Website Pondering - What to do?

[Ilona]

It was mentioned on another forum that if you only sell on etsy you may not be reaching all your customers. This could be due to some customers might not want to join etsy and therefor miss out on sales. This had not occurred to me and every since I have been thinking about setting up a shop on my website again. That was until I found one of my previous posts about down grading from pro to standard the cost last year for pro was £124 and standard was £40. What I want to ask from all of you is - do you sell on your website and on etsy or just on your website? I know lots of you have Mr Site - some hate it, but I have always had no problem with it. Do you have standard or Pro. If you have standard, I know that there is no stock control, but does the shopping cart do anything if you get a sale, or do you just have to monitor your emails? Money is tight and at the moment I can't afford the cost of Pro.
My other thought is to move from Mr site to a new free website and I am considering this thought too.
My last ponder for tonight is, if I move my website then I thought about changing my name too. I know alot of people search for me on google by my name - What do you think?

I would appreciate your views

[Blue Box Studio]

With sites needing you to register to buy, and a lot of my customers saying they'd not register for fear of spam and junk mail .... I had a shop with Big Cartel which linked to my website.  I struggled to promote it enough.  Don't Etsy now have guest checkout?  I think Folksy now have. 

[cbeadies]

Yes, Folksy do have guest checkout -  I recently bought something on there for the first time and found it quicker and easier than I expected, no registering needed.

[Ilona]

That's interesting, but I haven't heard about this.

[Dee Dee]

I link my website to my Etsy.

But you could do the same, but state in large letters on your website that if a potential buyer doesn't want to buy from Etsy, they could contact you direct and you could arrange a private sale.  That way you wouldn't really need a shopping cart on your website.  Just send the buyer a Paypal invoice.

[Lotti]

I spent the weekend changing my site (not launched yet as some bits need doing by my wonderful web developer!) and will be taking down the shop on there as it is just too much to keep on top of with Etsy and Folksy!  But it is a good point.   I am going to put a note on the front page as Steph says about buying direct (there is something in there already about 'if you see something you like... etc etc). 

[Ilona]

I think after talking with a web designer. I might have pro for the 3 months what is left of my subscription and set up another new named site with a free web builder. I think I should also put something on the front page saying to contact me if they don't want to go through Etsy.

[Melty]

I mentioned on another thread - but you sould take a look at wordpress.com blog / website - great for connecting with new people and free too - no adverts etc ...