Need advice

Hello, I was not sure whether to post this on local SEO or on ecommerce so please bear with me.

I have a friend who is a woodworker and I suggested he makes a website to feature his work so local people can find him but also people can order his artwork online (he makes beautiful things).

I recommended that he gets his own domain regardless of whether he wants to do Etsy and shopify or not.

My questions:
Should he use Woo Commerce/Wordpress or should he use shopify?
He makes his items himself and also does cabinetry (is it a word?) for local people.

Should I help him set up using mainly local SEO (including listings on google/ yelp) or should we get him listed as a regular ecommerce (more competition there but more potential for $$$).

Note: I am a newbie at SEO (learning fairly fast though) and he has never set up a website or anything like that.


Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Does he have any experience with building websites or Internet marketing? Shopify is the easier platform to use IMO. In regards to SEO, someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you should be able to rank locally and nationally/internationally, I don't think it has to be one or the other. But if you only want to do one, then I'd recommend trying to rank as a regular ecommerce store as there is more potential, like you said.

Thank you so much for your response Joseph.
No he has zero experience building websites and I would be the one installing WP for him and doing a bit of keyword research and some basic SEO for him

It is a very small one person business so I don't feel he needs to rank all the way up there for best woodworkers 2018 or whatever but I hope to get him enough exposure so he can get a regular work flow (right now he gets work from word of mouth).

He definitely needs something set up which is easy to use (to add or remove items etc..)

I sent him the link to the free 60 days shopify coupon.

I also found a couple of keyword relevant aged domains which are nothing to write home about but have some clean backlinks and a clean history.

Start doing local marketing, so you and he get a feel for the market.
This way he can keep up with demand if you start ranking well and people like what they see.

Disloyal said:

Start doing local marketing, so you and he get a feel for the market.
This way he can keep up with demand if you start ranking well and people like what they see.

Click to expand...

Thank you I really appreciate the feedback and you are right, keeping up with the demand is really something to keep in mind when strategezing.

In My point of view if he is a woodworker then his services might be doors, windows etc.

There is no need of ecommerce at first give a shot to lead generation WordPress website for Local SEO. One the leads flow will come in then you should try about selling products on ecommerce.

In My perspective in the event that he is a carpenter then his administrations may be entryways, windows and so on.

There is no need of E-business at first give a shot to lead age WordPress site for Local SEO. One the leads stream will come in then you should attempt about offering items on E-trade.

I would use Woo Commerce/Wordpress its better for streamlining business if he hold inventory

I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone who is taking the time to answer me on this thread. Your feedback is extremely helpful.
Right now, he only has an Etsy store that we set up but through sharing it on social media and getting a couple of do follow backlinks he is already getting some orders so it is a good start right there.
This is good too because I have my own new websites I m working on and I kind of have my hand fulls LOL... learning a lot though and very grateful to BHW.

I would suggest to go with Woo Commerce/Wordpress and start with Local SEO and gradually jump to Ecommerce Keywords in nearby locations / neighborhoods.

Good luck.