Chris Campbell on wed 27 dec 00
A couple of years ago, I did some extensive research before getting on to th=
e=20
Internet.=C2=A0 I was not sure where to put my money so I asked for the advi=
ce of=20
anyone who would talk to me. This included people from advertising, website=20
design, marketing and just some ordinary computer gurus. The advice they gav=
e=20
then is still true today.
=20
Finding a single site on the internet is like walking into the main branch o=
f=20
the New York Public Library hoping to find one sentence in a book that you=20
don=E2=80=99t even know the title of. Even if you know the book is about pot=
tery, and=20
you have a computer to seach with, you still have very little chance of=20
locating that particular sentence.
=20
Your site, standing alone, is effective if you already have a customer base=20
to refer to the site. =C2=A0If you do a lot of Craft Fairs for instance, it=20=
is a=20
very handy place to send clients to get more information or to re-order. Mak=
e=20
sure all of your business cards and handouts have the site listed in large=20
print.
=20
You are much more likely to be found at a group site. Check out the Central=20
Clay site - http://www.cclay.com=
/index.html where there are links to potters.=20
As you move around the pages you will begin to understand the power of the=20
internet as well as the down side. Yes, you can find a lot of potters but it=
=20
is very easy to get distracted from your initial goal.
What do you want your site to do for you? Are you focused on Education or o=
n=20
Sales? Before you spend your first nickel decide what the Main Purpose of=20
your site is going to be. Don=E2=80=99t put anything on the site that interf=
eres with=20
the main purpose. If you are selling your work, don=E2=80=99t put in that po=
t your=20
Mom likes but no one else does. If you are educating, don=E2=80=99t show us=20=
your dog.
=20
If Selling Pots is your main goal then you should be on a professional group=
=20
site where there is a large budget to support you. You need a site that has=20
the money to spend on advertising, promotions and upgrading when needed.=20
There is no way you can equal that kind of punch on a potter=E2=80=99s budge=
t.
Check out www.wholesalecrafts.c=
om to see what a professionally run site=20
looks like. I have been selling on line there for two years and have turned=20
my business around completely - I am now selling over 85% of my work to=20
galleries that found me at this site. I do not have to do any other shows=20
wholesale or retail.=20
I am even considering selling my 10 x 10 booth - my last tie to labor and=20
time intensive sales !!
Chris Campbell - in North Carolina
=20
| |
|
