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Well Connected
Listed under: Interviews
Published: Friday, February 08, 2008
A good designer, thorough testing and continual development is the key to a good website, says Jon Dorey
Although the internet is still dividing opinion in the craft world, when used well it's a great tool for success. “It's about information,” says Jon Dorey, founder of The English Stamp Company. “The end customer can find out what's available, where it's available and they can be made aware of new trends more quickly. The internet has also enabled us to tap into the overseas market, which would be harder to do otherwise.”
If you're keen to maximise the potential of your website, where should you start? “Choose a web designer you can work with, who listens to what you want,” says Jon. “Hopefully it'll be a relationship that lasts several years. You have to start with somebody who's sympathetic to your needs and understands that it's impossible to give them a 100% concrete brief, as things change all the time.” Initiating a web presence can involve hard work and perseverance. “Our main consideration in designing the website was ease of use,” says Jon. “The biggest challenge has been navigation, to make sure that a customer can find what they want. We've worked hard to reduce the number of clicks required to make a purchase. We also took advice from our designers regarding access for people with disabilities.”
“Getting our website ready has been fairly expensive in pounds, but where it has cost more is in time, even with a dedicated web team,” Jon says. “It takes an enormous amount of work to explain exactly what you want and to check and re-check everything to make sure it does what you want it to do. It's important to test everything. When it works it gives consumers confidence. On every page of the site we display our phone number in big, bold lettering so customers can call if they need help.”
Despite the work, Jon recommends other businesses to explore the potential of the web. “It's a great way to get out there,” he says. For The English Stamp Company, the website is about to go further. “We've created a unique module to assist third parties to sell our products,” reveals Jon. “Retailers can bolt this onto their website to display our products easily. Customers can design their stamps on this and the order is transferred to us. It's easy and free to add the link and retailers are paid for every sale that goes through their system. We're set up to handle even small orders, perhaps those that stores wouldn't otherwise bother with.”
If you're keen to maximise the potential of your website, where should you start? “Choose a web designer you can work with, who listens to what you want,” says Jon. “Hopefully it'll be a relationship that lasts several years. You have to start with somebody who's sympathetic to your needs and understands that it's impossible to give them a 100% concrete brief, as things change all the time.” Initiating a web presence can involve hard work and perseverance. “Our main consideration in designing the website was ease of use,” says Jon. “The biggest challenge has been navigation, to make sure that a customer can find what they want. We've worked hard to reduce the number of clicks required to make a purchase. We also took advice from our designers regarding access for people with disabilities.”
“Getting our website ready has been fairly expensive in pounds, but where it has cost more is in time, even with a dedicated web team,” Jon says. “It takes an enormous amount of work to explain exactly what you want and to check and re-check everything to make sure it does what you want it to do. It's important to test everything. When it works it gives consumers confidence. On every page of the site we display our phone number in big, bold lettering so customers can call if they need help.”
Despite the work, Jon recommends other businesses to explore the potential of the web. “It's a great way to get out there,” he says. For The English Stamp Company, the website is about to go further. “We've created a unique module to assist third parties to sell our products,” reveals Jon. “Retailers can bolt this onto their website to display our products easily. Customers can design their stamps on this and the order is transferred to us. It's easy and free to add the link and retailers are paid for every sale that goes through their system. We're set up to handle even small orders, perhaps those that stores wouldn't otherwise bother with.”
