Banner Sponsors

Laura Lynn Banner SponsorJul 26, 2005

Hi everyone!

I know I haven't been on here a lot lately... but I do remember some people asking how in the world do you start a website?

Well, I just wanted to give you some encouragement to at least start it!  After you start it.... you'll keep making changes and tweaking it.

I decided to be brave and show you my very first website....   (I had saved it to remember)

http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/oldpages/firstpage.html

Compared to  my current site....

http://www.teddiesbylauralynn.com

Anyways... just wanted to say... "just start it" and over time it will turn into what you really wanted.  (course, over time, your "wants" will change and you may keep changing it LOL!)

Laura Lynn Banner SponsorJul 26, 2005

Awww!  Thanks Lisa!  Yep, I just revamped mine a couple weeks ago... and then tweaked it some again...after seeing your new site!!   Changed my banner to have my bears instead of graphics.  But I'm looknig forward to changing the theme with the seasons.

Dilu Jul 26, 2005

Laura

Love your sites- and your darling little bears that make me want to climb into the computer to play with them.

Your encouragement doesn't fall on deaf ears.  I keep trying to learn more and more about the program I have so that I can improve.

And you are right-  just dive in.It wont be 'professional' looking at in the begining BUT it will be out there.

What program did you use, and how user friendly is it?  Did you already have to know HTML or did it translate everything for you?

Dilu

Laura Lynn Banner SponsorJul 26, 2005

Hi Dilu,

Thank you very much   I actually started off by learning HTML coding by hand.  I took an online course here:
http://www.lvsonline.com/  They've changed the courses slightly... but the equivilent to what I took would be:  Build Your Website: • I - Intro XHTML/CSS

I also learned a lot from Lissa Explains All:  http://www.lissaexplains.com/

My current "store" site is actually with http://www.wahmshoppes.com/.  They have many options... 2 of which are prebuilt templates.  You just either use one of their "theme graphics" or upload your own graphics... and they "go where they are supposed to go" based on the premade template.  I decided to go with them so that when bears have been adopted they are automatically marked sold.  Also.. I'm hoping to ONE day add my candles to the site (when I'm done testing!)  This will make it easy to add them too.

Although I DO love the wahmshoppes... because there are SO many features it can be a bit confusing to get set up!  I just started in one place and kept learning   They do have a help forum too with a good search feature.  I learned how to fix my "shop" be searching for others who had the same problems.

I've also bought graphics from a couple of different graphic artists... and they are usually very happy to help with coding if you are trying to set up a page the same way they have one set up.  I just keep learning more things as I go ....

But I have not used a program.... cause in the beginning I was too cheap to buy one... and I couldn't (at the time) find any affordable website building programs.

Dilu Jul 26, 2005

WOW!

Delartful Bears Jul 27, 2005

I just want to say Laura, that your webpage and bear making has come along in leaps and bounds!!!!!   Your bears on the Old page are totally gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but they don't have that Laura Lynn look that we have all come to know and love!! 

Thanks for sharing!
Danni

Daphne Jul 27, 2005

Laura,
Danni is right your bears have evolved quite nicely, though I absolutely love the ones on your old site! And so has your website.

You don't know til you try something how it's going to turn out and you don't learn unless you do it when it comes to websites. Mine has changed dramatically over the years and still has a long way to go to look professional but it's a learning experience and evolves as the other aspects of my bear business evolve.

Daphne

rufnut Jul 27, 2005

Thanks Laura, you have inspired me to keep tweaking mine, I only have a new site up, thanks for sharing and the encouragement as well.     Yours bears are real cuties.   Well done 

Marie_ Jul 27, 2005

Thank you for encouragement Laura Lynn !!!! :lol:
I have not made my web-site yet(I keep saying this for long time..) but
I'm working on right now  
I love your new website and previous one too(include first one!).
But your current one looks more GORGEOUS with your cute bears.

Hugs/Marie

Laura Lynn Banner SponsorJul 27, 2005

Aww!  thanks everyone!  I knew that many of you out there were contemplating doing a website and I just wanted to encourage you to jump in :)

Karen you are doing a great job on your site!  Love the bears (Ginger is my fav!)  Daphne... I love the way your home page is set up... I may need to tweak mine yet again

Daphne Jul 28, 2005

Laura,
Thank you (I'm blushing)..... I try to live by the K.I.S.S. motto (Keep It Simple Stupid) when doing my website cause let's face it... some folks aren't as swift with internet surfing as others, some don't like to read a whole lot, many just want to see pictures and I try to make the first page simple so they can jump right in to where ever on the site they want to go without holding them up for a long explination of me & my bears. If they want to know more they can click on the appropriate link. First page is a brief intro encouraging visitors to check out the rest of my site. That's just MY feeling. :)

A bit of advice for anyone designing a site: Think about what you like about sites you visit. Think about what it is you'd want to know/see right off the bat when logging on to an artist's site... what would entice you to visit the other pages of a bear site? My other word of advice is keep it easy to follow.... easy fonts to read, graphics that pop but don't take away from your verbage or photos of bears... make it clear where to click to get to get to the info they want.

Less Is More!

Now, if you were to see my house it's anything but LESS as we're pack rats and just walking through my sewing room is anything but simple!!!:lol::lol:

Oh, one more thing....

Once you've got your site up and running don't think it stops there! You can and will tweak and tweak and tweak and tweak some more!!! (OK, I'm sounding like a mouse!!)

Hugs, especially to you, Laura! Your site really looks fantastic!!!
Daphne

Jill Jul 28, 2005

Laura -

Thanks so much for the information and your site is quite creative.  I am one of those who needs a proverbial kick to "just do it."  I think I know what I want my site to look like, but when it comes to doing it, everything goes blank.  I don't know what I want to say, don't know what I want to see - it is like getting up in front of the class to do a book report.

I think your new bears are beautiful.  I love the cute little faces of all your bears, the older ones and the new ones.  Thanks again for sharing your new site and encouraging us to get our websites going.

Thanks,
Jill