First and biggest thanks to Andy Hodge who encouraged me from the first and did all the technical stuff so that I can now manage and maintain the site for myself.
Building the website was great for helping build a team around me - Beverley Witter at Opening Statement who sewed up the blinds and cushions, Martin Cleave who took the beautiful photos as well as Andy throughout. I dyed, printed and sewed everything else myself, including metres and metres of wallpaper...sometimes it felt like my degree show all over again.
My three top tips for anyone else thinking about setting up a web shop would be
- Have a clear vision for your brand - with a little help from my kids I got there in the end. Robin told me 'Not everyone wants everything indigo, mummy' - a real breakthrough moment!
- Be organised - with a clear list of products and shots needed. Martin only had a day to do the shoot so we had to be super organised.
- Ask for help - Fanny Shorter (www.fannyshorter.com) helped me with legal blurb and terms and conditions. Thanks so much Fanny!
Please have a look and let me know what you think. It's definitely still a work in progress - but for the moment it's helped me create a public face for dora fabrics that I can share with the world and take advantage of many more opportunities (apply for markets, commissions, promote my workshops etc) as well as connect with potential customers.
Congratulations on your website launch! Blogging is a great way to expand your online presence, educate others in your field of expertise and build rapport with your audience. I’ve only had a quick look at your site, but I particularly like your geometric St. Peter design. Personally, I don’t think you can have too much indigo!
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