announcement slider that opened with a welcome line. On a phone the header and slider took 229 px, a quarter of the screen.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A 37 px red marquee (free shipping over $50, pickup on select items, hand-poured, workshops) with a pause button, above a 78 px sticky header with logo, tagline, menu, search and cart count. On a phone the two take 101 px.
Home
Main menu
Remove dead ends and give workshops and wholesale a route. Merch opens the in-stock view, so nobody lands on items that cannot ship.
Candles, Melts, and Sprays; Handmade Jewelry; True Crime Merch; a Blog item with literal quote marks; Reviews, which opened a page of Etsy screenshots; and Join Our Email List, a page with no working form.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Shop, Candles, Jewelry, Merch, Workshops, Wholesale, About. The logo links home, so there is no Home item. Below 1,160 px the menu switches to a drawer so the seven items never wrap. The phone drawer has a labeled close button.
Candles, Melts, and Sprays; Handmade Jewelry; True Crime Merch; a Blog item with literal quote marks; Reviews, which opened a page of Etsy screenshots; and Join Our Email List, a page with no working form.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Shop, Candles, Jewelry, Merch, Workshops, Wholesale, About. The logo links home, so there is no Home item. Below 1,160 px the menu switches to a drawer so the seven items never wrap. The phone drawer has a labeled close button.
Home
Hero
Give the first screen a call to action and a real heading, and show the flagship product doing what it is named for.
Two half-width photos under a boxed headline and subline, with no button and no link. On a phone the hero was 1,205 px tall: one photo, then the text, still no button.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The headline 'True crime & sarcasm is your love language.' is the page H1, over a looping video of the bleeding skull candle, with a case-file kicker, Shop bestsellers and Candle-making workshops buttons, and three proof checks. On a phone, a 5:4 video band sits above the text and full-width buttons, in 756 px. The images show the poster frame, which paints first.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
Two half-width photos under a boxed headline and subline, with no button and no link. On a phone the hero was 1,205 px tall: one photo, then the text, still no button.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The headline 'True crime & sarcasm is your love language.' is the page H1, over a looping video of the bleeding skull candle, with a case-file kicker, Shop bestsellers and Candle-making workshops buttons, and three proof checks. On a phone, a 5:4 video band sits above the text and full-width buttons, in 756 px. The images show the poster frame, which paints first.
Home
Hero video at about 4 seconds
Motion shows what a bleeding skull candle does in a way a photo cannot. Shoppers can pause it, and reduced motion settings get the still poster.
The live hero was a still image.
The lit black skull candle bleeding red wax, with the copy on the left and the pause button top right.
The live hero was a still image.
The lit black skull candle bleeding red wax, with the copy on the left and the pause button top right.
Home
Hero video at about 7 seconds
The loop shows the range of colors, built only from the client's real product photos.
The live hero was a still image.
The lineup shot: a pink skull candle enters at the right edge beside the black skull.
The live hero was a still image.
The lineup shot: a pink skull candle enters at the right edge beside the black skull.
Home
Trust strip
Each item is a confirmed fact. The prototype's wax type and burn time items were left out because the store data could not confirm them.
The live home page had no proof strip. Its only service lines were the announcement slides: a welcome line and local pickup.
Source: Closest equivalent on the live site, captured October 27, 2026 (the announcement bar)
Four proof points under the hero: Hand-poured (small batches), One-woman crew (former forensic investigator), Gift cards (digital, $10 to $100), and Free shipping $50+ (local pickup on select items). A 2 by 2 grid on phones.
The live home page had no proof strip. Its only service lines were the announcement slides: a welcome line and local pickup.
Source: Closest equivalent on the live site, captured October 27, 2026 (the announcement bar)
Four proof points under the hero: Hand-poured (small batches), One-woman crew (former forensic investigator), Gift cards (digital, $10 to $100), and Free shipping $50+ (local pickup on select items). A 2 by 2 grid on phones.
Home
Shop by category
Category routes belong near the top, right under the trust strip.
'But wait, there's more!' with three collection cards, 9,528 px down the desktop page. On a phone, three full-width cards in a 1,388 px section starting 13,400 px down.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Pick your poison / Shop by obsession' with four tiles (Bleeding Skulls, True Crime Candles, Dark Jewelry, Morbid Merch), 917 px down on desktop. On a phone, a 2 by 2 grid in 668 px, starting 1,074 px down.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
'But wait, there's more!' with three collection cards, 9,528 px down the desktop page. On a phone, three full-width cards in a 1,388 px section starting 13,400 px down.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Pick your poison / Shop by obsession' with four tiles (Bleeding Skulls, True Crime Candles, Dark Jewelry, Morbid Merch), 917 px down on desktop. On a phone, a 2 by 2 grid in 668 px, starting 1,074 px down.
Home
Removed: collage with a placeholder card
Placeholder content makes a store look unattended.
'Plenty More Dark Things Await You.' with a theme placeholder card reading 'Example product title $19.99 USD' and a large skull photo that linked nowhere. On a phone the section was 1,608 px tall.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Removed. The category tiles took over its routing job.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
'Plenty More Dark Things Await You.' with a theme placeholder card reading 'Example product title $19.99 USD' and a large skull photo that linked nowhere. On a phone the section was 1,608 px tall.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Removed. The category tiles took over its routing job.
Home
Product card, same product
Adding from the card saves a product page visit. Stars appear only where real reviews exist.
'Smells Like True Crime and Chill' as a white card with photo, title and $30.00 only. On a phone the oversized bold title wrapped to five lines.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A dark card with the photo, title, a 5.0 rating from one real review, $30.00 and an Add to cart button that opens the cart drawer.
'Smells Like True Crime and Chill' as a white card with photo, title and $30.00 only. On a phone the oversized bold title wrapped to five lines.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A dark card with the photo, title, a 5.0 rating from one real review, $30.00 and an Add to cart button that opens the cart drawer.
Home
Card for a product with sizes
Multi-size candles can be added without leaving the page.
Live cards had no buttons, so every purchase started on a product page.
Products with options show 'From $10.00' and a Choose options button.
Live cards had no buttons, so every purchase started on a product page.
Products with options show 'From $10.00' and a Choose options button.
Home
Card size picker, open
The shopper never leaves the home page to pick a size.
Live cards had no size picker.
Choose options opens a size select inside the card (here Mini Candle, 3 oz, $10.00) with its own Add to cart.
Live cards had no size picker.
Choose options opens a size select inside the card (here Mini Candle, 3 oz, $10.00) with its own Add to cart.
Home
Removed: full product form for the pink skull
A single product form in the middle of the home page pushed every other route down.
Section 4 repeated a full product form for the Pink Bleeding Skull Candle: price, scent pill, quantity, Add to cart and Shop Pay. On a phone it took 1,260 px.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Removed. The pink skull is a card in the bestsellers grid.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
Section 4 repeated a full product form for the Pink Bleeding Skull Candle: price, scent pill, quantity, Add to cart and Shop Pay. On a phone it took 1,260 px.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Removed. The pink skull is a card in the bestsellers grid.
Home
Removed: $9 mini candle form
It anchored the home page on the cheapest item in the catalog.
A second product form for a mini candle from $9 with wick and size pickers, 1,349 px tall on a phone.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Removed.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
A second product form for a mini candle from $9 with wick and size pickers, 1,349 px tall on a phone.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Removed.
Home
Workshop band
Workshops are a new line for the business. No session is bookable yet, so the band shows no price or date and collects interest instead.
The live home page never mentioned workshops. Its image-with-text slot was a seasonal product promo.
Source: Closest equivalent on the live site, captured October 27, 2026 (the image-with-text promo)
'New, in-person experience / Pour your own bleeding skull candle.' with Get the next dates (the workshop waitlist) and Private parties buttons. On phones the photo stacks above the copy.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
The live home page never mentioned workshops. Its image-with-text slot was a seasonal product promo.
Source: Closest equivalent on the live site, captured October 27, 2026 (the image-with-text promo)
'New, in-person experience / Pour your own bleeding skull candle.' with Get the next dates (the workshop waitlist) and Private parties buttons. On phones the photo stacks above the copy.
Home
About the founder
The founder's story is the brand's strongest credibility point, and it sat near the bottom with no link.
'All about Skeleton Crew Creations': five centered first-person paragraphs with no image or link, 10,183 px down the page.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Meet the Skeleton Crew' with the logo, the founder's background as a forensic investigator, the free-shipping line from the shared setting, and Follow on Instagram and Wholesale inquiries buttons. Left-aligned on phones.
'All about Skeleton Crew Creations': five centered first-person paragraphs with no image or link, 10,183 px down the page.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Meet the Skeleton Crew' with the logo, the founder's background as a forensic investigator, the free-shipping line from the shared setting, and Follow on Instagram and Wholesale inquiries buttons. Left-aligned on phones.
Home
Newsletter signup
A reason to join and consent wording next to the field.
A bare 'Email' field with an arrow, no heading and no reason to sign up. On a phone, 123 px.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A red 'Join the crew.' band with a one-line promise, a labeled field, a Sign up button and a consent line linking the privacy policy. On a phone, 309 px.
A bare 'Email' field with an arrow, no heading and no reason to sign up. On a phone, 123 px.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A red 'Join the crew.' band with a one-line promise, a labeled field, a Sign up button and a consent line linking the privacy policy. On a phone, 309 px.
Home
Footer
Trust links near checkout, one footer landmark for screen readers, and organization data for search engines.
One Quick links row, social icons, a country selector, payment icons including European methods, and five policy links.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A brand blurb with Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest; Shop, The Crew (with Candle Workshops and Bulk & Wholesale) and Find Us columns; four policy links; and payment icons without the European methods. The business email is masked in these images.
One Quick links row, social icons, a country selector, payment icons including European methods, and five policy links.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A brand blurb with Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest; Shop, The Crew (with Candle Workshops and Bulk & Wholesale) and Find Us columns; four policy links; and payment icons without the European methods. The business email is masked in these images.
Product pages
We compared seven product templates: bleeding skull candle, true crime jar candle, room spray, pre-order gift bundle, earrings, T-shirt and gift card. Desktop shots are 1440 by 900; phone shots are 390 by 844.
Product page: bleeding skull candle
Buy row, stock and wholesale lines
The stock line comes from inventory. The Faire line was added after the client asked for her Faire link on the site; it shows only on the 26 products she sells on Faire.
Stepper, Add to cart, Buy with Shop and More payment options stacked vertically.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Stepper and Add to cart share one row with the price in the label, followed by In stock, 'Retailer? Order this wholesale on Faire', the Shop Pay installments line and pickup.
Product page: bleeding skull candle
Scent notes
Notes come only from the store's own copy. Wax and burn time show only where a product's data states them, because the store copy holds conflicting claims.
No scent or facts element. The scent appeared only inside the long description.
A Scent row: 'Cedar and Amber: cedarwood, amber, pine and clove', from a scent library of 22 entries.
Product page: bleeding skull candle
Complete the crime scene add-on
A one-tap add-on takes a single candle toward the free-shipping line. It follows the selected scent and hides when nothing in stock matches.
The only cross-sell was four automatic related products.
A one-tap add-on: the room and linen spray in the same Cedar and Amber scent, $10.
Product page: bleeding skull candle
Description
The live page had no shipping or care information, and the long copy pushed everything else down. The typo fix was store data, so the live page shows it too.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
A 1,700 px wall of description text, including the typo 'Cedar and Amble'.
Source: Saved copy of the live page from October 19, 2026, re-rendered with the live theme's own CSS and scripts
'The story' tab, with 'Shipping and local pickup' and 'Candle care' tabs collapsed under it. The typo now reads 'Cedar and Amber'.
Product page: bleeding skull candle
Gallery
Every angle is one tap away without scrolling past the buy box. Only the visible photo loads, and thumbnails reserve their size so nothing jumps.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
Six photos stacked in a grid 2,781 px tall. On a phone, a swipe slider with a '1/6' counter and no thumbnails.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
One main photo with a thumbnail row in a sticky column 855 px tall. On a phone, the main photo with a Best Seller badge and 72 px thumbnails.
Six photos stacked in a grid 2,781 px tall. On a phone, a swipe slider with a '1/6' counter and no thumbnails.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
One main photo with a thumbnail row in a sticky column 855 px tall. On a phone, the main photo with a Best Seller badge and 72 px thumbnails.
Product page: bleeding skull candle
Trust strip
Each item is a confirmed fact. The earlier 'Soy wax blend' item was replaced because the wax type is unconfirmed.
No trust signals beyond the Shop Pay logo.
Four items: Hand-poured, Forensic background (poured by a former investigator), Bleeds as it burns, and Local pickup on select items.
No trust signals beyond the Shop Pay logo.
Four items: Hand-poured, Forensic background (poured by a former investigator), Bleeds as it burns, and Local pickup on select items.
Product pages
Reviews area with no reviews yet
No invented stars at zero reviews.
The live theme showed none of the store's real reviews on product pages.
A 'Witness statements' section. With no reviews it reads 'No witness statements yet. Bought one? Be the first to testify.' with a Write a review button, and shows no stars or rating.
The live theme showed none of the store's real reviews on product pages.
A 'Witness statements' section. With no reviews it reads 'No witness statements yet. Bought one? Be the first to testify.' with a Write a review button, and shows no stars or rating.
Product pages
Reviews area with a real review
Real reviews where buyers decide, and a rating in structured data only where reviews are visible on the page.
The live theme showed none of the store's real reviews on product pages.
On the Cedar and Amber jar candle: a 4.0 summary with a star breakdown, the review text and the owner's reply. The reviewer's name is blurred in these images.
The live theme showed none of the store's real reviews on product pages.
On the Cedar and Amber jar candle: a 4.0 summary with a star breakdown, the review text and the owner's reply. The reviewer's name is blurred in these images.
Product page: bleeding skull candle
Related products
A second item can go in the cart without leaving the page.
Four plain 'Related products' cards.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'You may also enjoy': three cards with Add to cart or Choose options and real ratings, plus a candle-making workshop prompt.
Product page: true crime jar candle
First screen
A clean heading for shoppers and search. Page title, structured data and cart keep the full product name.
One long title that repeated the product line, and Add to cart at 837 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, a '1/3' slider and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The H1 reads 'The Black Dahlia' with 'True Crime Candle' on a subtitle line, a True Crime badge sits on the photo, and the scent and size facts and Add to cart (478 px) are above the fold. On a phone, the badged photo, thumbnails, the split title and the sticky bar.
One long title that repeated the product line, and Add to cart at 837 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, a '1/3' slider and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The H1 reads 'The Black Dahlia' with 'True Crime Candle' on a subtitle line, a True Crime badge sits on the photo, and the scent and size facts and Add to cart (478 px) are above the fold. On a phone, the badged photo, thumbnails, the split title and the sticky bar.
Product page: true crime jar candle
Buy box
The size was read from the printed label photo and stored as product data. Burn time is not shown, because the store does not state one for this candle.
Price, an outlined Add to cart, Buy with Shop and pickup.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Free-shipping line, a facts block (Scent: dahlia, golden amber and musk; Size: 9.5 oz), a low-stock line, the Faire line, Shop Pay, pickup, a sampler kit add-on and the gift option.
Price, an outlined Add to cart, Buy with Shop and pickup.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Free-shipping line, a facts block (Scent: dahlia, golden amber and musk; Size: 9.5 oz), a low-stock line, the Faire line, Shop Pay, pickup, a sampler kit add-on and the gift option.
Product page: true crime jar candle
Buy row and low-stock line
Stock lines come from tracked inventory instead of fixed promises.
Stacked quantity, Add to cart and express buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
One row with quantity and 'Add to cart · $30.00', then a low-stock line ('poured in small batches'), the Faire line, Shop Pay and pickup.
Product page: true crime jar candle
Scent and size facts
Facts show only when the product's data holds a confirmed value.
No facts element.
Scent 'Black Dahlia: dahlia, golden amber and musk' and Size '9.5 oz'.
Product page: true crime jar candle
Add-on when no scent matches
The add-on slot is never empty or mismatched.
No add-on.
The Scent Discovery Sampler Kit ($17, 'Not sure? Try a kit'), because no spray or melt shares the Black Dahlia scent.
Product page: true crime jar candle
Case file description
The true crime story sells this line, and shoppers can find shipping and care answers on the page.
The description as a block of text with no shipping or care answers.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'The case file' tab, with 'Shipping and local pickup' and 'Candle care' collapsed under it. The text is unchanged.
Product page: true crime jar candle
Gallery
Visible thumbnails show there is more than one photo.
A '1/3' swipe slider.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A main photo with the True Crime badge and three thumbnails.
Product page: true crime jar candle
Phone, scrolled past the buy row
A buy button stays in view after the in-page button scrolls away.
Description text with no buy button in view.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The sticky Add to cart bar.
Product page: true crime jar candle
Trust strip
Candle trust points that are all confirmed facts, with no wax or burn-time claims.
No trust strip.
Hand-poured, Forensic background, Local pickup on select items, and Real human support (questions go straight to the owner).
No trust strip.
Hand-poured, Forensic background, Local pickup on select items, and Real human support (questions go straight to the owner).
Product page: room and linen spray
First screen
Shoppers choose a spray by scent, and the dropdown listed names only.
A Scent dropdown, and Add to cart at 938 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, a '1/8' slider and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A grid of scent cards with notes and family tags above the fold, an Under $15 badge on the photo, and Add to cart at 723 px. On a phone, the badged photo, thumbnails and the sticky bar.
A Scent dropdown, and Add to cart at 938 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, a '1/8' slider and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A grid of scent cards with notes and family tags above the fold, an Under $15 badge on the photo, and Add to cart at 723 px. On a phone, the badged photo, thumbnails and the sticky bar.
Product page: room and linen spray
Scent picker
Notes and families come from the scent library, written only from the store's own copy.
A dropdown of six scent names.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Six cards, each with notes (for example 'cedarwood, amber, pine and clove') and a family tag (Floral, Sweet and spiced, Woods and smoke). 'True crime' shows no notes because the store does not state them.
Product page: room and linen spray
Pairs with add-on
Spray buyers see the candle in the same scent, the reverse of the pairing on candle pages. The slot follows the selected scent.
No add-on.
With the Cedar and Amber spray selected, a 'Pairs with' slot offers the Cedar and Amber Bleeding Skull Candle ($30) with an Add button.
Product page: room and linen spray
Buy row
One primary action and an honest stock state.
A stacked stepper, Add to cart, Buy with Shop and More payment options.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
One row with 'Add to cart · $10.00', then In stock, the Faire line and Shop Pay.
Product page: room and linen spray
Description
Shipping answers sit on the page.
The description as plain text.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'The details' tab with a 'Shipping and local pickup' tab collapsed under it. The text is unchanged.
Product page: room and linen spray
Gallery
All eight photos can be found at a glance.
A '1/8' slider.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A main photo with an Under $15 badge and a scrollable thumbnail row.
Product page: room and linen spray
Phone, scrolled past the buy row
A buy button stays in view on phones.
The description and related products, with no buy button in view.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The sticky Add to cart bar.
Product pages: fragrance, bundle and jewelry
Trust strip
General trust points with no product claims. Bundle and jewelry pages show the same four.
No trust strip.
Made for weirdos, Local pickup on select items, Real human support, and Secure checkout (powered by Shopify).
No trust strip.
Made for weirdos, Local pickup on select items, Real human support, and Secure checkout (powered by Shopify).
Product page: room and linen spray
Related products
Short recommendation rows keep their card width and center, and a missing photo never leaves a gap.
Four cards, one of them a gray tile with no photo.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Three centered cards with buttons, Sale tags and ratings, plus the workshop prompt. Products without a photo no longer show as blank tiles.
Product page: pre-order gift bundle
First screen
A pre-order has to say when it ships before the shopper commits.
The Preorder button at 912 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, a '1/5' slider and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The Preorder button (440 px) and the November 4 ship date above the fold, under the eyebrow 'Gift it. Or keep it. We won't tell.' On a phone, the photo with thumbnails, the title and the sticky bar.
Product page: pre-order gift bundle
Buy box
The generic app line contradicted the date in the description and could not be read on the dark page.
An outlined Preorder button, the pre-order app's generic 'Ships as soon as possible' in near-invisible dark text, and a pickup block.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A full-width red Preorder button, 'Pre-order. Ships out November 4.' where the stock line would be, the Faire line, Shop Pay installments and the gift option. Pickup is hidden.
An outlined Preorder button, the pre-order app's generic 'Ships as soon as possible' in near-invisible dark text, and a pickup block.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A full-width red Preorder button, 'Pre-order. Ships out November 4.' where the stock line would be, the Faire line, Shop Pay installments and the gift option. Pickup is hidden.
Product page: pre-order gift bundle
Ship note, close-up
The ship date is the deciding fact on a pre-order.
Dark-on-dark 'Ships as soon as possible'.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A readable ship note with the real date, taken from the product's own description.
Product page: pre-order gift bundle
What's inside
Bundle buyers look for the contents first.
The description as plain text.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A 'What's inside' tab with a collapsed shipping tab. The text is unchanged.
Product page: pre-order gift bundle
Gallery
The bundle contents can be seen without swiping blind.
A '1/5' slider.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A main photo with five thumbnails.
Product page: bullet casing earrings
First screen
Jewelry shoppers choose by color first.
Add to cart at 938 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, a '1/10' slider and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Color swatches, Add to cart (525 px) and the stock line above the fold, under the eyebrow 'Handmade. Slightly unhinged.' On a phone, the photo with thumbnails, the title and the sticky bar.
Add to cart at 938 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, a '1/10' slider and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Color swatches, Add to cart (525 px) and the stock line above the fold, under the eyebrow 'Handmade. Slightly unhinged.' On a phone, the photo with thumbnails, the title and the sticky bar.
Product page: bullet casing earrings
Buy box
Each product category gets its own template, so earrings never show candle claims.
A Color dropdown and stacked buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Swatch cards with sold-out labels, one buy row, a low-stock line, Shop Pay and the gift option. No candle copy.
A Color dropdown and stacked buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Swatch cards with sold-out labels, one buy row, a low-stock line, Shop Pay and the gift option. No candle copy.
Product page: bullet casing earrings
Color picker
Availability is visible before the shopper opens anything. Sold-out cards were lightened to meet contrast.
A dropdown that hid sold-out colors as 'Unavailable' entries.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Four swatch cards, with 'sold out' marked on Aurora Borealis and Blue Garnet.
Product page: bullet casing earrings
Buy row
One primary action and an honest stock state.
Stacked buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
One row with 'Add to cart · $18.00', a low-stock line and Shop Pay.
Product page: bullet casing earrings
Description
A shorter page, care information to hand, and the brand rule of no em dashes in store copy. The text fix was store data, so the live page shows it too.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
A long description with an em dash in the store copy.
Source: Saved copy of the live page from October 19, 2026, re-rendered with the live theme's own CSS and scripts
'The details' tab with Care and Shipping tabs collapsed under it. The em dash became a comma.
Product page: bullet casing earrings
Gallery
All ten photos can be found at a glance.
A '1/10' slider.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A main photo with a thumbnail row.
Product page: bullet casing earrings
Phone, scrolled past the buy row
A buy button stays in view on phones.
The description with no buy button in view.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The sticky Add to cart bar.
Product page: T-shirt
First screen
Each category gets its own template, with no candle copy on a shirt.
Add to cart at 1,038 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, the photo and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Color and size buttons, Add to cart (567 px) and 'Made to order' above the fold, under the eyebrow 'Apparel for the sarcastic and morbid'. On a phone, the photo, title, free-shipping line and sticky bar.
Add to cart at 1,038 px, below the fold. On a phone: the header, the photo and the title.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Color and size buttons, Add to cart (567 px) and 'Made to order' above the fold, under the eyebrow 'Apparel for the sarcastic and morbid'. On a phone, the photo, title, free-shipping line and sticky bar.
Product page: T-shirt
Buy box
'Made to order' is the honest stock state for print-on-demand items.
Two dropdowns and stacked buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Color swatches and size buttons, one buy row, a 'Made to order' line, the Faire line, Shop Pay and the gift option.
Two dropdowns and stacked buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Color swatches and size buttons, one buy row, a 'Made to order' line, the Faire line, Shop Pay and the gift option.
Product page: T-shirt
Color and size picker
One tap per choice instead of two dropdowns.
Color and Size dropdowns.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Two swatches and seven size buttons, all visible at once.
Product page: T-shirt
Buy row
One primary action and an honest fulfillment note.
Stacked buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
One row, followed by 'Made to order', the Faire line and Shop Pay.
Product page: T-shirt
Description
A September ship date in October reads as a dead shop. Removing it was a store data fix, so the live page shows it too.
On October 19, 2026 the description still ended with a line promising the shirt would ship on September 7th.
Source: Saved copy of the live page from October 19, 2026, re-rendered with the live theme's own CSS and scripts
'The details' tab with a shipping tab collapsed under it. The past ship date is gone.
Product page: T-shirt
Gallery
Kept for completeness: the gallery adapts to one photo without empty controls.
The single product photo with a zoom button over it.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The same photo in the shared rounded frame. No thumbnails, because the product has one photo.
Product page: T-shirt
Phone, scrolled past the buy row
A buy button stays in view on phones.
The end of the description and related products, with no buy button in view.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The details tab, the trust strip and the sticky Add to cart bar.
Product page: T-shirt
Trust strip
Merch cannot be picked up, so the pickup item became a gifting item.
No trust strip.
Made for weirdos, Gift-ready (add a gift message before checkout), Real human support, and Secure checkout.
No trust strip.
Made for weirdos, Gift-ready (add a gift message before checkout), Real human support, and Secure checkout.
Product page: gift card
First screen
The product has no photo. A designed gift card image is ready for the client to approve.
A centered column with no image, and Add to cart at 902 px.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The two-column layout with a branded stand-in image (logo and 'Contents classified'), amount buttons, the recipient choice and Add to cart (550 px) above the fold.
A centered column with no image, and Add to cart at 902 px.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The two-column layout with a branded stand-in image (logo and 'Contents classified'), amount buttons, the recipient choice and Add to cart (550 px) above the fold.
Product page: gift card
Buy box
Gift cards and workshop seats never count toward free shipping on the product page, the drawer or the cart.
A Denominations dropdown and a 'send this as a gift' checkbox.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Pick an amount' buttons and a 'Send to: My email / Recipient's email' choice. No free-shipping line.
A Denominations dropdown and a 'send this as a gift' checkbox.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Pick an amount' buttons and a 'Send to: My email / Recipient's email' choice. No free-shipping line.
Product page: gift card
Amount picker
A plain-English label and one tap per amount.
A 'Denominations' dropdown.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Pick an amount' buttons: $10, $25, $50, $100.
Product page: gift card
Recipient form open
Gift cards are sent to someone else. The form sits inside the product form and passes accessibility checks.
Recipient fields opened from a checkbox. Fields shown empty.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Recipient fields (email, name, message, send date) opened from the 'Recipient's email' choice and styled for the dark page. Fields shown empty.
Recipient fields opened from a checkbox. Fields shown empty.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Recipient fields (email, name, message, send date) opened from the 'Recipient's email' choice and styled for the dark page. Fields shown empty.
Product page: gift card
Description
Redemption questions are answered on the page.
The description as plain text.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'The details' tab with a 'How it works' tab collapsed under it.
Product page: gift card
Image
A blank or placeholder image looked broken.
The live gift card page shows no image at all.
A branded stand-in image with the logo and 'Contents classified'.
Product page: gift card
Phone, scrolled past the buy row
A buy button stays in view on phones.
The description and related products, with no buy button in view.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
The sticky Add to cart bar.
Shopping flow
Collections, search, cart drawer, cart page and the 404 page. The cart shots used a test cart with one $30 skull candle; nothing went to checkout.
Collection page
First screen
A collection page exists to show products.
A tall logo header, a 69-word description and a large banner photo filled the first screen. No product showed on desktop or phone.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A compact header and centered description above availability and price filters, a Sort by menu and a product count. The first cards show on the first desktop screen.
A tall logo header, a 69-word description and a large banner photo filled the first screen. No product showed on desktop or phone.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A compact header and centered description above availability and price filters, a Sort by menu and a product count. The first cards show on the first desktop screen.
Collection page
Product card, single option
Most of the catalog is single-option products, so adding from the grid saves a page view.
Photo, title and '$30.00 USD'. Every purchase needed a product page visit.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A 5.0 rating from a real review, the price without the 'USD' suffix and a one-click Add to cart.
Photo, title and '$30.00 USD'. Every purchase needed a product page visit.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A 5.0 rating from a real review, the price without the 'USD' suffix and a one-click Add to cart.
Collection page
Product card with sizes
Sizes can be chosen from the grid.
'From $9.00 USD' with no way to pick a size.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A 4.0 rating and a Choose options button.
'From $9.00 USD' with no way to pick a size.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A 4.0 rating and a Choose options button.
Collection page
Inline size chooser, open
One less page between the grid and the cart.
The live card had no chooser.
Choose options opens a Size select (3 oz Candle) with a red Add to cart, without leaving the collection.
The live card had no chooser.
Choose options opens a Size select (3 oz Candle) with a red Add to cart, without leaving the collection.
Collection page
Sold-out card
The card cannot be mistaken for buyable.
A 'Sold out' pill over the photo.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A small SOLD OUT badge and a disabled SOLD OUT button in place of the add button. Sold-out cards sort last.
A 'Sold out' pill over the photo.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A small SOLD OUT badge and a disabled SOLD OUT button in place of the add button. Sold-out cards sort last.
Collection page
Filter drawer
Shoppers narrow candles by price and stock, and filters must work without a mouse.
Filtering and sorting were turned off on every live collection.
The FILTER button opens a drawer with Availability and Price range, CLEAR ALL and a results button. It behaves as a proper modal for keyboard and screen reader users.
All collections
Collections index
Lead with the bestsellers and never show an empty collection.
A plain 'Collections' list of 9 tiles in alphabetical order, including an empty gray 'Tickets' tile.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Pick your poison / Shop by obsession / Every way in.' with 8 curated photo tiles and action labels such as SHOP SKULLS and SHOP THE CASES. The empty tile is gone.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
A plain 'Collections' list of 9 tiles in alphabetical order, including an empty gray 'Tickets' tile.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
'Pick your poison / Shop by obsession / Every way in.' with 8 curated photo tiles and action labels such as SHOP SKULLS and SHOP THE CASES. The empty tile is gone.
Search
Search results for 'skull'
Search uses the same cards and filters as collections.
A plain 'Search results' page and grid with no filters or sorting.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Search the evidence' with availability and price filters, Sort by Relevance, a Best Seller badge and Add to cart or Choose options on every result. Both themes return the same results.
A plain 'Search results' page and grid with no filters or sorting.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Search the evidence' with availability and price filters, Sort by Relevance, a Best Seller badge and Add to cart or Choose options on every result. Both themes return the same results.
Cart
After adding the spray
Show the shopper the one item that unlocks free shipping.
The live drawer had no add-ons.
After one tap on ADD the bar reads '$10 away'. The cheapest add-on that covers the gap moves first with an 'ADDS FREE SHIPPING' tag. Express checkout buttons show in this state.
The live drawer had no add-ons.
After one tap on ADD the bar reads '$10 away'. The cheapest add-on that covers the gap moves first with an 'ADDS FREE SHIPPING' tag. Express checkout buttons show in this state.
Cart
Air freshener add-on photo
At thumbnail size the old photo did not show the product.
The add-on thumbnail showed stickers and a band decal.
Source: Build preview captured October 20, 2026, before the photo change
A close-up of the three air fresheners, now the product's first photo.
Cart
Cart page
Everything that helps the shopper finish the order sits in one panel, and focus stays in place after every update.
'Your cart' with the line item, estimated total, Check out and express buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Exhibit A / Your evidence bag' with the free-shipping bar, the same scent-matched add-on, and an Order summary panel: subtotal, shipping, discount code, order note, CHECK OUT, express buttons and three trust lines.
'Your cart' with the line item, estimated total, Check out and express buttons.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
'Exhibit A / Your evidence bag' with the free-shipping bar, the same scent-matched add-on, and an Order summary panel: subtotal, shipping, discount code, order note, CHECK OUT, express buttons and three trust lines.
Content pages and the email popup
Workshops, about, wholesale, contact, a Shopify Forms page and the signup popup.
Workshops page
First screen
The menu and footer linked to an empty page. No dates or terms are confirmed, so the page collects a waitlist and sells nothing yet.
A 'Workshops' title above the footer email field, and nothing else.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A full-width hero, 'Pour your own bleeding skull candle.', with a short pitch and 'Get the next dates' and 'How it works' buttons.
A 'Workshops' title above the footer email field, and nothing else.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A full-width hero, 'Pour your own bleeding skull candle.', with a short pitch and 'Get the next dates' and 'How it works' buttons.
Workshops page
Full page
Unconfirmed terms such as price, seats, age and refunds were taken off the page. The page switches to booking once dated seats exist.
A 170 px title band.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Four sections: the hero, a 3-step 'How your evening goes down', an 'Upcoming sessions' waitlist and a 'Before you commit (to the workshop)' FAQ that answers only what is known.
Workshops page
Waitlist
Capture demand now. Sign-ups are tagged for a workshop list.
The live page had no sessions block.
A 'Next dates coming soon' card with an email field and a 'Notify me' button, plus a private-parties note that links to the contact page.
The live page had no sessions block.
A 'Next dates coming soon' card with an email field and a 'Notify me' button, plus a private-parties note that links to the contact page.
About page
First screen
The founder's forensic background was the strongest credibility point in the store and appeared nowhere else on the site.
A plain text page, 'Meet the Skeleton Crew'. On a phone, a wall of text under the logo header.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A founder's file hero: a 'Case file #001' card (Jess, Founder, formerly first responder and forensic investigator, known for bleeding skull candles) and a polaroid image. On a phone, a short intro and 'I never did.' set as its own beat.
A plain text page, 'Meet the Skeleton Crew'. On a phone, a wall of text under the logo header.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A founder's file hero: a 'Case file #001' card (Jess, Founder, formerly first responder and forensic investigator, known for bleeding skull candles) and a polaroid image. On a phone, a short intro and 'I never did.' set as its own beat.
About page
Full page
The owner's wording is kept, with em dashes replaced by commas.
The owner's story as one block of text.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
The same story in four chapters ('Life on the front line', 'Nothing out there connected', 'Born in a garage', 'Why Skeleton Crew?'), a pull quote, a 'Bare bones. Full heart.' strip of four values, and a closing sign-off with buttons.
About page
Sign-off
The live About page had no link to products or workshops.
A closing line and a dashed signature at the end of the text, with no link.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'I'm still that kid who never grew out of the dark side.' as a headline, the line 'Come join my Skeleton Crew. Let's get weird together.', a script 'Jess', and 'Shop the collection' and 'Book a workshop' buttons.
A closing line and a dashed signature at the end of the text, with no link.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'I'm still that kid who never grew out of the dark side.' as a headline, the line 'Come join my Skeleton Crew. Let's get weird together.', a script 'Jess', and 'Shop the collection' and 'Book a workshop' buttons.
Wholesale page
First screen
Retailers need one click to order.
A long text page titled 'Bulk & Wholesale Orders'. On a phone the Faire address wrapped as plain text in the first paragraph.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A hero, 'Ordering in bulk? We love your ambition.', with 'Shop wholesale on Faire' and 'Request a quote' buttons, full width on phones. The page is in the main menu.
A long text page titled 'Bulk & Wholesale Orders'. On a phone the Faire address wrapped as plain text in the first paragraph.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A hero, 'Ordering in bulk? We love your ambition.', with 'Shop wholesale on Faire' and 'Request a quote' buttons, full width on phones. The page is in the main menu.
Wholesale page
Lead times
Scannable terms for buyers.
A paragraph under 'Lead Times'.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Three tiles (standard, custom or large-scale, rush) and the note 'We'll confirm exact timing when you reach out.' The tiles stack on phones.
A paragraph under 'Lead Times'.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Three tiles (standard, custom or large-scale, rush) and the note 'We'll confirm exact timing when you reach out.' The tiles stack on phones.
Wholesale page
How to order
The requirements are the same. Now they are one step of a visible process.
'Email us with:' and a bullet list.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Four numbered steps: Send your details, Get a custom quote, Pay & we pour, Shipped to you.
'Email us with:' and a bullet list.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Four numbered steps: Send your details, Get a custom quote, Pay & we pour, Shipped to you.
Wholesale page
Quote form
A structured request gets a faster, more accurate quote.
Buyers had to write an email.
'Request a quote' with an 'Open a bulk order' form (name, email, business or event, location, order type, need-by date, products and quantities, customization), next to 'Prefer email?' and 'Order wholesale on Faire' cards.
Buyers had to write an email.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
'Request a quote' with an 'Open a bulk order' form (name, email, business or event, location, order type, need-by date, products and quantities, customization), next to 'Prefer email?' and 'Order wholesale on Faire' cards.
Wholesale page
Ways to order in bulk
Each kind of buyer sees its route at a glance.
The live page covered these as headed paragraphs.
Four cards, each with its own action: Retailers and boutiques (Shop on Faire), Events and corporate gifts (Request a quote), Custom orders and branding (Start a custom order), Scent discovery kits (Ask about kits).
The live page covered these as headed paragraphs.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
Four cards, each with its own action: Retailers and boutiques (Shop on Faire), Events and corporate gifts (Request a quote), Custom orders and branding (Start a custom order), Scent discovery kits (Ask about kits).
Wholesale page
Full page
A page a buyer can scan and act on.
One column of headed paragraphs with the email address repeated four times.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
Hero, route cards, lead-time tiles, process steps, quote form and a terms box. Email addresses are blurred in these images.
Contact page
First screen
Shoppers see who answers and how before they write.
A 'Contact' title, an email sentence and a plain form below the big logo header.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Open a case / Wanna chat?' with contact cards on the left and a 'Leave a statement' form on the right, all on the first screen. On a phone, the email card, 'Who answers: Jess' and social buttons come first.
A 'Contact' title, an email sentence and a plain form below the big logo header.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
'Open a case / Wanna chat?' with contact cards on the left and a 'Leave a statement' form on the right, all on the first screen. On a phone, the email card, 'Who answers: Jess' and social buttons come first.
Contact page
Full page
The live page gave no help for order or pickup questions. The note sends order questions to the shipping confirmation email and workshop questions to the workshop page.
The theme's default form: Name, Email, Phone number, Comment, Send.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
An email card, 'Who answers' (Jess, real replies), Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest buttons, a 'Before you write' note, and a form with Topic, optional Phone and Order number fields and a red 'Send it' button.
The theme's default form: Name, Email, Phone number, Comment, Send.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
An email card, 'Who answers' (Jess, real replies), Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest buttons, a 'Before you write' note, and a form with Topic, optional Phone and Order number fields and a red 'Send it' button.
Email popup
Signup modal
The popup was restyled to match the new design. It is done with theme CSS only, so the app's copy, offer and triggers are unchanged.
The popup app's default white card: large logo, condensed black headline, light-blue email field, black button.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A dark card with a red top rule, Special Elite headline, Inter body, dark email field, red 'Join the Skeleton Crew' button and an underlined 'I'll pass on the Flavor-Aid' link. The card is shorter: 780 to 645 px on desktop, 627 to 475 px on a phone.
The popup app's default white card: large logo, condensed black headline, light-blue email field, black button.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A dark card with a red top rule, Special Elite headline, Inter body, dark email field, red 'Join the Skeleton Crew' button and an underlined 'I'll pass on the Flavor-Aid' link. The card is shorter: 780 to 645 px on desktop, 627 to 475 px on a phone.
Email popup
Teaser tab after closing
Nothing may cover the main action on phones.
A black gift circle and black '20% off' bubble. On a phone it sat over the hero headline.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A red circle and red bubble in Special Elite with a dark close button. On product pages it lifts clear of the phone sticky Add to cart.
A black gift circle and black '20% off' bubble. On a phone it sat over the hero headline.
Source: Live site, captured October 27, 2026
A red circle and red bubble in Special Elite with a dark close button. On product pages it lifts clear of the phone sticky Add to cart.
Store data, search snippets and redirects
These fixes are already live, because they changed store data rather than the theme. Their before images come from saved copies of the pages taken before each change.
Store data
Air freshener product photo
Any square crop, such as the 56 px add-on thumbnail, showed stickers instead of the product. The fix was spotted in a page-by-page walkthrough and approved before it went live.
The product's only photo was a workbench shot with the three fresheners in a corner among wicks, tape, stickers and a decal.
Source: The owner's original upload, saved October 20, 2026 before the change
A 1200 px square crop of the owner's same photo, centered on the fresheners, is now photo 1. The original stays as photo 2, unedited.
Store data
Add-on thumbnail
An add-on only sells if the shopper can see what it is.
On a candle page, the 'Complete the crime scene' add-on for the air fresheners showed a thumbnail of stickers and a decal.
Source: Saved copy of the build preview from October 20, 2026, before the photo change
The thumbnail shows the fresheners.
On a candle page, the 'Complete the crime scene' add-on for the air fresheners showed a thumbnail of stickers and a decal.
Source: Saved copy of the build preview from October 20, 2026, before the photo change
The thumbnail shows the fresheners.
Store data
Add-on thumbnail, magnified
Shown beside the add-on comparison so the 56 px problem is visible.
Enlarged 4 times, the old thumbnail shows a sticker, a decal and a band logo as much as the product.
Source: Saved copy of the build preview from October 20, 2026, enlarged 4 times
The new thumbnail is mostly the three fresheners.
Store data
Stale ship date removed
The shipping policy already covers processing time, so nothing replaces the lines.
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
In October the T-shirt page still ended with a line saying the shirt would ship out on September 7th.
Source: Saved copy of the live page from October 19, 2026, re-rendered with the live theme's own CSS and scripts
Full page. Scroll inside the frame.
The line is gone and the owner's copy is otherwise unchanged. The same fix removed past dates from 5 descriptions; the bundle keeps its November 4 date until it passes.
In October the T-shirt page still ended with a line saying the shirt would ship out on September 7th.
Source: Saved copy of the live page from October 19, 2026, re-rendered with the live theme's own CSS and scripts
The line is gone and the owner's copy is otherwise unchanged. The same fix removed past dates from 5 descriptions; the bundle keeps its November 4 date until it passes.
Search snippets
T-shirt
Search snippets are promises too.
The meta description sold a different shirt.
Source: Title and description served on October 19, 2026
A description of this shirt, its colors and its sizes S to 4XL.
Search snippets
Cedar and Amber tin candle
Facts come only from the product's own description.
Letters were stripped from the description ('Our Cedar Amber cle ... woodsy scented cle'), and it was cut off and suffixed with the shop name.
Source: Title and description served on October 19, 2026
Title 'Cedar and Amber Candle, 3 oz or 7 oz Tin' and a clean description with the scent notes and tin sizes.
Search snippets
Copper wire bullet casing earrings
A crystal brand name was left out because it could not be verified.
A cut-off title with a stray separator before the shop name, and a description that stopped mid-sentence.
Source: Title and description served on October 19, 2026
'Copper Wire Dangle .223 Bullet Casing Earrings' and a description of the actual pair.
Search snippets
Workshops page
It states no date, price, seat count or age, because none is confirmed.
No meta description.
Source: Page served on October 19, 2026
'Candle-making workshops from Skeleton Crew Creations, maker of the bleeding skull candle. Sign up to hear first when workshop dates are announced.'
Search snippets
Workshop tickets collection
The collection will hold workshop seats once dates are set.
'Tickets - Skeleton Crew Creations' with a description of ' - Skeleton Crew Creations'.
Source: Title and description served on October 19, 2026
'Candle-Making Workshop Tickets' with a real description.
Search snippets
Holiday gift guide post
An SEO app's bulk pass had cut titles at 70 characters, leaving a stray separator. The same fix covered 4 posts and a pair of earrings.
A title with an emoji and a dangling separator.
Source: Title served on October 19, 2026
'Holiday Gift Guide for the Awkward Person'. The description is unchanged.
Outcomes
What followed.
- A complete new Shopify theme on the approved look, built and verified on an unpublished staging theme
- A product template for each kind of product, so earrings and shirts no longer carry candle claims
- A cart drawer that shows free-shipping progress and offers a scent-matched add-on in one tap
- Real reviews from the store's review app on product pages, product cards and the home page, with nothing invented
- Collections and search with filters, sorting and an add button on every card
- One free-shipping rule shared by the theme and checkout, backed by a launch check that fails if they disagree
- Store data fixes already live on the current theme: product types, SEO titles, image alt text and past ship dates
- Every old link that dead-ended now answers one 301 to a live page
- A drafted email and SMS program, a launch runbook and one-command publish and rollback scripts, ready for the client's sign-off
Stack
What we used.
- Shopify CLI 4.9.4 (theme push, theme check, Admin GraphQL)
- Shopify Horizon theme with custom sections
- Playwright with Microsoft Edge for screenshots, page walks and performance tests
- axe-core 4.14.0 for accessibility
- Higgsfield Seedance 2.0 and ffmpeg for the hero video
- Open Knowledge Format knowledge base
- Node and Python scripts for guarded store writes, copy checks and launch preflight
- Free Shopify apps: Doran reviews, Shopify Forms, Shopify Inbox, Essential Preorder, 1ClickPopup
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