What's your opinion on breeders websites?

[BoidKeeper]

Personally I used to get annoyed with people who produced one clutch of corns and a clutch of balls every year making websites that tried to make themselves' sound like professional breeders. I’m not trying to make light of their accomplishments but does that level of production warrant a website?
My take on it is if you're doing this as a hobby maybe you don't need a website. Then again, for some people the website is part of their hobby too. I've always felt that websites imply something, a certain level of professionalism. It just seems to me that there are a lot of things left unsaid in websites and a lot that is said that can be misleading. For example, I will never refer to the room or two rooms I use in my home to house and breed my snakes in as a "facility". The Sutherlands have a facility. I can see why they need a website.
Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I'm for hobbyist having them or against them, I'm really on the fence. I see people who don't have them that probably should, Roy Stockwell for example and then there are people like me with them. I'm not sure if I need one/want one or should even have one but three people recently have asked me when I was getting one or if I had one. I had someone working on a small one for me once but it was for free and it never got finished. I'm glad too because it shouldn't have been for free but at this point I'm too cheap to shell out for one.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a schoolteacher first and breeding snakes is a hobby. Yes I'll sell what I produce if I can but I'm not interested in trying to make myself look like something I'm not and I feel that if I get a website it will do that.
A website with nice catch phrases and cropped pics may help someone look better but it seems to me breeders should be focusing on the quality of their animals and not their websites. If you sell great animals and have a clean reputation why do you need a website? How many sites do you see that have "nothing available right now" in the available section almost all the time?
So what's your opinion on herp websites? Do they help breeders sell animals? If so, how do you think they help sell animals?
Thanks for the feedback,
Trevor

[Vengeance]

I haven't started breeding yet, but when I do I will most likely setup a website. I won't use words like facility and I'm not going to try and make myself out as anything more then a hobby breeder. But since a major part of the herp community is online it does help with visiblity. Even just to have it in your sig on this website helps. I may only be a hobbiest but the stock I do intended to sell, I'd like to make sure that I do sell it and if a website helps with that I don't see anything wrong with it.

Misrepresenting yourself as a big time breeder on a web site is not what I would be going for. I still want to produce high quality animals, but once the website is up and the inital setup is complete, the updates can take as little as 5 mins so really the time spent on maintaining a website is minimal. I know for me, my girlfriend is really good at web design and since she doesn't help out at all with the snakes, I'm going to recurit her to do my web design. I'll spend my time on the snakes, she'll spend her time on the web site.

Adam

[Tim_Cranwill]

I see no reason NOT to have one. I can understand where you're coming from with most of your points and I agree with a lot of them BUT... "<i>If you sell great animals and have a clean reputation why do you need a website?</i>", again, why not? I don't need to qualify for a web site. I wanted one, I know how to build one and I built one. It’s as simple as that. (I know you're not speaking about me personally )

I don't believe in making yourself out to be something you're not. All of us have learned where that can get you. But should a hobby breeder that wants a web site use poor grammar, crappy pics and etc just so they don't "look too professional"? I goes both ways, I guess.

My goal in building my web page was to have a purpose. Those purposes at the moment are to; sell animals, show pictures, give info, link to useful pages and to create a name for myself. That's about it, really. I took what I liked and disliked about other breeder's sites and went from there.

My aim wasn't too look like a "professional" but I was not about to NOT use my good ideas (as good as I am capable of! ) and skills (what few I have! ) to avoid looking like a "professional". That makes no sense to me at all.

I think, if you want a site, get one. If you don't want one, don't. The public will decide over time if your site is useful or not. People won't go back to it if it serves them no purpose... plain and simple.

[BoidKeeper]

Those purposes at the moment are to; sell animals, show pictures, give info, link to useful pages and to create a name for myself.

Ah yes the KISS method. One pro to having a site is that you don't have to post a pic every time you take one!lol People can see your stock and some of your offspring in one place. Saves you time too buy not having to create post after post every time you want to show your stuff.

to avoid looking like a "professional". That makes no sense to me at all.

I don't mind looking like a pro in the sense that people see and correctly get the impression that things are done right in my "room" but people can get the wrong idea and think that you are trying to look like a leader in the business. It's all about how peoples perspectives. I'd have to write something like, "Yes I use some professional equipment and care for my animals like a pro but this is my hobby not my job."lol
I like the idea of here's who I am, here's what I do, here's what I have, email me if you have any questions etc.
What about a testimonials page Tim? Ever thought of that?
Cheers,
Trevor

[Manitoban Herps]

Well mine was simple to make and I was lucky enough to get my own domain for free from a friend. I have had a few geckos hatch under my care but I still think it's ok for me to have a site.

Maybe one I thing I should change is where it says "Captive Bred And Born Reptiles" as my title. But that could mean a few things

I have a feeling your talking about my site or a freewebs.com site.

[Tim_Cranwill]

Thought about it but never considered it. It comes across like ego stroking to me (IMO). Would anyone actually put a bad testimonial up and would the webmaster keep it up for long? I doubt it. For products, yes but for "breeder reviews", it looks tacky to me. JMO

[mykee]

(had to do a "once over" of my site to make sure I didn't use the word "facility").

Trevor this is a great topic to have brought up with the breeding season upon us, and many, many new breeders hoping to break on the scene in 2005. The reason that I had a website done was twofold; I've produced animals before, and what I think a website does is give you some credibility, and to act as a sort of "safety net" for a first time buyer. I know when I first started out, I looked for breeders with a website so that I could learn about what type of person he/she was, and how serious they were about what they were doing; research of sorts. Even now, I am weary about purchasing an animal from someone who doesn't have a website (updated or not) as I get the feeling that; 1. They have something to hide, and 2. they aren't as serious about the hobby/business as maybe I would like them to be, to feel that they don't need to take their "hobby" to the next level professionally.

If you are selling a product and want to be seen by the most people possible, a website is quite honestly, the only way. The internet is undeniably the premier medium to get your name out there and get noticed. Whether you have ten animals to sell or 1000 animals to sell. A website is the new "Word of Mouth" for the digital era. Where else can something as easy as a website be seen by millions of potential customers?

The second reason I had a website done is because I am proud of my hobby, of the knowledge and hands-on experience that I have amassed over the years, and I want to share that with anyone willing to look, to put a personal touch to a handle on a forum. I have a certain pride in what I do, and I want people to see that by the time and effort that I have put into a website/design. I feel that your website speaks for you, to your customer; the potential customer that can't make it to your table for a face to face meeting at an obscure reptile show that may be attended by 1000 people. For those that live "off the beaten path" geographically, who would otherwise have gone unnoticed regardless of quality.

I do feel that a website is not a substitute for good customer service, willingness to share stories and information, or good quality animals and business practices. Many in this hobby have stellar websites but are too cocky, arguementative, have poor people skills and rest on the laurels of their great website or name to sell their animals for them. I feel that a website simply gets people to notice you and that regardless of website or not, a reputation is earned, rather than bought. You can have the greatest, most expensive website around, but if you can't follow that up with a good knowledge base, great interpersonal skills, high quality animals and generally a good disposition, a website is not going to save you. In the end it comes down to what you; a person, a breeder, a teacher, a friend have to give to a the hobby that makes you or breaks you, not your website.

[BoidKeeper]

Hey Kevin. I wasn't pointing out anyone’s site in particular but if the shoe fits...

[HeatherRose]

I have a site, and it's mostly right now just a 'home base' for any classified ads I have up. I also write a lot of articles for school, and I like to have a place to post them. I've been sure to stay away from using terms like 'we have this available', or 'we are located' etc. To avoid making myself seem like something I am definitley not. I definitley don't have a 'facility', or a little staff of minions to boss around (unless you count my little sister? ), and I don't intend to make it seem like I do. I breed for experience, the challenge and to cover the cost of food for my animals for the most part.

I agree with you though Trevor, I see a lot of people with sites like that. I say to each his own though, sometimes selling off or providing information about a clutch of something recently hatched can be easier with a website to do it from. I do get irked by people who represent themselves as something they are not, however.

If you are selling a product and want to be seen by the most people possible, a website is quite honestly, the only way. The internet is undeniably the premier medium to get your name out there and get noticed. Whether you have ten animals to sell or 1000 animals to sell. A website is the new "Word of Mouth" for the digital era. Where else can something as easy as a website be seen by millions of potential customers?

Well put Mykee!

[Manitoban Herps]

Well this has made me been doing a bit of thinking..

Does this bother anyone, www.manitobanreptiles.co.nr ?

[beanersmysav]

I must say anyone who wants a website who breeds any type of reptiles should have one. I've got one that took literally minutes to make the design but I'm working on detailed care sheets etc. I find that there's not enough reptile websites with good information on them and it's even harder to find the ones that do. And WHEN I do start producing larger amounts of animals than I will start to advertise but for now I just want to work on getting all the basics done etc. and there's nothing really wrong with sound professional I feel weither you breed a pair of leos or 12 pairs of 12 different reptiles the need for professionalism in some ways needs to be there. No one will buy from someone who seems like a 10 year old kid talking. I think it's more intelligence coming out than tryin to sound professional. I know this wasn't directed to anyone in particular but I don't have any animals listed under currently available however I have a 1.4 group of bearded dragons ready to breed in spring, 2.5 group of leos, 1.6 group of cresteds ready in the spring 1.1 currently breeding now, corn snakes, pictus etc but just have nothing to sell at the moment. (The reason those #'s are different from the ones below is because a buddy of mine is letting some of my males in with his females of the same species so we're splitting those babies right down the middle giving me more I'll have to find homes for or keep)

Not tryin to harp on you in anyways just my oppinion and thoughts, and also sorry if I repeated something someone already said but I had to give my oppinion since I'm one of those people with an empty currently available list.

[latazyo]

I would have never heard about Jeff Favelle or Greg Maxwell if it weren't for their websites and they are all said to produce great animals with a good reputation

how else do you sell? rely on shows? make cold calls at a calling center?

[BoidKeeper]

Remember I never said I was for or against people having a website to sell one clutch of Leos. I'm just looking for peoples opinions on this topic. I don't think it's one we talk about enough.
mykee you made some great points.
I guess one reason why I'm not too worried about having a site is because I've always tried to whole sale my stuff. I'd rather spend time with my breeders then caring for hundreds of offspring all season waiting to take the next $250 box to the airport. I like a fast turn around, produce them, establish them and then ship them. If this is my approach then do I still need to invest in a website to sell a few pastel balls? There will probably so many pastel balls in Ontario this year I'll have to wholesale mine anyway. Who is going to pay shiping from NB on an animal they can get in just about every other province?
I'm still undecided. I like you points though mykee and I share a lot of the with you.
Cheers,
Trevor

[BoidKeeper]

Oh and one more thing. If your wife or girlfriend helps you clean snakes one in a while does that mean you can use "We" a long with "our"? I think a lot of these people have multiple personality disorder beacause most breeders out there live with their wife and kids and don't have partners so where is this "We" coming from?
Trevor

[HeatherRose]

Oh and one more thing. If your wife or girlfriend helps you clean snakes one in a while does that mean you can use "We" a long with "our"? I think a lot of these people have multiple personality disorder beacause most breeders out there live with their wife and kids and don't have partners so where is this "We" coming from?
Trevor

I've noticed this too Trevor... that's 'representing yourself as something you're really not' in my opinion. I make a POINT to say "I have this available", etc. Just because my sister helps me mist my animals, should I say 'we'? In my opinion, no.

I would have never heard about Jeff Favelle or Greg Maxwell if it weren't for their websites and they are all said to produce great animals with a good reputation

I agree with this too. I love going on bigger breeders' sites just to check out their perspective, and learn something.