QuestItemsIRL Launch Checklist — Private Draft
Private working plan for Chandler — keep this page hidden.
Prepared September 14, 2026. The storefront design is installed as an unpublished theme. This checklist is for running the shop, not for customers.
Open the new design
Go to Online Store → Themes and open QuestItemsIRL — Curio Studio. Preview the homepage, all four products, collections, menu, contact page, Custom Orders page, and cart on your phone and computer. Verify the custom request form before promoting it.
The build includes a forest-green, cream, and gold design; a Bigfoot hero; product collections; maker story; FAQ and care pages; newsletter signup; cart drawer; and search and social metadata. Product descriptions and search listings have been rewritten. Current prices, stock quantities, product URLs, and existing galleries were preserved.
Before publishing
- Confirm available stock counts. Chandler confirmed that the listed products are finished and ready to ship. All four products still show 10 units in Shopify; verify the actual finished quantity for each listing and keep Etsy and Shopify stock aligned.
- Fulfillment information updated. The listed products are ready to ship. Chandler confirmed custom orders take 1–3 days to complete; carrier transit time is additional. The old mini Bigfoot printing-time statement has been replaced. Confirm the dispatch schedule for finished stock and check requests with a deadline individually.
- Measure the pieces and packed parcels. Record height, width, depth, and packed weight. The large Bigfoot's current 10 × 10 × 8 inch dimensions are rough estimates. The Crystal Cat's approximate 800 g of filament is not its packed shipping weight.
- Complete shipping and return policies. Only a privacy policy was returned during setup. Confirm destinations, shipping prices or calculated rates, return window, return shipping responsibility, and how to handle damage. Add these in Settings → Policies and check their storefront links.
- Check checkout. Confirm payments, shipping zones and rates, tax settings, and customer contact details. Use Shopify's test-order workflow to check a complete purchase, notification, shipping price, and stock adjustment. No payment or checkout test was performed during this build. Shopify test-order guide.
- Publish from Shopify admin when ready. The assistant connection supports editing draft themes but does not allow theme publishing. Publishing the new theme moves the previous theme into drafts; it does not change the store's private/public access setting. Shopify publishing guide.
Handling custom requests
The Custom Orders page uses the contact template and asks for the idea, size, color, quantity, reference links, delivery area, and deadline. It is linked from the draft theme’s homepage and both QuestItemsIRL menus. Review each request and agree on the scope, price, and timing before the order begins. State 1–3 days to complete custom work; shipping transit is separate. Form submission and notification delivery still need a test in Shopify.
Start bringing people to the store
A better store makes the products easier to understand and buy. It still needs visitors. Treat the following as a practical launch plan, not a promise of sales.
- Get eligible products onto Google. Connect the Google & YouTube channel to your Google account and Merchant Center. Complete the store and product requirements and resolve feed errors. Eligible US stores can receive free product listings; approval and visibility are not guaranteed. Paid ads are a separate choice. Official channel setup guide.
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Submit the sitemap. Once the storefront is public, verify your store in Google Search Console and submit
sitemap.xml. Shopify generates it automatically. Indexing takes time and is not guaranteed. Shopify sitemap guide. - Give every video one destination. A Bigfoot reveal should link to that Bigfoot product; a general workshop video can link to the full collection. Add the store to your business profile's website field.
- Show the real object. Shoot a clean front view, a side or back view, an in-hand scale view, and a close-up of the finish. Keep the actual sculpture's shape, color, and details visible. Your workshop shots are useful proof; a consistent background will make the catalog easier to scan.
- Build repeat interest. The homepage has a newsletter form. Test it with your own address before promoting it. Send release updates only to people who opted in. No marketing messages or campaigns were sent during this build.
A practical 14-day content plan
| Day | Make or publish | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finish the launch checklist and test checkout. | Make sure visitors can buy with accurate expectations. |
| 2 | Film a slow turn from the large Bigfoot's fur side to its skull side. | Show the product's most distinctive detail. |
| 3 | Film the Crystal Cat under two lighting angles, then show its scale beside your hand. | Explain the color shift and size. |
| 4 | Film the snake from above and at shelf height. State that it is fixed pose. | Make the shape and function clear. |
| 5 | Place the mini and large Bigfoot side by side with a ruler. | Help buyers choose the right edition. |
| 6 | Show your inspection and packing process using a demonstration parcel. | Answer concerns about fine details and shipping. |
| 7 | Review which posts generated store visits and which products people viewed. | Choose the next subject from observed interest. |
| 8 | Connect Google Merchant Center and submit the sitemap after eligibility and access checks. | Set up additional discovery routes. |
| 9 | Make another version of the video that brought the most relevant visits, changing its opening shot. | Compare two creative approaches. |
| 10 | Post an answer to the most common genuine customer question. | Remove uncertainty before purchase. |
| 11 | Show an unpainted Bigfoot on a real shelf with familiar objects for scale. | Help buyers picture it in their space. |
| 12 | Introduce yourself and show one part of the printing process. | Make the independent maker visible. |
| 13 | Review product views, carts, checkouts, and orders in Shopify Analytics. | Find where visitors stop and inspect that step. |
| 14 | Improve the clearest weak point and plan the next week's videos. | Build on evidence rather than redesigning everything. |
Three ready-to-film openings
Bigfoot: “Wait until you see the other side.” Begin with fur, turn to the skull, then show the full bust and a ruler. Finish: “See the large Bigfoot bust at QuestItemsIRL.”
Crystal Cat: “Same cat. Different light.” Show the same print from two lighting angles, then its ears, armor, and curled tail. Finish with an honest scale shot.
Rattlesnake: “Every scale came off my 3D printer.” Show a close-up, pull back to the full coiled pose, and state: “A fixed-pose shelf sculpture.”
How to decide what to improve
- Few store visits: work on video openings, posting consistency, and clear product links.
- Visits but few carts: inspect photography, size information, price clarity, and processing time.
- Carts but few completed orders: inspect shipping cost, delivery expectations, payment options, and checkout errors.
- Sales but weak profit: review print time, material use, failed prints, packing, and shipping before adding ad spend or discounts.
Use a consistent campaign label when comparing traffic. For example, link a general Facebook launch post to https://questitemsirl.myshopify.com/collections/the-curio-collection?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=store_launch. Do not treat a handful of visits as proof that a product or channel cannot work.
Adding future products
Add the tag quest-collection to include a product in The Curio Collection. Add cryptids for Cryptids & Oddities, or creatures for Creatures & Fantasy. Check the product's Online Store availability and status before expecting it to appear.
Etsy and Shopify stock do not become continuously synchronized just because products were imported. Before listing the same limited stock on both, confirm your synchronization method or update both inventories when an item sells.
Validation record
The theme's modified files passed the Shopify Liquid skill validator. Shopify's upload-specific author-length and range-step errors were corrected, and the store accepted the corrected files. The installed theme contains all 366 expected files; its saved colors, navigation, product links, and product template were read back and checked. Static layout proofs were inspected. A full browser and checkout test remains outstanding because the preview could not be opened in this session.
The separate theme ZIP and portable preview could not be attached after the file workspace disconnected. The native theme, products, collections, navigation, and these pages are saved in Shopify.