From Brick & Mortar to Click & Order: Add eCommerce to your jewellery store.
According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, it has been established that buyers have moved to online channels dramatically, with the pandemic further escalating online jewellery shopper statistics. Most people prefer the ease of online jewellery shopping, with some businesses entirely operating online! E-commerce has become a flexible solution for not just buyers but businesses too.
Research says that sales in online stores are expected to reach 22% of global retail sales by 2023, compared to 14.1% in 2019, making now the perfect time to take your business online. Make the transition from in-store commerce to online shopping in these easy steps!
- Who are your customers?
Before anything else, you need to answer the following questions:
- Who are your primary customers?
- How will they find your website?
Usually, your primary customers are ones who are regular shoppers of your brick-and-mortar store. Having an existing customer base can give you a significant advantage, as businesses can get a running start with an audience that’s already interested in your brand.
Your eCommerce store will be able to have a larger reach than your physical presence, but it will likely appeal to much of the same customer base you’re used to serving in person. To ensure that, it’s important for your online jewellery shop and offline stores to work together as one clear integrated brand.
- Choose a domain name
Do you have an existing domain name? Transfer it to your online store builder. If you still have to decide on the name, make sure that you keep the following in mind:
- Keep it short: Shorter names are easier to remember
- Avoid common/generic names: Common names are easier to forget. What’s more, a common name can get confusing and may drive your customers to a business with the same name as you.
- Avoid creative spellings: Make sure that your domain name is easier to spell and pronounce.
- Optimize your website & homepage
The entire point of building an eCommerce website is to drive sales. Therefore, make sure that the website hosting platform you go for is user-friendly, has an attractive interface and allows you to get a step closer to your audience.
Customise your website design to a theme that matches your offering. Themes add an extra touch of jazz to your website! Your homepage must also reflect your business vision.
A homepage not only acts as your first impression to all your customers but also allows you to communicate with them via designs and themes.
- Pick Initial products to sell online
When starting with an online jewellery store, it is important to remember that your online store will not just be open to your existing customers, but to new ones, all over the world. Strategize and identify the products from your inventory that can appeal to a broader audience.
When choosing products to carry online, make sure to choose items which are:
- Top sellers in your brick-and-mortar store.
- Items y ou receive special requests or calls for 2-3x per month.
- Take High-resolution Pictures of your inventory
Photographs are important and can make or break your eCommerce game. Especially in online shopping, your customers are trusting you to showcase your inventory through photographs, and it is only fair that your jewellery images accurately portray all of your inventory.
Make your website more exciting by adding videos. AR (Augmented Reality) technology is very new but will become “a must” in the next few years. Combining jewellery images with augmented reality video allows buyers to better understand the product. You can also integrate try on jewellery feature on your website and offer your customers virtual try on necklaces and online engagement ring try on features today!
- Optimize your products page
Product pages are among the most critical pages on your site, as they show your customers what you have to sell. Take the time to ensure you display your new products in their best light by including optimized product descriptions, eye-catching images, and easy-to-navigate categories.
- When adding Product Descriptions, ensure you add the product’s basic details, who it is for and where & when it can be used.
- Add high-resolution product images and ensure that they are all the same size.
- You can also sort your offerings into product categories to help buyers navigate what they want to buy.
- Set up prices & Payment Gateways
The right payment method is essential for closing a sale. If the method is too complicated or not trusted, your customer could abandon their cart and not return. Make sure it also meets your payment processing needs.
A payment gateway integration is a secure method that encrypts and transmits credit card data to your payment processor. As it’s an essential part of your eCommerce site, make sure you research and understand what you’re getting from your payment integration.
- Make sure you have a shipping & Refund Policy
Unless your store is already well-recognised, you will need to put in extra effort to build trust with your customers shopping online. To do that, make sure to tick the following off your list:
- Create a separate page that highlights your Returns & Refunds Policy
- Make sure that you have a hassle-free return process. If not handled properly, this may cause you to lose customers easily
- Set up an FAQ page that answers questions like “‘When is my order going to ship” or “How do I return my order?” to keep things transparent with your customers.
- Come up with a marketing strategy
Now that you’ve finished taking care of your website, it is important to understand how to introduce your existing offline customers to your online store. Get started with these easy steps:
- Get in touch with your customers via message, email or in person, telling them about an exciting & easier way to shop at your store and ask them to sign up!
- To promote more signups, you can offer discounts and special offers to the first 20 or first 50 signees!
- Make sure your website is consistent with your brand to establish recognition with your website users.
- You can also offer more schemes of discounts and other special gifts for users who post reviews or become regular shoppers of your online store!
- Integrate Offline & Online Marketing
When you’re combining online and offline marketing efforts, it’s important to make sure your graphics and messaging are consistent, so your campaign does not come across as disjointed. You need all of your systems and data to be activated and intertwined to truly have an omnichannel, seamless customer experience.
Ecommerce is continuing to expand its retail market share at a rapid rate. Investing in a digital commerce strategy as a key part of your brick-and-mortar business will help future-proof your brand. Optimizing your jewellery store website helps you evolve with technology and buyer behaviour and puts you ahead of your competition!
