I have researched Square invoices. As a result, I have cancelled my Wix online order page and made changes to my website to use Square invoices. This way I can hold the conversations with customers needed to make sure that I know what they want and they know what they are getting before the order is placed. Once it is placed, I will send an invoice. What is unclear to me is, what if I send an invoice, but the customer wants to pay by check or cash. Does the invoice just stay in limbo, does the customer get hounded by a virtual bill collector or should I just cancel the invoice? All in all, these chages look like they will address the concerns that I had for how I am doing business. Pleae take a look at my website www.robmeixner.com and let me know if it makes sense. Thanks for all of your helpā¦Rob
Iām pretty sure you can go back into the system once the check/cash is received and mark the invoice as paid. That way youāve got the best of both worlds- the payment methods you and your clientele prefer, but also that digitized paper trail that you can both access independently at any time.
Riiiiiiiight okay. I think I needed another coffee before reading that one. That makes a lot more sense. 
Hey Rob, I have nothing but respect for you and your work, but I have to tell ya no oneās going to wade through that wall of text.
The acronym ātl:drā (too long: didnāt read) applies here.
In my opinion you should be more suscinct in delivering what you really need to say at that point. Your love of what you do shows, but sometimes less is more.
Much of what I saw could probably be follow up info you would supply to perspective clients after initial contact.
Just my thoughts. Keep on keeping on!
You are absolutely right. My website has always been an exercise in stream of conscience and I have to constantly tell mysef to go back and make it simple. This will happen when I can get my wife the English major to look at it. Stay tuned, it is a work in process and thanks for your adviceā¦Rob
Hi Rob,
i took a look at your website, and here are a few comments you might consider:
soā¦skipping past āhowā I find and land on your pages, and assuming I am already thereā¦
i would want to see the jewelry upfront, easy to navigate, and with minimal clicking in and out.
and be able to discern:
the price:
in sterling silver
(gold pricing upon request)
the timing:
-that it is custom made to fit
-the lead time for custom order
the shipping:
-the shipping transit time and cost options
(and where you are located city and state)
(so I would know when i could expect to receive, especially if for a gift)
the shop policies:
-for returns, exchanges, repairs, if any
(so i would be clear on expectations up front)
(builds trust)
the contact info:
how to contact you to order
once an interested buyer contacts you, then you can pass on additional information as it applies
its s fine line to walkā¦
give just enough info for me to make an initial decision to pursue an order
(it is an āunmannedā shop, after allā¦so you want to make it quick and easy to see and understandā¦and compelling photos are the most important, in my humble opinion, to compel someone to take action
I will say that i love pertinent information and prefer websites that give it to me upfront and conciselyā¦ ie: like how thick something isā¦ie: it is important to them as well, so they mention it to me tooā¦like if it is an $800 gold disc charmā¦i wanna know how thick it isā¦
or like if i am buying casters, i wanna know the screw sizeā¦or how thick the ml is on a garbage bag
not all the detailsā¦just the important ones
anyway, just some thoughts from meā¦
julie
Rob, I was looking at one of your pieces B0512 and was wandering how you inscribed the markings on the inside of the bracelet. Thanks
Julie and Sandpaper600ā¦I think that I need a terms and conditions page that summarizes how to order and what information is needed to process an order. This should be very precise and to the point. Regarding sizes, metal types, thicknesses etc. I need to simplify my descriptions in a format that can be applied to all the pieces that are for sale. This is something that my very expensive store page privided for me. My challenge seems to be that I will have both specific pieces for sale and also the willingness to take orders for standard bracelet designs. How to reflect these options is a bit of a challenge as I transition to my own order page. thanks for all of your observations and suggestionsā¦Rob
B0512 is not one of my bracelet styles. Anything that you see on the inside of a bracelet is just the usual marking that goes on any bracelet. It includes my mark (RLM), the metal (.925, Sterling, 14K) a serial number for larger pieces (21012) and a size if it is a bracelet (51, 52, 53, 60). Our father developed a sizing system for braclets years ago that both Don and I use. As an example 50 is 5 inches long before the bracelet is formed, 51 is 5.25 inches long and so on. It is not absolute, but it gets us in the ballpark when fitting a wrist. A cuff bracelet needs to fit. If not it wonāt be worn and may be a safety hazard. All of this marking is done while the bracelet is flat before it is formed on a mandrel or hydraulic press. I keep serial number records that go back into the 70s. They call this OCD, but it helps if someone calls and says that they want another bracelet the same size as the one that they bought in 1986ā¦Rob
I found B0512. The markings are applied as I previously described with the following exception. I have steel blocks with both triangular and half round gooves machined into them. I made mine, but they can also be purchased. If the bracelet is triangular or half round in crossection, I place it into the appropriate groove to mark it befor bending. This way the shape is not flattened out as it would be if I marked it on a flat steel block. Hope that ehlpsā¦Rob
Thanks Rob, you answered my question. I was wondering if you had a special reasonably priced tool that engraves or marks on a curved surface. I just made a ring and wanted to engrave my grandaughters names on the inside.and I know they make those machines that do that but not ready to expend that kind of money. I should have done it while it was flat.
Hi Rob,
i was thinking about your comments re: in stock/ ready to ship, and custom orders
you could have one nav section for each
for custom, you show pic of previously made item, and just say each piece is custom handmade for especially for you, and will have slight variations to above pictured item.
julie
My site is currently very much a work in process. I think that I say something like that on one page, I will have to check. Thanksā¦Rob
Hi Rob,
I wanted to mention something that i believe to be an important aspect of your current websiteā¦
and that isā¦that it is constructed/ written in a way that lets the reader/ visitor get to know a bit about who you are, how you came to be making what you make, why you make what you makeā¦the person behind the artā¦I love that!
I hear your voice, so to speakā¦and feel a connectionā¦
itās likeā¦as a reader, I appreciate the fact that you are taking the time to explain things that are important to youā¦that you think are important for me to knowā¦taking the timeā¦giving your timeā¦
in this day and age of clicking and scrolling, it is a bit old schoolā¦but there is something to be said about old schoolā¦perhaps some people might yearn for that deeper connectionā¦
just my thoughts,
Julie
Julieā¦Thanks for your words of encouragment. It has always been a goal of mine to tell a story through my website. I am old school in that I am 72 and have been making art jewelry for 48 year. I have the luxury of being able to go where my curiosity takes me in my shop now buying the tools and supplies needed to get there and not always having to worry about making money. This hasnāt always been the case. When I started I was an active classroom teacher and didnāt have a lot of money. Regardless of what I have done for a living, it is being a teacher that has formed my approach to whatever I was doing. As a result I tend to fill in the blanks that others might leave open treating many interactions as a teachable moment. I know it gets tedious sometimes, but it is who I amā¦Rob
Hi Rob,
And! āwho you areā makes you a great orchid forum contributor! I love your posts and the āteachable momentsā that you take the time to shareā¦time is a valuable gift in my opinion!
Julie
Since Covid many of us have had to up our online game. I have a Shopify website which is connected to my Imstagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Google My Business Pinterest is worth learning because it is a visual medium and the posts stay forever in organized categories and you can create your own lists too. I post everyday and advertise from all these locations for promotions. I use Tailwind to create one post with graphics specific to my brand that automatically posts to almost all my social media sites and then cut and past it to the website and networking groups. This way I get the best bang for my marketing buck without paying for marketing.
I took the Covid time to learn all this in order to catch the attention of locals and those beyond. I didnāt get a lot of online sales but lots of exposure so when we open up again potential customers will be more inclined to come and check me out in person. If you want to see what I am doing, check out my Instagram @terradore. Also, I am a senior too so never too old to learn.
Update on my Wix website and FYI if you donāt already know thisā¦My domain registration came up for renewal. I also discovered that Wix will no longer connect a free website to a private domain. They force you to buy a website subscription to do this. Since my identity online is www.robmeixner.com, I had to upgrade to a premium website. I did discover that this will allow me to generate an invoice that I can email to a cusomer without the customer actually placing an order via an online order page. I would prefer to hold a phone or email conversatin with a customer to make sure that I know what they want and they get it. Wix will allow me to generate an invoice for the agreed to scope of supply and price and then email it to my customer. They will have a number of payment options. I still also accept cash and checks if that is the way we decide to go. All in all, other than having to pay for what used to be a free website, this has worked out. I also transferred my domain registration from godaddy to Wix saving about $135 as the Wix upgrade included domain registration.
Hi Helene,
My sister in law uses Square for her business and I know you can manually enter card numbers for transaction. Just an FYI if you prefer using that service.
hereās a link: Manually Enter Card Payments Without a Square Reader | Square Support Center - US
Thanks, I have a Square account tooā¦Rob