Struggling with my dog-themed clothing store – How can I make it better?

TL;DR: I own a dog-inspired store that’s struggling to make sales. I need your honest feedback to make it better.

Hey reddit,

I’m turning to you because I really need your honest feedback. I run a small online shop, dogloverclothing.com, where I sell dog-inspired fashion items and accessories (product list is growing). I poured my heart into creating it because I’m a huge dog lover (I own a Corgi and a Beagle), and I thought there must be others out there who’d resonate with the style of my designs.

I truly believe my shop is fun and creative and I thought other dog lovers would easily connect with the dog-theme behind it. But I’m struggling. I’ve only made 1-2 sales a year and I feel like I’ve hit a wall.

Let me be completely transparent about my situation:

• I have a small child who needs my care in the afternoons. I work part-time in the mornings, and the only time I'm able to work on my shop is in the evenings (once all the usual household chaos is settled) or on weekends. That gives me maybe 1-2 hours a day to focus on this project.
• I don’t have the money or time for big ad campaigns, influencer cooperations, daily social media activity, or even professional photoshoots for my products. My visuals are mostly created with AI tools, stock imagery, and mockup generators, but I think they look professional enough to be converting.
• I tried small ad campaigns, and while I got a few sales, the ad costs ended up being higher than my revenue, so I had to stop. I also tried organic Social Media activity, but the time I put into that did not turn into any traffic, followers or sales, so I also stopped that.
• I know that putting myself/my face out there on social media could help, but I’m not comfortable showing my face or apartment in videos or ads. I could do flatlays or simple videos with the products I have at home.
• Right now, I’m putting all my energy into SEO, hoping to attract organic traffic and customers.
• Otherwise, I feel stuck with marketing. I want to make the most of the limited time and resources I have.

My dream definitely isn’t to get rich here from this shop. I would love to make an extra $300-500 a month to make life a little easier for my family, while fulfilling my creative streak – and that's about it. I’m not sure if that’s even realistic, but it’s what keeps me going.

So, guys:

• What do you think I’m doing wrong or could do better?
• Is it the designs? The pricing? The website layout? The lack of time/lack of money?
• How can I make this work with my limited time and resources?
• Are there any affordable, creative marketing strategies you’d recommend for someone in my shoes?
• Is my goal of $300-500/month realistic for a store like mine?

I’m open to all your ideas, tips, and even brutal honesty. This isn’t just a business for me, it’s my passion project, and I’d love to make it somewhat of sustainable. I’m not here to sell you something. I’m here to learn. I know Reddit doesn’t hold back, and that’s what I need. Can you take a look at my site, tell me what you think, and help me figure out why this dream hasn’t taken off yet?

I know running a business is tough, and I deeply admire everyone in this community who’s making it work. I’d love to hear your insights, experiences, and even your tough love if that’s what it takes to get my dream back on track.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for any advice you can offer!