Why list a web site on your business cards if you don’t have a web site?

As you can imagine, I like going to arts and crafts fairs.

I love to see what different vendors have, and to look at the variety of things there are to offer.

It drives my husband crazy when he goes with me, because I have to stop and look at all the jewelry, and the bath and body products, although I don’t know how much sniffing I’ll be able to do now that I’m pregnant.

In fact, just this weekend, I was asking my husband when the Fargo Street Fair is, so I could figure out how big I’ll be during the fair.

I also like to get ideas for sites and products to feature on Sarah’s Surprises, so I pick up a lot of business cards.

I’m pretty particular about the quality of the web sites that I feature on the blog, and I’m shy, and the jewelry booths are usually pretty busy, so I don’t normally talk to vendors about Sarah’s Surprises until I’m sure they meet my qualifications.

I’ve been surprised at not only how many people don’t have web sites, but at how many people have web addresses listed on their business cards, but don’t really have the site set up.

I found a fabulous artist that I was planning on featuring this weekend, but when I typed in her url - nothing.

There’s no web site.

I couldn’t find her if I tried, and if I was a customer, then she’d lost a sale.

It’s not that difficult to set up a message giving a little information about your store and your products and giving a way for people to contact you if you already have a web site, which I’m assuming you do if you’ve got the site listed on your business cards.

If something’s happened and the site is on your business cards, but there is no site - make a note of it on the card.

That way people who are looking for the site to order, or to share with their friends won’t be disappointed.

I did look up several variations of the url and the business owner’s name for the business I was looking for, and although I found several similarly named businesses, I wasn’t sure if any of them is the one I’m looking for - mainly because the one that was a closest match didn’t have a name or a location for the business, or the business owner, either or which could have helped me decide if this was the right place.

How important is a web site when you are deciding to buy something?

Do you look for specific information, such as shipping and handling prices, and return policies before you purchase?

If you were planning to purchase from online from someone you’d met in real life, who had an incomplete or unprofessional web site, would that affect your decision to buy stuff from them?

Are you more comfortable purchasing from some sites than others?