How to build a luxury online store

A client who walks into a luxury house isn’t only there to buy an object. They come for a welcome, a light, a quiet, a kind of attention. Online, it’s the same: your store should give the feeling of your workshop or your salon, from the first screen to the parcel.

Here are the rules we follow, point by point.

1. Positioning before design

Before you choose a theme, write three sentences:

• who you are;
• who you create for;
• what makes your pieces unique (a material, a craft, an origin).

Every page of the store should serve these three sentences. Anything that doesn’t serve them doesn’t belong on the page.

2. Photos that do the work

In luxury, the photo sells before the words. For each piece, plan:

• a photo on a neutral background, always with the same framing;
• a photo of the piece worn or in use;
• close-ups of the material, the finish and the signature;
• a short video, if you can.

Keep the same light and style across the collection. And compress your images (WebP): a beautiful photo that takes five seconds to appear will never be seen.

3. An editorial home page

A luxury house’s home page looks more like a magazine than a catalogue. It has one large image or video, one collection in focus, one story, little text and plenty of space. Resist the urge to show everything. Three strong sections beat ten average ones.

4. Product pages that tell the craft

The product page is your sales assistant. It should answer every question a demanding client might have:

• the exact material (“100% two-ply cashmere”, “vegetable-tanned calf leather”);
• the dimensions and the size guide, in numbers;
• where and how the piece is made, and by whom (the workshop, the region);
• how to care for it;
• the real delivery time.

These details reassure your client. They’re also what Google and AI assistants quote when someone looks for “a handmade leather bag made in France”.

5. A checkout that looks like the house

Checkout is where trust is won or lost. Don’t send your client to a payment page that no longer looks like your store. Offer cards and express payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay) on your own page, in your colours. Show a clear summary of the price, delivery, taxes and delivery time.

6. Delivery and the box

Show the countries you deliver to, the times and the costs clearly, before the basket. Take care with the packaging: a box, tissue paper and a handwritten card. It’s often the moment your client photographs and shares. Offer parcel tracking and a message at each step.

7. Returns without friction

In the European Union, a client generally has 14 days to withdraw from an online purchase, with some exceptions, such as pieces made to measure or personalised for them. Check the rules for your own case with a lawyer. In luxury, a simple, generous returns policy is a selling point, not a loss. Explain it in three lines, on the product page and in the basket.

8. Speak your clients’ languages

An international clientele expects its own language. Each language deserves its own version, written for its readers, not just translated. Give each version its own address, so search engines in each country can find it. (Read our guide to selling in several languages.)

9. Speed is a luxury

A slow store feels cheap. Aim for a mobile score above 90 in Google Lighthouse. Compress your images, host your fonts on your own site and remove every unneeded script.

10. Real reviews, or none

Reviews reassure, but they must be genuine. In Europe, presenting fake reviews as real is illegal. A new store can do very well without reviews and highlight its craft, its press or its workshops instead.

11. Be found by Google and by AI

More and more clients ask an AI assistant to find a piece for them. These assistants read pages that are clear and fast, with structured data on price, availability, delivery and returns. A luxury store built for them stays in charge of its image: the client lands on your page and pays with you. (Read our guide to AI shopping assistants.)

12. No permanent sales

Constant discounts damage a house. Instead, offer:

• previews for your loyal clients;
• limited editions;
• services such as alterations, engraving or gift wrapping.

If you make a welcome offer, keep it discreet.

What OumsAI does for a luxury house

• Refined themes in the studio: a cinematic home page, and settings for colours, fonts and sections, in light and dark mode.
• Checkout on your own page, in your store’s colours, with cards and express payments. Card fees go to Stripe, and OumsAI takes a small fee on each sale that goes down as your plan goes up, to 0% on Marketplace.
• Several languages, in one editor. Our AI works in most languages, and you check every translation before it goes live.
• Fast: a mobile speed score of 95–97 in Google Lighthouse, measured on our demo store in November 2026.
• Ready for search and AI: structured data, a product feed, llms.txt and a connection for AI shopping assistants.
• An AI store manager that helps you write and translate your product pages, and always waits for your OK on anything that touches money.

During the beta, our team sets up your store with you. Request an invitation →

Questions

How many products do I need to open?

There’s no minimum. A short collection, perfectly presented, is better than a large, average catalogue.

Do I need a professional photographer?

For luxury, we recommend one, at least for the main photos. Consistent light and framing matter more than the number of photos.

Can I keep my domain name?

Yes. On OumsAI, your store runs on your own domain.

How much does OumsAI cost?

The store is free during the invite-only beta. After that, you can start free on AI Catalogue, or choose a plan from €19 a month. Beta clients get 30% off their first 12 months. See pricing →