Name of your website?Nature's Rustic Furniture
Your name?
Jay Talarico
Your Location (city, etc)
Old Forge
Please give us a short summary of your website?
We specialize in rustic log furniture and decor. All of our products are uniquely designed pieces of fine craftsmanship. These handmade tables, beds, benches, table sets, and accessories are handcrafted by authentic Amish craftsman. Made of sturdy Sassafras each piece is similar in design but has unique characteristics due to the grain of each log used by the craftsman.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
We believe we have a unique product that is made of great quality and integrity. We thought it would be great to be able to work at home more often and spend more time all together as a family with our 2 young girls.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
This is our first website, Nature's Rustic Furniture and we started it in May of 2007.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
It really describes our furniture which is definitely a rustic style with bark on designs, it also includes nature which is a big part of our lifestyles. I t is really nice that all our products are made using traditional amish craftsmanship which is all environmentally concious and eco- friendly. The wood used in building our furniture is native to the area also.
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
Our products are made from Sassafras wood and they are designed with the bark on them.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
to sell it
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
we have had success with this but we are still new to this and we are hoping that we will only get bigger and stronger due to the amount of time we have put into this project
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would probably add more services to my advertising because right now I use alot of the free ads and directories.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
yes
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
due to gas pricing and some of the dimensions of certain bigger items we are running into some high shipping costs, you can usually find something but it will take a bit of looking at times
What has been your biggest challenge?
shipping issues
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
using search engines and directories has been the best for us so far but we are still learning about different methods
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
it makes you realize how big the internet really is and how many people are trying to do similar things as you, you also learn so much and need to be updating as much as possible.
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?
We plan to run it for as long as it takes because so far it has been slow but it is still going in an upward directions and with time hopefully we will improve even faster.
Is being an environmentally concious organization important to you?
Yes because people are becoming much more aware of the world we live in and our role in it and they are taking many different steps to support nature and companies and businesses that also support nature and protecting it.
What is your website address?
Nature's Rustic Furniture
