Adventures in Website Construction

I don’t have to tell you, but in March of 2020, everything changed for everybody.  Like everybody else, NeedleNOLA had to adjust.  We used flex scheduling, curbside delivery, and limiting the number of in-store shoppers, among other temporary (and some permanent) changes, to help us serve customers and keep everyone safe as Covid has surged, ebbed and surged again.  We stepped up our use of Instagram and shipping to reach our customers both locally and across the country. 

One of the unexpected consequences of our experience during the days of Covid turned out to be a lessening of our fear (maybe “terror” would be a more appropriate description of our original feelings) of diving into online sales. We were successfully providing product to our customers using Instagram, messaging, and shipping.  Surely, online sales couldn’t be much different.  So shortly before Thanksgiving, we sought out professional help to build an e-commerce website.  We planned to launch the site in time to take advantage of the Christmas shopping season.  Clearly, we had no idea what was involved in the process.

However, here we are; it’s a little more than two months later, and we are formally announcing the launch of NeedleNOLA’s e-commerce website.  We’ve learned how to load products onto the site, how to edit the various pages, how to monitor and adjust inventory (a real challenge since we have no tracking of in-store sales or inventory), and all kinds of other things that make our heads swim. 

Don’t get us wrong, there’s lots of work still to do.  Not everything we sell can be purchased online.  The knitting side is still under construction.  But for now, we’re hoping that we will be able to manage the site as it is, fulfill the orders, and learn and grow as we go.  Bear with us.  The sailing may not be completely smooth, but we’ll get there!  Happy online shopping!