A boutique website you build by chatting, with event tickets built in.

Your customers see your shop on a phone first

A boutique is discovered in person, on Instagram or by a friend, but people check it on their phone before they come in. They are looking at what you carry, the price range, and whether the style is theirs. A shop with a clear photo of the storefront and ten or fifteen current items shows that it's open and real. A feed that hasn't changed since June does the reverse.

Events bring people in

Trunk shows, a designer meet-and-greet, a styling evening, a holiday late-night. Each is a date with a capacity and a reason to come. Make them events with RSVPs, and send a note to the list a week before. The people who RSVP are likely buyers; welcome them by name, and ask for their size preferences when they arrive.

Local search and the calendar

People search "boutique near me" or "women's clothing store in [town]," and the map listing carries that decision. Keep photos and hours current, especially around holidays and during downtown events. Your year runs on seasons: spring dresses, fall layers, holiday gifts, and an end-of-season sale. A short email from the list the day a new delivery lands works better than a post that disappears in an hour.

What a shopper checks before driving downtown

A boutique customer rarely needs anything. They come because they like your eye, and they check your site to decide whether today is worth the parking. On a phone they look for:

• What came in recently, in photos of the actual pieces
• The size range you carry, said plainly
• Rough prices, so they know if it's a treat or a splurge
• Hours, including late nights and holiday changes
• Whether you hold pieces, take calls about sizes, or ship

Put the size range and the hours on the first screen. Those two decide most trips.

The apps that fit a boutique right now

Card orders aren't available on the site right now, so the site shows the pieces and the sale happens by phone or in person. Customers see a piece, then call, email or message you to hold it in their size. If you already sell through another platform, Chip can add a button on every page that opens it, and your site carries the story and the new arrivals.

The Photo gallery is the main tool: an album for each delivery, a few pieces per photo, styled on a person or a rack in the same light. Appointments works for personal styling hours or a private after-hours visit, with a note for sizes and the occasion. The Announcement bar says "new fall delivery in" or "open late Thursday" and stops on the date you pick. The AI Agent answers sizing and return questions from your pages, and Visitor stats shows which album people open most, which is a good hint at what to reorder.

A walk through the Maple & Thread example

Maple & Thread is the made-up boutique in the preview, with the line independent fashion, chosen with care. New in opens on the latest delivery: a photo per piece, the sizes in stock and a price. A collections page groups the rest by season and points people to call or message to hold something. What's on lists the next trunk show or styling evening by date, and says how to save a spot. Visit us has the hours, the street parking and a photo of the storefront.

It goes at a free address such as mapleandthread.dollarsite.page, and you can connect your own domain once it is live. Start by chatting with Chip about what you carry, or send 5 to 15 phone photos of the racks and new pieces.

When Instagram is already your shop window

Most boutiques live on Instagram, and that is fine. The feed shows what came in this week; the site holds what the feed loses: your hours, your size range, the return policy and the photos from last month that someone still wants. Keep posting and put the site link in the bio. When a comment asks "what sizes?" or "do you ship?", you can answer with one link instead of the same message for the tenth time.

Returns, gift wrap and sizing

State your return and exchange policy clearly, especially for sale items. Mention gift wrapping and gift receipts, and whether you offer simple alterations or can recommend a tailor. A short size note for each brand, such as "runs small" or "relaxed fit," prevents a lot of returns and shows the kind of attention a small shop can give. If you take consignment or carry local makers, say how a maker can reach you. Customers like to know that the owner picks every piece, and a short page on how you choose what to carry says it better than a slogan.