Lesson Learned!

Today I learned a very valuable lesson regarding keeping your website totally up to date. I thought I was pretty good at making sure my website had all of the current information up - but alas it seems not, and it has probably cost me some business.

I sell the flip top seed bead storage cases on my website and after a large order back in February had sold out of everything I had. I then received a large order from the same people (an embroidery guild here in NZ) which I had to import in from the US. At the time I put "Out of Stock" on my website with a notation mentioning they would be back in stock in March.

In the mean time I had also taken out an ad in the Embroidery Guilds (ANZEG) bi-annual publication specifically with a reference to these storage boxes. As  result of my large previous sale to just one of the many guilds in NZ I had anticipated getting a few orders. It was getting frustrating that I wasn't and I wasn't sure what I had done wrong. I FORGOT TO CHECK THE WEBSITE.

Today a new customer contacted me through Facebook asking if I still sold the storage boxes - so I went to check the website just to make sure they were showing properly and I found my MISTAKE. How embarrassed am I and how many sales and potentially good will have I lost as a result. I hate to think.

I tell you I have learned this lesson and it will never happen again. I will be religious with how I check the details on my website from now on.

Yes they are all now back in Stock (and have been since March) in limited quantities - but I can purchase more if need be. :)