What do you need to know to put your products online? Where do you start? Below you will find information you need to know to start showcasing your arts and crafts online.
Domain
A domain name is the address that people type in their browsers (or link to) to find your site. There are several places to register a domain. Prices vary greatly, so be sure to shop around. Check with friends and fellow craftspeople for suggestions on trusted, inexpensive registrars.
First check to see if your company name is available as a domain name. Typically, a ".com" extension is used for commercial sites such as an arts and crafts site. If your company name is not available as a .com, try choosing a name that suits your online product line (i.e. www.williamswidgets.com). Either way, pick a name that is not too long, and is easy to remember.
Host
A host is the computer where your Web site will reside. Find a host that is both reliable and inexpensive. Check for services that are available from your host such as shopping cart software which may be needed to enhance your site. Talk to other craftspeople to find out which companies are recommended at the time you are searching for a host.
Site
If you do not know how to build a site, it's easy to learn. There are many resources online for learning how to make a Web site; but if you are new to Web development, or simply don't have time, it is highly advisable to hire a professional. A good Web designer will not only build an attractive, easy-to-navigate site, but also will pay attention to important details that will help your site find higher placement in search engines.
There are plenty of good Web site companies to choose from, but there are also lots of people who will overcharge you for low-quality work. Like everything else listed here, the best way to find a good designer is by talking to your peers. Prices vary, but for a quality job, plan on spending at least a few hundred dollars for a basic site.
Marketing
Simply placing your site online is not enough! You will need to continually market your online business, just as with your real-world business. That's another good reason to hire a professional to help with your site. A good development team can also help you with marketing needs.
Beware of mass-email marketing schemes and multi-search engine registration services. Most of these are unproductive (and in the case of mass-email, counter-productive) schemes that will not produce positive results.
You can also market your site yourself. Registering the site in appropriate search directories, exchanging links with related sites, purchasing paid-listings, telling your existing customers about the site and dozens of other things can be done to increase relevant traffic to your site. However, make sure you perform marketing tasks continually. Many site owners are excited when the site launches and perform these tasks at the beginning, then burn out after a while and the site's productivity suffers.
- For the best of the net in professional crafting links, visit our continually growing NetLinks section.
| 