After spending more than a year working through the logistics of starting an ecommerce retail business, including deciding on which platform its website would run on, Traum Fragrances launched in November 2024.
Karol Sierra-Yanez and Daniel Schafer, the married couple behind Traum Fragrances, knew they were going to use the highest-quality ingredients and craftsmanship they could, and they wanted to position their candle company as an affordable luxury brand.
“We are actually using the highest quality ingredients — the highest craftsmanship — but at the same time, we don’t want to sell our candles for like $300 or something ridiculous,” Schafer told Digital Commerce 360. “We wanted to position ourselves well as a luxury brand, and for that, just the Amazon storefront or an Etsy store was out of the question, so we needed to craft and build a real website.”
Editor’s note: Read more this full article and more in Digital Commerce 360’s newest edition of its annual Ecommerce Platforms Report.
How a new retailer decided on its ecommerce platform
They knew they needed something entry-level, so they went through different ecommerce platform providers and website developers to see what each could offer. Ultimately, Traum Fragrances settled on Shopify.
Among the key perks to selecting Shopify, Schafer said, was that it embeds all the different apps they wanted, such as Instagram integration.
“Initially when we started out, I thought maybe I can wrap my head around and do some programming,” he added. “I used to do programming when I was younger and I figured it cannot be that hard to do your own Instagram site. And I spent a lot of time and then after a few months I was like, no, that’s not gonna work.”
That’s when they decided to hire an app developer. Part of that thought process behind selecting an existing ecommerce platform — as opposed to creating a completely custom website — was that along with a developer, it could easily get into the tens of thousands just to build the site, Schafer said. Going through an ecommerce platform provider allowed them to achieve the same goal at a lower price point, which was critical to a new, homegrown brand.
The result, Schafer said: Traum Frangrances got “a website that is highly professional and well-functioning.” And if it continues to grow, they might consider creating a completely custom website. For now, though, they like the speed, efficiency and app integration of working with a platform provider.
An expert’s tips for upgrading your ecommerce platform
Both establishing and upgrading an website are critical to an ecommerce business’ success. When a brand’s existing website is becoming outdated, it needs to discern what still works and what needs changing, said Lori McDonald, founder and CEO of Brilliance Business Solutions.
In doing so, a brand must then figure out what makes the most sense, both from consumer-facing and bottom-line standpoints:
- Creating a custom site (as Traum considered)
- Using an ecommerce platform provider (as Traum ultimately did)
- Changing platform providers (or “replatforming,” for businesses with established websites)
Brilliance Business Solutions specializes in digital commerce, particularly for B2B, manufacturing, and distribution industries. It offers solutions for ecommerce, including working with platform providers and consulting through replatforming processes.
How can businesses get the most of out their ecommerce platform?
She added that in some cases, replatforming is not the right choice. Rather, retailers view platform providers they aren’t using with the mindset that the grass is always greener on the other side, she said.
“The truth is that every platform is gonna have its quirks,” McDonald told Digital Commerce 360. “Every platform has trade-offs. And so when an organization is thinking about replatforming, it’s also important to look at: What would be my option if I were to stay on the platform I’m on? What would it take to get me where I need to go?”