What software should be used to develop a web site is a question gets asked at least once a month someplace in the various groups dedicated to Fiber/Needle Art professionals by those who make their art to sell, or self-publish instruction or teach and Retailers

Abiding by my new resolution to make an FAQ type entry for these type of questions (and with the clear understanding this ONLY WHEAT’s Opinion.

Please note: I am NOT looking for work, after more than two years of dealing with major illnesses; I also don’t have all that many extra pennies to rub together. Even so, I am not yet ready to again assume responsibility for any client – Although sitting around treatment places does give you a lot of time to think – Although once we get this the apps all working together, that (selling our services) will change.

Let’s me begin by saying the principle problem with *any* Microsoft product is, well you may know the old joke about “how many MS programmers to change a light bulb?” ” NONE, they just declare dark a new standard.” and that is just when you want it to work with Internet Exploder it boggles the mind what happens when something generated by an MS product is viewed in a non-MS app.

The absolutely critical difficulty with blindly recommending ANY software is that unless one has a feel for the PURPOSE it will be used for, you cannot make an intelligent suggestion.

Please let me make it clear that what works best for me and mine, may not be what you need, but a lot of thought and planning when into our choices, so for this discussion, while not the only options, ZenCart! is the one I know best.

The second step/recommendation I prefer to make is to get and read until your head stops hurting Liz Castro’s book Creating a Web Page with HTML

So what is an Artisan, Self-Publisher or Teacher of Fiber/Needle Artisan or Retailer to do?

It really does not matter if you are an individual artisan, or doing business as a wholesaler or even a retailer who does or does not wish to “sell on the web”.

FWIW – I think anyone who wants to build and/or maintain their own website needs to realize that there are at least THREE maybe FOUR Browsers you need to be sure the final product looks at least OKAY when viewed using those – FireFox, Opera, Safari and possibly Google’s Chrome and maybe others.

In addition, one needs to at least consider how/if it will display in Iphone and similar apps.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I think that ANYONE who sells at ANY Level, should at least consider using a Shopping Cart as their primary “vehicle”. There are several that are open source (free) and well supported by their individual community. In addition, there are a variety of add-in/mods

Personally I am a fan of ZenCart! but then I have invested a serious amount of time energy and effort over the last two years to it, others may have/make other choices depending on what they see as their short and long term needs.

Most open source programs also have reasonably priced add-in/mods that add IMNHO are essential – SEO, Store Location, Wish Listing, and other “would be nice” things. as well as those “paid” apps, ZenCart not only have many “free” even has a very well written (albeit not free) book available in both bound/printed and e-book formats.

I do NOT sell any of the paid mods, but I also do not regret having purchased them. They have made a positive difference – but then it usually takes us months if not weeks to make the buy decision.

Right now we have been building a variety of “test the app” sites and used some in at least one retail domain. We have seen dramatic increases in traffic and even better in orders. Although we do discount for trade professionals in the Retail account, because we do not offer all products for wholesale, so have only very limited “wholesale” customers using that site.

Within the next few weeks*, we expect to “finish” up (or so the two programmers have promised*) the development (nuts and bolts) although not the design (pretty stuff) for a wholesale showcase plus ordering for those eligible for wholesale accounts.

We think that this second site will be what those who restrict their sales to “wholesale to the trade” really need, a showcase for their products, a way to easily keep up to date and provide both a place for Retailers to place their orders, and obtain what they need to use your information for their retail sales – of course, the obligatory blog because that is what will probably continue to drive SEO for at least awhile yet.

For a designer, the way I think of the combination is that your landing page is your business card, your “store” even if it does not allow purchase, is your portfolio and your blog is the “job interview”.

although I have not mentioned much about WordPress in this note, I suppose if forced to make a blind recommendation, it would be reasonable to say that the combination of WordPress and ZenCart! – independently hosted should pretty much meet most of the needs of a Fiber/Needle Artisan.

Interestingly, as I have learned more about ZenCart! I am even seeing ways that, with thought, it can be used exclusively (read that no blog) but you will need to learn a bit of HTML.

Civil comments and questions are welcome on the blog – complimentary or not – so long as the write identifies themselves at least to me. (read that if the user does not have enough gumption to identify themselves to me, then I don’t publish the comment)

*Programmers do not think in the same time frames as the rest of us.
So what you need to do is move to the next unit of time, double it and then you may have a reasonable estimate of when it will really work – Thus, “a few weeks” would likely translate to “a few Month” which doubled, means in about 2 quarters.

Talk about a “BFO” (Blinding Flash of the Obvious) – as we were planning a day of visiting various retail locations to “see what’s out there”, it occurred to me (these things happen at 04:00) that it would have been MUCH simpler if I had less tedious way to make an itinerary.

Okay, I have already said that taking the time to look up the full, NINE digit ZipCode, is really helpful if you want those traveling thru to drop in.

AND, have mentioned my pet peeve – web pages where the STREET address is not easily found on EVERY page of your web presence.

So here is my latest bit of advice – INCLUDE YOUR GPS Coordinates.

Why? Just think about how many folks now have phones that allow them to get directions – all based on GPS technology.

No Idea WHERE to get this information?

It is really easy – IF you know your own address.

First you need to look up your correct Zip + 4 code, easily done courtesy of the
USPS’s Zip Code Lookup feature

Now, using the Zip Plus 4, go to GeoVisualizer’s Converter

For best results, type in your entire address and it appears that choosing Yahoo as the source might be a bit more accurate than Google Maps.

Once you have the cross hairs where you want them – cut and past the information from the map on your lower left “Center: 39.41355,-76.94434” into your page as:

Latitude: 39.41355 Longitude: -76.94434

You will have given your potential customer yet another way to find you.

Ain’t technology grand!

You already know why Zip Codes are important, because the NINE digit zip code can be used by many Mapping Applications such as MapQuest.com to get driving directions WITHOUT typing in a complete address.

What many of our supplier/manufacturer/distributor friends have not yet realized is how important this added info is to making their “Store Locator” Traveler Friendly and how including the nine-digit zip can aid in that traveler finding a local shop when traveling.

More years ago than I care to admit – we met Harry Newton at Silicon Valley conference where he was also a speaker – his wit and wisdom about the telecom industry are legendary.

Harry Newton’s Telecom Dictionary is now in its 25th edition,; we bought the first at that conference. We are such fans that we, until some recent book divestiture, owned many copies as they were updated, but kept the old for “future reference”.

To the Point, EVEN back then, Harry was stressing that EVERY page of your catalog should have your order telephone number. Today that advice would be your order telephone, your URL AND your Address with nine-digit zip.

Why? Because that makes it EASIER for someone to buy from you. I cannot tell you how many times I have ‘ripped out a page’ because I was only interested in THAT item – only to come back later and find no order info on the page. (Are you all headed for St Charles listening?)

Nor can I tell you how often I have given up in frustration trying to figure out where to find the address and shop hours on ANY of thier pages. Remember search engines do not always index your first/home/main page first – especially if you do not update on a regular basis.

MANY people will print out a web page as a “hint” to give family and friends – so make sure that ALL you info is going to show on that page –

Now, here we are today, with Manufacturer and Distributors doing many inventive things to help their Retailers and especially the Indies “to be found” but they often make it as difficult as possible to find that Retailer… and it is such an easy fix…

If a Manufacturer/Distributor/Self-Publishing Pattern/Chart Author does NOT include at least the FIVE and better yet the NINE digit zip code in each store listing – then the consumer cannot easily use a mapping application to find and visit the shop.

If a Manufacturer/Distributor does not allow search by Town OR State OR ZipCode and as two of the people involved in developing the FIRST find-a-store application we think AND “GREAT CIRCLE SEARCH RESULTS for AREA CODE and exchange (next 3 digits) are also important.

There are enough applications out that that allow the shop to update their own info – why not host one on your site and make it easier for consumers to find and buy from your retailers.

just some things to think about.

Wheat

No “Day” Job? Oooooh, time to make money with my art/craft (stash/knowledge/fill in the blank).

Seems I have read or been reading this in just about every group, hobby or professional for months and certainly these last few weeks in several of the more active groups.

We all know how much trouble I can get into when I try to respond to “Universal You” although it is pretty much a given someone will take it personally and get into their own snit and a tizzy.

Time after Time, those who have had some or great success talk about the work involved and then are blissfully ignore – their extremely hard earned experiences banished into archives instead of worked on Needlepoint Pillows you have to look at every day.

Want to “teach” or “author”

So here is what may not have been said FIRMLY enough

IF one takes a realistic look at those who are supporting themselves with ONLY their art – well unless you are very lucky or already well established in the teaching/publication circuits – let’s just say that don’t you think a WHOLE lot of other people are thinking like you?

A “rant” about discount coupons that radically reduce the earning of a teacher, while maintaining the benefit to the sponsoring shop is just such a perfect example of a teaching what not to do and frankly for any one purporting to be in the BUSINESS of (fill in your area of expertise) to even be in this position is well beyond my ken.

The situation described? Well the teacher agreed to accept a PERCENTAGE per student and then the Shop, in order to fill seats gave out 50% off coupons. The shop continues to get not only the same, but the greater advantage of the sales generated by the excitement of the class (and efforts of the teacher), the teacher hardly got enough to cover their expenses much less make a living.

How to avoid this?

At the very least a better written agreement SHOULD have safeguards regarding Teacher compensation.

There should be clauses in the WRITTEN Teaching Agreement for a MINIMUM for UP TO X number of students and so much per student there after to a MAXIMUM.

That WRITTEN AGREEMENT, should include a clause giving the jurisdiction where disputes will be resolved and of course much more.

Please don’t bombard me with all the trite and untrue concepts of why it is good to give away your services. Unless one is also the seller of the profitable items, those misconceptions just don’t hold up in today’s environment (and I am not at all sure they did as recently as 5-10 years ago)

WRITTEN AGREEMENTS are what protect you from the insidious effects of such discount coupons imposes without your consent by the class promoter (LYS, Event Promoter, etc)

You, as a teacher or author or artist are alimited resource NOT a mass produced item that can be duplicated no matter what the demand.

Be professional and invest in the resources to protect yourself.

A well written contract/teaching agreement is more powerful then an AR-15 to defend yourself from the robbery without a gun of an unreasonable arrangement.

You can decide, as I did a decade ago, to teach basics primarily for the love of the craft and not expect to be compensated for much more than your expenses or peripheral benefits (i.e., demoing a technique and selling the tools or supplies directly)

Or, as the ranter said accept that you “need to find a real job”

HTH

Wheat

Are you teaching or selling at an event? Do you want to make it easier for those traveling (this is vacation season) to find your shop?

Did you know that if your customer (and it is vacation season after all) so that customer may not be a local) has your 9 digit zip, that is all they need to enter for near perfect directions to your shop using MapQuest

They do not EVEN need your street address (unless, of course you use a PO Box for mailing)

I have not tried with either google or yahoo or any other ‘mapping” sites, but really might it not be worth the time to add those five characters to your web sites, email signature and other forms of marketing and promotion?

If you do not know your 9-digit zip, you can find out at the USPS Zip Code Lookup.

Hmmm, I WONDER if putting your 9 digit zip code into your key words would could help or hurt your search engine placement.

Just some things to think about.

Wheat