Pamela J. Brown, Ph.D. Associate Professor

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Pamela J. Brown, Ph.D.Associate Professor
Extension Entrepreneurship Specialist
(Retired)Texas Cooperative ExtensionTexas AM
University SystemFunded through a grant from
the Southern Regional Development Center,
Mississippi State University
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Helping Artisan Reach Global Markets

• Tools, Techniques, and Special Considerations for
  Artisan E-Commerce Business Sites

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Objectives

• Best practices to plan a web page
• Importance of metatags
• Selecting web designer
• Web site management
• Adding value to artisan websites

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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.
• Dont know a term Google search
• Type Define word, i.e., frame

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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

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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

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Pictures
Location
Demonstration
Testimonials
Main Message
Products
Artisan Story
Contact
Ordering
?
Title
Prices
?
?
?
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
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Web Site Title
Each box page with info Each box should have a
relationship to the whole site.
Purpose statement
Product info
Artisan
Price
Story
Contact info
Pic
Assortment
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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

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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

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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.

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View Source Metatags

• htmlgt
• ltheadgt
• lttitlegtWelcome to Ken Carpenter Jewelrylt/titlegt
• ltmeta http-equiv"content-type"
  content"text/html charsetISO-8859-1"gt
• ltmeta http-equiv"content-language" content"en"gt
• ltmeta name"author" content"Ken Carpenter"gt
• ltmeta name"cache-control" content"cache"gt
• ltmeta name"description" content"Our primary
  product is hand crafted sterling silver and gold
  jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets,
  rings, bolos and buckles."gt
• ltmeta name"distribution" content"Global"gt
• ltmeta name"document-distribution"
  content"Global"gt
• ltmeta name"document-rating" content"General"gt
• ltmeta name"document-rights" content"Copywritten
  work"gt
• ltmeta name"document-state" content"static"gt
• ltmeta 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,

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Exercise in Metatags

• By the Bay Treasureslt/titlegt
• ltmeta 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."gt
• ltmeta 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"gt
• ltstylegt

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Impression in THREE seconds
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Art of Ohio http//artofohio.com Tamarack
www.tamarackwv.com
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Calendar of Shows Message to Future Customers?
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Inaccurate or Incomplete Information
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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?
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http//www.theglassden.com
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Artisan Web Sites

• http//www.sivertson.com
• http//www.columbiafallspottery.com
• http//www.wesstartisans.com
• http//www.missoulaartistsshop.com

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Dos and Donts

• Graphics
• Professionalism
• Focus
• Contact
• Relationships

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Special Considerations for Artisan Pages

• Photography
• Word tags
• Best photos carefully planned
• Load quickly
• Be selective
• Limit number

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Special Considerations Internet Marketing

• Television
• Packing and shipping
• Tax ID
• Customer service
• Responsiveness

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www.clvquilts.com
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Problems with photos Can you identify if there
is something wrong here?
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Go to www.mbaer.com

• What options for sorting products are there?
• Is this a good or bad example of product sorting?
  

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Make Words Count!
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http//www.threadpit.com
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How to Guide the Craft Customer

• Trigger words to hyperlinks
• Site map
• Simple formatting
• Scanable
• Logical
• Contextual

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National Craft Association

• http//www.craftassoc.com
• http//www.naia-artists.org
• http//www.masterartisan.com
• http//www.acaa.com

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Site Visits

• www.michaelallison.us
• www.gourdmasque.com
• www.swschool.org/gallery_shop.php

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Logical Contextual?

• www.wgw.com

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Accessibility

• http//accessible.org

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Summary

• Breadth depth of artisan work
• Online business skills
• Research and trends
• Tools and techniques
• Marketing
• Evaluating progress
• Plan, Plan, Plan