How to get sales through Website???

**Kermit** · 24-10-2009, 06:39 PM

Hi All.

I have been making jewellery for about seven years, first as a hobby, then selling to friends, then doing a few fairs. About 18 months ago I decided that I was going to try and make a go of it as a living. Therefore I upped the number of fairs that I do, managed to get a few retail outlets and sorted a website.

My problem is this..... its getting harder and harder for me to do fairs (childcare and an ex who isn't pulling his weight as much!) but I can't afford to lose the sales. My website does a little bit but mainly from people I have seen, spoken too and given the details.

So..... how do I get more sales through the website?

If anyone can help I would be very very grateful !

**Solunar Silver Studio** · 24-10-2009, 07:27 PM

Hi Kermit. I think it is a problem that everyone has. We have had quite a few threads about building successful websites...and Geti has done a bit of website critiquing. (If you are feeling brave enough I'm sure he would do you the honour!!) There are one or two on the forum who seem to have very successful and lucrative websites so hopefully they will give you some hints and tips soon. I only started to build mine in July and it has sort of taken a back seat while I have been tying to build up some stock...perhaps in the new year I'll try again...so I look forward to reading any tips you get on this thread!!

By the way...don't be shy...I think we would all love to see what you make and have a look at your site!!

**caroleallen** · 24-10-2009, 07:41 PM

I'm in the process of getting my website re-done in the light of Geti's critique - at huge expense I would add (thanks Geti). It's taking a while though as my web designers are so busy, which is annoying.

**amazingbabe** · 24-10-2009, 09:09 PM

I find that people take my card and say wow your stuff is beautiful do you have a website ?? But i have to say, sales are slow on the web site ... when i do a house party i make loads, and those people tend to return aswell,,, but as for the website at the moment its not worth it.....lots of work, uploading and describing items but no great amount of sales !!! Oh what to do

**Kermit** · 24-10-2009, 09:21 PM

Not sure if I'm pleased I'm not the only one...... or are we all missing that one magic thing that would make our websites work for us ????

It would be great if we could find something that would work !

**Lisa Quinn** · 24-10-2009, 09:59 PM

Sorry to be so miserable, but to be honest the internet has been so successful with gazillions of websites, that the likelihood of people finding your site randomly must, in my ignorant non IT opinion, be highly unlikely?

Pls clever computer people, feel free to condemn my opinion, I'm just thinking from a logical perspective , not a technical perspective so I am probably talking like a complete bumpkin and would be happy to be corrected, as this is the main reason that I haven't bothered with a website.

Yours nervously
Mrs Meldrew

**Solunar Silver Studio** · 25-10-2009, 07:55 AM

I'm a complete bumpkin too Lisa...and I agree that the world is totally swamped with handmade jewellery websites...and the likelyhood of some random dude landing on your site and spending a million is very slim indeed!! But I do think they are important. Whenever you talk to people about your jewellery it is the first thing they ask now. The old 2.0 thing where suddenly the whole of mankind is social networking means that if you don't step onto the bandwagon you will be left at the end of that queue - so I think the more virtual presence you can achieve the better....and the hub of that must be your website. Once you have blogged, facebooked and tweeped your existence to the world they are going to want to see what you have on offer! Whether they buy or not is a different matter...

I hope some of the above was correct - cos I really don't know what I am on about!! It has been murder trying to teach myself all this stuff - cos, although my sons are both into it they don't have the time or inclination to help me in anything more than a rudimentary way. They started me blogging and got my facebook up and running - although I still don't really use it - and as one son is now on twitter I will have to get the lowdown on that too. Mr Site has been great to help me begin to build my website...but I am just so slow at it and I have so little time to spend working with all this computer stuff. It might be totally worthless as a website at the moment but by this time next year it will be much better. I always knew that I wouldn't be able to 'hit the ground running' when I stated this business so I am happy to be a slow plodder...but I am determined to get there eventually!!

**amazingbabe** · 25-10-2009, 09:22 AM

One thing though is a website is like your personal port folio and if someone is really interested then they will look

**shelliem** · 25-10-2009, 06:16 PM

Hi

I don't know if this will help but if you go onto the Google search site and look down the bottom of the page and click on 'google advertising' or 'google business solutions' they have a wealth of information on how to attract more visitors to your website (you could even google 'google adsense' and it will bring up lots of links) - they are trying to sell their 'wares'. However they also offer a business opportunity whereby you can make money posting adds (please stay with me on this) I'm not sure if you can make money from their business opportunity but I know they have links to other resources such as details on how to make your website more attractive for search engines by using specific wording etc. There is also a link to a website that gives you statistics on words to use, popular searches and teaches you how to drive a target audience to your website by choosing more subtle words and thus avoiding the big companies who pay lots of money to come out on top of the searches. I hope this makes sense but I am writing very quickly!! I probably have the information hanging around somewhere but I can't lay my hands on it now when I do I will let you know, if you haven't found what I am talking about by the time I get back with it!!