Get Expert Feedback on Your Square Online Store, December 2021 Edition

[AdamB]

Hello again!

It’s time for the holiday 2021 edition of “Get Expert Feedback on Your Square Online Store”!  🎁 🎁 🎁

Now is a really great time to make some changes in preparation for the holiday shopping season. Just like the other threads in this series, comment below with a link to your Square Online store. I’ll take a look and provide some tips and advice you can use to take your online store to the next level. 

This event will run until December 16th. 

Related:

Get More Expert Feedback on Your Square Online Store

Get Expert Feedback on Your Square Online Store

[#2]

12/13 Update: The response has been fantastic! Just so everyone is aware, if you haven't gotten a response yet - don't worry. We'll get to your site over the next couple of weeks. We'll also tag you when we reply, so you'll get an additional email saying one of us "mentioned" you.

[Oohhsahhs]

Any comments?

https://www.aerresistablebeginnings.com

[AdamB]

Hi, @Oohhsahhs! Since your site was built with WIX I can't really give feedback like I would with sites built with Square Online. However, a bit of general feedback that you could consider:

Your logo at the top is small enough on my screen that I can't really tell what I'm looking at, and the reverse is true with the logo you are using as a background right below your navigation. I'm not sure what options WIX has, but I would consider hiding the logo at the top, then using a smaller version of you logo underneath your navigation. 

One other thing you could try is adding links in your footer to pages of your site. A certain percentage of visitors will just scroll right to the bottom of a page looking for important links, so it's helpful to add them there.

[susanmaguire]

I would love some feedback!  I do know that my photos need a more professionl touch, something my budget just doesn't allow for right now.  

www.belfirebotanicals.com

and my Etsy - which is new and not fully stocked yet

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BelfireBotanicals

Thank you!

Susan

[ElisabethB]

Hi @susanmaguire - thanks for sharing your site! I love the watercolor image in your header, it's gorgeous and goes so well with your products! Have you considered using text for your site title in the header and adding your logo in the footer? I think text would work better against that background than the image does. You might want to play with the text size and colors within the header, too - the navigation menu is just a little hard to read against the background in that size and color.

Another idea is trying the pop-ups feature to share your discount code with site visitors. 

Finally, I think you've done a great job on your photos, but I definitely know what you mean about wanting them to look polished. Have you heard about the new Square Photo Studio app? You snap a picture with your phone and it automatically removes the background from the image. You can even use the app to create an item in your Square account. I think it would work really well with the types of packaging you're using. It's an iPhone-only app, but it's free to download and use. 

[ElmStreetToys]

www.elmstreettoys.com

[AdamB]

Your site looks great, @ElmStreetToys! The colors are consistent, and I like that you have customer testimonials on your homepage as well as a detailed footer. Do you make regular posts to Instagram? You could include the Instagram section on your homepage to pull in some dynamic content. It can get followers there.

One other thing - and this is personal taste, really - you may want to consider using some different backgrounds for some of the sections that have the wedding photo image. There's nothing wrong with the image, but having a few sections with it next to each other creates a visible seam.

[mrsmaggiesmith]

Thank you so much! My shop is at http://blanketofstars.square.site

[AdamB]

Thanks for sharing, @mrsmaggiesmith! I think you've done a really good job with your site. A few things you might try:

1. You could try simplifying your navigation to just, "Shop" and "Gift Cards". Since you have your items categorized well, it's easy to find what you want from the main shop page.

2. With a leaner navigation, it leaves room to add an "about us" page where you can talk about your business. This type of page can often connect with potential customers in a human way.

3. Have you considered getting a custom domain name?

[abrokenangel]

a-broken-angel-1.square.site 

We're a food truck and have been using the store for a few years now. Thanks!

[AdamB]

Hello, @abrokenangel! It's great to see another Square Online store that is a separate ordering page from a main website. Here are a few things that would make sense to me with that kind of setup:

1. I would add a link to your store navigation that links to the main website. You could call it "Main Site" or something along those lines. This will make it easier for people to go back and forth.

2. I noticed you're using a different logo on the main website. Have you considered using that logo with your online ordering page? You can use black (or a dark color or image) as the background of your navigation so the logo is visible.

3. Since you have a customer domain, you could use order.abrokenangel.com as the URL of the ordering page; that'll help bring the two sites a little closer together.

[AdamB]

Hello, @abrokenangel! It's great to see another Square Online store that is a separate ordering page from a main website. Here are a few things that would make sense to me with that kind of setup:

1. I would add a link to your store navigation that links to the main website. You could call it "Main Site" or something along those lines. This will make it easier for people to go back and forth.

2. I noticed you're using a different logo on the main website. Have you considered using that logo with your online ordering page? You can use black (or a dark color or image) as the background of your navigation so the logo is visible.

3. Since you have a customer domain, you could use order.abrokenangel.com as the URL of the ordering page; that'll help bring the two sites a little closer together.

[SustainLA]

Thanks for the opportunity!

https://shop.sustainla.com/

[bluemule]

https://www.bluemulewines.com/

[AdamB]

Thanks for sharing, @bluemule! I'm a Scotch man first, but there's nothing really quite like a good wine (notes to self that you can buy online out-of-state). 

Do you make frequent use of Instagram for your business? I think adding the Instagram section would be a nice touch. This might be me personally, but seeing images of the production of wine and the farm itself would add some nice context for the wine.

[RiceandRoux]

https://www.ricerouxorderonline.com

[AdamB]

Hi, @RiceandRoux! I've never had authentic Cajun cuisine, but all the pictures of food on your site is making me hungry. You've even got bread pudding!

Moving onto your site, though...

I think adding an "about us" page and a "contact us" page would both be helpful. The former helps provide some human context about your business, and the latter makes it easy for customers to get in touch about questions. 

Do you use social media to promote your business? If you do, you could link to those with icons in your footer as well.

[RiceandRoux]

I appreciate the the feedback Adam.  I just realized that I think I put the link for the online ordering and not our main website.  Our main website is RiceandRoux.com.  It’s got more on there but I need to add more “about us”.  Thanks again for the feedback.

[sunflowerstuiod]

www.sunflowerstudio.biz

[AdamB]

Hello, @sunflowerstuiod! Thank you for sharing your site. 🙂

I like the wood background you use for your header section. I think it fits in well with the look and feel of your signs. It's also great to see that you've included the Instagram section!

A couple things you could try with your site:

1. You could add a Featured Items section to the homepage to show off a few specific signs.

2. I would add links in your footer to the pages linked in your site navigation; some people will scroll straight to the bottom of a page for that.

[sunflowerstuiod]

Thank you for your feedback! 

[ThingsDublin]

https://www.thingsceltic.com/