Gift Ideas Blog

7 Questions — 3 for yourself and 4 for the Web Store

Although these questions will help you appraise all online stores and shopping experiences, this article is focused primarily for shopping in stores selling handmade wood pens and other handcrafted items. Ask yourself these 3 questions before you venture out on the Internet Sea of Products. These answers will be your ‘boat’ as you sail into various ports of call to find the one web store with the one just-right product.

1. For whom are you buying this item and what kind of person are they?

2. How much do you want to spend?

3. What benefits will you sacrifice to get your price? Customer Service? Gift Cards? Photo quality? Trust? Product Information?

Four questions to ask the website as soon as you your boat touches ‘land’.

1. Store, do you have what I want the way I want it? Listen internally to your initial reaction to the first page you landed on. Does the color, layout, info give you a positive reaction and is this reaction in line with the level of quality you are looking for?

2. Store, do you really care if I’m here? From your initial experiences on the website, do you believe the owner and designer have your comfort in mind when she designed the website? Is it easy to navigate? Are your needs and desires easily met by the pictures, priced, shipping, security? Are you having fun with this shopping and sightseeing experience?

3. Store, who is the person behind this product and can I trust him? Is there an About Us page? How do you feel about the artist’s story? Does it have a ring of truth and is this person like anyone you already know? Can you easily connect with the artist some other place…do you want to?

4. Store, show me the products with all the detail I need to make a decision. I want to know your products, just like I would in a physical store… before I buy. I want to be confident there will be no surprises when my purchases arrive. And, I want to be confident that you will be easy to find if I do have any questions later on. Can you do that?

When you interact with a handcrafts venue, you are most often being served by one person who wears all the business hats all at one time. Normally, you will not have the privilege of online chat with the customer service department. An email or a phone message will be normal communication. When you do ask questions, your answer will come directly from the President and Owner.

Buying hand made items can be a treasured experience. When you match product style and quality to your gift recipients, you will reap many thanks and praise. Your shopping experience will be a treasured memory for both of you.

Handcrafted items, particularly when crafted from naturally occurring products, can pave the way to rewarding relationships with foreign contacts, dignitaries in all professions, friends and family. Using the appropriate handmade treasures can increase your own delight in living your own life. A handmade gift bought knowledgeably from sources you trust will repay the user for many seasons.

By using these 7 questions and answers, you will return to your desk refreshed by your shopping voyage to unknown islands in this non-physical and larger-than-Earth Internet Sea.