| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Apr 20 2007 : 3:47:43 PM
o.k. I have a question ..do any of you gals have an online web store..that is NOT Etsy or ebay,or cafe press... but a web store?
And if so..have you had success with it?
Wanting to see if this would actually be a good idea or not for what I want to offer.
Thanks.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| At home with Mama |
Posted - May 10 2007 : 09:02:17 AM
I have a site, and while it's not a store, the company I used to build it made it SOOO easy and they take all the guess work out of building a site or a store.. you choose which one you want to do as they offer both. Here's the link to check them out and see for yourself at what they offer - which has truly made site building easier for me!
http://buildit.sitesell.com/Erica5.html
www.at-home-with-mama.com |
| Kathie |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 4:07:11 PM
Katelyn,
i was just on your site.. Wow.. what really beautiful things your girls make.. ( well.. i say girls.. i didn't see any creations from any of the guys as i looked through.. aside from your husbands contributions.. ) But aren't they all so talented?? & detailed Artists..! Very pretty & different things.. All of you!!
& your site was very inviting.. made me want to explore..
( i think that was the topic.. I got off track looking at all the terrific things you all had!!)
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
| momtoeight |
Posted - May 04 2007 : 8:03:06 PM
Ok... If you are still considering a web based business, I'll give you some starting points:
1. Consider what kind of image you want to present - I don't mean design, I mean message. This is the entire feel and scope of your business. Consider who the target market is for what you want to sell, and whether the items you want to sell will all go to the same target market or not. This is important, because if you can see that two very different types of people would want to purchase two different categories of products, it is sometimes better to not try to sell them using the same marketing message and site feel. An example of this is our web design business - our target market is MicroBusinesses, but the message and feel of our site is of intense warmth. So what is the dominant feeling you want someone to have when they encounter your business for the first time? Cozy, fun, nostalgic, etc.
2. A web business of the type you are considering is FAR more successful if it is not JUST web. You'll get more mileage out of OFFLINE marketing than you will from ONLINE marketing. There are strategies you can use to leverage highly effective offline marketing to bring traffic to your website. These tactics actually work BETTER with an independent site than they do with a site like Etsy or Yahoo or eBay.
3. You need to create a site that has a completely unified message - and all your marketing materials need to echo that message. The message is only PARTLY conveyed by words - it is also conveyed by colors, images, the feel of the design, the page layout, the site organization, etc. It all has to have a recognizable purpose the instant someone comes in - they should know the minute your page loads, just what the page is about, and whether it is likely to have what they are looking for. It should be obvious what kinds of things you sell, and in the next instance, how they are most likely to find the one item they want. Websites have to communicate in seconds, not in minutes.
4. Research the licensing you'd need for selling food (even if you do not make it, you may need certain licensing if it passes through your hands), sales tax licensing, city business licenses, and think about how much space you'll need in your home for your business, etc. Start writing down ideas, costs, plans, possible marketing strategies, and other practical details. This can often shape our direction in ways we did not think about before. It may also help you make choices about what you really want to do, or do not want to do. It is better to make a wise choice NOT to do something than it is to let a dream die from inaction. At least then you learned, and CHOSE. And later, it may provide groundwork for something else even if you decide not to do it now.
I love my business, and I love the people I work with. Next to raising children, it is the most challenging, and the most rewarding thing I've ever done. But it didn't come easy. It came through a lot of trial and error, and a lot of thinking, planning, writing, acting, and adjusting. All those things though added to my expertise, helped me learn, and were useful steps along the way.
Hope you gain something good!
Laura
Firelight Web Studio - http://www.firelightwebstudio.com - Small Business Website Services with a Difference - Personal, Flexible, and Friendly |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 10:07:57 AM
I'm still thinking about it. Don't know yet what I'll wind up doing.
Thanks though.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
| littlegreen |
Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 09:21:46 AM
Tina,
I have an online shop. www.littlegreendesigns.com
It was going great when I first opened it, and as long as you are proactive about getting your name out there and getting your site on other people's links I think it's great. As you can see though from my main page I haven't updated since october!!!  oops! I actually have a new header ready, 8 new books to post and a ton of new jewelry I've made, but I am also working full time and taking care of my husband and house and such... so I don't have a lot of free time.
When you don't have natural flowing customers like on etsy, you have to fight for guests and then always be updating in order to keep people coming back...
But that's just my two cents= it is GREAT IF and only IF you put the time into it and keep your name spreading, you have to be more proactive about it than on etsy, but it sure is fun, good luck!! I'll link ya if you get it up and runnin'!
www.littlegreendesigns.com ~ handbound blank books, purses, jewelry, and other fun stuff for the naturist in you! |
| herbquilter |
Posted - Apr 21 2007 : 10:26:32 AM
Tina,
Good luck in your business.
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist
www.herbalmomma.com
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| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Apr 21 2007 : 10:10:49 AM
Tina that would be an issue with Etsy. I just do handmades (you can sell food items on etsy) so it wasn't an issue for me. I still use my own webpage and it is now generating more traffic but that is part and parcel to my involvement in webforums and etsy.
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowartist.etsy.com
www.willowtreecreek.com |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Apr 20 2007 : 11:22:33 PM
thank you Julie and Kristine for your input..much appreciated.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
| herbquilter |
Posted - Apr 20 2007 : 9:31:11 PM
Our Herbal Momma website is providing us with a home for our business. Almost all businesses have a website. This really says, "I'm in business". It makes a business creditable.
I had Laura, www.firelightwebstudio.com, do our webwork at a very reasonable fee for a small business. We are thrilled with her work.
In order to have a website work for you & bring in orders there has to be "hits". We are increasing our hits by providing a monthly newsletter & I need to do some web work to get a better rating to increase hits (just haven't taken the time - out gardening.
Take a look at our site - www.herbalmomma.com I really provides us with an image. We use the top header for our business card, signs, etc.
I hope this is what you were looking for.
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist
www.herbalmomma.com
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| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Apr 20 2007 : 5:55:12 PM
my one concern with etsy is that it limits you to providing just hand crafted items..from what I understood. I want to be able to provide food items and home decor type items as well...not just the hand mades.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Apr 20 2007 : 5:47:54 PM
On my website www.willowtreecreek.com I had my own store. I wasn't having much success so I opened and etsy and linked all of my items to that shop instead. Sales have been MUCH better!
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowartist.etsy.com
www.willowtreecreek.com |
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