How much do you make from your personal website? (not esty ebay or anthing like that)

[cyndilou]

I would like to see the $30,000 web site. I do not have a website, etsy or ebay and do not plan to. We are craft show junkies and will travel as far as 200 miles to go to one. I do not sale! We just enjoy going to them as a hobby. The hairbow market at craft shows is so over done it is unreal, Last yr we went to one show that had 50 booths and over half of them had hairbows in them. Not only are vendors competing with other SAHM that are trying to make a few dollars now you have to compete with the people buying cheap bows from over seas and selling them as their own.

[PrettyGirlBows]

Originally Posted by creativesidebows

I've got my website and I do a ton of craft shows. I will tell you I make much more at craft shows but my website is still worth it. However, in this "bow business" you don't just start making money overnight. Like any business it takes LOTS of time and LOTS of money to make money. I work 7 days a week and the market is flooded with stay at home moms wanting to make bows. It's a scary thing. Go to google and type in "hair bows". It comes up with OVER a million hits. Now you have to compete with that and make your website in the top 10 of those million if you want to be one of the people who truly make a living off their hair bow website. I continue to do craft shows because I don't make enough off my website to be able not to do craft shows. I started my site in June of 2006. It is a full time job to update metatags, watch crawlers, control ranking........It's hard and frustrating and after 2.5 years I'm still not in the ranking I want and need to be in. If a website is really something you want to do you need to do research and find out about google ranking and what it entails. It will be a waste of your time and money if you don't know these things before starting a site. Good luck

Thank you for your adivise.
What are metatags and crawlers?

Originally Posted by PrettyGirlBows

Thank you for your adivise.
What are metatags and crawlers?

go to google and type in those phrases. it's lots of research and reading.

[lisaaggie12]

I thought the website would be so easy to do. I thought you just made a bow, took a picture and uploaded it. WRONG.... you have to first figure out how to take a good picture, then learn how to edit. After that, upload and make a page for each one. Then, research keywords , meta tags etc... stuff I had never heard of. Along with catagories, uploading to google, page ranks data, fees for hosting, fees for web design, fees from Paypal Pro....and link exchanges. All of this is part of a successful website. Along with shipping materials, packaging, shipping, printing labels, scale for weight of package....I could go on. Plus, you have to consider the competition. What is going to make yours stand out? What do you have to offer that others do not?

I started mine in the summer two years ago (I am a teacher) so I had time to devote but since I work the rest of the year, my site only gets an 'update' once a year. I have so many more designs/colors/ideas that I can not possibly get up while trying to fill orders, do shows, teach, be mom and a wife.

I really love my site b/c I can say 'I did it' but it was way more than I thought it would be. I would say it brought in almost half of my income this year. (the rest was from shows and wholesale/store sales) But the first year.... welll- lets just say I was lucky to just pay the hosting fees etc.

I had customers asking if I had a website, so my original intent was to have it available to them. Once I started though, I wanted it to be the best it could be- that is where it takes time and research. I am lucky that I do come up with certain key words on pages 1 -2 but when you look at ballet bows- there are 4,000,000 and I am #1 but if you type ballet HAIR bows there are only 600,000 and I drop in page ranking. So much time is spent on keyword research for that to happen. Then try the 'shopping' tab on google- you will see products side by side with prices and companies...so many HAIR BOWS out there....

If you really are serious about wanting a site, research, research, research. Who is your target market? babies? toddlers?tweens? all of them? Will you have one bow style made in 30 different colors or 10 different designs in one color but available in many color choices? I spent quite a bit of time just looking around the web noting layouts/colors/pictures that I did and did not like.. that is a place to start.

Sorry this turned into a ramble. I never get to just sit and think about my site. But when you put your heart into something, you will not regret it. If you need more advice, feel free to pm me.

Lisa

Originally Posted by lisaaggie12

I thought the website would be so easy to do. I thought you just made a bow, took a picture and uploaded it. WRONG.... you have to first figure out how to take a good picture, then learn how to edit. After that, upload and make a page for each one. Then, research keywords , meta tags etc... stuff I had never heard of. Along with catagories, uploading to google, page ranks data, fees for hosting, fees for web design, fees from Paypal Pro....and link exchanges. All of this is part of a successful website. Along with shipping materials, packaging, shipping, printing labels, scale for weight of package....I could go on. Plus, you have to consider the competition. What is going to make yours stand out? What do you have to offer that others do not?

Lisa

LOL! Well said!

[PrettyGirlBows]

Thanks! I am definitly going to research and actually am already. I don't even plan to start one til this summer. In the mean time, I plan on researching etc.....
I do have an etsy site, so I know how the picture editing thing can be a pain. I have a scale, packaging and..... already too.
I want to take it one step at a time and focus on 1 thing at a time and not 10. I am kinda using etsy to see what is selling and ....... Working out the kinks kinda.
I want something better for my customers than etsy. Meaning easier to get what you want as far as style, color, size... Plus, my etsy bill for January was $25 and it sounds like it would be cheaper to have my own site. I am limiting myself on how many listings I post this month to see if that will help.
I have a friend who said she can make my page and my husbands friend is a photographer too. I plan on having him take the pics for me and using friends kids as models.
If it does not do that well, I guess I will just have to go back to the work force. I have about 5-6 more years of being at home though to find out.
Thanks for everyone's advice. I really appreciate it. Best of luck with your own sites!

[lisaaggie12]

It is exciting to start thinking about your site. You are wise to check it out first. I by-passed the ebay and etsy thing and just jumped right in. I do not regret it at all, it was just more than I bargained for. Sounds like you are heading in the right direction. Let me know if you need anything.
Best of luck!!!

Lisa

[PrettyGirlBows]

Originally Posted by lisaaggie12

It is exciting to start thinking about your site. You are wise to check it out first. I by-passed the ebay and etsy thing and just jumped right in. I do not regret it at all, it was just more than I bargained for. Sounds like you are heading in the right direction. Let me know if you need anything.
Best of luck!!!

Lisa

Thank you!

[kaneohegirl]

stacy...

I have a website mainly because when I do shows its expected... I am lucky that a friend is letting me use sapce on his account so I can have my own site.

shopping carts can get expensive ... there are free ones out there, but like you I am not the sharpest computer savy person out there. So for me to teach myself how to use it would take ALOT of time I just dont have.

I used to have my site direct ppl to etsy as well but found that to be a PIA... Plus the fees were dinging me left and right... I found Artfire.

It is alot like etsy BUT it is simpler to use... mainly 1 page upload... WHOOT much faster... and if you get a memebership with them it is $7.00 a month... TOTAL no commission/listing fee/nothing just $7.00 a month.
The $7.00 thing is a PROMO cost... this is only available to the first 5000 ppl to sign up once that 5000 members join then the fee goes to $20.00 a month. but like I have said no listing fee no commisions... its nice... I have my own URL www.IslandGirlAccessories.artfire.com
this is my website... dont mind the grammar errors LOL its still in the proof reading stage LOL Island Girl Accessories Home


so I just link my website directly to them... yes they have to sign up and give info but how they would have to do that to purchase from me anyway. there is NO cost for buyers to sign up

they are NEW... so they dont have the traffic etsy has yet but for me I dont care I am using it as a shopping cart mainly. most of my income comes from Craft shows... but having the Artfire account allows ppl to go browse and buy if they want to.

if anyone is interested in joining please use this referal link

[HauteTotsCouture]

This sounds silly but I do craft shows,and I have a website and have had one for about 5 months,I noticed there were alot of women starting up a myspace page specificall for selling and that is the WAY to go. I havent ever made anything from my website but from my myspace page I make about $100 a week give or take.