Newsletter - October 15, 2008

The Jewelry Crafter

A newsletter for the home jeweler

This newsletter will be published every 2 weeks, and will include hints and tips for your jewelry business. Any feedback or comments about the topics presented here are always appreciated. Click here to e-mail us.

If you have an idea for an upcoming article, or would like to submit an article for the newsletter, please contact us. Anyone who submits an article will receive a permanent link to their website in a special section of our link pages.

New Stock Update

We have just received a shipment of opal triplets from Australia. Sizes include 9x7, 8x10, 10x12 and 10x14. All are dark base and show beautiful color. These will move fast, so shop early for best selection

We also now have the Quasar LED Optivisor light. This system provides great lighting for close-up work, and fits right over the lens on your Optivisor.

Finally, we also have a limited selection of new porcelain horse cameos.

Stop by and check out all of the new items at Custom Jewelry Supply.

Using a Website to Promote Your Business

by

Mary Harvey

You’ve started your jewelry business, and you’ve maybe done some shows, but do you have a website? If you don’t, you’re missing a great marketing opportunity. Even if you don’t plan on having a full-fledged e-commerce enabled web store, it’s still important to have a web presence. A simple website with some pictures of your creations and a little info about yourself can be a great promotional tool. 

For example, I am a member of the Northern Aces Air Show Team, a model airplane show team that puts on flying demonstrations throughout our state. For years, the only advertising that we did was word of mouth - people saw our shows or heard about us, and would ask us for more information. If we didn’t have brochures with us, we were pretty much out of luck. So we decided to create a simple website where people could go to get more information on our shows and find out how to contact us, sort of an “electronic brochure”. The same principle applies to your jewelry business.

So, how do you go about getting a website? The first thing you have to do is choose a name and register it with a registrar, like GoDaddy or Dotster. Even if you aren’t ready to create your website, it’s still important to get your name registered, as thousands of names are registered every day.  Some registrars have hosting packages which include helping you to build your web pages, and you can be up and running in a very short time. You can also create a website and upload it with Microsoft Publisher, Netobjects Fusion, or free programs like Coffee Cup or Coolpage. 

Make your website into your “electronic brochure” - use it to promote your business. Carry your business cards with you and have your website address on it so people can get more information about your jewelry and how to contact you. Tell people that you have a website and that they can see some of your creations there.  Put your show schedule on your website so they know where to see your jewelry. Use your site to tell visitors about your jewelry, how it’s made, the gemstones you use, etc. 

Having a presence on the web is very important nowadays. It’s a place where your customers can get more information, or where new customers see your jewelry for the first time.  And later on, it can be the beginning of a web store. The possibilities are endless....