Pamela J. Brown, Ph.D. Associate Professor & Extension Entrepreneurship Specialist (Retired)
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Pamela J. Brown, Ph.D. Associate Professor & Extension Entrepreneurship Specialist (Retired) Texas Cooperative Extension Texas A&M University System Funded through a grant from the Southern Regional Development Center, Mississippi State University Helping Artisan Reach Global Markets Tools, Techniques, and Special Considerations for Artisan E-Commerce Business Sites Objectives • • • • • Best practices to plan a web page Importance of metatags Selecting web designer Web site management Adding value to artisan websites Web Page Design • This lesson is not intended to make you a Web page designer, rather to equip you with knowledge and skills to make decisions in working with a skilled Web page designer. • Don’t know a term: Google search Type: Define: “word”, i.e., ”frame” Knowledge = Better Results Why have understanding of Web design? • Conveying your design ideas • Understanding limitations • Knowing limits • Preparing content (text and pictures) • Monitoring results • Making adjustments PLAN What Goes on the Web Page? Have a plan List ideas Select graphics/pictures Be selective Write simply Communicate accurately Get help if you are not skilled in web design Main Message Testimonials Pictures Demonstration ? Artisan Story Ordering Products Prices ? Title ? Location Contact ? The boxes should be in order of their relationship to the previous box. Rearrange boxes to create effective and efficient web site. More pages = higher cost Story Board Example Web Site Title Each box = page with info Each box should have a relationship to the whole site. Purpose statement Product info Price Pic Artisan Story Assortment Contact info Process for Developing 1st Page • Market research • Domain name, registration • Logo • Content outline or site map, story board • Initial text • Images • Page layout • • • • • • • • Edit Finish text/images Final page layout Version 1.0 Revise, version 2.0 Test with customers Launch Revise regularly Finding Craft Sites • • • • • http://google.com Search box: Craft (note number) Search box: “Craft Metal” (note number) Search box: “Craft Metal [your state]” Note how the number decreases as keywords become more specific Search Engines • www.searchengines.com • Note number of search engines • Do a search with word “handcraft”, then craft. • How many appear? Try other search engines. View: Source: Metatags • html> • <head> • <title>Welcome to Ken Carpenter Jewelry</title> • • • • • <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> <meta http-equiv="content-language" content="en"> <meta name="author" content="Ken Carpenter"> <meta name="cache-control" content="cache"> <meta name="description" content="Our primary product is hand crafted sterling silver and gold jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, bolos and buckles."> <meta name="distribution" content="Global"> <meta name="document-distribution" content="Global"> <meta name="document-rating" content="General"> <meta name="document-rights" content="Copywritten work"> <meta name="document-state" content="static"> <meta name="keywords" content="fine jewelry, jewelry, necklaces, pendants, rings, earrings, bracelets, bolos, buckles, hand crafted, hand crafted jewelry, hand crafted necklaces, hand crafted pendants, hand crafted rings, hand crafted earrings, hand crafted bracelets, hand crafted bolos, hand crafted buckles, sterling silver, gold, 14k gold, hand crafted sterling silver, hand crafted gold, hand crafted 14k gold, overlay, texture, textured, stamped, beads, cabochon, faceted, turquoise, onyx, pearl, aventurine, amethyst, rose quartz, traditional, traditions, classic, silversmithing, silversmith, Ken, Carpenter, Ken Carpenter, Edom, Texas"> <meta name="mssmarttagspreventparsing" content="true"> <meta name="publisher" content="Ken Carpenter Jewelry"> <meta name="rating" content="General"> <meta name="resource-type" content="document"> <meta name="revisit-after" content="15 days"> <meta name="robots" content="INDEX,FOLLOW"> • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Exercise in Metatags • By the Bay Treasures</title> • <meta name="description" content="Genuine beach sea glass, artisan jewelry and unique gifts. Suncatchers, driftwood, diamond drill bits, antique bottle stoppers are just a few of the treasures found at By the Bay Treasures."> • <meta name="keywords" content="online, resource, genuine, beach sea glass, jewelry, unique, gifts, mosaic, supplies, by the bay treasures, ornaments, seaglass, mermaid, tears, pure, drill, bits, diamond, tiny, bottles, suncatchers, seaglass, gems, jewels, abalone, driftwood, shipwreck, ship wreck, artifact, antique, vintage, bottle, rocks, minerals, books, pure, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, ocean, bythebaytreasures, real, beachglass, stoppers, top, shelf, gifts, petrified wood, bulk, wholesale, pottery, china, fragments, sherds, shards, pieces, customers, events, media, custom, drilling"> <style> • Impression in THREE seconds Art of Ohio – http://artofohio.com Tamarack – www.tamarackwv.com Calendar of Shows: Message to Future Customers? Inaccurate or Incomplete Information Key Factors in Securing Online Purchase • Ease of navigation • Easy checkout • Good product description • Ease of finding products • Accurate information • Trust and security of site Product description? http://www.theglassden.com Artisan Web Sites http://www.sivertson.com http://www.columbiafallspottery.com http://www.wesstartisans.com http://www.missoulaartistsshop.com Dos and Don’ts • • • • • Graphics Professionalism Focus Contact Relationships Special Considerations for Artisan Pages • Photography – Word tags – Best photos carefully planned – Load quickly – Be selective – Limit number Special Considerations: Internet Marketing • Television • Packing and shipping • Tax ID • Customer service • Responsiveness www.clvquilts.com Problems with photos: Can you identify if there is something wrong here? Go to www.mbaer.com What options for sorting products are there? Is this a good or bad example of product sorting? Make Words Count! http://www.threadpit.com How to Guide the Craft Customer • • • • • • Trigger words to hyperlinks Site map Simple formatting Scanable Logical Contextual National Craft Association http://www.craftassoc.com http://www.naia-artists.org http://www.masterartisan.com http://www.acaa.com Site Visits www.michaelallison.us www.gourdmasque.com www.swschool.org/gallery_shop.php Logical & Contextual? • www.wgw.com Accessibility • http://accessible.org Summary • • • • • • Breadth & depth of artisan work Online business skills Research and trends Tools and techniques Marketing Evaluating progress Plan, Plan, Plan
