Jewelry Showcase April 2015

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APRIL 2015

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APRIL 2015

JEWELRY

SHOWCASE

MAGAZINE.COM

Website owners don’t always understand how SEO

or search engine optimization works or even a host

of other tech-speak concepts that sound obscure. So

with a little insight from a leading developer, a web-

site owner can tweak the system in their favor and

help their own website become a more valuable mar-

keting tool. This month, we post a conversation with

tech expert Marlene Murphy who creates some of

the most effective websites in the jewelry trade. She

shares some frequently asked questions posed to her.

What is the most common misperception peo-

ple have about SEO as it relates to their

own site?

MURPHY:

When I speak with clients about

creating a new site, one of their main requirements

or goals is to be “in the top ten results of Google

and preferably #1”. They have the notion that some

web developer out there can do that for them. But

common sense suggests that when you’re competing

against millions of other jewelers in a global commu-

nity for the top ten spots, you must have something

unique to position your site in front of Blue Nile,

Zales, and other e-commerce giants. Jewelers with a

brick and mortar business have a distinct advantage

because they can drive focus away from a global or

national rivalry to their own region where there is less

competition and where achieving higher ranking is

more attainable via proper SEO.

Many modern jewelry sites are designed with

minimum or no text at all appearing on the landing

page, called the Home Page.The effect is meant to be

sleek and high end because the visitor just sees jew-

elry (if it is a jewelry site). But is that a good option?

MURPHY:

A sleek home page is effective if you

have tremendous brand recognition, like Tiffany or

Cartier. They don’t need good search engine rank-

MAKING

YOUR

WORK

Website owners don’t always understand how SEO or search engine optimization

works or even a host of other tech-speak concepts that sound obscure. So with a

little insight from a leading developer, a website owner can tweak the system in

their favor and help their own website become a more valuable marketing tool. This

month, we post a conversation with tech expert Marlene Murphy who creates some

of the most effective websites in the jewelry trade. She shares some frequently

asked questions posed to her.

By Marlene Murphy

ings to drive customers to their site. Google and oth-

er search engines are looking for original text content

containing the right mix of targeted keywords and key

phrases written in a readable format. Search engines

are also looking for an “outline” format in the coding

(remember creating an outline in school – Main Head-

ings, Sub-Headings and relevant text underneath?).

Pages with nothing but images don’t give Google any

content to offer up to people searching for products or

information.

What are other ways to engage and hook the

visitor to ones’ site?

MURPHY:

Product slide shows, short videos and

interactive applications combined with engaging orig-

inal text and links create a rich shopping experience for

your customer straight through to checkout.

Tell us a bit more about the visual appeal of a

good website . . . . What are things a site owner should

have on their site including but not limited to the

home page?

MURPHY:

Mobile internet browsing is now so

pervasive that website design has undergone a radical

change in response to that user behavior. We used to

tailor design layouts to the standard 17 - 20 inch com-

puter monitor – now shoppers routinely view web-

sites on iPhones. In office or at home, huge computer

monitors are becoming the norm; 24 inch monitors

are not considered large now. Today’s websites must

respond visually to every visitor’s viewport, whatever

size it may be. Fonts now need to be large enough to

be legible on a mobile device after they are downsized

to fit the screen. There also needs to be enough space

between lines and around links because mobile devices

don’t have mouse capability. Actions are performed by

touch; if the user has fat fingers or the print is small,

navigating a site can become frustrating to impossible.

Color palette plays a key role in readability and visual

appeal. Studies point to the subliminal but powerful

impact that color produces.

Are there any strict no-no’s that one should

eliminate or not place on their site at all?

MURPHY:

My number 1 no-no is music or sound

effects! It’s cute the first time you listen but quickly be-

comes irritating after hearing it more than once. You

must consider that a visitor may be surfing the internet

while at work and they can’t afford music blaring from

their cubicle. iPhone addresses this issue in their oper-

ating system by requiring the user to initiate the sound

by clicking a button or a link.

What are latest and most powerful tools in the

widget, function and app category for use in a jewelry

website?

MURPHY:

Google Translate and payment calcu-

lators are great examples of useful widgets. Important

functions for jewelers would be the automatic updating

of Kitco prices, currency exchange rates and online in-

ventories. Applications refer to specially designed pro-

grams built for mobile devices, like Kayak, or those cre-

ated by the airlines to check flight status, or schedules.

If a jeweler only wants people to come into their

store---because they are ‘not ready to sell online yet’ is

there any reason they should invest in a website at all?

MURPHY:

The information super highway as we

say has made businesses without websites appear sus-

pect of not being legitimate. Even if a retailer doesn’t

want to conduct online sales, they should provide an

e-Look Book that showcases the services and jewelry

collections available in the actual store.Marketing stud-

ies reveal that shoppers routinely narrow down their

choices from a business’ online catalog before driving

to the store to view the actual merchandise. Remember

that a properly built website can efficiently transition

from Look Book to a fully functioning e-Commerce

site anytime later. As your business evolves, so can your

website.

urphy’s rich experience in the tech culture

began in 1981 with the dawn of corporate reliance

upon computer technol ogy. She played a pivotal

role in implementing and integrating computer

programming for the automotive industry. Sharp

and intuitive, she developed computer training

programs, and computer applications for myriad

departments. Her decades of expertise include devel-

oping Visual Basic for Applications, SQL, and the

Microsoft Suite of Office Products like MSAccess,

MSWord, MSExcel, MSPowerPoint, Classic ASP

and ColdFusion. She’s been a custom web developer

since 2000 and a specialist developer for the jewelry

trade since 2009.

Visit her at

www.jewelrywebsitedesigns.com

contact her at

info@jewelrywebsitedesigners.com