Selling Artisan Jewelry Online
In the olden days of the Internet (early 1990's), that
books, movies and music would sell well online, but crafts,
jewelry and clothing, would not. In recent reports, retail
jewelry sales have jumped as much as 250% in the first quarter
of 2007. This jump is not necessarily in the area of
one-of-a-kind or limited edition artisan jewelry, but it does
indicate a movement toward a buying attitude by the public.
Your potential online artisan jewelry customer is a savvy
individual who can easily access a wide range of jewelry
artisans' work and compare them. She will understand that
artisan jewelry is designed and made by an artisan and will be
unique. This customer expects the best in craftsmanship,
quality materials and service for her money.
Online Selling Issues
Jewelry can be a very personal and emotional purchase.
It can be particularly difficult to sell online as it can be
difficult for your customer to get an idea of the actual
color, craftsmanship, weight and size of a piece without
seeing it. Since the character of artisan jewelry is
that it is unique and frequently one-of-a-kind, it may be
hard for your potential customer to relate it to a known
item like production jewelry and get an idea of what the
piece is really like.
Here are some other difficulties for those of us who
sell our artisan jewelry online.
-
Of course, getting traffic to your site is the
first hurdle for the online jewelry artisan.
-
The site should offer something of value to the
visitor beyond just an advertisement.
-
It is difficult to present an accurate
impression of color, size and detail when buying a
piece of jewelry online.
-
The site visitor needs to trust your credibility
to buy from you.
-
Payment security is a big issue for online
buyers.
-
The buyer will want to see your guarantee,
returns and privacy policies.
Online Jewelry Sales
Your website and your online interactions with the
customer can alleviate any uncertainty the customer holds
and guide her in a decision as to which piece can best fit
in her jewelry collection or match a particular outfit.
Building and maintaining your site will take about half of
your time and marketing the site will take the other half.
You are looking for potential buyers, not just other jewelry
artisans who are looking for inspiration, so you need to
know your customers and how to access them online. Online
marketing is a huge subject that ranges from search engine
optimization of the site itself to networking online and
even to writing for other websites to gain those
all-important incoming links. It is an area that is
changing rapidly and we will explore some of these avenues
in subsequent articles.
Content is the currency that visitors expect and will help
keep them as repeat visitors to your site. Your site
needs load quickly, be easy to navigate and present your
jewelry accurately. Along with the jewelry, provide articles
on jewelry, gemstone or fashion-related subjects. This will
build your credibility as well as helping you establish your
expertise in your subject.
Show the piece from various angles and tell the story of
each piece - the inspiration, materials, techniques and
measurements. Explain the differences between artisan made
and production jewelry and how this benefits the customer.
Colors are not necessarily the same on each monitor, and
this should be noted. Offer a mailto so your site visitor
can ask any questions. If you do get a question about a
piece, answer the email immediately and consider adding the
answer to the description of the piece.
Check your site for grammar and spelling errors, as this
greatly affects your credibility. If a person sees a shoddy
site, she may expect to see shoddy jewelry. Be sure your
links work properly and that the site is up-to-date. If you
have a show calendar, keep it current. Orphaned or neglected
websites destroy your image as a credible merchant and
artisan.
Your returns, guarantee and privacy policies must be readily
accessible on your site. Payment should flow flawlessly. If
there is a glitch in the payment process or it is not
secure, your carefully cultivated buyer will just drop the
purchase and leave.
Contact your customer soon after the date you expected the
piece to arrive to see that it arrived safely. This always
seems to surprise buyers, but leaves them knowing that you
are standing behind your piece and want to continue the
relationship.
Louise Coulson © 2007
Used with permission of the author
ack to
The Business Side of Jewelry
|
