Name of your website?A Gracious Plenty Personalized Jewelry, Stationery and Gifts
Your name?
Michelle Weston
Your Location (city, etc)
Atlanta, GA
Please give us a short summary of your website?
A Gracious Plenty is an online boutique specializing in personalized jewelry, stationery and gifts. We offer sterling silver jewelry and lead crystal barware and tableware that is engraved with the personalization of your choice. We also offer custom-printed stationery and personalized self-inking stamps and desktop embossers. We have gifts for everyone on your list, and for every occasion.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I love receiving personalized gifts myself, and I think people who receive personalized gifts know the giver took time and special effort to find just the right gift for them. I wanted to offer the types of gifts I enjoy (both receiving and giving!) to others. Also, I am a mom of 3 children under the age of 5 - I know how precious time is for parents, and I often shop online. I wanted to offer the same convenience and ease to others.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
A Gracious Plenty is my first website, launched in April 2007.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
I feel that I have been blessed with a gracious plenty in my life, with a terrific family, good health, and a comfortable lifestyle. "A gracious Plenty" is a phrase used here in the South to express an "abundance," more than you would have hoped for...
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
While we are a small, family-owned and run boutique (by my husband and I), we offer a variety of personalized gift options (from sterling silver jewelry to leaded crystal, to embroidered baby items, custom-printed stationery, and more). Our small size means that we also offer very personalized service - we are involved personally with every order that we receive.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
My goal is to keep this boutique and continue to grow it to include additional gift options for our customers.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
It definitely is a labor of love! It requires significant time - but luckily, I love contact with our shoppers/customers, who are overwhelming positive people. It's always great to hear the circumstances surrounding their gift needs/selection - all of the happy occasions being celebrated, all of the loving relationships involved. Might sound hokey, but it really is a pleasant, fulfilling line of work! Sure, problems arise, but they are usually easily resolved, and they are few and far between.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
Not sure...
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
We would have to hire staff.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Marketing!
What has been your biggest challenge?
Marketing!
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Personalized customer service and word-of-mouth referrals.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
It requires more time than I expected - but then again, we still learn and run every aspect of things ourselves. If we hired a professional to do it, I'm sure web development and maintenance would be a lot quicker!
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?
Our site has been live for one year, and we intend to run it indefinitely - as long as it is profitable and we still enjoy it.
Final comments...
Thank you for the opportunity to let us share a little bit about ourselves and our online boutique. Thank you for reading, and come visit us online soon!
What is your website address?
A Gracious Plenty Personalized Jewelry, Stationery and Gifts
