O/T: How to setup a farm website?

Chris in MO · Aug 7, 2008

We sell produce, meats, eggs, etc. locally. For more than a year the wife and I have been talking with each other about setting up a website to make it easier to keep in touch with our customers, and vice versa.

We might take orders on this website, but no payments of any kind. That would still be handled the old fashioned way. Mostly, we would like to let our customers know what we have available and will be available soon. Also, some pictures around the farm and an opportunity to explain how we grow their food, etc.

We know nothing about this. Does anyone have any idea where to start looking for an education on this? Any other suggestions about how to get started?

Thank you.

Christopher

old · Aug 7, 2008

What sort of like the web site I have?? If you answer yes go to my site and give me a call. My phone number it listed there and my wife can explain it to you.
Hobby farm

jimva · Aug 7, 2008

If you are at least somewhat computer savy. Not a high tech wizard but know the basics you can set up the website yourself. Ive set up a few websites myself using yahoo web hosting. It"ll cost ya 12.95 a month for this.

Go to yahoo.com, on the left, scroll down until you see Get a Website, click on that and read what comes up. Should answer a few questions and get ya on the right path.

Jamo · Aug 8, 2008

if you go to www.freewebs.com and sign up, you can get a domain name for free...it just says www.freewebs/yourdomainnamehere ...then they have some pretty user friendly templates to help you set up your site

Otherwise you're paying for the domain name like Jim and Old said.

Hope this helps.

Jamo

RickL · Aug 8, 2008

I had one for a while and they are very time consuming and alot of work to keep updated etc. have let my go to the back burner for now. response as far as customers it just got me the junk stuff and the no payers to respond. Good luck go to Designs by Gia for some more info and she can help you also.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 8, 2008

Few thoughts:

1) Unless you're shipping stuff, I don't think it's worthwhile to have an order form. Just give them the phone # to call, and an email address you check and answer.

2) Consider doing a blog. This is mine hosted at blogspot: http://ohjustducky.blogspot.com/ . Now think of that just updated with progess reports on the farm, pictures of growing crops, etc. You can put your telephone number & contact info up in the top header.

The blogspot software is pretty easy to use and basically just filling out lists of what you want to appear where.

3) You can get a custom domain, like www.myfarmname.com and have it point to the blogspot page (I believe blogspot has directions available how to do that).

4) Advertise with places like craigslist.org that let you put up free ads, especially with new seasonal stuff. This is my local farm & garden link: http://newlondon.craigslist.org/grd/

If you have specialty crops, organics, raw milk, etc that people will search for...often they'll look here.

Wesley Stephens · Aug 8, 2008

I use Local Harvest and advertise on Craigslist. Here is a link to my Local Harvest listing if you'd like to see it.

http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M20270

dieselpup · Aug 8, 2008

I just set one up using google apps. It isn't fancy but only took me few hours of messing around to have it looking pretty nice. It cost $10 to register the domain name. You can interface with gmail too.
google apps

O/T: How to setup a farm website?

Chris in MO

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old

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jimva

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Jamo

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RickL

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Anonymous-0

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Wesley Stephens

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dieselpup

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