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EditorsMar 27, 2014
Is your website living in the 90s?
Business Insider posted a slideshow online earlier this month that showed the websites of major companies in 1990s as compared with their domains today.
The differences were staggering, to say the least.
The 90s versions of the websites--which include McDonald’s, Home Depot and Coca Cola--are primitive, usually single-page sites with one image, blocks of text and little information.
But the simplicity of these websites was appropriate at that time, which was more or less the dawn of the World Wide Web. Like Business Insider noted, the sites were built before developers and the general public knew what a website was supposed to look like, and before developers even had the technology to create the sites we have come to expect today.
The up-to-date page for each company is significantly better, primarily in terms of content and imagery. They have sharp, interesting pictures, attention-grabbing text and an overall pleasing layout. Check out the slideshow to see the differences.
While many of these companies and other brands have updated their websites with the changing times, others have not. And that’s bad.
Websites that aren’t modern--meaning they don’t offer interaction, don’t feature photos and have no new content--will likely keep many Internet users away.
Say you visit a news outlet’s website. If you return day after day to the same old stories and no new updates, you’ll eventually stop visiting, simply because it has nothing fresh or exciting to offer.
The same goes for a jeweler’s website. If you fail to upload new product or mention sweepstakes and promotions, you’re giving visitors the message that nothing new or fun is happening with your business so there’s no reason to visit either your website or your store.
Reiterating what I mentioned in my blog on deactivating my Facebook account, business owners need to have an online presence because that’s where today’s consumers are shopping. This blog goes a step further by speaking not just to your store’s presence on social media but on the web as a whole. If your presence is fun, interactive and fresh, it can translates to even better business results.
What can jewelers do to keep their websites fun and fresh? For a few starter ideas, post images of your new inventory and promote it on the homepage.
Running a contest for consumers? They’ll never know unless you advertise it. Are you giving a discount on Mother’s Day jewelry or graduation gifts? Put it front and center.
If you know another jeweler who is particularly savvy online, visit their website.
Observe what they are doing and how they are engaging their audience.
Jennifer Gandia, who co-owns Greenwich Jewelers in downtown Manhattan, said one of the goals for the store’s website is to consistently feature what’s new and fresh.
“From seasons of the year to important shopping holidays, we always like to relate what’s going on in the world outside to the jewelry we have on our site,” she said. “This not only serves as a form of marketing, but it also keeps our clients interested and ensures they return to our site regularly. We also keep our blog updated with fashion, jewelry and designer news as well as behind-the-scenes store features. We like to think of our blog as a news source for our target clientele, and we aim to create content that will keep them coming back.”
Don’t leave your website behind in the 90s. Your customers and the Internet have moved past that time, and your business needs to as well.
Jennifer Gandia, who co-owns Greenwich Jewelers in downtown Manhattan, said one of the goals for the store’s website is to consistently feature what’s new and fresh.
“From seasons of the year to important shopping holidays, we always like to relate what’s going on in the world outside to the jewelry we have on our site,” she said. “This not only serves as a form of marketing, but it also keeps our clients interested and ensures they return to our site regularly. We also keep our blog updated with fashion, jewelry and designer news as well as behind-the-scenes store features. We like to think of our blog as a news source for our target clientele, and we aim to create content that will keep them coming back.”
Don’t leave your website behind in the 90s. Your customers and the Internet have moved past that time, and your business needs to as well.
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