How to Build an Antique Store Website

A website can display your eclectic collection of wares or help sell hard-to-find specialty items.

An online website is an antique dealer's business and calling card. A website presence can be profitable alone, or adds sophistication to an already established brick and mortar business. Selling antiques online can be a fun business. Designing your own website is a fantastic way to show the world your eclectic collection of wares, or to sell specialty items that are not easily found.

Instructions

1. Pick a name for your online store. Think of a catchy name, something that will be easily found in search engines when people are online looking for antiques. Register your domain name online. Use a domain registry that has a low monthly fee. Look online for affordable monthly payment sites.

2. Take good photos and scans of your items. Show the back, front and sides of each item. Use a software device on your computer, such as Windows Photo Gallery to fix your photos. Brighten and contrast pictures of antiques to get the best image possible. Size the photo down from 100 percent to 50 percent, and save the picture as a jpg. Use a scanner for flat items like paper goods or coins.

3. Save both digital and scanned photos on your computer in a computer file that is easy to retrieve and locate. You will need to be able to upload various items at once on your Internet host's servers, so keep pictures of your items in the same file.

4. Join a website that has ready-made templates as well as e-commerce options, such as Paypal. These types of e-commerce sites make it easy for online antiques dealers to upload images of their wares, design and sell items. Choose a template that makes items stand out. Never use something that is hard on the eyes. People won't stick around long enough to see what it is that you have for sale if your website is hard to navigate.

5. Use an easy-to-read typeface such as Times Roman or Courier, in 12-point or 14-point size. Don't use white type for description of items. Leave the white typeface for price and title of items only. Design a banner to upload using your computer software, or banner design software. Check and see if an e-commerce site has built-in banner design available.

6. Write good descriptions of your items. Mint items are items in perfect or original condition. Use terms like mint in box, or "MIB" to describe boxed items that are mint; such as valuable Barbie dolls. Flawed items are described "AS IS." Display on the front page store conditions, such as return and payment policies.

7. Submit your URL to search engines. Some e-commerce sites will submit the URL for you, but you may need to go to the big search engine sites like Google or Yahoo and do this yourself. Use choice SEO words on your website that have to do with what you sell. When people search for particular items you have, they may stumble upon your page quicker.

References

• Buildyoursite.com
• Tias.com
• E-tique.com: top 100