Name of your website?Sacred Thangkas
Your name?
Gavin McCloskey
Your Location (city, etc)
Derry, N Ireland
Please give us a short summary of your website?
We sell very high quality Buddhist Thangka paintings made in Nepal
What inspired you to launch your own website?
Basically, a love of Thangkas. When we were last in Kathmandu, we wanted to buy so many, but couldn't justify it. But if we started a website selling Thangkas, we would have a great excuse to be surrounded by this beautiful art.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
This is our first site, launched in December 2007
How did you decide on a name for your website?
I knew I wanted to have 'thangkas' in the title. The name 'Sacred Thangkas' just popped into my head and stayed there. I knew then, I wouldn't have to think about it again! It all happened very quickly, and I love our name.
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
Although we have a smaller selection than some thangka websites, we have a much, much higher quality than normal. Many of our paintings are masterpieces. Also, our site is much more user friendly than most thangka sites, with decent sized pictures that really give you an idea of the quality of the pieces. The design is also much better than average. I love how it fell together, working with our Nepali web designers, and still get a lot of pleasure from just looking at our home page! Another thing is that we describe the thangkas in more detail than many sites, but also in a way which is not overly complex to people who aren't too familiar with Buddhism.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I hope that we manage to stick with high quality stuff, but earn enough to keep expanding our range. I really would hope that we some day have THE best thangka site on the net, selling at very low margins so we can bring this beautiful art to as many people as possible. Thangkas are truly life-changing art.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
So far, as we've just started, it's been lots of work for very little reward, but I'm sure that will change. I'm also trying to think in terms of what the Bhagavad Gita says: Act without concern for the fruits of your actions. If we work hard and make a beautiful site, with great paintings at fair prices, and promote it well, I'm sure success will come, but I try not to worry about it too much.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
We would have a much larger selection of thangkas, but that's about it. I'm happy with it the way it is.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes, we have many good contacts in Nepal, so have no problem getting more thangkas of the same quality.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Google Adwords! What a nightmare, but also so addictive and so interesting to learn about. It's a real challenge. We rushed into things a bit, as we wanted the site to be running before Christmas time, but had to put up with countless delays from the designers. I should have taken my time to learn more about Adwords first, instead of learning on the go...but I learnt a lot. Truly though, I never realised how much time and effort went in to starting up and promoting a website.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Probably all the things mentioned above.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Stumbled Upon has given us lots of really unexpected, and free hits. Also blogging on Myspace and other blogs, and using Facebook. Adwords is great...if only it was free!
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
It's a pain when you have to wait for the designers to make changes that should be simple and take very little time. It's made me have to think ahead more than I normally would.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
We've been running for only over a month. I can't see that I'll never enjoy it. Fingers crossed.
Why should people buy thangkas?
Thangkas have traditionally been used for various purposes connected to ritual and meditation in Buddhism. But I think that anyone who has an interest in both art and Asian culture would get a lot from having a beautiful thangka hanging on their wall. The good ones are sublime works of art, rooted in thousands of years of deep spiritual heritage, and you can definitely feel that power. They are just so inspirational, well-crafted and harmonious.
What is your website address?
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