maggienoella Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 For those of you who have websites for your business, would you mind giving me some info about them? Did you create your own or pay? Expensive? Easy to do? That kind of thing. We're getting ready to build one but don't know if we should do it ourselves or pay. Thanks, Joan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 For simply longarming, why not use a blog? You can purchase a donain name and if you use blogger.com there's a way to eliminate the "blogger" part of your address name. For instance, mine is http://www.bloomingquilts.com but it is really a free blog address, i just paid for a domain name. Hope that's a little clearer than mud!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 My DH set mine up. I'm a complete idiot when it comes to computers. One thing I learned from DH is that sometimes it's better "to just throw money at it, and make it go away." If you can build your own website, go for it. If you can do some, but it would look better if someone else did, pay for it. Here's mine www.eocquilting.com Check out the pull down tabs too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 If you feel you need a site to share with potential customers, there are lots of generic templates that can help. Your business info, quilt photos, quilt prep and delivery, and something personal about yourself are things customers will look for. But especially photos of your work. Some sites will link to Flickr, where you can easily add and edit into albums all the photos you want to share. Then keep the basics about pricing and quilt prep on the main site. You can get as fancy as you want, but customers are looking for the visual wow, not a lot of text until they decide to delve further. This would be a basic website. If you want a blog, it can offer all the same info and links to photos, but with a blog, regular visitors want to see regular posts. A blog with the latest post three months ago (or sometimes a year ago!) looks like it's stalled or abandoned. If it's just info to share, stick to a website unless you have the time to keep up with a blog. (This coming from someone who visits about 20 blogs daily---I love them! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglu Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 I wish I could get that blogging thing down. I don't know how it works. Do you follow the blogs in your email? Can you set up a list of blogs you want to visit so you can just click on them every day? I love blogs, but don't know how to follow them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreadWaggle Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Mine is a blog as well, with my own domain. Some of the tabs I can post blog posts to, but other are static. So you don't have to blog if you don't want to. At some point I may go back to a real website, but for the moment it is a fast, easy and effective way to have a web presence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreadWaggle Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Peglu, You can use a RSS feed reader like Feedly or Bloglovin to track the blogs you want to watch. Then you only have to go one place to see what has been posted. Personally I prefer Feedly. But they both work well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglu Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Thanks Angela. That gives me some idea of how to go about it. I'll check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglu Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Hey Linda, want to share your blog list? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 I've only used a flickr account and paid for the professional acct - think it is $35.00 per year....I stay busy..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeannieB Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 I use weebly for my website...not the free package, but an upgraded level. Its easy, economical and their tech support is great anytime of the day or evening. See www.nothimbles.com. My DIL is still working on my logo. I dont have time to blog...yet! lol. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Hey Linda, want to share your blog list? I'll see how many I can link you to... http://www.tamarackshack.blogspot.ca/ http://borderlinequilter.blogspot.com/ http://quiltville.blogspot.com/ http://exuberantcolor.blogspot.com/ http://andsewitgoes.blogspot.com/ http://blog.cindyneedham.com/ http://thesecretlifeofmrsmeatloaf.blogspot.com/ http://quiltsoflove.blogspot.com/ http://lisacalle.wordpress.com/ http://www.patchworktimes.com/ And many more! What these all have in common--besides gorgeous quilts--is that they blog often and it's like catching up with a friend when you visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglu Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Thanks Linda! I see my morning coffee getting much more interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheagatzi Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 I couldn't agree more Linda - about feeling like catching up with a friend. I have been blogging for a lonnnnng time, and have online friends from the beginning. It's wonderful. I love catching up on people's blogs. Some of them start to become sponsored or more business related and I don't care for that. But the ones that are personalized and give me a snippet of quilting and personal life makes me feel connected to them. I have a blog and use that for my small business. I have a separate page/tab with my 'long arm quilting info' and then my blog posts. I have received a few clients through my blog, but most of my business is word of mouth. I direct people to my blog if they want to see some of my work up close. I don't keep much of my own quilting, so it is a great way for me to document my progress and work. Love to blog. It is hard work to come up with posts and to also keep up with posts. If you want more traffic to your blog, you have to visit and comment on other people's blogs. If people comment on your blog, it is so very important to reply back to them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamarack Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Mystery solved....I was getting a lot of traffic from APQS and I've found the source! Thanks for sharing my link Linda and for coming to visit me! Joan I do have a website too that my sister created it for me. It was far more advanced than I could ever do myself as my sister took a web design course and I was her final project! It costs me $73 a year to maintain my domain name and for the small web host plan though CanSpace. I have been debating about just letting go of my website as it really doesn't bring in clients but I know my current clients use to to browse my custom and panto pages for ideas. I could easily add a page to my blog with all the info. My blog is my main focus for my quilting and it has brought me more clients than my website. The big thing between having a website and having a blog is once a website is done it needs very little maintenance or your time. But a blog is a full time job if you want it to be successful. I love blogging and the connection I get with my readers. I've made some amazing friendships with other quilters around the world. I also agree with everything Andrea said above too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cegates Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 I used GoDaddy to build my own website. Their customer support is very, very good. I start each call with "please speak slowly and use words I can understand" and they do. But with that said, it took me a tremendous amount of time to do just because it is so far out of my comfort zone, and I don't think it has brought in any new business. I think it is better to use Facebook, or start a blog, but those do take a fair amount of time and attention to keep current. Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele in NY Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 I've been blogging for 8 + years now, 1st with my personal blog and now with my quilting blog and I love it. I've made tons of friends and have learned so much. Having people want to participate in my swaps and other events is a blast. I couldn't inagine not blogging. That being said, I've been thinking a lot about adding a website too since I will eventually be doing quilts for customers and for my eventual pattern company. It seems to me that many of the "big names" out there have both a website and a blog which are linked to each other and that is what I'm aiming for. Any insights as to who can help me get the website designed, up and running woudl be greatly appreciated. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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