6 Reasons Why Most E-Commerce Candle Businesses Fail Online

Featured on Content Mingle: A Hard Lesson in E-Commerce Strategy

At Willis Candle Shop, we’re proud to say we’re not just selling candles—we’re building a brand rooted in resilience, reinvention, and real-life lessons. I recently had the honor of being featured on Content Mingle, where I opened up about one of the most painful mistakes I made when launching my online business: neglecting my website development while focusing only on product quality.

In the piece, I shared what every new entrepreneur should hear: You can make the best soy candles in the world, but if your candle site can’t be found in Google search results, you're invisible.

From FBI Agent to Candle Maker—And Everything I Learned the Hard Way

After retiring from the FBI and the Marine Corps, I threw myself into building a candle company from the ground up. I focused for six months on crafting non-toxic candles, experimenting with soy wax candles, glass candles, and tin candles, and refining my homemade candles into what I now believe are some of the most great smelling candles out there.

What I didn’t do was build a website with any SEO value. I had zero Google visibility when I launched in December 2024. And I learned quickly that even if you're making handmade candles that burn clean, smell incredible, and have a strong emotional backstory, it won’t matter without search engine traffic.

The SEO Rebuild: Keywords, Authority & Visibility

Since that painful realization, I’ve built out a 12-month strategy focused on increasing my domain authority score, maximizing aroma candle content, and optimizing every aspect of my product listings—from the candle options to meta descriptions and alt text for product images. I now factor in SEO keyword difficulty, long-tail keyword phrases, and ongoing backlink building with verified vendors.

Candle Variety That Supports the Strategy

You’ll now find vanilla candles, patchouli candles, chocolate candles, teakwood candles, and even coffee candles throughout my store. My goal? To make sure every fragrance candle I sell is tied to an optimized, searchable, and properly linked page.

Check out our blog on Building Website Authority With Quality Backlinks for additional SEO maximizing ideas.

Why Internal Linking Is a Must-Have for E-Commerce Growth

Let’s talk about internal linking—one of the most overlooked tactics in e-commerce SEO.

What Internal Links Actually Do

When you link from one page on your site to another (like from a blog post to a product page), you’re helping:

• ✅ Search engines crawl and index your full site more efficiently

• ✅ Google understand the hierarchy and structure of your content

• ✅ Increase the time visitors spend on your site by offering relevant pathways

• ✅ Spread authority from high-ranking pages to product listings and blog posts

• ✅ Boost your organic visibility for more than one keyword group

I’ve built a clear internal linking strategy into every blog post and product page, including this one. Here’s an example of a link that supports SEO growth while helping customers find one of our top collections:

🔗 Wood Wick Candle Barrel Collection | Willis Candle Shop

That’s the kind of romantic candle and long burning candle experience I believe customers are really searching for—and now they’ll find it easier.

How Blogging Became the Backbone of My SEO Plan

Once I realized how invisible my site was to Google, I committed to creating value-driven blog content that not only tells my story—but also supports the keywords people actually search for. That meant going beyond fluffy posts and building articles around terms like non-toxic candles, eco-friendly candles, and candle shop online. I began writing guides on how to care for candles, choosing glass candles vs. tin candles, and creating the best smelling candles for seasonal décor.

But it’s not just the blog titles or keywords that matter—it’s structure. I use H2 headers, internal links, and bolded keyword phrases to create Google-friendly formatting that also makes the content easier to scan. My bounce rate has dropped, my average time on site has gone up, and customers now land on my candle care blog or gift guide and click through to shop.

Keyword Strategy Backed by Real Product Pages

To make blog content work harder, I optimized each blog post around actual fragrance inventory. If I write about bold, masculine scents, I link to our tobacco candle, coffee candle, or teakwood candle. If I focus on soothing spaces, I link to our vanilla candle, spa candle, or romantic candle collection. Each link supports internal navigation and pushes authority to the right product pages.

This strategy has been a game-changer—and one I wish I’d implemented from day one. Blogs aren’t just for storytelling—they’re the SEO engine behind every successful candle manufacturing company that wants to build lasting visibility.

Final Thoughts: Your Candle Shop Needs More Than Scent

Whether you're selling cheap candles or luxury unique candles, building a strong digital foundation is everything. Skip it, and you’ll find yourself buried on page five of Google. Learn from my mistake, and build your candle shop with SEO at the core.

And if you're here for a little inspiration or just want to support a veteran-owned business with some nice candles—I'm always just a click away at WillisCandleShop.com.