Monday, September 03, 2007

Weeks Dye Works linen

Here's the thing. If you make a brand new product, I should be able to find out about it on your website. You want to know why the cross-stitch industry doesn't work? It's because they are out there acting like a bunch of hobbyists and girls.

Marketing is not hard--trust me. Trust me. TRUST ME. You just have to let people know what you are doing and why it is important to them.

If you are going to have a website, you have to--MUST--update it. Regularly. (See what I'm talking about here. Not picking on them: there are a myriad of out of date websites across the internet.) And with the important news. Designing a website might be hard, but keeping it up-to-date should be as easy as typing.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

I've already ordered some of the Weeks Dye Works linens through a store in Baltimore. The sample colors are available on Norden Crafts, though this in no way makes up for the fact that they are NOT available on the WDW site.

And as far as the Bent Creek site is concerned, it makes no difference to me if the site WAS updated. It is an unholy mess in Firefox -- boxes over text, clickable areas that don't, etc. Don't webmasters ever test this stuff?

mercy said...

LOL while reading your post Bent Creek's site was the first one to come to mind

Mindi said...

I have to agree with you. Companies that take the time to build a website really should keep them updated. As for companies that don't have a website in this day and age, they deserve to go out of business.

Kathy said...

My comments would mirror Mercy's. The first site I thought of was Bent Creek. I have done a lot of their designs, but it was not because I saw it in a timely manner on their web site. Many creative types are not very computer savy.

Anonymous said...

Attic needlework in AZ is another one. They advertise Merry Cox classes. Click on the link & what do you get? Yep, the classes from 2005! [insert eye roll]

mainely stitching said...

Yep. I agree. I was recently in touch with Stacy Nash regarding buying some charts from her, but she didn't have the newest ones on her own site ... Hard to sell it if people don't know about it.

mainely stitching said...

(I should add: Stacy pointed out that stitching was ever so much more fun than updating her site, and I can certainly see the logic in that. LOL! She was a delight to do business with, too.)

Megan said...

Ooooooohhhhhhh.... this is one of my HUGEST pet peeves. The Bent Creek site is the worst offender, I think. Which is a shame because I love their designs.

Donna said...

I nominate the Just Cross Stitch mag for badly updated website. Click on their current issue it's Mar/April. Click on the seminar it's Williamsburg 2006.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU!!!!!!! Finally someone in the industry is speaking up about this!!
I guess when a company gets "big" enough and has a market on the industry they just don't want to give back and provide us with updated material, but instead only want to take our money.

Anna, your fabulous!!

Anonymous said...

Geez, it's been about a month since I've updated mine and I was feeling bad about that!

In their defense (although they certainly don't need me championing them), Elizabeth & Marsha are super sweet ladies who have (unfortunately, in my opinion) entrusted their web presence to "the brother".

Anyway, great point you have here!

Michelle said...

Good point! This is a huge pet peeve of mine. There are ONS sites that I refuse to order from because regardless of how great their service might be, if I can't navigate the site, I'm over it. I'll go someplace that has an easy to use, updated, organized (with photos!!) website anyday. I definitely think it is better to have no website, than to have an out of date one out there.

Sharon said...

I am commenting a little late on this party. But, this is definitely a big frustration for me as I am continually scouting out the newest patterns etc. Raise the Roof designs have not updated their site since Nashville 2007 market. Drives me nuts. Wholeheartedly agree with you.