Name of your website?Chockolot Chocolate
Your name?
Suzi Houchin
Your Location (city, etc)
Aurora
What inspired you to launch your own website?
My sister and deceided to start some online stores, for extra money for her full time business for me. We now have nine websites.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
Febuary of 2006 and it a lawn and garden site. My sister loves to garden so we went with one first. Our moto is Beauitfying back yards one at a time! Our first site is http://www.whirlygigsgardengadgets.com
How did you decide on a name for your website?
We wanted something catchy that kind of told what we sell so deceided on Whirlygigs Garden Gadgets.
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Well like our name says we offer items for lawn and gardens from Solar lights, Teak, Oak and Cedar patio furniture. Wind chimes, birdbaths, whirligigs and garden carts, garden pond equipment and supplies or yard and garden decor(statues, fountains, feeders, and wind spinners, hammocks, garden benches,patio torches, garden bridges, sun dials ) and more. We offer a sellection of each.
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
Well we think we are a little unique. We wanted it to look professional, but also to let people know that they were dealing with a real person or persons also by giving a history of the products and good descriptions of items. And just having fun doing it!
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
We want to keep it for income. Unless someone comes along offers us a good profit on it. I use to be married to a use car dealer and I learned most everything for sell if the price is right.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
It doesn't, but I am a success because I have learned.To build websites and do all that goes with having an online business. We have a way to go befor we are in the black with all of our sites, but oh what adventure it has been. If someone had tolded me a few years ago that I would being doing this, I would have told them they are nuts, all I new how to do was email. So I have come a long way!
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
All I would do is pay someone to make sure we were # One on all the top search engines.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
I like to think we could but, if not then we would hire some help.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Not knowing everything we need to start up our business and being scam ed a couple of times.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Finding good quality products to resale at reasonable prices.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Our ads and linking.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Oh like everyone else you think you are going to start out with tons of vistors and buyers the first time you go live.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
Maybe a year or less, we have been thinging about combining a couple of our sites into one.
What is your website address?
Chockolot Chocolate