Hello everyone, and Welcome to PassnItOn! Glad to have you here, and that you could drop by here!
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.
Hello, and Welcome to my PassnItOn Blog! Below you are going to see a topic about Selling Online, it's hard work, different than the brick and mortar stores, and some things involved with selling online. Sharing my opinion, and others are welcome to comment, and share too. Also, what you read below has pretty much been copied over from my other LilacsNDreams Blog, but wanted to share it here with you too. Hope you enjoy it.
Today I am going to discuss a subject that many of us deal with as sellers online. Please remember this is in my opinion. There is no right, or wrong. You are welcome to comment, or share with us here too. When searching, or doing a listing with any of the venues I sell with I try to put things into perspective as if I were the buyer is generally how I work with most of my listings, and things I do for Online Sales.
I believe that Selling Online is hard work, and could be even more if I did everything I read and seen mentioned to do. It is very time consuming, and much harder to do than selling in person in my opinion. I feel it to be harder as the buyer is not able to touch what is being sold. Therefore have to work more with our descriptions to help the buyer feel the product, and also make the search engines happy with words we use. Along with this are pictures so that the prospective buyer can also better see with our descriptions what is being offered. As some of us know, pictures can also be time consuming with lighting, finding the right angles, amount of pictures, etc.
Another issue is that there is no two way conversation between the seller, and buyer to see the buyer's eyes. Seeing someone's eyes helps get a feel about the upcoming purchase. Helps you to better assist with addressing things right on the spot. Conversation is always helpful. I myself sometimes get too winded when describing things in my listings. I am trying to get the buyer to see what I see, feel what I can feel, and hopefully answer questions without wasted time between us contacting each other through emails.
Time is spent with shipping costs, finding the best one to offer for the item being sold, and the best way to ship from past experiences too. Unless the items I offer can be put to something smaller like an envelope, I generally send items USPS Priority Mail with insurance included. Reason for that is generally the shipping rates are a bit better, customers get their items within 2-3 days, and the insurance is always included for a more secure delivery. That comes from past dealings with the postal service. If a customer contacts me, and wishes to have it sent another way, I will work with them to do so as requested. I work with my customers the best possible way that I can.
Another thing as a seller to keep in mind is the venues we choose to sell with. Some of the venues do not cater to the same type of buyers, and sellers. I have found that sometimes what can work for one seller does not always work for another seller. There are many venues out there to choose from, some have higher fees to sell with than others, some advertise for their members, some work well with their members by having an operational site with support that can always be contacted too. It all depends what works for you, and where you find to feel comfortable with. It is important for you to pick the right selling venue for You.
Some have their own websites. That is more cost to some with hosting fees, domain fees, shopping carts, and with your own website you also have to work harder to get yourself seen within search engines for the prospective buyer to find you. For me I have my blogs, my website, all having domains directed to them, and find this to be a smaller cost for me. With my blogs, and websites I offer the links for the venues I sell at, instead of a shopping cart I use the Artfire Rapid Cart, Ecrater Widget, and the RSS Feeds for the sites including Addoway. If any questions I can be contacted with no problem as I do read my emails through out the day. Also, if a seller would like to purchase directly from me I am more than welcome to invoice them through paypal.
So, what did you think? How has it been for you selling online, and have you found what can work for you? If so, please share with us here. Thoughts, comments, and opinions are always welcome at PassnItOn. I only ask everyone to be civil, and remember that we all have our own opinions to things with no right, or wrong answer.
Thanks so much for visiting with PassnItOn today! I enjoy the visits, the comments, the sharing, and hope to see you again. Take care till the next time Everyone. Remember to visit with my stores with the links provided on this blog page to the right. Thank You!
* * Where Yesterdays Memories Become Tomorrows Treasures * *
Hi! Welcome to PassnItOn! Glad to have you visiting with me today!
Short, and very simple for all of you today with this posting. It's a holiday. This is a special day to remember, and be thankful for those who fought for the rights we have today. Today I am taking a break from things, lounging around, having fun grilling out, and just having some good old family time. I hope that all of you are able to be some where, able to share with someone, and have something you can do for this special day to all of us.
Please, if you will, take a moment to remember someone and thank them, remember a special time, maybe a significant date, etc. Don't forget to think of, and thank those men and women who have fought for to allow us to have in our country the freedoms that we now have, and enjoy. Bless those who fought for us, those who have passed fighting for us, and God be with those who are still fighting for us.
Thanks for stopping by, and visiting with me today everyone! Have a Very Happy Memorial Day! Enjoy, have fun, and please be safe!
Hello everyone, and Welcome to PassnItOn! Wonderful to see you here!
I like many others have gotten into some kind of slump of not getting things done. I think with all the google changes of the UPI, having to redo listings to help them get accepted with google, and each site you belong to seems to do it just a lil bit differently. So, that has taken some work to do that, and then also keep up with Facebook, blogs, website, and so on.
I have been working with my website the past few days. Know how you do something, and it just feels unfinished, not full done, like it is missing something? Well, I was getting that on my website I was working with. Did not feel fully like I wanted it to. I had done quite a bit with it, but it just felt like there was something missing, and could not put my finger on it. Well, I worked with it, and think I have it to a point I can enjoy it more. Right now I have it set up with different tabs for venues I sell with, and am using all widgets that I can to either click, and view more, or have it take you to purchasing pieces too.
I have reworded some of my Welcome, and About Me, and hopefully I can leave it alone for a while now. I need to work on adding more content with it, but that is one thing I am thankful for that I did add a Blog Tab to the top of my site so there is a place to blog with. At least I can offer things there, show things, and keep everyone updated with things by using my website blog too.
So, what has everyone else been up to? I know around here this weekend is a very big weekend for graduation! Another year gone by, and another time in life for those who will be stepping forward to experience life, and the new roads that they will take. How scarey, how fun, how exciting, and how heart felt too.
Hopefully I can keep clearing things out of the house, narrow down some areas, reorganize & simplify, and start working with some crafts again. I have made notes, and hope to imply some of the ideas soon that I have been noting:)
Hope this finds everyone doing well, and wishing ya'll a super weekend! Visit my LilacsNDreams Artfire Store for vintage, collectibles, glassware, home decor, housewares, and also for repurposed and upcycled treasures too. Hope you enjoy the visit as well.
Hello, and Welcome to PassnItOn! Stopping by to wish all of you a HAPPY EASTER to you, and yours. Be safe, and enjoy the day everyone.
This year just me, and hubby sitting at home. Feels really different, but I guess this is what it is when kids grown up, move out, on their own, marry, children, and etc. Holidays will always be hard with this.
Tonight I did about 9 listings between Artfire, and my Addoway Store. I have completed the transfer of repurposed, and upcycled treasures from PassnItOn into my LilacsNDreams Store. Has been a smooth move, and actually I think a good one too. I have been featured with more collections with the transfer, and of course puts more items into my LilacsNDreams Artfire Store which will bring more traffic too. So, now you will find the repurposed, and upcycled treasures I do in that store along with vintage, collectibles, glassware, and so on. So far I think things are blending in well enough. When you visit my store, on the right side of the page click on the category for Repurposed, Upcycled, Recycled to see all the items of this nature listed there.
I really thought about it hard, but finally did remove the pro membership on my PassnItOn Store to a basic account. Hated to let such a good deal go, but nothing is in the store, no plans to do anything with another store at this time, and it is for the best to do this. I also have another store that is with Addoway where I will be offering treasures that are not old enough for vintage, but collectibles, or pieces that are still desired by people.
So, when you have a chance visit with my stores, browse, and enjoy your visits. Any questions do not hesitate to contact me, ok?
Wishing ya'll a super weekend, and a very HAPPY EASTER! Take care, enjoy, and be safe!
Hello, and welcome to PassnItOn Blog! Glad to see you here, and visiting with me again.
I am still doing my transfers of this store to my LilacsNDreams Artfire Store. I am almost done, about 4 more to go, and have been getting some really good reviews from different people on facebook, and etc. Thanks everyone!:) Feels better with kind words from others, and the sweet comments everyone has been leaving for me.
Now....like many others, I to have products that do not qualify for Artfire. Either they are not handmade, designed, supplies, or old enough to be vintage. So, I have to find another place to sell products that I cannot sell at Artfire. And, no, I am enjoying Artfire very much that I will not leave it either:)
Anyway, many of us use more than 1 selling venue for different reasons, different needs, different circumstances, and etc. I would like to suggest to many of you to try Addoway.com. They are a young site, are nicely growing, have had many sellers leave bonanza to come here, AND many are reporting making sales with Addoway too. So, click here, look it over, and give it a try http://www.addoway.com/ref/30ce9c2fa7371bb4ee9c32128a203d8a I have started listings there myself, have had the store for a while but never used it, and am seeing such good things about it that I too am trying it out.
Thanks again for visiting with me today everyone, and make sure you check out my LilacsNDreams Artfire Store, and also, please, checkout out Addoway too. Looks like something good to also grow with too:)
Best of luck to all of you, thanks for visiting me today, and see you again soon:)
Hello, and Welcome to PassnItOn Blog. Happy to have you here.
Sorry, I know I have been a bit slow getting to this blog, and it has not been intentional. Been working with the transfer of items from my PassnItOn Artfire Store into my LilacsNDreams Artfire Store. Been a little slower then intended due to family, life, and something is always coming up lately. But, I keep working on it as I am able to.
I do have a cloche that I had repurposed, upcycled, and recycled from different pieces put together. I was never really completely happy with the ending product. It felt like something was missing, but not sure what it was. You ever get that sometimes? And then it bothers you, or nags at you a bit till maybe you think of something. Done that a few times myself as I am sure others have too. Well, the other night before transferring it to my LilacsNDreams Artfire store I found a glass piece that appeared to be the right size, height, and was clear glass to match with the glass cloche dome made. I have glued the piece to the bottom, and feel better with the piece now. It gave it a little bit of height, not much, but just enough I think. My only hope is that others will like it as I like it now. My first cloche to make, and I have ideas for another one. Still a working progress for the second one.
Stopping on by here quick to wish everyone a Happy Halloween Day & Evening!:) If you have festivities, or plans...please be safe. Don't eat too much candy, and hope ya'll enjoy the evening full of fun!:)
Take care everyone, and Have Fun!!:)
PassnItOn
