Jaci Dawn

I kind of fell off the Accountability Chart this weekend, but I got back on tonight and actually figured out how to add products to my “shop” on my website. Woot! I think I have four items up, and that’s a fraction of what needs to be put up, but with a little copy and paste and a lot of patience, I will have my online shop open by the first of November.

I’ll be honest with you: this whole process has been a bit of a headache, mostly because I was starting with an already existing website, and most instructions assume you are doing this from the beginning. They obviously don’t know me. I’m a jump in and do it sort of person, and then I figure out how to problem solve later. Yes, it causes a lot of headaches, but it’s how those of us who are kinesthetic/visual learners learn. I’m not good at following verbal instructions, but give me a screen shot manual, or let me get in and play with things, and I learn.

So I had this existing website and theme which I had to take down, basically, and start up with a new theme that is compatible with the online shopping program I uploaded to my site. The shopping program is only compatible with select Word Press themes, most of which I don’t like. I uploaded their basic site, but when I went in tonight to work on things, I saw how poorly that was going to integrate with what I am selling (my own artwork). UGH. So I had to go search for and upload a new theme that was compatible with my image. There goes half an hour!

Uploading my inventory was a challenge, too: I don’t have excel or a csv program on my computer (hey, in my defense, I didn’t know I would ever need it). Manually entering the product is the only option, and – at first – that seemed daunting. But I did a test, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I learned quickly to ignore the SEO alerts. I can deal with those down the road as I expand my website. I managed to upload about four items to my shop and I think I have it down now. I think I will prefer to manually enter my inventory – for now.

I didn’t get everything done within the 31 day challenge I was on, but my shop/website will be ready by November 1, in time for seasonal shopping. I also have my Etsy shop open. I am retaining rights to the images so I can prepare giclée images and add them to my website.I’m pretty proud of what I have gotten done. I’m not as technologically handicapped as I thought I was.

Dang.  I feel capable tonight. Never doubt yourself. You CAN do this!!