Ten Easy Steps to Create and Promote your Website

 

One way to consistently advertise your crafts and business is to build and promote your own website.  Websites are becoming a more popular way to conduct business and allow exposure for sales and knowledge.  Here are ten steps that you can follow when building your own website. 

 

1.  Concentrate on how your website looks.  This is one of the most important factors when building and maintaining your website.  When one is browsing through the internet for crafts, they want to see the crafts, and not a lot of description.  Having links for different areas on your web will help in getting the customer what they need.  Having the front page to draw in the attention of the person browsing through your site is also important.  If you are unsure of how to use the several different types of software available for your own website, you can always hire a web developer who can design and establish your site just the way you want it. 

 

2.  Find the best host or domain to put your site on.  This may mean paying a yearly fee for a domain and professional hosting rather than building your own website using this name.  This is usually best for more complex websites.  There are also several places that offer free web pages and can help you to design a basic and simple site.  These are best if you do not need a complex site.  If you have your own domain name, you are often seen as more professional with your business. 

 

2.  Keywords and Phrases.  With the descriptions that are offered on your site, make sure to use the keywords that will draw your target market to your site.  This will allow those that are using search engines through the web to be directly linked to you and your crafts. 

 

3.  Creating a Gallery.  This is going to bring in the most traffic to your website.  Your gallery should be professional looking and have several different types of crafts that you offer. 

 

4.  Payment Methods.  Always offer more than one payment method.  In the design of your website, it is best to offer an option to pay online and have a shopping cart available.  There are several different places where you can transfer money safely and securely online.  If the person interested in your crafts does not want to use this method, it is best to offer varieties of exchanging information for payment. 

 

5.  Craft Directories and classifieds.  There are several places on the web that have places to advertise your website as part of their directory.  These are often at a low fee, and some can be found for free. 

 

6.  Online Journaling and networking.  Connecting with others on the web is an important way to build relationships and networks.  Journaling on certain sites will create a personal relationship with other craft oriented people, and may allow room to direct potential customers to your site.  The more you get in touch with others that are on the web and seem to be interested in crafts, the more traffic you will have coming towards your website.

 

7.  Building Links.  Beyond the journaling and networks that you are building on the internet, you can also build links to your website.  This means that you can go to web rings or other places on the web and place your website on that link to direct traffic.  You can also provide links to other websites that are selling other types of crafts.  These are often referred to as cross links and may include online craft malls, galleries, etc.   

 

8.  Building outside Networks.  If you are visible in your community as someone who does crafts, than it is possible for you to easily build a network which can bring traffic to your site.  Updates, promotions and newsletters can be sent via e-mail to these members, as well as a way to direct them to the updates on your site. 

 

9.  Build Your Rankings.  There are several options to see what your rankings are on the internet.  You can use software or developed online sites to help build and support your website.  Through this, you can alter whatever is needed in order to ensure more success for your site. 

 

10.  Continue to Update your Site.  Even when your website is completely built, it is never finished.  Adding promotions, drawing more of your target market to your site, as well as continuing to network over the internet all need to maintain consistently to help to sell your crafts. 

 

Building a website and promoting your crafts through them is a worthwhile way to improve your business.  Through following these tips, as well as understanding the internet market, you will be able to be successful in selling your crafts online.