Metal Clay Business Resources - Websites, Blogs and Social Networking Sites

This page contains links to all kinds of resources for building and developing websites and creating blogs. We’ve also listed resources to help you build traffic to your website – after all, there’s not much point in having a website if no-one knows about it! As social networking is now an essential marketing tool, we’re including information about using these to promote your business.

Links open in a new window. Content checked October 2023

Accessify

Site promoting accessible website development. Lots of tips and tools to help make your website accessible to everyone while developing websites and creating blogs.

Artisan’s Accomplice

Artisan’s Accomplice enables artists in managing their business, developing websites and creating blogs. Popular media include fine jewelry, beaded jewelry, polymer clay artwork, pmc, pottery, and hand-made clothing. Unique features include email list, PayPal integration, wholesale and consignment support, an event planner, easy editing tools and much more.

Artspan

Create your own unique website with Artspan—it’s easy! Use your control panel to customize and manage all areas of your site. Your work will have maximum visibility as part of a top art destination and your site will also have its own URL. Artspan is ranked number 1 for Contemporary Art.

Big Cartel

Big Cartel is a simple shopping cart for artists. It’s easy to use, customizable, and awesome.

Big Commerce

Over 7,000 business owners trust BigCommerce to power their online stores. Using just your mouse and without any technical skills, you can create a beautifully customized online store with all of the bells and whistles your customers expect – in just a few hours. Free trial available.

Create

Create is an award-winning all-in-one website and online shop builder.

Credit Donkey

Just because they’re cheap doesn’t mean they’re no good. Read on to learn about the cheapest website builders. This article contains references to products from their partners so they may receive compensation if you use the links and shop.

Facebook Tips

With more than 2 billion active monthly users (and 66% of them returning daily), you can bet that the majority of modern consumers are logged into Facebook at some point during their day. This article gives some tips for using Facebook to sell.

Flickr – Promote your work by displaying your photos online

Sign up for a free account with Flickr and upload your photos. This photo sharing site is a great place to display your work, especially if you don’t have a website of your own. 

Go Daddy Webhosting and Domains

This site offers domain name registration, hosting and also has a simple way of creating your own website.

Homestead

Website hosting company with an easy to use method of building and publishing a website. Over 2000 ready to use templates you can customise. Build a professional looking website web quickly and easily.

How to make a website

This website has step by step instructions on how to make a website for your business including an ecommerce website. Really useful information for people with no idea where to start when developing websites and creating blogs!

How to Sell Your Jewellery on Instagram

Great podcast from the Jewellers Academy about using Instagram to sell your jewellery. Browse all their free podcasts for more useful tutorials on using social media in your business.

Hubspot – Search Engine Optimisation for Lead Generation Kit

This 3-part kit includes an on-page SEO template with directions on how to use it, a 30-day planner with tips and tricks on how to spend an entire month planning and implementing your SEO strategy, as well as a comprehensive guide on the introduction to SEO. Essential information for anyone developing websites and creating blogs.

Instagram logoInstagram

Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned by Facebook, Inc. It is a simple, fun and creative way to capture, edit and share photos, videos and messages with friends and family.

Logo Design Team

This team create Logos that leave an everlasting impression in everybody’s mind. Their designs are unique, memorable and timeless that create a perfect brand identity. With their innovative ideas, they help you not only to carve a niche for yourself in the international arena but also to stand out from the competition.

Mobile Friendly Website Test

Google are now penalising websites that are not mobile friendly in their search algorithms. Check if your website is mobile friendly with this simple test. It will also give you tips on how to make your website mobile friendly if it fails the test.

Network Solutions

Website hosting company who also provide a web site building system.

Sandvox

With Sandvox, anyone can build websites on a Mac easily and quickly, with no HTML expertise. All from an interface designed for those who want great results, without hassles!

Sapphire Blue Web Design

UK based Sapphire Blue will design and build your website and teach you how to maintain it. The fee depends on how much work is involved, once the fee is agreed that is what you pay. Don’t want to do the upkeep of your website? They offer maintenance packages at
an affordable monthly fee.

Shop Factory

ShopFactory is the original do-it-yourself eCommerce solution created to help you sell better online. Tailor-made for individual sellers, micro- and small businesses.

The Site Wizard

This is a great site for help in generating HTML code to do specific things when developing websites and creating blogs. It’s free to use and is a great resource if you know a little bit about the coding side of website building.

Statcounter

Statcounter’s powerful real-time analytics makes is easy for you to track, analyse and understand your visitors, grow your traffic and make the best decision about your website. 

SupaDupa

Website building site with a variety of payment plans. Especially good for selling sites as they charge no transaction fees.

Vertical Response

Email marketing and newsletter solutions.

Vistaprint  – Free website

Vistaprint have teamed up with Wix to provide all the tools you need to create a professional-looking website in just minutes.

Website Law

UK based site outlining website law. It has a website disclaimer which can be used free if you retain the credit for it on your site. The disclaimer for the Metal Clay Academy website is based on this free template.

Web Safe Colour Chart

From the PC Man Website. Use these colours to make sure they are safe in any browser.

Wix – Free website building site

Wix is the simpler, faster, better way to create stunning web content. Make a Flash website just the way you want it, add stunning free content or upload your own

– No downloads or programming needed
– Creating a website with Wix is free
– Simple drag & drop interface
– Thousands of free, fully customizable Flash templates

World Wide Web Consortium W3C

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential. Visit this site to check that your CSS and HTML coding is compliant with the latest guidelines.

X Basics

Every day, millions of people use X (formerly known as Twitter) to create, discover and share ideas with others. Now, people are turning to X as an effective way to reach out to businesses, too. From local stores to big brands, and from brick-and-mortar to internet-based or service sector, people are finding great value in the connections they make with businesses on X.

Yola – Free website building site

Set up and host a basic website for free using Yola. Very easy to use.