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You have heard about social media marketing, but have you heard of social shopping?  At Websites for Jewelers we have been discussing social media marketing for your jewelry website a lot over the last several weeks.  We have urged our readers and our clients to create profiles of their businesses in social networking websites like Facebook and LinkedIn, and have detailed the myriad reasons that social media marketing is crucial for your business, like in our article titled, “Social Media Marketing is a Must for Jewelry Websites.” Today, we are discussing a new marketing opportunity to come from the huge business of social networking: social shopping websites.

Unsure what social shopping websites are?   As defined by Wikipedia, “Social Shopping is a method of e-commerce where shoppers’ friends become involved in the shopping experience. Social shopping attempts use technology to mimic the social interactions found in physical malls and stores.”  Where people use Facebook to connect with the daily lives of their friends and LinkedIn to maintain business relationships, people use social shopping sites to scout out the latest styles, the best deals, and consumer reviews, and share this information with their friends.  Imagine a new group of websites that have the sole purpose of exposing products and exchanging information about them!  This is creating a HUGE opportunity for the marketing of your jewelry website.

There are several types of social shopping websites: group shopping site, social consumer review sites, social marketplaces, and shopping communities.

Group Shopping Sites:  These are sites that allow people to come together and purchase large quantities of an item in order to receive a bulk discount.  Some examples are: Groupon, Kactoos, and BuyWithMe.

Social Consumer Review Sites:  Some of the most popular sites on the Internet have been consumer review sites that allow people to find out about the performance of various products that they want to buy, the most traditional being Amazon.  There is a new breed popping up that adds a more social aspect to the communication and users can not only read posted reviews, but also engage with other shoppers.

Social Marketplaces:  Social marketplaces are much like the website Etsy, where sellers can come together in an online version of a farmers market or bazaar.  Some small jewelry companies have been able to create a following through sites like Etsy, but eventually find that they need their own e-commerce site to continue to grow.  Social marketplaces are great for those that sell as a hobby.

Shopping Communities:  Largely dominated by the fashion industry (AKA great for jewelry websites) these types of social shopping websites provide consumers with the ability to create shopping lists, exchange information about products, styles, discounts, and personal experiences. Rena Klingenberg of Home Jewelry Business Success Tips has an excellent article on social shopping websites and recommends the following sites for those in the jewelry business: Polyvore, StyleHive, StyleFeeder, ThisNext, and Wists.  Kaboodle is another shopping community that we love to recommend.  It was launched in 2006 and has over one million users to date.  Kaboodle allows users to create an online personal catalog of everything they want to buy on the Internet and share this information with friends.  Users can also create gift lists, write a blog, and ask other’s opinions about items they wish to buy.

How can you harness these social shopping websites for marketing your online jewelry business?  Look for more information in our next post titled, “Marketing your Jewelry Website with Social Shopping Websites.”

Related articles

• 7 Social Shopping Sites that worth your time (seoservicesgroup.com)
• The rise of social shopping in 2011: 7 examples of where it is going (rossdawsonblog.com)
• 10 Social Shopping Sites to Watch in 2011 Shopper’s Guide (apartmenttherapy.com)

If you read our recent article titled, “Mobile Website Creation Services: A Must for 2011,” then you understand why it is not only important, but necessary, to have a mobile browser version of your website in addition to your regular website. But what does a well designed mobile browser website look like for a jewelry company?

Almost all of the big name websites have created mobile versions of their sites over the last couple of years, making surfing their sites easier from a mobile device.  While the key to a well designed mobile website is simplicity, a lot of these businesses do not have the same needs as a jewelry retailer or manufacturer.  While other web design companies can design great mobile sites for Wal-Mart, Fox, or Facebook, they likely do not know enough about the jewelry business to adequately design a mobile site for someone selling luxury diamond jewelry or wedding rings.

The biggest concern that jewelry retailers have with selling online is that consumers cannot touch or try on their products (see this article on buying jewelry online: “The Future of Jewelry Shopping: Buying Diamond Jewelry Online).  While excellent high-resolution images and 3D tools have helped to alleviate this problem, the fact is that many Jewelers shy away from a mobile site because they are concerned that when their products are viewed on a smaller mobile screen like those on an iPhone or iPad, the quality of their images will suffer, and so will the presentation of their jewelry.  This can be the case if jewelers choose the wrong company to design their mobile site, but at Websites for Jewelers we understand the needs of the jewelry industry and have succeeded in designing some of the best mobile websites for the jewelry business.

Let’s take a look at two mobile websites that we have created: JB Star and Cora International (please note that the Cora mobile site is still in production).

First, take a look at the JB Star website as seen on an iPhone. Look at how simple the mobile site is to navigate. The home page features a different and unique piece of jewelry each and every time you visit the page. After you click the “Enter” button, you see the listing of jewelry categories. As most people visit the site to view JB Star’s jewelry, we wanted to make sure that visitors could quickly navigate to see these beautiful designs.

The most important pages are located at the top of the mobile screen with the product categories listed below.  Each link is large enough to access without having to enlarge the screen, and they are formatted to fit the mobile device they being viewed on.

The Jewelry Navigation Page as Seen on on iPhone.

The Main Navigation Window as Seen on an iPhone.

Next, compare the mobile web version of the display of this rare collectible ring with the standard website.  On the mobile web, a detailed image appears in the center of the screen with the ability to select other similar items below.  This differs from the original website which not only gives a detailed description of the ring, but also offers the viewer other options including the ability to print the page or send an email.  This information, while great for a standard website, would take up too much space for the screen on a mobile device.  JB Star had the best mobile website for the display of their luxury jewelry as the high resolution images take center stage, and non-pertinent information is hidden.

Page From Desktop Version of JB Star Website.

View of Same Page Above Redeisgned for the Mobile Website.

For another example of a well designed website for jewelry companies, take a look at the site we designed for Cora International (To view this demo site, on your mobile device, go to http://www.corainternational.com/mobile/) .  Their navigation page is simple to use and easy to read, but also displays more style than the average mobile website, even including images for the product categories.  Also, the concern jewelers have over a loss of image resolution is put to rest with the incredible quality of the photos that are shown, as seen here in this screen shot of a luxury diamond ring.

Ready to have the best mobile website designed for your online jewelry store?  Contact Websites for Jewelers today for more information.

Related articles

• Why Do I Need a Mobile Website? (myventurepad.com)
• What Exactly is Mobile Marketing? (customerthink.com)
• Mobile Websites: How to Design Good Ones (plentyonyourplate.com)