Zip up your website

Too many jewellers think of their website as a necessary evil. “We cannot compete with those large jewellery websites like Amazon so why make the investment”, is what I hear from most jewellers. They they are correct on one hand. They will sell a fraction of what Amazon and others do, but on the other hand these jewellers have the advantage of having a store to invite their customers to. Now is the time to zip up your website and show your store in a way that is appealing to customers to come into. Where is your store’s phone number? For some reason I will never understand why phone numbers are listed under My Contacts at the bottom of almost all jeweller’s websites. Worse yet, some jewellers want customers to just email them. Your telephone can be your best salesperson. It is the only way a customer can contact you to have a two-way conversation. How else could you explain in detail the jewellery you have they inquired about and invite them to your store? Why put up a barrier? Your phone number should be displayed in the upper right hand corner of the first page of your web site and in most, if not on all pages. The more it shows the more it implies to customers to call you. It’s a win win. Is there a photograph of the inside and outside of your store? I find most of these under the heading, ‘About Us’ which is at the bottom of the site. Most first time customers have never seen your store so why not invite them in showing a large photograph of the inside of your store and a smaller one of the outside on the first page? I seldom see them, but those that I do look unprofessional. They all look like they were taken by a personal camera to save a few pounds instead of hiring a professional photographer. I recommend you spend the money because you will find the difference is amazing and the quality of your web site is a reflection of you. Here is a Zelling tip. Have customers in your store when the pictures are taken showing their sides or backs for privacy. This is much more inviting then showing an empty store. Additionally have one or two people in a photograph walking by the front of your store. If you have a shop also have a photograph showing your jeweller at work. I ran an experiment taking pictures of a monument, a large tree and a historical fort with log cabins. I took one with no people in them and the other with a few people looking on. The latter was the preferred one by almost all I showed them to because when seeing people in the photo they could relate to to them and imagine themselves being there. This is why I recommend showing customers inside and outside your store. If it does not interfere with the architecture or ambiance of your store, I recommend large transparencies with romantic scenes of a bride putting on an engagement ring, or the groom putting the ring on her hand. You can also show a women trying on a diamond ring, or necklace or any romantic scene that tells a story. These are available from some of your vendors. These visuals your customers will relate because they tell a story and connect to their emotions. Use them as a background on your website as well. Remember what Confucius said: “One picture equals ten thousand words.” I know many of you like to show photographs of you and your salespeople with their names. I recommend you check with your insurance company first because this could pose a security risk. I also recommend photographs of your jewellery should be done professionally unless you have the right equipment. Each piece should stand out and look appealing. This implies you have quality jewellery. In most cases, rings should be photographed in three-quarter view to make them look more realistic. Many vendors have excellent photographs of their jewellery available. How do you put this all together? I recommend using a web designer and interview several. You can show them this article and examples of other sites you like to give them an idea of what you have in mind.Your website is viewed every day. Make it count.