Do I continue or call it a day?

[woodleyoutlet]

So I've just entered my 3rd year into the ecommerce/dropshipping world. Running it alongside a full time job and family etc has it difficulties but I enjoy it for the most part.

My 2nd year was a vast improvement on the 1st as you'd expect. Not groundbreaking but it was making enough money to pay for itself, website costs, suppliers and fees etc.

2024 so far has been a different story. There's been a dramatic decline in sales. I'd usually put it down to the Google update but on this occasion my traffic hasn't particularly dropped, it is still there. They are just not converting. I do not invest much into ads I just don't have the budget. Most traffic is either organic Google searches, Google merchant centre or from affiliates.
I can only assume I am just not getting the right sort of traffic anymore. My prices haven't changed, my website hasn't changed yet my conversion rate has fell through the floor.

It's just so difficult to pinpoint an issue that wasn't previously there without any obvious changes to my business. I sell mainly home and garden products. This time of year is normally perfect for garden furnishings and plants etc. I know we're in the middle of a cost of living crisis too but that's not a new thing.

Any advice on where I should even begin to try and fix the problem as I'm contemplating closing soon if it doesn't pick up.

Apologies for the long post. Thanks

 

[fisicx]

Hi @woodleyoutlet and welcome to UKBF.

This is always a difficult question to answer without knowing what you sell and to whom.

If the traffic is still there but not converting maybe you just need to change the website. Your analytics will tell you where you need to focus your efforts.

 

[fisicx]

Found the site and can see all sorts of reasons why conversions may not be happening.

The main one for me is the diverse range of products. It screams dropshipping to me. Add to this the lack of contact details and I’d not trust you with my money.

I’d offer more insights into the website but reviews are only permitted for business members

 

[WaveJumper]

Are you just relying on the website to draw customers in or like others flooding social media with adverts

 

[WebDesires]

Hi @woodleyoutlet and welcome to UKBF.

This is always a difficult question to answer without knowing what you sell and to whom.

If the traffic is still there but not converting maybe you just need to change the website. Your analytics will tell you where you need to focus your efforts.

I agree with this statement, no trust is being built due to the lack of information. You need to have critical information on the site to build trust such as contact, reviews and more. Critically any site I buy from I make sure I can easily contact the company if I need to, ie. live chat!

on top of this like you said vast catalogue - looks spammy.

And finally would love to give more in depth too but not allowed - there are technical aspects, design aspects and more that could be investigated, discussed and improved.

 

[HFE Signs]

Going back to your question - it really comes down to how much time and effort you are prepared to invest. To run and maintain a successful business is a lifestyle, you never switch off and thrive on the challenges - its probably one of the most difficult things you can do but equally the most rewarding.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

It's just so difficult to pinpoint an issue that wasn't previously there without any obvious changes to my business. I sell mainly home and garden products. This time of year is normally perfect for garden furnishings and plants etc. I know we're in the middle of a cost of living crisis too but that's not a new thing

I think it could be the weather One of our customers selling high end garden furniture has seen a 50% decline in orders so far this spring

Dont let this cost of living business drive to you into a sense of depression its all B/S I notice that your all driving nice cars

 

[Ryan Paul]

Found the site and can see all sorts of reasons why conversions may not be happening.

The main one for me is the diverse range of products. It screams dropshipping to me. Add to this the lack of contact details and I’d not trust you with my money.

I’d offer more insights into the website but reviews are only permitted for business members

I think this is a fair comment.

Shoppers wanting the products you're selling are less afraid to shop direct with Temu etc..

I hope it works out for you.

 

[Ray272]

Well done, looks pretty good, needs a bit more info as some have said but I am not sure how it screams dropshipping, it looks like a regular store. The ranges are bit all over the shop and maybe only having liverpool stuff could put off other football fans?

That might work, if you can get multiple teams merch on there, could be a good way to focus marketing etc.

Names a bit naff but and the reviews position on the slider is not right, need your best sellers in that position and your reviews in a subtle location at the bottom.

 

[fisicx]

Please do not review or comment on the site. Reviews are only permitted for business members in the appropriate forum.

 

[Ray272]

Please do not review or comment on the site. Reviews are only permitted for business members in the appropriate forum.

You did exactly the same thing earlier, seriously man come on get a grip

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

Dont let this cost of living business drive to you into a sense of depression its all B/S I notice that your all driving nice cars

And all the coffee shops are still full. We will know there is a cost of living crises when the coffee shops are empty!

 

[antropy]

Dont let this cost of living business drive to you into a sense of depression its all B/S I notice that your all driving nice cars

How do you know about our cars lol?

Paul.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

How do you know about our cars lol?

Paul.

Because they are as shiny as your Church's shoes and you stand out a mile

 

[woodleyoutlet]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I think my concerns have come from having a good conversion rate last year and the sudden decline. Most of the issues pointed out on here were still there last year yet I was still getting customers.

Appreciate the comments though with regards to trust and the diverse range of products etc. I'd been experimenting with different suppliers to see which would sell and hopefully nail down a niche.

It's all done part time around an already busy life but I'll take your comments on board and hopefully work towards some improvements soon.

 

[sdob]

Interesting. So your traffic is still up - but conversion is way down? Have you considered a simple technical issue, perhaps on mobile?

 

[Graham Mac]

Do you know where you traffic is going to? It could be that your site is top heavy and most traffic is actually just going to a few pages. The first thing to do is to establish where it is and what people are doing. You can use Google Search Console and Analytics to get this data, depending upon which platform you are using you could also then install a service such as Hot Jar or Inspectlet to get a real time perspective on visitor behaviour.

Also, find out your ranking positions and search for them yourself. Remember, in a B2C market most people will usually search from their phone but check your Search Console or GA data to confirm which device most people use to reach you. What do you see? It could be that SERP layout has pushed your categories and products a lot further down the results, so as I mentioned, where is your traffic going to?

I don't know your website but happy to take a deeper look if you pm me.

 

[Ræcan]

Hi @woodleyoutlet

• Weather could be your main problem currently with outdoor furniture and plants.
• It also looks like you could be using your blog more effectively "10 of the best garden activities during a rainy summer holiday" would allow you to feature some practical gifts from your catalogues.
• If you are not sure about user activity install Microsoft Clarity, it's free and you will be able to view heatmaps that will help you view activity.
• Your site SEO needs a bit of work, this may improve your clickthrough rate by using better targeting. You have keywords listed on pages (no longer applicable) and descriptions that are too long 155 characters to be safe! (currently relevant but could be updated in the future), adding an introductory paragraph as well to each page and product would help.
• Consider grouping your products into groups that encourage a cross sell when visitors land on your pages, either directly or via affiliates.
• You could also consider using Facebook to create catalogues and products that you could promote in posts either paid or unpaid. You have numerous targeting options using Facebook ads eg. target parents with young children with ads about kids balance bikes?

Hope that is some help, without seeing more detailed data it is hard to give you more detailed advice.

Good Luck!

Ræcan Team

 

[Chris McCarron]

I have over a decade of experience optimising websites for conversions. If you share the link then I'm more than happy to take a look.

 

[antropy]

I have over a decade of experience optimising websites for conversions. If you share the link then I'm more than happy to take a look.

Feel free to contact us about our two main sites:
www.antropy.co.uk
www.vapeliquiduk.com

Thanks,
Paul