Announcing my new Shopify Store, Aura Charms!

Almost Two Years In: What I’ve Learned Building My Shopify Store, Aura Charms

It’s hard to believe it’s already been almost two years since I launched my Shopify store, Aura Charms. It wasn’t a big, splashy launch. I didn’t write a blog post about it (clearly a missed opportunity), and I mostly just put my head down and started working.

Looking back, I realize I should have written about this journey from the beginning—so consider this a belated introduction and a bit of reflection on what it’s really been like building a Shopify store over time.

Starting a Shopify Store Is Real Work 🔨

Especially when you start with 200+ products.

When I first set up Aura Charms, I underestimated just how much ongoing management that number of products would require. Product photos, descriptions, pricing, collections, inventory—it adds up quickly. Eventually, I had to make the tough but necessary decision to edit my product catalog down so the store would be manageable long-term.

That process taught me that “more products” doesn’t always mean “better store.”

Photography (and Video) Matter—A Lot 📸 

Good photography has always been essential for my Etsy shop, and that didn’t change with Shopify. If anything, it became more important.

Clear, well-lit photos build trust instantly. Videos help even more—showing scale, texture, and movement in a way still images can’t. Whether someone is shopping at Many Hats of Me or Aura Charms, visuals do most of the heavy lifting.

Connecting Etsy and Shopify Took Time ⏳

Aura Charms didn’t start from scratch—I already had an Etsy store—but syncing the two worlds was a learning curve.

Two things that took far longer than expected:

1. Etsy reviews on Shopify – I eventually figured this out using the Judge.me app, and seeing those reviews appear on my Shopify site made a huge difference.
2. Consistent SKU codes – I had to use another app just to create and manage common SKUs across platforms, but it was essential for staying organized.

None of this is obvious when you’re starting, and most of it you learn by trial and error.

Promotion: Social Media vs. SEO 📣

Like most store owners, I’ve spent a lot of time creating social media posts. I’m still not entirely sure how effective that effort is for Aura Charms specifically—but I keep experimenting.

What has consistently worked is good SEO.

That means:

• Writing strong product titles
• Creating thoughtful meta descriptions
• Making sure every single image has an alt tag

It’s not glamorous work, but Google rewards it over time.

Cross-Connecting Everything Matters 🌐

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is how important it is to cross-link everything.

Your website, blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook groups—Google wants to see connections. The more legitimate paths that lead back to your store, the more confident search engines are that your site matters.

Which brings me to a realization that’s a little painful:

I should have written this blog post two years ago.

And not just one post—I should be writing about Aura Charms regularly here on Many Hats of Me. Blogging creates context, history, and credibility. It gives Google more ways to understand what your store is about and why it exists.

Pinterest: The Advice I Know Is Right (and Still Avoid) 📌

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received is also the one I follow the least:

Create one new Pinterest pin every single day.

For both stores.

I know it works. I’ve seen it work. And yet—it’s a lot of work. Creating fresh pins daily takes consistency and planning, and that’s been a challenge. Still, Pinterest remains one of the strongest long-term traffic drivers for product-based businesses.

Becoming an official Pinterest store, though? That’s another story.

The process feels nearly impossible. You only get two chances, and the requirements are intimidating enough to make you second-guess hitting “submit.” It’s frustrating, especially knowing how powerful Pinterest can be once you’re fully approved.

Final Thoughts

Aura Charms is still evolving, and so am I. Building a Shopify store has pushed me to think long-term, simplify where I can, and focus on foundations instead of shortcuts. It’s been slow, technical, creative, and occasionally overwhelming—but also deeply satisfying.

If you’re building a store and feel like you’re always learning a step too late, trust me—you’re not alone. And if nothing else, let this be your reminder to write the blog post now, not two years from now.

I’ll be doing more of that moving forward.