Design Notes: A CSS Web Designer’s Blog

Before You Build Your Online Store

Before You Build Your Online Store - Click to Play the Podcast from Harvey Ramer

There are two routes available to online store owners regarding designing a Web site around a shopping cart. You will choose one that is search engine friendly, or a shopping cart that will hinder your search engine visibility. There are viable reasons to choose either option. My hope is that this podcast will provide a framework from which you can make an informed decision.

Choosing Search Engine Visibility

Simple buy now button solutions for under 20 products:

• Mal’s eCommerce
• Securepay Easy Shop
• Paypal

Database driven solutions:

• Miva Merchant 5
• Karova
• Wordpress Plugins & Themes
• A Theme I developed for Golden Maple Shanty that databases products and uses Mal’s eCommerce hosted cart.

5 comments April 25th, 2006

Sunfeather Natural Soap Company Owner Tells Her Story

Sandy Maine Marketing Conversation with Harvey Ramer [19.3MB]

Sandy Maine’s Sunfeather Natural Soap Company store and factory (view photos) is located just outside of Parishville, NY along Route 72. Her facility bustles with the production and shipping of bath and body products all year long.

Sunfeather Natural Soap Company has been built over the last 26 years one customer at a time. The small enterprise she started with an idea and $15, the company now boasts more than $1,000,000 in sales each year.

As her company grew, she learned from experience how to develop and manage a micro enterprise. Her company now employs 14 full time and 6 part time workers. Sandy had developed a socially responsible model of operation for her business which takes a holistic view of the “bottom line.” In that spirit, she is having her Web site re-designed and is making an effort to keep it updated. To see the new site, view the slide show images.

Sandy has authored 5 books and done international and domestic consulting in her field. She also helped to form an international trade association for soap makers which enjoys membership of over 800 members. Most importantly, Sandy enjoys the Bus-i-ness of motherhood and family. She is the mother of 4 children ages 2-14.

Sandy has been open to experimentation with marketing and has gleaned much of value to share regarding small business marketing. Enjoy the podcast!

Sandy’s Books

• The Soap Book: Simple Herbal Recipes
• Creating an Herbal Bodycare Business (Making a Living Naturally Series)
• Clean, Naturally: Recipes for Body, Home, and Spirit
• Soothing Soaps: For Healthy Skin
• Herbal Homekeeping

Sandy Recommends:

• The Dream Society: How the Coming Shift from Information to Imagination Will Transform Your Business
• The e-Myth at Amazon.com | The e-Myth Web site
• eZine Queen
• The Soap Book: Simple Herbal Recipes
• Moveon.org raises large amounts of money online and as such Sandy recommends watching what they are doing.

3 comments March 27th, 2006

Learning from Successful Businesses

I started Design Delineations with the intent of creating great Web sites that would sell things, share information, and help small businesses achieve their goals. Soon I discovered that there was much more to business success in the online world than having a well constructed Web site. I have been learning what I can about online marketing since then and want to take things down this road a bit more.

Inspired by the great value that television shows like the Small Business School offer, I will begin conducting audio interviews with business owners who are successfully using eCommerce to increase their business revenue. If you are interested in being interviewed and having the interview published here, please contact me with a short biography of yourself and your company along with a single paragraph summary of your marketing efforts.

March 14th, 2006