Homestead Newsletters

“When I started my business, I knew I could design jewelry but didn’t imagine that I could design a website.  How wrong I was! I am amazed that I could set up my own online store in just a few hours using Homestead SiteBuilder and StoreFront.  My customers and wholesalers are very pleased with the ease of online ordering.  And I have tripled my business since launching my website.”
—Allison Brase, Heart Links by Allison, Mason, Ohio

Like her hometown of Mason Ohio, Allison Brase’s custom photo jewelry business started small and has expanded while retaining its homegrown appeal.  Allison got the idea for her business after creating a charm bracelet for her mother that featured photos of all the grandchildren.  “My mom loved it.  She showed the bracelet to all of her friends, and their reaction was so encouraging I thought there must be a market for this — and there is!”

At first, Allison held open houses in her home and in the homes of friends.  She gave out a lot of business cards, but everyone wanted more information.  She realized she needed a website where she could provide that information, showcase her jewelry, and take orders.  To that end, she spent several hundred dollars having a web developer design, host, and manage her first Heartlinks by Allison site.  Unfortunately, when the developer went out of business, Allison was left with nothing — no HTML, no server, no website.

Regardless of who said it first or best, necessity IS the mother of invention.  Allison needed a new website fast.  She got estimates from several web design services, but they were expensive, and she didn’t want to concede control of her site again.  Then she found Homestead Technologies online.  The company’s SiteBuilder and StoreFront applications looked good, but she wondered if they were too good to be true.  She signed up for the free trial and was soon convinced that designing a website and building an online store could be simple and straightforward.

She created her new Heartlinks by Allison site in just a few hours.  “Homestead’s ecommerce program, StoreFront, has a really intuitive design. It’s easy for me to add and update products, images and pricing.  I also love that I can see how many customers are visiting my site.”

Allison’s experience with Homestead has been great.  Anytime she’s had a question, customer support has been ready to help with an answer.  After launching the new website, she received only positive feedback on the design and functionality from her customers and wholesale accounts.  Prospective customers appreciate being able to see her custom designs online and get more information on how to purchase her jewelry.  Wholesalers appreciate the convenience of placing orders online. “Online ordering is good for me, too, in that now I can easily track customers and orders and accept payment directly into my account.  No more paper invoices!”

Allison supplements her online marketing with open houses and trade shows. Her jewelry is displayed in many photo studios — a natural fit.  “Word of mouth is also important, of course.  Customers tend to show my jewelry and my website to their friends.  My site definitely helps my business grow — sales have tripled since it went live.”

For home-based entrepreneurs everywhere, Allison recommends having a website, especially an online store.  “There’s no reason not to have an online store when you can build and manage it with Homestead’s StoreFront.  It’s a great way to provide information, take orders, accept payments and keep records.  With Homestead’s customer support to help you, even entrepreneurs who aren’t technical can expand their businesses to the Internet.  The competitive advantage shouldn’t be underestimated.”

For more information on Heartlinks by Allison, please visit www.heartlinksbyallison.com.