Thoughts on Makers' Web Sites

[gables]

I also just posted this thread on the ABS Forum.

I am a mere apprentice slowly building up a gallery of knives and proficiency. Journeyman and Mastersmith ratings are in my plans along with increasing sales. I have noticed as I devour the web that many knife makers put up sites but rarely update them. So I am left wondering how important are maker's web sites? There must be a diminishing return to sales versus the effort to keep a site updated or, I assume that many journeyman and master smiths would have better and more up-to-date sites.

Please share your thoughts. I don't want to put up a site if there really isn't much advantage to doing so and I don't want to put up a site just because it's what every one else does.

Thanks in advance.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I am in the same boat you are.  I am setting up a site.  It will provide existing and future interested parties with  the option to find your contact info.  I think a lot of people fail to understand how important an up to date website can be.  Look at prepared sites where you just enter your pics and info.  They are quick to set  up and fairly cheap to maintain.

[kbaknife]

I think those who do not update their sites are slackers.
Plain and simple.
Get a site, keep it fresh, and those who follow your work will appreciate it, as well as you, when you start to see how many pay attention to it.
Those who don't keep their sites current are obviously dependent upon other sources for their sales.
Not to mention lazy.

[Lin Rhea]

Take it easy Karl. I do try.  

[skullworks]

I need to get one started. I have a Facebook page right now.

[kbaknife]

quote:Originally posted by Lin Rhea:
Take it easy Karl. I do try.    

It's not just knife makers, and I'm sure we can all agree on that.  
It's all over the spectrum.
I've been watching this one supplier with a  "Price List" page that says "Coming Soon!"
It's been that way since I've had a computer.
And the content of the site has NOT changed.
Some folks just have different priorities.
And there's only so many hours in the day.

[UMLarcher]

I'm with Karl on this one. Especially in a smaller market like custom knife making. There are relatively few makers, and they're spread out across the country. The easiest way to find a maker (unless you know to look here) is usually Google, and if you have either no website or a poorly formatted one, you lose out on the potential for sales and exposure. I know of plenty of small shops that offer phenomenal service but are constantly overlooked because of their lousy web sites. No offense to those who don't see the site as a priority, just my two cents.

[tippit]

This is good guys as I'm in that planning stage right now.  One of my nurses was a web page designer.  She got our clinic web pages up & running.  We add a new disease discussion each month.  It has taken off so well in the past year that clients now make appointment through email and new clients that find us send in their pets info so we will have all the paper work done when they arrive.  Forget any other type of advertising!  Doc

[hvyhitter]

As someone who looks at many craftsmens websites I have a few suggestions:

Please keep it simple: I am there to see your product and not to be entertained. I dont really like the automatic video or slideshow with the cool music that I have to sit through or turn off everytime I visit.

Good Photography: With todays digital cameras and a little practice, anyone can take nice clear well lit pictures of of anything. Websites and books have lots of info on lighting tips and put everything on nice complimenting backgrounds. It can really show off your work.

The guys here have some great websites but I've been on some others (non TGers or some Bowyers) that were so confusing, or their life story(several pages) or their main family website, that you really didnt get a good feel for their work and you dont go back.

Just my observations guys, keep up the excellent work.

[kbaknife]

Great advice right there, John.
Thanks for that.

[Scott Roush]

I'm very new to this market... and I've only been to one knife show and I've never had a table. Without a website I would be sunk.  Every time I post on a forum somewhere my website URL is on the bottom. I get millions of hits on my website that bring email inquiries almost every day. Most of those inquiries don't amount to anything at the time, but you never know who they talk to and who the people that they talk to talk to, ad infinitum.  I'm fortunate that I was already well equipped for the photography end of things which has been priceless. It's not easy to get people to pay hundreds of dollars for a knife they've never held in their hands.. but good photography can help with that.

In today's market.. especially if you are first starting out... you HAVE to have a good website!!!!  There are lots of good 'template' type websites that are easy to update.

[Scott Teaschner]

I am in the process of building a website. I am excited and every one I have talked to said it has helped them tremendously in there buisness.
I to do not care for busy hard to follow websites. I do want to create some excitement and adventure in my web. I really enjoy going to websites that create an image instead of a picture and a buy it know. I like being able to kind of now who the person is and get a feel for them. Take Karl for instance before I even talked to the man I felt like I new him. His personality fits his website and I tink that is a good thing. I guess what I am saying is who just wants to look at something generic make it a special place people like to keep coming back to.