I need some great ideas

[Arlin Eastman]

I am seriously thinking of getting a web site so I can sell all my turned items to help me get more funds.

I would like a nice and catchy web name that describes me, what I do an.d those I help.

I thought of "Handmadeturning" or "Woodnwonders" or something else catchy.

Any ideas?

[badwhiskey]

Arlin:

Before you set up a website, I would try Etsy.  I sell bupkis online.  I get way more attention on Facebook than I do with my website.  Just my experience.

[Arlin Eastman]

Frank

Does it matter if I do not have Facebook, twitter, or other ones like that?  Also what is "bupkis"

Thanks I have been checking out Etsy and watching a lot of Etsy YouTube but it seems those who started selling well went to their own Website.

[badwhiskey]

Bupkis = 0

You need a personal Facebook page to set up a 'professional' one.  I don't do anything with my personal page.  

The two main challenges with a website are: Driving traffic to the website, and Converting visitors to buyers.  Without advertising or other marketing, it is hard to get people to visit your page.  Then if they do, they have to be convinced to actually buy.  People do it, but I've not found much success there.

[Arlin Eastman]

Thanks Frank and I really like your website and just a wee look at your facebook page since I am not a member it had a big box in the way asking me to sign up or sign in

I will be having someone help me set it all up and knows all about SEO's and Wordpress and other things to get it set up and get the traffic.

I have enough talking with just WN and LJs to keep me busy without the other ones.  I do know how important it is to be on them to help drive business to your site tho.

[iclark]

I cannot say much about websites other than stay away from GoDaddy and from One-2-One as hosts.

It does sound like you have already gotten some good advice above about etsy.

The other thought is whether or not any of your students have relatives connected with a gallery or craft store. They do not have to be local to you.

In terms of when you need a name, I would avoid woodnwonders.
It is too close to
VincesWoodNWonders
http://vinceswoodnwonders.com/
and to WoodTurnersWonders
http://woodturnerswonders.com/

Perhaps something along the line of Woodturn4Veterans

What I learned the hard way was that, if you go and check whether or not a domain name is available, you had best be prepared to pay for that domain on the spot. With a reputable provider, that should not be necessary. With GoDaddy, if I checked and found an available domain one day and came back the next. then on the next day that domain had been bought and parked offshore. If I still wanted it, then I could buy it from the owner at a premium.

Discussions about good and bad website hosts are probably better in the basement. They can rival the discussions about whether or not to ground one's DC ducts.

[Arlin Eastman]

Thanks Ivan

I also watched over 6 hours of YouTube on how to do and make a website and they had a lot of links to check out on SEOs by Spyfu, Pagetraffic, and SEMrush and a site to check who is the best web hosting and Go Daddy was not even in the top 20.  One of the top 3 is HostGate, Ehost, and Bluehost.

I do not understand most of it but when I downloaded the Youtube onto my computer I can watch them many times and take more notes plus I can ask everyone here.

Arlin

[MichaelMouse]

Homespun wood.

Money is not in product, with turning, it's in teaching.

[Arlin Eastman]

That is kind of Catchy

[BloomingtonMike]

Sell on ebay.