helping artisans reach global markets - cedik · if you just want an online presence, and do not...
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Helping Artisans Reach Global Markets
Sales Website/Online Presence ModuleBy Sarah Frank Bowker, Program Coordinator, CEDIK
University of Kentucky
To sell online or to not sell online?
Yes! Interface for people to purchase products online
No! Online/web presence of products purchased
offline
Four Aspects of Business You are Likely Already Doing Online
• Find business information online• Do business with suppliers• Track your competition online• Stay in contact with customers: Social media*
*covered in more detail in another module in this series
Benefits of Online Business
• Global access, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week –“your shop is never closed”
• Improved client service through greater flexibility • Cost savings • Increased professionalism • Less paper waste • Opportunities to manage your business from
anywhere in the world
Important Considerations
• What resources can you devote to establishing and maintaining your website?– Time, money, staff (friend or family member?),
internet speed & access
• What is your comfort/interest level in building a website?
• What is your comfort/interest level in using social media* to sell your product?
*Social media is covered in greater detail in another module in this series.
Topics to Explore
• Using a blog site as your website• Building your own website
• Free and low cost website building options that do not require prior training/experience creating websites are available.
• Adding a shopping cart to sell from your website
• Using a online store builder can allow you to create a fully functioning sales site for your product.
• Using a third party site• Several third party crafting retail platforms exist to host your
sales site, including Etsy and Ebay.
Blog sites as Website
• A quick way to get a website presence up and running for your artwork/craft, is to start a blog.
• Wordpress, Blogger, and Squarespace are common blogging platforms used to establish a website, and each have free versions.
• If you are new to blogging, Blogger has the easiest learning curve.
Blog Site Example: Wordpress Website
This photographer uses a Wordpress website* to showcase her artwork. She posts photographs on the blog but also includes a narrative that tells the story behind the photos.*Photographer paid the nominal fee to remove the “wordpress” in the URL.
Website Builder Options• Free Website Builders: Wix, Weebly, Jimdo, Webs.
• Squarespace offers 14 day free trial of their website builder. Go Daddy is not a free website builder, you must purchase a monthly plan (min. $5.99).
• Website Builder Expert is a site that conducts ongoing surveys from their website visitors. In 2014, the highest rated free website builders were Wixand Weebly. See their comparison of all six website builders: http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/website-builders-comparison-chart/
• Website Builder Expert also offers the pros and cons of Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and Jimdo in this article: http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/wix-vs-weebly-vs-squarespace-vs-jimdo/
Borrowed from www.websitebuilderexpert.com
Examples of free and low cost website sales options
• Weebly– Can create a free website or blog; for $25/month can create a fully
functioning sales site.– Apps for both iPhone and Android allow management of site or store
from phone.– Themes and drag & drop features make building site/store easy.– For a review on Weebly’s website builder take a look at
http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/weebly-review/– For more info on Weebly’secommerce tools check out http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/weebly-ecommerce-review/
Borrowed from www.weebly.com
Example: Weebly Website
Examples of free and low cost website sales options, continued
• Wix– Can create a free website; for $20/month can create a fully functioning
sales site.– Very large selection of templates to choose from to build a customized
website.– Customization of website with advanced editing tools (including drag
and drop feature), and provides extensive online, email, and phone support.
– For a review on Wix’s website builder take a look at: http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/wix-review/
Borrowed from www.wix.com
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Example: Wix Website
Examples of free and low cost website sales options, continued
• Trade offs between Weebly and Wix:– Weebly is ideal for users who are novices with website building;
choices are limited but straightforward. Wix is ideal for the user who wants to have a lot of control to modify their website from the templates provided.
– Weebly allows the user to completely overhaul the look of their site with a few clicks, while with Wix the user has to completely rebuild their site in order to change the design.
– Wix provides more built-in user support while Weebly has a search page. Wix provides phone support while Weebly does not.
• Here’s an article that compares these two website builders in more detail http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/wix-vs-weebly-which-website-builder-is-better/
Website Building and eCommerce
• Wix and Weebly are great choices for a website builder; if there is a possibility that you will also want to sell your product online, these sites can seamlessly add online store features.
• If you have a goal of selling your product through Facebook, online store sites Shopify, Bigcommerce, and Wix are great options for being able to import your storefront into Facebook. Learn more here: http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/how-to-set-up-a-facebook-store/
Website Building and eCommerce, continued
• If you already have built a website and are adding eCommerce to your online presence, sites like Shopify, Squarespace, Bigcommerce, and Jimdo are great options to build online store capabilities into your existing site. Here is a great article that compares the different sites: http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/e-commerce-online-store-builders-comparison-chart/
Third Party Sites
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5287-etsy-alternatives-handmade-sites.html
Using Third Party Sites to Sell Product
• Pros of a third party site such as Etsy or Ebay:– Easy to set up your store front– Marketplace is established; a customer base is provided!
• Cons of a third party site:– Ebay and Etsy keep a percent of the sales you make on
your products, in addition to transaction fees.– Cannot make your storefront design look different than the
other merchants who use the site.
Content from: http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/best-etsy-alternatives/
Examples of Etsy Storefronts
Examples of Ebay Storefronts
Contact
Sarah Frank Bowker, M.A.Program CoordinatorCommunity and Economic Development Initiative of KentuckyUniversity of Kentuckycedik.ca.uky.edu
CEDIK would like to thank the Southern Rural Development Center and the Mississippi Extension Center for Technology Outreach for the funding to support the development of this module.