Inspired by the panels I moderated at JCK Las Vegas on e-commerce and technology in jewelry stores, I asked the same questions—plus a few others—to my fellow panelists to my jewelry industry Twitter followers.
Here are some of the top tweets from our discussion:
Are manufacturers and retailers hurting their future business if they aren’t planning an e-commerce strategy?
@danielfford Q1: I don’t think so. An independent retailers can’t compete on price online – they need to focus on personalized service.
— Don Greig (@FocusBMI) June 13, 2012
@bpalumbo21 @danielfford Manufacturers have to be thinking about it, even if they aren’t doing it directly.
— Michael Schechter (@MSchechter) June 13, 2012
@danielfford Q1. you gotta go where the customers are in the case of #retailers, but #manufacturers should stick to production, not retail.
— PDXsupplies (@PDXsupplies) June 13, 2012
How cautious should an independent retail jeweler be about e-commerce?
@danielfford Q2. if you do your homework, you got nothing to worry about. make sure the e-commerce products your buying fit your biz model.
— PDXsupplies (@PDXsupplies) June 13, 2012
@danielfford VERY. If it cannot live up to the quality of experience you offer in your store, don’t do it.
— Michael Schechter (@MSchechter) June 13, 2012
@danielfford A2: It just needs not to be taken lightly. You can’t “kind of” have a website. Do it right. Do it complete. #socialjewels
— Barbara Palumbo (@BPalumbo21) June 13, 2012
What are some of the pitfalls they should be aware of in the early planning stages?
@danielfford That it is frighteningly easy to add a buy button, yet tremendously difficult to offer a good ecommerce experience.
— Michael Schechter (@MSchechter) June 13, 2012
@danielfford A3: That likely, no matter how good they think they are at website design, they’re not. #DontDoItYourself#socialjewels
— Barbara Palumbo (@BPalumbo21) June 13, 2012
@danielfford #socialjewels Q.2 and 3: Don’t overspend. Find someone u trust.
— Peggy Jo Donahue (@peggyjodonahue) June 13, 2012
How do jewelers measure their return on time, sweat equity, and any ad dollars they are spending on e-commerce?
@danielfford #socialjewels Q.5: Sales, leads, but mostly word-of-mouth
— Peggy Jo Donahue (@peggyjodonahue) June 13, 2012
@danielfford Q4, i think its immesaurable. since we started our site we have had a boom in walk-ins of all things..also international orders
— PDXsupplies (@PDXsupplies) June 13, 2012
So I’m a young online consumer, what do you want to know about my e-commerce habits? What questions do you have for me?
@DanGordon Both, yes, but service is key. I’m looking for a site that I think is secure with easy and efficient check out.
— Daniel Ford (@danielfford) June 13, 2012
@DanGordon I’m willing to pay a bit more if I know it’s a good company that also has my interests at heart.
— Daniel Ford (@danielfford) June 13, 2012
@MSchechter @danielfford #socialjewels. Disagree. Many people my age are shocked by the lack of privacy. It affects what they like/do.
— Peggy Jo Donahue (@peggyjodonahue) June 13, 2012
Any advice for jewelers that are hesitant or fearful to introduce any type of technology into their stores?
@danielfford Q6. #resistancetonewtech is why stores close. all the more reason to hire #young #sales and #repair #workers (like me lol)!
— PDXsupplies (@PDXsupplies) June 13, 2012
@danielfford Start small, start with something. See how much better it can make your life. Then grow (that’s my less obnoxious answer).
— Michael Schechter (@MSchechter) June 13, 2012
Sales is all about buying from who you like. How do you communicate this in an e-commerce environment?
@BPalumbo21 @danielfford Smart. The old “but don’t take my word for it – ask my customers!” #socialjewels
— Andrew Hanelly (@hanelly) June 13, 2012
@danielfford @hanelly Reviews can help, but they take work to generate. They don’t happen by accident. Well crafted Auto-responders FTW.
— Michael Schechter (@MSchechter) June 13, 2012
For more insights, follow @WendyBrandes @MSchechter @peggyjodonahue @KeturahJeweler @DanGordon @BarbaraMooty @jckmarketplace @FocusBMI @BPalumbo21 on Twitter or search for #socialjewels. If you want to add your own two cents, tweet @danielfford or respond in the comment section below.
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