Conjuring up a simple Etsy showcase website
A simple Etsy expansion catalogue website, to give a local crafter more online presence.
01 / The Challenge
A local hobbiest pagan and witchcraft crafter, who makes various handmade items for Etsy, wanted a more personal online presence for showcasing a wider range of her products than was possible on Etsy.
The client is not particularly technical, so asked for a simple content management system (CMS) so she could keep the website updated herself without having to learn any complicated or over-blown website building tools.
02 / The Solution
The client brought lots of ideas that they wanted in a design which they based on their pre-existing logo. They wanted a homepage with a small selection of products, a wider selection on a catalogue style page, a blog to record their crafting journey and a simple contact form.
This meant a fairly straight forward custom build in PHP with just the features that the client wanted delivered. I simplified the CMS so they can just add new blog posts as the rest of the content will remain fairly static now. The products are pulled in using a simple spreadsheet easily exported from Etsy. The client has been shown how to do this and they can very simply replace the data with a new spreadsheet any time they want to refresh the website catalogue.
- Fast build: Completed project delivered within a week.
- A solid alternative to ecommerce: By using the Etsy data, means a very simple management for the client without a full ecommerce solution.
- Scope to grow: With this bespoke build, the client has the option to add to the website and already has plenty of expansion ideas!
03 / The Outcome
The client now has an additional output for her creativity - being able to showcase commissions, experimental building techniques and upcoming craft fair information.
Ostara Creations is an excellent example of a client with a clear vision of what they wanted, but who needed a friendly guiding hand to achieve their goals. They were delighted with the finished product and they have forwarded me glowing comments from their friends and family about the website, which is always nice to read!