Consumers of craft, and particularly fine handcraft, prefer the experience of shopping,
the “sense of place” in a gallery, museum, or even a festival booth. Creating a similar
look and feel to your Web site is critical.

Photographs. Poorly staged photos appear poor online. Usually, the pixel size is too
small. Remember that more pixels per square inch equals a better photo online. Another critical factor is how the craft is placed in regard to the contrasting background (lighting, range). The Crafts Report is an excellent source of photographic know-how for crafters. Seek out photographic associations for sources of good photographers.

Artisan story. Galleries and specialty handcraft retailers provide the craft customer with background information on the designer. Usually this is in the form of a hangtag, brochure, or card that explains the philosophy of the artisan. It is much more than a hangtag with price, SKU number, and size. Take time to write your story. Place it on your Web site as an option for visitors to read. It should be brief, create a visual image in the mind of the reader, and emphasize the uniqueness of the design and/or process.

Presentation. Customers should experience ease of understanding the value of the site,
in regard to its language, legibility, graphics, and page layout. Is text formatted for easy reading? Does it use bullets, varied background colors, and liberal white space for easy reading? Is each page easy to scan? Customers look for relevant information before reading details. Have menus, links, and buttons that look and work alike throughout your site.

Trust. Be sensitive to factors that affect the customer’s perception of reliability and
dependability.            

            1. Does the site present privacy and security policies in context?
            2. Do pages provide location cues?
            3. Does the site functionality provide feedback in response to user actions?
            4. Is contextual help available at key points?
            5. Does the site help users recover from errors?
            6. Does the site perform well?

User-friendliness. Using trigger words to hyperlinks allows you to avoid phrases like click here and learn more. Help customers find their way through the site to what they want or need. Do hyperlinks change color when accessed, and do they remain very readable? Have you provided definitions of unknown terms (finishes, structural terms, etc?)

Accessibility. All sites should be reviewed for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). See these Web sites for a review of information on making your Web site accessible to people with disabilities: http://www.window.state.tx.us