Please can I have store feedback

Store Feedback
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Hi all,

My store is about 6 months old I have been working on it almost daily, adding new products, doing what I can regarding SEO work, I’ve even spend hundreds of pounds on advertising.

My problem is that I am not getting very many online sales, literally 1 a fortnight which I am really disappointed about. I am looking to get UK customers, but struggling to get any, my site visitors seem to be coming mainly from Germany which is totally useless to me as I don’t ship there due to the rules around packaging etc.

My website is: https://www.theredsquirrel.co.uk

Any help you can offer is gratefully received

Thank you

Andy

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Hey! @Blakey ,

Your product is good, but you need to shift your efforts strategically. First, you need to target the right audience, specifically people in the UK who are actually interested in your products. This can be done using location-based and interest-based advertising. Secondly, your store layout and product pages need improvement to build trust and make it easier for visitors to convert into customers. Clear product descriptions, strong call-to-actions, and a more polished overall design can make a big difference. Until the right people land on your store and have a smooth, professional experience, getting consistent sales will remain difficult.

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What would you suggest needs changing regarding store layout/design?

Thank you

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run more ads and focus on a very specific targeting of audience before you start ads

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Thanks for the reply. I have been running local ad campaigns on social media and google, as well as UK focused campaigns on Bing and Google aimed at people who are looking for gift products, craft kits etc. Maybe I am just being impatient and need to wait longer.

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@Blakey I have taken some time checking your website pages, and here is what I found below for your reference:

  1. I have made a test on your store and from what I check, the page speed on desktop is extremely slow compared with the performance on desktop. You can click this report to see more details, and I suspect it is due to the elements inserting on your web pages. Try to reduce some unnecessary codes or plugins, or check with developers to light the store page content, which will be better to get a quicker response when visitors access your website.

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  1. There is a web page lacking of alt text contents on your store after detecting. The alt text content is very important for search engines like Google to know what it is and page content, so that it can index more correctly and display accordingly. I have attached the missing one below, and you can add them from Shopify admin page directly.

https://www.theredsquirrel.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/BANNER_FOR_RED_SQUIRREL_NO_logo_paper_3.svg?v=1748436862&width=3840

  1. When searching your store pages on Google, there are some search results displaying incompleted contents. You can choose to shorten the length of meta description for these two pages I put here and after optimizing, your potential customers can know what you sell immediately and it is better to let them access your page more quickly.

https://www.theredsquirrel.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOopJrmeGPQ_bHInfIZZ-1Yb0lbmLd4S7J9u3YX5UgEc12LDIRFiH

https://www.theredsquirrel.co.uk/collections?srsltid=AfmBOoqzygZ0E8FbWm2qBFYGJP3kXY1UDATJST2e7JIWGm_gwvLMREfY

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By the way, concerning the alt text content I mentioned here, if you fail to add them properly from backend, you can also add them from this tool and I used it on my store to monitor SEO status, you can have a try also and see if it is helpful for you also. Thank you!

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Thank you, I have made the relevant changes as you have suggested.

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Hello @Blakey , First do not lose hope about your store performance. I can understand your frustration as you are doing continuous work for the last 6 months but you can try some more advanced techniques to improve the site performance.

Analyze Your Website Analytics

Use Google Analytics to understand your visitors’ demographics, behavior, and traffic sources.Look for patterns where traffic is high but conversions are low. This can reveal issues with your site’s flow or product presentation.

Improve Website Speed( Specially for Mobile)

I have analyzed your website on Google Page Insights and the report suggests that your LCP( Largest Contentful Paint) and speed index are high. Keep that in the normal standard value because slow load times on mobile can directly affect conversions. So always ensure it has to be optimized.

Suggested Improvement

Implement CSS Containment

Use CSS containment to prevent the browser from rendering unnecessary elements during the LCP element load. This can help optimize the rendering process and reduce the time it takes for the LCP element to appear.

For example -

.hero-section {

contain: content;

}

Font Preloading and Font Display Swap

Fonts can contribute to delays in rendering if they are not preloaded or if they block the page render. Make sure that custom fonts are preloaded and use font-display: swap to ensure text is visible while fonts are loading.

For example -

@font-face { font-family: 'CustomFont'; src: url('your-font.woff2') format('woff2'); font-display: swap; }

Avoid Full-page Rendering on Initial Load

If your Shopify store uses complex elements like carousels, modals, or other heavy components, ensure that they don’t block the page’s initial render. Only show critical elements first, and defer the loading of additional components.Use lazy loading or dynamic loading for components that are not essential for the first render.

For example -

Product Image

Alternatively, if you still feel frustrated and want to resolve speed related issues automatically I would recommend Website Speedy - an shopify app that skips the manual work of optimizing the website and fixes core web vitals like LCP,FCP and CLS in a quick time. It comes with a 14 days free trial.

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That is very happy to hear this from you, Blackey.

Keep up the good work so far, and I believe your store will get better feedback gradually in the future!

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Thank you

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Hi @Blakey

Browsing your site, The Red Squirrel gives a warm, charming indie-gift-shop feel. The variety in gifts, stationery, home fragrance etc, plus nice touches like free wrapping and free shipping over £20, all help. Your customer reviews are shown right away too, which is great for trust. To help you sharpen things further, here are some suggestions:

1. Build Immediate Trust & Credibility
Your policy pages (Refund / Shipping / Terms) are present—good job. But trust could be strengthened by adding a badge or seal near “Add to Cart” buttons showing “Secure Payments”, “Authentic Products”, or “Ethically Sourced” if applicable.
Customer reviews are visible but not very detailed—real photos, dates, or more personal reviews would reassure buyers.Customers are more likely to purchase when they trust the store. You should add product reviews using a tool like ShopReviews ‑ Product Reviews - ShopReviews - Boost your sales with product reviews | Shopify App Store, which makes collecting and displaying real customer feedback seamless.
“Made in Cumbria” and “Based in Carlisle, UK” are nice location cues. Maybe highlight that further (“Proudly independent UK brand” etc.) to appeal to customers who prefer local or indie makers.

2. Hero Layout & Brand Storytelling
The “Welcome” section with “We are a contemporary Independent gift shop…” is good, but you could make it more visually impactful with a strong hero banner up top. Something like:
“Curated Gifts & Unique Finds – Free UK Shipping Over £20” + a button “Shop Gifts” or “Browse Bestsellers”
Consider a small “why choose us” snippet near the top—what makes your gift selections unique: artisanal, eco-friendly, handmade, etc. It helps differentiate vs generic gift shops.

3. Product Navigation & Discovery
Your collection structure is broad and good (many categories). But filters might help: sorting by price, new arrivals, popularity, and perhaps “gifts under £25” etc. can help buyers who know what budget they want.
Maybe highlight “Gift Ideas” or “Most Gifted Items” section so people who are uncertain have suggestions.

4. Product Pages & Conversion Helpers
Product images look nice; multiple angles/lifestyle shots are present for many items. Ensure consistency across all listings (lighting, background, zoom-able images).
On each product page, include key product details prominently: materials, size, gift wrap options. Also, increase visibility of free gift wrapping & shipping above a threshold to remind buyers of value.
Add urgency or scarcity cues when appropriate: “Only X left”, “Limited edition”, “Ships next day” etc., especially for gift items.

5. Consistency & Conversion Triggers
You have good offers: free gift wrap, free shipping over £20. Make sure those offers are visible near the “Add to cart” areas, not just in banners or top bars, so buyers see them as they are making purchasing decisions.
Check mobile experience: ensure menus, search, add to cart buttons are very easy to tap; ensure the site loads fast on mobile.
Consider offering a small first-time purchase incentive (e.g. “Get 10% off your first order” pop-up or banner) to capture emails and push hesitant first buyers.

If you’re also selling on Etsy, consider using an app like Etsy Integration ‑ ShopList - ShopList - seamless integration between Shopify and Etsy | Shopify App Store . It lets you sync your products and orders between Shopify and Etsy automatically, saving time and helping you manage inventory more efficiently—perfect for handmade or customized products like yours.

Best Regards,

Waytoapps

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Thank you, this is incredibly helpful!

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Hi Andy @Blakey!

You’re doing a lot right, but your efforts are being wasted on the wrong audience.

Let’s cut straight to the fixes. Your problem is actually two-fold: Traffic Quality (Germany) and Sales Conversion (low sales rate).

1. Stop Wasting Effort on Germany (Traffic Quality Fix)

The German traffic is likely bots or a geo-targeting error. It’s useless to you. Here’s how to choke it off:

  • Check Your Ads First: If you’ve spent hundreds on advertising, the most likely culprit is an ad campaign (Google or Facebook) that’s incorrectly set to target all of Europe or “worldwide.” Go into your ad settings and make sure they are strictly set to the United Kingdom only.

  • Fix Google’s Compass: Log into your Google Search Console (GSC). This is crucial. If you can find the “International Targeting” settings (sometimes under ‘Legacy Tools’), make sure you have explicitly set your target country to the United Kingdom. This is the strongest signal you can send to Google that you only care about British search results.

  • Review Analytics: If the German visitors have a near 100% bounce rate and 0:00 session duration, they are bots. You can either ignore them (they don’t hurt sales, they just skew your numbers) or use a Shopify app to block their IP ranges if you want them gone entirely.

2. Convert UK Visitors into Buyers (Sales Fix)

A tiny conversion rate means the people who do reach your site aren’t ready to buy. Your store is based in Carlisle with a fantastic “Made in Cumbria” section—you need to lean into that local trust.

Area The Problem Quick Fixes
Trust & Reviews Your sales are low because a 6-month-old shop needs social proof. 1. Get More Reviews: Implement an automated email that goes out 2-3 weeks after a purchase, asking customers to review the product. Make reviews visible right next to the “Add to Cart” button.
Shipping Visibility Customers hate shipping surprises. 2. Scream Your Offer: Your offer of FREE UK SHIPPING FOR ORDERS OVER £20 is amazing. Put a permanent, bright banner right at the very top of the page, not just the middle of the screen.
Product Appeal Customers can’t touch gifts online. 3. Better Photos: Make sure every product has at least 4-5 high-quality images. Include a lifestyle shot (in use) and a photo showing the scale (next to a hand or common object) to remove buyer hesitation.
UK Localization You are a UK shop, but is Google sure? 4. Local SEO: Ensure your blog, headings, and product descriptions use British English spelling (colour, centre) and mention local terms (Carlisle, Cumbrian gifts, UK-made).

Focus on these key changes first—especially the ad and GSC geo-targeting—to ensure you are spending your time and money on the right people.

We look forward to hearing your success story.

Regards,

EmbedAny Support