Web Design

Website and Template Design:

We specialize in custom template design for Pappashop websites. Whether you are looking to start a new online business, add an online presence to your brick and mortar shop, or just showcase your art, we can provide a design that reflects your style and message.

What you need to know:

We currently we work with the following web hosts: PappaShop, Merchant Mom’s, and ShoppePro. All three offer affordable website hosting with a built-in shopping cart system that is easy for you and your future customers to use. No HTML knowledge is needed to maintain your site with these hosts, and adding content is quick and easy! We choose to work only with these companies for several reasons. First, they allow you to maintain your own website without ever having to rely on a designer to update pages or add items for you. Updating your site is very much like updating a blog. Second, they give you the freedom to add products, update inventory, offer wholesale pricing, give bulk item discounts, suggest complimentary products to your customers, and be in control of your own keywords and search engine optimization. They also have some really great built in pages that come standard with every website such as an event calendar, guest book, contact form, press page, gallery, and site map. You can add as many pages as you choose, and you can do it with the click of a button. And on top of all that, they have a thorough “help” section to help you learn how to use and understand each of these features. You may also choose to forgo using the shopping cart, and activate that feature later, keeping your site an information only site for however long you choose. (If you do not wish to sell products from your site, we highly recommend a self-hosted WordPress site, rather than a Pappashop site). 

When you purchase one of our template packages, you and the designer will work to create a “template” for your new website. The template itself consists of a single html file that acts as a “frame” for the content of your website (telling the system how to make each page of your website look); this will include a banner, background file, and a navigation menu. You will always have full control over adding or deleting pages or products through a store admin and each new page you create will use the same template and blend seamlessly with your new site. You will be responsible for setting up the content of each page within the “frame” of template itself, unless it was included in your design package. We offer several extra design elements for you to use with your template, that can be added on at the time of set-up or in the future. For your convenience we also offer bundled template packages that include some of these popular extras.

Lets get started!

Step 1

If you don’t already have a domain name (website address) you will need to purchase one. We recommend GoDaddy for this. We find they have some of the best prices around (around $2 – $14 a year) and think their domain manager is very easy to use. Simply visit their site, decide what you want your website address to be, and purchase your domain name. While we love GoDaddy, for domain names, we don’t use their web hosting. Please read on for hosting recommendations….

Step 2

Pick your web host and sign up for an account. Use this link to visit our preferred web host, PappaShop. Choose either the “Basic” or “Premium Plan” (if using PappaShop).

Step 3

Sign up for a merchant account through PayPal so you can begin accepting payments on your new site.

Step 4

Select and purchase a design package here. Please be sure to read through our terms and conditions prior to purchase.

Step 5

Wait for further instructions via email. Once you get the automated confirmation of your order, a designer will contact you within 24 hours with a scheduled start date of your design project and a list of questions to aid in your design. Most projects will be scheduled several weeks out, so you can use that time to think about your design choices, take your product photos, and write your shop policies and content.

IMPORTANT, PLEASE NOTE: You will be asked to provide us with text and images to use on your website. Please use this time to take photos for your website, write the text for the pages, and get your products figured out. YOU MUST HAVE THIS COMPLETE BEFORE THE START OF YOUR PROJECT to ensure that we stay on schedule. If the project is not completed by the scheduled end date because you are unable to provide us with the needed information, you will be charged additional fees. ($125 per week past the scheduled end date).

To Purchase A Design Package:

Please visit the “Shop” Link and select “Design” from the drop down menu.

Please take a moment to read over our terms and conditions.

Sadie Olive design clients are entitled to special discounts at our recommended printers using the links below.