WooCommerce Case Study: Notkin Rock & Fossil, a Fossil Store That Grew 700%
WooCommerce case study: Rowerr built the website for Notkin Rock & Fossil, a US specialist seller of collectible fossils and minerals founded by Geoff Notkin. The business used to sell only in person. With educational pages linked to a WooCommerce store, it now sells specimens online and gets booked for school exhibitions. The client reports business growth of about 700% since the website launched. We also fixed a checkout where the loading spinners never stopped.
- CLIENT & LOCATION
- Notkin Rock & Fossil · United States
- PLATFORM
- WordPress · WooCommerce · Neve · Elementor
- PROJECT HISTORY
- 2016–2026
- ROWERR'S ROLE
- Website and store build, plugins, Azoro business suite, checkout fixes
Results at a glance
| Business task | Take an in-person fossil and mineral business online, and turn its expertise into sales and bookings. |
|---|---|
| Before | Specimens were sold only in person. No online store. |
| Constraints | One-of-a-kind specimens where provenance matters, a US audience paying in USD, PayPal payments. |
| What we changed | Built the website with educational pages linked to a WooCommerce store, added forms, membership and quote requests, provided our Azoro business suite, and fixed the checkout spinners. |
| How we checked | For the checkout fix: found the blocked request in the browser, matched it in the ModSecurity log, and placed test orders after the change. |
| Measured result | About 700% business growth since the website launched (client report). Checkout loads and finishes normally. |
| Status | Solved. Revenue figures are kept private at the client's request. |
Figures reported by the client and Rowerr's project records, November 2026.
Book a free consultation →Project Overview
Notkin Rock & Fossil sells collectible fossils and minerals: ammonites, trilobites, fossilised shells, thunder eggs and more. It was founded by Geoff Notkin, a meteorite specialist, author and TV host, and his scientific background is at the heart of the brand. The site calls itself “the museum you can buy from.”
Before the website, the business sold specimens only in person. In 2016 we built a site that teaches first and sells second: science and history pages introduce each kind of specimen and link straight to the pieces for sale.
Business Challenges
- No online sales: specimens were only sold face to face.
- Unique products: each specimen is one of a kind, so its story and provenance have to sell it.
- Expertise not visible: the founder’s knowledge was not reaching new buyers or schools.
- Checkout bug: the checkout’s loading spinners never stopped, even though payments went through.
How Customers Buy
| Route | How it works |
|---|---|
| Online store | Educational pages lead to a specific specimen. The buyer picks that piece and pays through WooCommerce with PayPal, in USD. |
| School exhibitions | Schools and education institutes book the team to display specimens and teach students in sessions of 3–5 hours. Rough client estimate: about $300–$500 per specimen displayed, and several thousand US dollars per exhibition. |
The stack
| Need | Tool |
|---|---|
| Theme and page design | Neve theme, Elementor, Otter Blocks |
| Store and payments | WooCommerce, WooCommerce PayPal Payments |
| Membership | MemberPress |
| Forms | FormsKit |
| Quote requests | QuoteFold – Request a Quote for WooCommerce |
| Business management | Azoro business suite |
A Website That Teaches, Then Sells
The problem: a knowledge-rich business with no online presence.
The founder’s expertise and the specimens’ stories were only shared in person.
How we solved it
We built the site in WordPress with WooCommerce. Science and history sections (ammonites, trilobites, drusy shells, thunder eggs, historic paleontologists, a museum journal) introduce each topic and link to the store, where every specimen has its own page and provenance. We later added forms, membership, quote requests and our Azoro business suite.
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The result: two new ways to earn.
The business now sells specimens online, not just in person. The educational content also opened a second channel: schools and education institutes invite the team to exhibit specimens and teach students, often during extra-curricular weeks after exams. These exhibitions are now a major revenue stream. As a rough client estimate, schools pay about $300–$500 for each specimen displayed in a 3–5 hour teaching session, and a single exhibition can bring in several thousand US dollars. Overall, the client reports growth of about 700% since the website launched.
Fixing Checkout Spinners That Never Stopped
The problem: two loading spinners on the checkout never finished.
Customers saw the order-review area keep loading, even though payments completed. The store used the classic [woocommerce_checkout] shortcode with PayPal.
What caused it
The payment was not the problem. The checkout’s order-review AJAX request was being blocked by the server’s ModSecurity firewall and returned HTTP 406, so the page never got its response. It was a firewall false positive on this installation.
How we fixed it
- Reproduced the issue on staging with the browser’s Network tab open and found the failing order-review request.
- Matched its time and path in the ModSecurity audit log to find the rule that blocked it.
- Added the narrowest exception for that rule on the checkout route only, keeping all other protections on.
- Retested with the same cart and address, a second address, and coupon and shipping changes.
- Checked that Cart, Checkout and My Account are excluded from caching.
- Placed a test payment and confirmed one payment created one order.
Status: solved. The spinners finish, totals update, and orders complete normally. We kept a copy of the original security settings for rollback.
Results: From In-Person Only to 700% Growth
| Year | Business challenge | Solution and outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Sold only in person | Educational website with a WooCommerce store |
| 2016–2026 | Reach more buyers and schools | Online sales plus school exhibition bookings; about +700% growth |
| Jan 2026 | Checkout spinners never stopped | ModSecurity false positive found; narrow exception; checkout working |
WooCommerce Checkout & Specimen Store FAQ
01Why do WooCommerce checkout spinners keep loading even though orders go through?
On Notkin Rock & Fossil the payment worked, but the checkout’s order-review AJAX request was blocked by the server’s ModSecurity firewall and returned HTTP 406. The page never got its response, so the loading spinners never stopped. A narrow firewall exception fixed it.
02Should I turn off ModSecurity to fix a WooCommerce checkout?
No. Find the exact request that fails, match it to the rule in the ModSecurity audit log, and add the narrowest exception for that rule and checkout route. Keep every other protection on.
03Does clearing the cache fix stuck checkout spinners?
Sometimes, but not when a firewall is blocking the request. Check that Cart, Checkout and My Account are excluded from caching, and if the spinners remain, look at the failing request in the browser’s Network tab.
04Can a small specimen shop sell well with only a few products online?
Yes. Notkin Rock & Fossil lists 11 specimens, each with its own story and provenance. Educational pages bring visitors in and link them to the store.
05How did the website help this business beyond online sales?
The educational content made it easier for schools and education institutes to find the business and book specimen exhibitions with teaching sessions for students.
Key Takeaway
For a business built on knowledge, the website should teach first. Good educational content brought online buyers and school bookings. And when checkout misbehaves, find the exact blocked request before changing security settings.
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