Get a website!

[pageantmama]

I had this little gem earlier today. A mom contacted me and said her friend had bought several dresses and outfits from me and she has seen them in person and loved them. She wanted to know prices and time frames and all that good stuff. So here I am thinking I am about to make a sale when she hits me with this. Keep in mind she is messaging me through facebook.

SC-So what is the name of your website?
Me-I don't have a website, I just use facebook. It is much easier since I can get all my questions and comment right here in one place and it is free. If you want to take a look at some of my pictures I have a few folders with some examples of styles and designs.
SC-so you only work through facebook and don't have a legitimate website?

(last time I checked you had to access facebook through the internet so I thought it was a website but OK)

Me-yes I only take orders through facebook now. I used to do ebay but there were too many non paying bidders and I was going to set up a website but I thought why waste the money when everyone can reach me on here.
SC-well I am sorry, I don't buy things from people on facebook or ebay. You should look into getting a website, it is more professional and you might get more customers that way. Thanks anyway.


OOOOOOKKKKKK....
Honestly if I had a website I don't think as many people would come across it as my facebook page. I have people that buy dresses share my page with 10 of their friends, and they share it, and so on. Or if I am at a pageant I can just say, I am on facebook, here is my page name. And I really don't see the difference of buying a dress from me on facebook then from a totally separate website. I use paypal and she is still protected from any kind of fraud or whatever she is worried about. Add that to the fact she has seen several of my dresses in person and was ready to buy one until she found that out, just...weird.

[underemployeed]

Can I register "fakePagentmamadresses.com" and then have her complain that I am un-professional when I give her just the fabric.... from some discount warehouse that doesn't sell fabric normally but hey it was a special buy.

[Kisa]

Right. Because ALLLLLL websites are honest and legit I would feel safer on eBay or Facebook because there are the mods watching over everything. If it's a private website, the owner is the boss and if they won't allow an exchange, you don't get one.

[Mystic]

If anything, Facebook would be more legit thanks to real people leaving real feedback on pages.

[spark]

Heh. As somebody who doesn't *have* a Facebook account, and does have a website, I can say that they're not really that much expense and trouble. But if you don't want one, that has nothing to do with how legit you are. :P Any idiot can get a website, just like any idiot can get a facebook or an ebay account, none of them are any proof of anything one way or another, so this lady is being kind of ridiculous.

[pageantmama]

lol, That would serve her right underemployed. I just don't get why someone that has a website supposedly does better work and is more legit then someone who doesn't. I mean she has seen her friends dresses and that is why she contacted me in the first place

And yes, I would rather buy on ebay or from facebook through paypal then off a website with a credit card because at least with paypal I know I will get my money back if they don't ship and I can leave feedback for the seller letting everyone know if they scammed me or not.

And I did look into a website and then after staring at it for a while I decided it was way easier to just push the upload button on facebook to get my pics on there and arrange them in folders and with facebook if someone has a question about something they can comment on the exact thing they want to know about and we can have a conversation that way. And I can have multiple conversations with people and keep track of it all in one place. Instead of having to check my email, figure out what they are talking about, go back to my email, send messages and possibly have them send a brand new message each time instead of replying and getting me all mixed up about what customer they are. ADHD likes facebook better

I figure if she is that picky I don't want her business anyway

[EricKei]

Heehee. There is one way to get her to shut up (...in theory...) Just register a domain, and have one page on it: an automatic redirect to your FaceBook page ^_^

[telecom_goddess]

Heehee. There is one way to get her to shut up (...in theory...) Just register a domain, and have one page on it: an automatic redirect to your FaceBook page ^_^

Hah I like that

I know someone who sells her homemade earrings online thru facebook and doesn't have a web page and she does all right.

[underemployeed]

The place I tend to avoid is craigslist, there to many scams on it. SO you have photos and COMMENTS about the dresses that everyone can see and she is wondering if your legit/professional, because you don't want to spend the expense to get a website? Considering you likely would need someone to design it for a hefty fee to get up to her level of professionalism, then maintain it because who wants to go to a stale old website, hosting fees, etc, etc. And facebook is, say it with me folks, FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

[Nayeli_Sabia]

Underemployed, Yes! And you can say that lovely line: "Since facebook is free, I can pass the savings on to my customers!"

But on the other hand, why do i feel like that line opens another SC can'o'worms?

[MoonCat]

What a dope. She saw and liked actual items that you made, before she knew you sold through Facebook. What horrible thing did she think was going to happen if she bought similar items from you without a separate website?

[Kogarashi]

All I can figure is she doesn't think it "looks professional" to be doing everything through a social networking site than through a personal website (which can still be connected to paypal and stuff rather than taking credit card numbers straight).

If that's the case, the lady's opinion is ridiculous. Facebook is a perfectly legitimate place to display past work and connect with potential customers, especially for sellers who don't want to pay for a personal site, or can't afford it, or whatever. What should be most reassuring is the fact that you take paypal and have obviously happy past customers, nothing more.

I do have a personal website, but I can honestly say I don't get sales through that. Most people find me via my Deviantart account or via my Etsy shop. My personal site is really just there to provide a nice, ad-free gallery alternative to my DA page for people who want to check out my art. The only reason I have it is because a friend and I have hosting space on her dad's server, and we do our own coding, so all we have to pay for is the domain renewal every two years.

Pity on the lost sale, but if the's that nuts about whether or not you have a personal site, would she really be worth it as a customer?

[BeenThereDoneThat]

SC-well I am sorry, I don't buy things from people on facebook or ebay. You should look into getting a website, it is more professional and you might get more customers that way. Thanks anyway.

Opinions are like assholes...everybody has one

[Null Requiem]

Opinions are like assholes...everybody has one

And everyone thinks theirs don't stink.