Name of your website?StorkandVeil.com
Your name?
Julia Russo
Your Location (city, etc)
Alphahretta
When did you start your website and why?
2007 Retired Master Photographer--33 years with babies! Loved them and their moms and did not want to lose touch. The new challenge of technology and communication inspired me to change my channels of income.
Please give us a short summary of your website, business model, etc
Stork and Veil as well as BabyBouquetsandBaskets.com, offer unique, fun, adorable and different gift presentations to families of newborns. Typically seen as baby shower gifts, our signature item--Baby Bouquets--is a real hit with new moms. Styled to look like a bouquet of roses, baby clothing is fashioned into blossoms that rival the real thing! Truly our best seller and popular with celebrities all over Hollywood. Huge selection of categories of baby gifts and resources provide those who are searching for the fun and unique to find the perfect and memorable gift.
What has been the most difficult part of creating and running your website?
Learning the technical aspects of building a site and getting it optimized for search engines. Not having the financial ability to have full time help.
What has been the easist part of operating your website?
Waking up every day to doing what I love.
What was your biggest mistake?
I have a made a lot of small mistakes but I call them opportunities in education :-) I would say that building a site without back up suppliers for products already posted on the site is a problem I would rather not have had. Most of those have been corrected though. And it will be major to me to have more staff when finances allow. Delegation creates more time for marketing opportunites that make my business to grow.
Who maintains your website and why?
I maintain it for now until I learn what needs to be handed over to someone else. Without my hands on experience, I would have no idea what I need someone else to do nor how to express how I would want it done.
Tell us how your business has benefitted from your website?
My business is my website! My retirement from photography and retail has transformed me into selling in a different environment. And I miss the face to face but contact with clients by phone and email make up for much of that.
What are your views on ecommerce and the future of the internet?
The scale of online retail is infinitely larger than I will ever grasp in my lifetime. Even though retail brick and mortar malls are being built every second, the internet will make an impact on those store sales. Eventually, what the stores offer and what is offered online will have to become so different that both can survive.
What are your views on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Good stuff :-) I work on it every week but it does not consume my efforts. It's like building a mountain one pebble at a time.
What are your views on Search Engines? Have they helped or hindered your website?
Not enough data yet to comment. Howver, links have helped and optimizing for keywords have been a factor but cpc has been the best.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
cpc
What method has been least successful for promoting your website?
Don't know
What would you like to see change with respect to the internet?
Google's eccentricities--and its monopoly
What motivated you to choose an online business?
I love the connection with a vast world beyond my window. I have never quite grasped the 9-5 routine and fighting traffic everyday. My satisfaction at seeing a smile due to a gift or a service I have provided is my joy. Seeing people celebrate a joyous occasion has always been my privilege in my photography business. Now I have focused on the ultimate events in our lives that make us the most happy--our new babies and our wedding day--(whichever order! :-) The internet is ready when I am ready--no appointments or walls to confine me on a regular basis. I work when I work best. And best of all, from my home while being around my family.
What is your website address?
StorkandVeil.com
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