News from Earth and Fire -- March 9, 2007
Webmaster? Uhhh.. Well.. not really...I am a real HTML-feeb. The website is simple and clean because that's all I can manage. The only way I can keep it updated is if it is stripped down to incredibly basic elements. I have a little template for the the artist pages that looks like this:
Name of Artist goes here
Informational Text about the artist -- or artist statement -- goes here
more room for text
Image title
IMAGE GOES HERE
Dimensions
Quantity, etc.
Price
Quantity, etc.
Price
Within that template, I can manage to replace the generic placeholder text with meaningful text, and place the image of the piece in the proper location.
That's pretty much it.
Would it be nice if there were buttons below each piece that would enable you to see several views of each piece? Would it be nice if you could click the image and have a larger one appear so you could look more closely?
Of course!
Is that going to happen?
Ummmm. Not while I'm in charge of updating the website.
My kids have been after me for a long time to put a shopping cart on the website. There is probably no doubt that it would increase online sales. I imagine many people stumble across the website and look around and like what they see. Many times I'll get an initial inquiry email about a piece, but never hear anything further from the person, even though I always respond and try to be as helpful as I can in facilitating the purchase.
So for the last couple of weeks I have been seriously investigating what exactly would be involved in adding a shopping cart to the website, so that you could click a PURCHASE button, enter your shipping information and your credit card info, and BOOM.. place an order.
I investigated one that is available from the site that does my web hosting. I had this fantasy that the only difference you'd see is that there would be a friendly little PURCHASE button (so much more refined than one that says BUY IT, don't you think?) next to the price on the website.
They have a little demo on their website and I played around with it a bit. It seems to work fairly easily, and I could probably manage to update it.
The problem?
From what I could figure out, it's going to change the entire look and feel of my website:
Now, assuming I'd be able to change the border at the top, I'm sorry.. I'm just not a fan.
The other problem I can't seem to resolve is -- there is exactly one of these plates. What happens when you order 15 of them?
You're in for a disappointment, that's what.
I'm going to be spending my time sending out apolgetic emails and refunding credit card transactions.
I suppose it's true that I haven't fully investigated exactly how it would work, and it's possible it could be customized to the point where it wasn't QUITE so obnoxious.
But, for now, I have decided to put my energies into photographing and updating the website with more of my inventory and just stay with my simply little template.
Besides, I enjoy exchanging emails with you, or talking to you when you call.
Earth and Fire Gallery IS me. I want to keep in touch.
New Stuff!
I received new pots this week from Sam Taylor and I've added to the Main Artists Page -- Other Media -- Glassware and Torquoise Inlay Cutting Boards
And, like always, if you see something you would like to purchase, just pick up the phone and give the gallery a call.
Operators (::snurk::) are standing by to take your order. :)
Have a good week.
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