Your website is not an island. It's now a crucial part of your full marketing strategy. Sure, back in 1997 it would have been safe to think about a website as an island.
Your jewelry store's website should be the most interesting, most informative, most accurate, and most up to date component in your entire marketing model. If you've not yet turned your website into the center of your marketing world, then you need to change your strategy... Today.
Here's how to turn your website from that bastard child into the beloved favorite...
Introduce all your marketing teams, and tell them they have to work together or you will be sad to replace them. Everyone needs to work together, and this includes your billboard guy, postcard gal, newspaper ad man, social marketing guru, email newsletter guy, and your website people.
That list represents at least 6 distinct types of marketing people, or tasks that you deal with yearly. Regretfully, most jewelers forget to update their website or just consider the website as an afterthought of the other marketing types.
In fact, if you brought your website team into the early stages of marketing concepts you could create far superior ads with better value propositions, then direct people to your website for more information.
Are you the jeweler on the block with the best service? Then say so... but tell the consumer that they could watch a video online that will prove why you are the best.
Are you the oldest jeweler on the block with 4 generations of quality? Then say so... but tell the consumer that they can visit your website, blog, or Facebook to see fascinating newspaper clippings from the 1800's.
QR codes have been around for 14 years already, but only recently becoming popular in the USA. As long as you set up the mobile destination correctly you can use QR codes in your latest marketing to jump consumers from your print ad to your website.
Refocusing your website to the center of your yearly marketing is not rocket science, but it takes commitment, and you need to make sure all your marketing people are willing to do it. We have to warn you though; there will be resistance. Most likely at least one of your marketing people will not play nice with the others.
Your website is the online extension of your retail store. Inside your store you have full control over what the customer sees, hears, and how they interact with you. You have that same control on your website, but not with any other form of marketing.
Other than getting customers to walk into your store, the other goal of all offline and online marketing should be to lead people to your website so you can control their experience, and entice a sale.
Call your website company today and ask them if they offer marketing consulting services to pull this off. If they don't just search for "internet marketing" on Google; there's sure to be a few dozen local "experts." If all else fails, give us a call here at jWAG and we will either help you or provide a referral.
