Why does setting up your business online seem so difficult? It’s not, especially if you follow these five tips to create your gift basket website.
Learning curves ahead
Launching your company online isn’t as difficult as it was back in the 1990s. Still, just like starting a gift basket business, the process is not a cake walk. There are many bells and whistles attached to the task. You require a:
- Site name (hopefully still available)
- Web host
- Site theme/template
- Shopping cart
- Content
- Photographs
- Videos (optional)
- Audios (optional)
- Email marketing program (to collect visitors’ addresses)
That foundation doesn’t stay the same; it needs updating according to the season and marketing you plan from month to month.
I receive lots of questions both through individual mentoring and the online gift basket business course about website planning, launching, and maintenance. All of it can seem daunting, but remember – if other people are online, you can be, too.
Here’s what to consider before you begin.
Five tips to create your gift basket website
- Look at current gift basket websites to determine what you want and what you don’t.
Let other people’s websites help you decide how yours will appear. This is no time to be envious as your eyes glaze over other sites. Keep in mind that your site will be even better because of what you learn through what you see. - Make sure your website host offers 24/7 support and allows for easy host changes.
Some web hosts (the company that maintains your site online) provide good service while others are not so great. You need access to round-the-clock help whether you build the site or hire someone. You also need to confirm that the host allows you to move the URL (the site name, as some do not) and the site’s contents elsewhere if you want to change hosts. - Recognize social media as a complement to your site rather than your main visibility.
You neither own nor can count on social media to maintain your online presence. If social disappears, so does your following and any access you have to them. You will not have anyone’s email address for contact or have another way to re-build your group. - Contact local colleges to learn if a student can be your intern and create the website.
Your specialty is as a gift basket designer and marketer and not necessarily a website maker. Consider helping a college student build their portfolio by building your website. College counselors are helpful to understanding the process. - Experiment with picture taking to ensure clear images that encourage individual and corporate sales.
Cloudy photographs with distractions in and around the gifts (table, flowers, windows, etc.) take away from the beauty you create. There is plenty of information online to assist you in capturing gorgeous imagery. The article, Four Steps to Great Gift Basket Pictures, may be helpful.
Making money online is also important, right? You’ll hear tips about that on the Gift Basket Business podcast, How to Get Paid With or Without a Website.
Which five tips to create your gift basket website is your first step?
To me, reviewing online websites is the first task, but another may be yours. The bottom line is that if you’re serious about launching your business online, you must start somewhere, and you must start now. Wait no longer.
Individual people and those who work in corporate settings are counting on you to solve their gifting problems. Turn this website challenge into a triumph, and put smiles on everyone’s face, including your own.
