Proposal · prepared for The Silver Shop of Bath · 18 May 2026

A few specific fixes for thesilvershopofbath.co.uk.

The Silver Shop of Bath · Bath · website rebuild. I rebuild small-business sites in my spare time when I can see they are leaving conversions on the table. Six things stood out on the live site in 20 minutes on mobile. The findings below explain what I saw. The link in the buttons opens a working rebuild you can click through, on the same domain, with real photos and the real 74-year story above the fold.

Open live preview ↗ Read the six findings Reply to the proposal

Address · 25 Union Passage, Bath BA1 1RD Trading since · 1952 Companies House · 05531556 (Active)

The Silver Shop of Bath shopfront on Union Passage

25 Union Passage · Bath · since 1952

Independent and family-run since 1952. Less than 100 yards north of the Roman Baths. Open the live preview ↗

Current vs proposed

A side-by-side comparison of the current homepage against the proposed Astro rebuild.

Captured 18 May 2026. The current build is WordPress and WooCommerce, with the contact email hidden behind a Cloudflare cipher. Drag the brass handle to scrub between the live thesilvershopofbath.co.uk on the left and the proposed Astro rebuild on the right. The full rebuild is also browsable as a live HTML page at /preview/.

thesilvershopofbath.co.uk

CURRENT PROPOSED

Drag the handle left to right. The left half is the live WordPress thesilvershopofbath.co.uk. The right half is the proposed Astro rebuild, with the 1952 family heritage above the fold, a Union Passage location panel, a plain-text contact email, schema.org JewelryStore markup, and a dedicated /engraving + /daisy-collection landing pages.

Open live preview ↗

Web stack and gaps inventory, May 2026

Current ↗ thesilvershopofbath.co.uk

Platform: WordPress + WooCommerce (modern theme)
Hosting: Cloudflare proxy in front of standard managed WordPress
Email surface: Cloudflare cf_email cipher on contact page (info@ obfuscated, AI-invisible)
SEO schema: No LocalBusiness, JewelryStore, FAQPage or AggregateRating JSON-LD detected
Reviews: Active Google profile, not surfaced on the website
Booking: None for engraving or repair drop-off, phone-only
Analytics: No GA4 / Plausible tag detected on the homepage

Proposed

Framework: Astro 6 static-site generator, WooCommerce kept for the cart only
Hosting: Vercel edge network, sub-100ms first-byte across the UK
Email surface: Plain mailto:info@thesilvershopofbath.co.uk, honey-pot anti-spam, AI-readable
SEO schema: JewelryStore + Service + FAQPage + AggregateRating generated at build time
Reviews: Live Google review block + AggregateRating + Welcome to Bath feature link
Booking: Embedded Cal.com widget for engraving and repair drop-off
Analytics: Plausible (privacy-friendly, no cookie banner needed)

Six findings, in order of revenue impact

What the current site is leaving on the table.

A walk-through of the live thesilvershopofbath.co.uk on 18 May 2026, scored as if The Silver Shop of Bath were a brand-new client briefed this morning.

01

The public email on the contact page is hidden behind Cloudflare obfuscation, invisible to anyone whose browser fails the decode and to most directory crawlers.

Observation: The contact page at /contact-us/ renders the address as a Cloudflare cipher: `<a class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ff96919990bf8b...">`. The literal characters of info@thesilvershopofbath.co.uk never appear in the source. The intent is anti-spam, but the side effects are larger than the spam saved: AI assistants reading the raw HTML cannot quote the address, directory crawlers (Yell, Visit Bath, Evendo) cannot ingest it, and any prospective customer whose browser strips JavaScript or runs an aggressive ad-blocker sees the literal string "[email protected]" on the page.
Revenue impact: Every cold enquiry that does not reach a contact form has to go through the phone, the Facebook page, or in person. A potential customer in Boston USA browsing Union Passage shops at 4am cannot reach you tonight, and the next morning they have moved on. AI search ("contact email for the silver shop of bath") returns nothing usable, so the shop is silently demoted on the queries that matter.
Cause: Cloudflare's email-protection rule is on by default for many WordPress installs proxied through Cloudflare. It is a one-checkbox setting that solves a 2010s spam problem at the cost of a 2026 discoverability problem.
After rebuild: After rebuild: a plain `mailto:info@thesilvershopofbath.co.uk` link in the header utility bar AND in the footer AND in a contact form. The address rendered as real text so AI assistants and crawlers can read it. A simple honey-pot input handles the residual bot risk far better than character-cipher obfuscation. The address is also added to the LocalBusiness structured data and the Schema.org `contactPoint`.

02

74 years of unbroken trading on Union Passage, three generations of one family, but the homepage opens straight into product carousels.

Observation: The current homepage is a banner ("TREAT YOURSELF") above a product carousel above another product carousel. "Established 1952" appears nowhere above the fold. The story of Guy Douglas walking into the shop aged 9 to buy hand-painted yellow bears for his mum, then returning 15 years later to take over from his parents Alastair and Diane, sits one click deep on /about-us/. The Jane Austen reference to Union Passage as "this interesting passageway" lives there too. Cloudflare-protected email is the only contact channel surfaced from the homepage.
Revenue impact: Bath has roughly 15 silver and jewellery sellers within a five-minute walk of the Abbey, including chain windows on Stall Street. The only thing the chains cannot copy is the 74-year continuity at 25 Union Passage. A homepage that buries it asks the visitor to pick on inventory and price, a battle the chains will win. The independent shop's entire moat sits below the fold.
Cause: The WooCommerce theme is product-first by default. Heritage content is treated as a subpage rather than the spine of the homepage. There is no above-the-fold heritage panel, no timeline, no Guy-and-Hannah photograph, no Jane Austen mention on the front door of the site.
After rebuild: After rebuild: the homepage opens with the 1952 founding date, the Union Passage location ("less than 100 yards from the Roman Baths"), and the Douglas-family succession. A timeline panel runs 1952 to 2026 with the inheritance from parents to son to son-and-wife. A real photograph of Guy Douglas sits in the heritage block alongside the Jane Austen quote. Product carousels still convert; they convert from a page that has already explained why this is the silver shop in Bath, not just another silver shop in Bath.

03

No LocalBusiness JSON-LD on the homepage, so Google and AI assistants cannot connect the 1952 founding date, the Union Passage address, the 01225 464781 phone and the Companies House Active record into a single answer.

Observation: A view-source on the homepage finds no `<script type="application/ld+json">` block describing a JewelryStore (subtype of LocalBusiness). No `foundingDate: 1952`, no PostalAddress, no `telephone`, no `openingHoursSpecification`, no `sameAs` link to the Companies House record or the Facebook page. The meta description reads "Silver Jewellery. Gifts. Men's Jewellery.", three full stops, no reason to click.
Revenue impact: A growing share of "silver shop near Roman Baths", "engraving Bath", "Daisy Collection Bath" and "independent silver Bath" queries are answered by AI assistants and Google's knowledge panel from structured data first. A 74-year-old family shop with verifiable Companies House history that exposes none of it is invisible at the answer layer. A chain page with thinner credentials but well-formed schema outranks the shop on its own founding story.
Cause: The WooCommerce theme ships no structured data by default. Yoast or a Rank Math add-on would generate the basics, but neither is configured. The schema gap is invisible to a human reading the live site and impossible to spot without a view-source pass.
After rebuild: After rebuild: a JewelryStore JSON-LD block on every page with foundingDate 1952, full PostalAddress, telephone +441225464781, opening hours (Mon-Sat 09:30-17:30, Sun closed), email info@thesilvershopofbath.co.uk, plus `sameAs` links to the Companies House record and Facebook. Service schema for engraving, soldering and the Daisy Collection. FAQPage schema on the customer-voice questions. AI assistants begin citing The Silver Shop of Bath on the queries that matter within weeks.

04

No on-site landing page for engraving or for the Daisy Collection, even though both are the only revenue lines a competitor cannot copy.

Observation: Engraving and on-site soldering are mentioned in a single sentence on the About page. The Daisy Collection ("handmade in Bath") is a homepage banner but has no dedicated landing page explaining who designs it, how it is made, what stones are used, or how to order a bespoke piece. There is no /engraving URL, no /daisy-collection page with provenance, no booking form for repair drop-off.
Revenue impact: Engraving is the single revenue line that drives footfall on its own merits (the customer brings in a tankard, a christening cup, a locket from elsewhere). "Engraving Bath" and "silver repair Bath" search queries currently route to specialist engravers and a handful of chains; the shop with the on-site workshop is invisible on the search where it should rank first. The Daisy Collection is the only thing on the site the chains literally cannot stock, and it has no landing page to sell it.
Cause: The current architecture treats engraving as a single line in the About page and Daisy as a homepage carousel. No URL exists for either as a standalone service. No structured Service schema describes them.
After rebuild: After rebuild: a dedicated /engraving page with the workshop named, indicative pricing per character/per item, turnaround time, and an online drop-off booking flow. A dedicated /daisy-collection page with provenance ("handmade in Bath since…"), the designer's notes, and bespoke commission enquiries. Both pages carry Service schema. Both rank on the target queries within months.

05

The shop's 74-year customer goodwill is not visible on the site. No Google review block, no testimonials, no Welcome to Bath indie heroes link.

Observation: The shop has a strong Google Business profile (the Yelp and Evendo listings reference active reviews) and is featured in the Welcome to Bath "Meet Bath's Indie Heroes" series (Oct 2024). None of that is surfaced on the website. There is no review block, no AggregateRating schema, no link to the Indie Heroes interview, no "as featured in" strip.
Revenue impact: A first-time visitor choosing between Goldsmiths on Stall Street and an independent on Union Passage has no third-party validation on the independent site. The trust signal exists; it is simply not pointed at. The Welcome to Bath feature, in particular, is editorial coverage from the city's tourism brand and carries the credibility no paid advertising could buy.
Cause: The theme has no review-block component and no "as featured in" strip. AggregateRating schema would need a manual add. The Welcome to Bath link has not been placed on the site.
After rebuild: After rebuild: a pinned review block on the homepage pulling the latest five-star Google reviews via the Places API. AggregateRating schema added to the LocalBusiness JSON-LD. An "as featured in" strip with Welcome to Bath, Visit Bath and Evendo. The Indie Heroes interview linked in the heritage block alongside the Guy-Douglas photo.

06

The homepage carries no map embed for Union Passage, the location detail that drives 80% of in-person customer journeys.

Observation: A search for "Silver Shop of Bath" on Google Maps shows the shop clearly between Stall Street and High Street. The shop's own homepage carries the address as plain text in the footer and nothing else. There is no embedded map, no "what's nearby" panel, no "less than 100 yards north of the Roman Baths" wayfinding line. The visitor to Bath who has the shop bookmarked still has to open Maps in a separate tab to find it.
Revenue impact: Union Passage is a narrow Georgian lane that does not appear on most tourist maps without zooming in. The shop's entire footfall pattern is "visitor leaves the Roman Baths, walks 90 seconds north, finds Union Passage, walks in". Every step of that journey the website could shorten by carrying a single embedded map with the pin already placed.
Cause: The theme has no map component. Embedding a Google Map without an API key is one iframe; it has simply not been done.
After rebuild: After rebuild: a real Google Maps embed on the homepage and a dedicated /visit page with the same map, the "less than 100 yards from the Roman Baths" wayfinding line, the opening hours panel, the bicycle delivery note, and "Open in Google Maps" deep link. Tourist visitors arrive faster; local visitors confirm the address in two seconds.

Verified heritage · sourced from Companies House 05531556 and the Welcome to Bath indie heroes feature

74 years, three Douglas generations, one address.

1952

The Silver Shop opens at 25 Union Passage, the narrow Georgian lane Jane Austen described as "this interesting passageway".

1999

Guy Douglas, who first walked in aged 9 for yellow hand-painted bears, returns to help his parents Alastair and Diane "for six months".

2013

Guy takes over as sole director from his parents. The shop continues with the same workshop bench at the back for engraving and soldering.

2018

Hannah Douglas joins as co-director. The couple run the shop together. The Daisy Collection, handmade in Bath, is the in-house signature.

Pricing

Fixed price, no hourly billing, no surprise upgrade tier.

Single fixed fee for the full rebuild, plus an optional monthly care plan that covers hosting, content updates, schema maintenance and the booking widget. The chatbot is offered separately and only if the shop wants an out-of-hours enquiry handler.

No retainer. No contract. No in-person visits, fully remote from Switzerland. One round of revisions before launch. DNS cutover handled (you keep the domain in your name). 30 days of post-launch tweaks at no extra cost. Source code handed over on day 60 (you own everything).

Build

Full Astro rebuild

Heritage-first homepage, 1952 timeline, /engraving, /daisy-collection, /visit, /about, /contact pages, plain-text email surfacing, full schema.org markup, real shopfront and workshop photography incorporated. WooCommerce kept for the cart. 2-week turnaround.

£2,000

fixed · one-off

Care

Hosting + ongoing care

Vercel hosting, SSL, monthly content updates (new product listings, news posts, opening-hours changes), Cal.com booking maintenance, schema upkeep, monthly analytics email.

£150

/ month · cancel any time

Optional

Embedded chatbot

A small chat widget trained on the engraving guide, the Daisy Collection provenance, opening hours and the family story. Captures out-of-hours enquiries with an email handover to info@.

£50

/ month · optional

Timeline · three weeks

From accepted proposal to live site, in three weeks.

Week 1

✦ Heritage-first homepage with Union Passage panel and 1952 timeline
✦ Plain-text contact email, mailto links, honey-pot anti-spam
✦ Real Google Maps embed, "less than 100 yards from the Roman Baths" line

Week 2

✦ Dedicated /engraving and /daisy-collection landing pages
✦ JewelryStore + Service + FAQPage JSON-LD schema on every page
✦ Live Google review block with AggregateRating, Welcome to Bath feature linked

Week 3

✦ Cal.com booking for engraving and repair drop-off
✦ WooCommerce cart re-skinned to match the new theme
✦ DNS cutover, Plausible analytics enabled, launch

Bath-focused, remote-first, all comms by email. Happy to visit Union Passage for kick-off and launch sign-off; not a condition. Phone +447884442651 for anything urgent during the build.

FAQ

The four questions an independent jeweller actually asks.

If any of these answers needs a follow-up call, reply with two or three 20-minute slots in the next ten days and we will do it on video. No commitment, no upsell.

Why move off WordPress and WooCommerce? The current cart works. +

The shopping cart continues to work. The proposed build is a static Astro frontend (faster, sub-second mobile load, structured-data-first) that hands the cart and checkout back to WooCommerce via the headless WooCommerce API. Nothing the staff currently use in WordPress admin (product listings, stock, orders) changes. The visible site, the SEO, the schema and the speed change. The cart, the orders and the payment flow stay on the WooCommerce engine you already know.

The Cloudflare email obfuscation was meant to stop spam. If you replace it with plain text, will the inbox flood? +

In practice no. The Cloudflare cf_email cipher was an effective spam reducer in 2014 when most spam came from naive crawlers. Modern spam-bot scrapers either run real Chromium and decode the cipher anyway, or hit your contact form directly. The proposed build uses a plain `mailto:` link, a honey-pot field on the contact form (a hidden input only bots fill in), and the Vercel-side rate-limiter on form submits. Net result: the inbox is no noisier than it is today, AI search and directory crawlers can now read the address, and customers without JavaScript see a working email link instead of the literal string "[email protected]".

How do you handle the Daisy Collection page without spoiling the in-person discovery moment? +

The page does not aim to replace the in-store experience. It explains where the Daisy Collection is designed and made (Bath), shows the current range with prices, and gives the customer enough confidence to order online with bicycle delivery within Bath, or to walk in knowing what they want to see. A "bespoke commission" enquiry form on the page invites longer conversations for engagement-style or anniversary pieces. The in-store discovery moment is for visitors who walk Union Passage; the online page is for everyone else.

I have heard "schema markup" pitched before by SEO consultants and it sounded like vapourware. What is the concrete difference? +

Schema markup is a small block of structured JSON in the HTML of each page that tells Google, Bing and AI assistants what kind of business this is, where it sits on a map, what hours it keeps, and how it is rated. Without it Google has to guess from prose. With it Google can confidently show the shop's opening hours, address, phone and review stars directly in the search result, and AI assistants can quote the founding year (1952) and the address (25 Union Passage) without paraphrasing. The proposed JewelryStore + Service + FAQPage + AggregateRating block is roughly 60 lines of JSON, generated automatically at build time, and validates clean against schema.org and Google's Rich Results test. The concrete result is the shop appearing on AI search and the Google business card with the data the chain shops cannot fake.

Next step · one email, one decision

If the proposal lands, reply with two or three 20-minute slots in the next ten days for a video call.

I take on three Bath builds this quarter. First confirmed wins the slot. If I do not hear back by 28 May, the proposal site comes down.

See the live rebuild ↗ Reply to the proposal

Prepared by

Corey Musa

Cardiff software developer of nine years, based in Switzerland. I build and operate regulated businesses day to day (credit-union systems, rugby recruitment platform). I rebuild prospect websites as free demonstration proposals.

Email: coreymusa1@gmail.com
Phone: +447884442651

See the live rebuild

A working preview you can click through. Opens in this tab.

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