So.. I have been asked so many times, 'Do you have a web page?'. When I say no, people kind of zone out the explanation about waiting on money, time, a web designer to offer up his services for free(email me)
Unfortunalty now the world is obsessed with the internet and its essential as a small(miniscule) business to have an online presence. I have had an etsy shop for 3 years and it has broken my heart again and again. I have no sales nothing its like I don't exist! This could be cause my work is horrific, my price is too high to compete with the pages of mass produced generic fabrics, or the site is just too vast and huge that people get stuck browsing for hours and never return to actually shop. Its been frying my head and I am seriously considering packing it in cause its a waste of money .20 cent per listing every three months I am actually loosing money by being on there! As an attempt to connect with sales I have joined etsy teams, used search ads, created a facebook page urghhhhhh!!
I was on Facebook doing the whole chain 'like' thingy on Etsy (if you like your fellow etsians they give you a like back) when I stumbled on the facebook of Studio Woolwork:
http://www.facebook.com/StudioWoolwork?sk=app_129982580378550
Which is a brilliant etsy shop for buying felt, merino wool lovely crafty supplies. But what caught my surprise was their 'wix' facebook page which was like a little mini web page within the facebook page. I was intrigued and immediately forgot about 'liking' my fellow etsians and began designing a new facebook page. Wix is an amazing web service! Its so simple and easy to use you can just drag drop and click pictures text boxes etc. and then boom you have a website. Plus its free! yes free! Here is the first go:
Now I must admit that at the moment its a big hot mess but I'm just delighted to have something that people might actually be drawn to and fingers crossed I might actually get some likes!
Which by the way is harder then you think I only have 51 likes I feel like a facebook loser! I mean I have like 120 friends but they don't even like it eek! If your on facebook and your one of the 6 people who read my blog check out my facebook page and please please please give me a like! http://www.facebook.com/MariposaTextiles
Only one complaint at the moment, Once someone 'likes' the page they wont see the Wix site when they land on the page but just the usual facebook scroll.
Once I started with the Wix site I thought I would finally tackle making my actual website using Wix. I bought the mariposatextiles.com domain ages ago but have just had it redirecting to my etsy site. This has not been good as once people land on the etsy site there is nothing to stop them from getting lost wandering around etsy looking at everyone but yours shop! I know from google analytics that I have had etsy traffic from that address, so where are the sales?
Using wix I have finally made a website! Yes! I'm delighted that I can say yes I do have a site. Granted its a bit all over the shop at the moment. But design wise its a first draft, we all know the first draft is not up to scratch. I have been working on it now for 3 days and I think it will be brilliant once I have it looking how I want.
I want it to be full of pattern and color and make it so that hopefully it will stand out. Honestly I am aware that some people may find the insane clashing colors and prints a bit of a headache but I cant help it! Plus I think its good to throw it all on and then pull back rather then have it not be enough.
I am going to take a break for a day now and let it settle and then tackle the problems and let me tell ya there are loads of problems, lack of links, consistency, buttons etc. But at least now etsy will not be stealing my customers before I even have a chance!
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