The Framers Forum

Hi All,
I just wondered do the home based framers get good amount of work? And make a good living or part living out of it?
I'm currently working from my home but don't get enough orders really but I guess this day and age you need a website.
Any information would be great.

I'm currently part-time (by choice) and I get as much as I need. It probably took me around 3 years to get to the point that I was comfortable with.
Sometimes (like at Christmas) I'm extra busy and doing full-time and more, but this levels out over the year.
I think a website is a must for any business nowadays, but if you don't have a shop front it is essential for people to be able to find you. That said most of my customers come from word of mouth recommendations, but people still like to see examples on the website or check contact details etc.

A website is essential in this day and age and being top of the googlies probably even more so and that means working social media. Social media especially Facebook and instagram are the new word of mouth.

Thanks for the replies. So what's the cheapest way to get a website then? Is it easy to build one yourself? And I do the Facebook page, I get a bit of work now and again which is great because I only do it part time but would be nice to earn just a bit more which I'm sure a website would give me.

Get yourself an instagram account and take pictures as you are doing work, thenpost them but also share with your facebook account that way it will be constantly updated. Build yourself a website, it doesn't need much just a page or so but have links to your twitter and instagram account that way you will get links back to your site. Put an instagram and facebook feed onto your website thus your website is constantly being updated something that google likes.

aboughtwood wrote:Thanks for the replies. So what's the cheapest way to get a website then? Is it easy to build one yourself?

Not difficult. Use a hosted Wordpress option. through 123-reg or somebody similar. Costs peanuts.

My site is a a hosted wordpress site. http://www.artimaging.co.uk I am no expert and it took me a few weeks working on it in the evenings.

A website/FB is a good idea. It's a virtual shop window. People reach for the mouse nowadays rather than yellow pages and all that.

I have a bit of webspace which costs about 100 a year. Much more cost effective than glossy ads. I even learned a bit of HTML
so as to be able to design and build the website. My coding is on a very basic level but sometimes simple is better.
That said, I started it in 2005 and it's still only got one page.

http://www.petrbnsfineart.com/

There are lots of software programs that make coding easier. I have been using this one: http://www.coffeecup.com/
It's good because you can edit your pages on your local HD and preview them. When you are ready you can upload them to the
actual site straight from the editor. Takes a bit of head-scratching to get it all set up but once done it's a breeze.

Learning HTML is last decade. Everybody uses Wordpress. Even if you get a pro in, he will probably use an off-the-shelf Wordpress theme.

Of course, if you want a wizzy design-and-order-your-frames-online site then you need serious skills. Otherwise, just go here:

https://wordpress.com/

and see how easy it is to get going. Just choose an address like makingaframe.wordpress.com and then have a play. You will really want to host it somewhere so you get rid of the wordpress.com bit, but that can come later.

The best theme I have found is the Avada theme it allows you to virtually change anything.

some very good ideas here and I think I will go down the wordpress route and Graysalchemy website looks very good, that's the type of website I would like. I would love to have one you could order from but would costs loads I guess.

Agree on Avada, I've got that. You don't *need* something that complex for most websites though, it's a lot more expensive ($60, IIRC) than others - which start at free.

http://winningwp.com/examples-of-sites- ... emefusion/

You can get a basic joomla and virtuemart (ecommerce) site up and running for about £800 if using a pre designed theme. template design and customisation costs a good deal more as the software is free but you pay an hourly rate for any customisation. once up and running it's not that hard to add products and create and delete pages, alter the menu structure etc

You can get the woo commerce plug in for WordPress as well. I used to have a joomla site but never got on with it.

I've got a home based business that I started just over 2 years ago. I'm on a reasonably busy road about a mile outside the town centre and started by putting an A board out on the pavement - this told people there was a framers there and also directed people towards the off road parking that I can offer.

I got my first customer within a week and have had knocking on for 500 more since I started.

I'd say an A board or sign is a must have (if it will work for you in your location) and as more and more customers come through, you can't underestimate the power of word of mouth.

I'm now seeing quite a few enquiries that are generated by web searches. I built my own website using Squarespace which I'd highly recommend. It was recommended to me by a customer who builds websites because of its ease of use and integration with Google. Costs about £90 per year for hosting and is intuitive to use - you can get a free 14 day trial to have a play. I spent a bit of time researching Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) online and now appear at the top of Google searches for picture framers in my area. I don't think that's because I'm particularly brilliant, it's just because of the apathy of other framers in the area who haven't made the efforts I have. It's honestly not taken much though and I'm definitely seeing the benefits now. Regular posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc also helps to keep your website towards the top of search results. If you're interested you can have a look at the website here:- http://www.tuttoframing.co.uk

Hi

coming a little late to this conversation, been busy Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, I almost have time to actually make frames.

I use wix.com as my host their design process is easy, they help you with your SEO (search engine optimisation) and also have a number of templates you can use to build your own site, though I've never found any of these of personal interest as with most hosts no one heared of picture framers.
Anyhoo! all this aside yell.com for your free listings , companies like hotfrog, free listings, artist index,
and as many of these kind of sites will help you with your exposure therefore ranking on Google.
I think six do a years service for around £60.

I studied graphics years ago so have a little knowledge but none on the background workings of web pages.
I'm now coming upto the Now you've got to create a 'blog' stage so maybe it's time to employ a framer so I can stay in front of my laptop 24/7!
http://www.thegildersstudio.co.uk

Having a website and using social media is all well and good, but don't use this as a substitute for using other less technological was of promoting your business.

If you have a business phone line, then you can authorise the phone company to include your details in various phone and business directories at no extra expense.

You can offer agreed discount levels for members of your local artists and photographic clubs, or societies.

Local events are often seeking businesses to donate prizes for raffles and competitions. Usually they acknowledge the companies who donated the prizes.

I've even framed pictures of the deceased to stand on the top of coffins at funerals.

There are still a good amount of local people who don't use the internet for finding local goods and services, so the internet does not always reach these people.

Who uses a phone directory any more !!!!

People use google on their phones and then use google maps to take you there.

Well thats what 99% of my walk in customers do.

Not your average framer wrote:I've even framed pictures of the deceased to stand on the top of coffins at funerals.

How the expletive deleted does that promote your business? !!

You would be surprised! I work with a couple of different funeral companies and lots of photos get taken at funerals. A lot of the time, the funeral company arranges the photographer and the framing of the pictures, acting as the middleman and adding their bit on top.

Very often the family of the deceased ask for extra photos to be framed in the same frame and it can be a decent sized order. Everybody thinks that they have got the photo that stood on the coffin and nobody is disappointed.

Sometimes I have to order quite a lot of moulding to do them all and they all have my label on the back. I thought that everybody knew about funerals and the business that they can create, obviously not.

How did I get all this work? In both cases the funeral directors live near by and don't have to make a special journey to get the job done.