Nearly all women love jewelry, and it’s safe to say that jewelry will always be in demand. In fact, the best part of loving to wear jewelry is that fashions tend to change every year. To stay in trend, nearly every woman will invest in one or two classic and new jewelry items and this means that the demand for classy, trendy jewelry is always there. If you are a jewelry designer, or own a small jewelry store, and are wondering how to start a jewellery business online, you should know that this is a very good time to do so. All you have to do is follow these top tips and your website should be up and running smoothly.
Decide on the Type of Jewelry You Want to Sell
Specialize in one type of jewelry, says Beading Daily. For example, costume jewelry is popular with many women, including teenagers. Websites can easily buy trending costume jewelry or knock-offs from wholesalers or retailers and then sell them to customers at a neat profit. At present, cocktail rings, fair trade jewelry and men’s jewelry are very popular with niche crowds. No matter what you specialize in,make sure you promote your website with this in mind. This will ensure that your website is indexed correctly so that the right traffic comes to your website. Remember, investing in one jewelry niche will also help you streamline your budget and ensure that browsing customers get exactly what they want.
Check Rules and Regulations
If you work with precious metals, and precious or semi-precious stones, you may require a special license from local authorities. Before you even set up your website, get in touch with the local Chamber of Commerce and find out whether you need to pay sales or local taxes, or apply for permits, when selling handcrafted jewelry. Even if you have a website and sell jewelry as a hobby, you will still have to pay sales tax on your sales.
Take Good Photographs or Videos
The difference with online shopping is that shoppers cannot pick up items and try them on. As a result, they need other features that will help them assess the product. Photos are the best way to convey exactly what you are selling. If possible, hire a good photographer to create mood photos, combination photos and other eye-catching shots and pair them with good videos. For example, videos can be about pairing jewelry items with beautiful clothing or about customers buying items and then wearing them out and about town. It does not matter what the videos or photographs are about, so long as they are clear and interesting. If you aren’t sure what the photographs should look like, browse about on competitors’ websites and follow the same style or presentation.
Pay for a Turn-Key Solution
Setting up a website is complicated and instead of going through the practical details of website design, it’s a far better idea to opt for a turnkey solution. This means the package will contain a website, a shopping cart solution and an email address. The package can be set up quickly and efficiently and it is quite affordable. In case you want optional extras, you can discuss your requirements with the company and they will add features and then charge you for them. You can struggle through the process of domain registration and website design yourself but generally this is not worth it.
Give Buyers a Reason to Choose You over Other Websites
Even if you have beautiful jewelry, you have to make customers choose your jewelry over that of your competitors’. The best way to do this is by being as unique and wide-ranging as possible in your inventory, store design, content and images. This is not difficult but it does mean that you will have to work hard on every aspect of the website. Take the time to revamp your website every six months to keep it fresh. This may be as simple as using new colors and reorganizing your display arrangements.
Use Social Media
Self-promotion is easy with social media, says Chron. Use Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook and every other emerging social media forum to promote yourself as much as possible online. Remember, all publicity is good publicity.
If necessary, take a few business courses on how to set up and run your own jewelry business. In addition to helping you develop the technical skills of running a business, a course will also hone your jewelry-making skills and teach you new tricks. Take the time to register with jewelry-making forums to meet industry veterans and to learn new business ideas. These few tips should help you set up your jewelry website quickly and efficiently. Don’t be disappointed if you feel your business is not doing well. Just put in more effort and add local advertising to your online social media marketing to increase your online and offline presence.
