Here is another topic for everyone to read, for some shared opinions, and to offer what I have read too. First of all, most of this posting did come from my blog at LilacsNDreams too. Asking about Websites, should I have one, do I really need one, it's so much work, really necessary, and they can cost too. Yes, you are right, they can be costly. Depends what you all want to do with it, what your goals are, and how much you would like to spend with it too.
It doesn't matter how many storefronts a person has it's a good idea to have a website. The website can serve as your home base, helps with links for your web presences to one another, and can serve as your 'hub' that can direct visitors to your stores, your blogs, and can serve appear as an online business card for you too.
Before jumping into having a website I would recommend doing some research, and look around a bit. Do searches about websites, see what others have to say, and suggest. Calculate how much you would like to spend for a website. Incude the cost of hosting, your domains, shopping carts, and do you intend to advertise to get your website out there too? Many things to consider.
What is the best Host, and what should you consider? You need to consider how it needs to be affordable for you. I know Hostgator starts about $3.96 a month, and I see them mentioned often by others using them. The host needs to perform well for you, and your visitors. You need to be able to draw traffic. Does it give you the option of setting up a shopping cart? Make sure you have support staff that is available 24/7, and that it has the tools to let you edit the site yourself too. And, does it provide for a blog if you would like to have one. Another thing is can you do the domain with them, or do you need to go else where for that?
Having a website is great for your business cards. You use your main domain name on the card with the URL, and it will lead people to the website. At the website they can view, and click to where they prefer to shop at. Your traffic can come from your host, and also your business cards too.
Now, there are some websites that are free to use. Depends how much work you want to work with it yourself, what you are knowledgable with, and where you feel comfortable at.
I have a free website. There are different free ones out there. Some I have liked, and some I do not like as well. Google has one you can set up as many pages as you want, it's free, and takes a little work. I am not all computer literate so sometimes anything will take a little work for me. Check google for sites.google.com/ Or, just go to google, and search for it there. Microsoft Office Live, FreeWebstore.org, Webstarts.com, Wix.com, and Weebly.com are some others offered for free. I know you can get one at Vendio, don't let the ebay thing bother you as it can be done without ebay, and I think that one was free?
There is also Pro Stores, and I do believe that starts at about $30 a month. I have heard others mention it with good comments from them. I have been noticing some websites done with vistaprint.com. Sorry, I do not know the cost for them. Yahoo has business sites/stores that can be used, and not sure of their cost. Just a lot out there, and no way I could mention them all. Search google for many of them, read forums with sites and social medias to learn of some, and just roam the internet to find them too.
As mentioned I have a website free, and that is with Weebly.com. Through bannerfans.com which is also free, I have made my banners, avatars, and things that are used with the site. One of my tabs on my website is for a blog. I have directed 1 of my domains to this website. I got my domains through GoDaddy.com. I have never had an issue with them, pay a small yearly fee for the domains, and that cost is sooo small compared to paying fully for a website, and all the extras with it.
I do not have a shopping cart on the site. I could have it, or the buy it now buttons as weebly does have that. Instead I chose to use my rapid cart from Artfire, My widget from Ecrater, and for Addoway and the other stores I also have my RSS Feed going to the pages for them.
I have chosen to use my website, and my blogs as my landing pages showing my links to the stores I sell with, links to my blogs, link to my website, and so on. Maybe at some point I will add the shopping cart, and sell either with my blog or website. But, for now, for me, I am comfortable using them as landing pages, and making an internet presence that way. Please, visit my LilacsNDreams Website, and have a look around. It is not perfect, I am sure there is much more to do with it, and different ways to do things, but I am comfortable with it, and it works for me. Great support at weebly, and they have been getting used by quite a few too.
I hope this has helped you with the issues of a website. I know I have not covered everything for you, but hope I was able to give you some things to think about, consider, and research with. Thanks again for visiting with PassnItOn, and visit with me here anytime. Always welcome with the visits, comments, sharing, and so on.
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