Sewing Business Blog

5 Reasons You Should Have a Website

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Many sewing businesses are local in nature, serving a specific geographic area.  Most owners of these smaller-scale businesses never think of having their own websites, but here are a few of the many reasons a website could help your business.

Reason #1:
It sets your business apart.

You probably already know one or two (or even more) sewing businesses in your area, right?  All of them, even those based out of their homes, are competing for the same customers.

A website is a great way to set yourself apart from the local competition, and if you have a sign in the front of your store or home, all you need to do is add your website address to start getting traffic.

But what can you do with a website, right?  You can:



  • Sell your products or take orders.

  • Let people know about you and your business.

  • Answer frequently asked questions.

  • Explain how to care for your products.

  • Offer promotions and discounts.

  • Conduct seasonal events, contests, and promotions.

  • Display seasonal products and inventory.
The list is endless, but the main thing is having a convenient way to find out more about your business.  Most people start their searches for products online.  It’s important to take advantage of that fact.

Reason #2:
It positions you as the area expert.

Perception is reality, and in small areas especially, a web presence can be a very distinguishing factor between you and the competition.  The business that seems most successful will often be the business that acquires the most customers.

Reason #3:
It’s relatively inexpensive.

Online marketing can be the most cost-effective means of getting the word out about your business.  In comparison to things like yellow page ads and local radio and television commercials, a website can be very inexpensive.

Reason #4:
It’s a great networking tool.

When you put your local business online, other area businesses will notice, and that’s a perfect way to start building your local network.  A big portion of your business can come from incoming referrals, and you can get the added benefit of joint marketing efforts.

Reason #5:
It can reduce mailing costs.

Do you send expensive promotional pieces by mail?  If so, your website can serve as a place to post new promotions and discounts.  You could also start an email newsletter to automatically update customers of new specials.

The possibilities for your new website are only limited by your imagination.  The most important thing is to establish an online web presence and start taking advantage of this 24/7 medium!

This guest post was written by Amber Riviere, a web designer with BrownBugProject.com.  You can follow her work through her blog and through her newsletter, Inside Brown’s Brain.

Common Web Design Mistakes To Avoid

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Whether you already have an online presence for your business, or if you’re just thinking about setting up a website, you should be aware of these common mistakes to avoid.


Typography Problems


There is really no excuse for misspelled words on a web page these days, since most every computer has at least one program with a spell checker.  The real issue with typography problems however, is the use of inconsistent fonts and illogical blocks of text.  Bolder and bigger are not necessarily better.


Use the same basic fonts throughout your website to create uniformity and keep your visitor’s attention focused on the message, not the delivery.  Only use large, bold or unusual fonts sparingly for effect.


Information Overload


The home page of any website sets the image of the company and creates the all important first impression for your visitors.  The mistake commonly made here is to overload the home page with too much information. 


Don’t try to cram everything in to one page.  You only have a few seconds to grab your visitor’s attention – your goal should be to try to funnel their path through your site to the information or products they’re looking for, without making them click through too many pages.  The general rule of the thumb is the “three click rule”, if a visitor has to click through more than three links to get to the information they’re looking for, they are much more likely to give up and leave your site.


Optimize From The Start


Many people focus on things like color, content and function when designing a web site and they neglect to plan for search engine optimization.  SEO is extremely important to a site’s potential traffic level, as well as its ranking in search engines.  So, in order for your site not to be buried on page 12 or beyond in a search for your product, you need to plan your SEO strategy while designing the website, not later.


Be sure to include page titles, meta tags, keywords and alternate text for graphics from the very beginning.  SEO is essential to the online marketing of your site, but it isn’t difficult, so be sure to at least learn the basics and include them in your pages.


Bucking Convention


Trying to reinvent the wheel with unique buttons, non-traditional navigation or cute terms for common things may set your site apart from others, but it also serves to confuse customers who may not be Internet savvy or may simply not get your humor.  Changing traditional terms, such as using customer love instead of customer support or shopping bag instead of shopping cart may seem like a good idea, but not if they annoy or confuse your potential buyers!