It’s the Signet-owned banner’s first location in Georgia.
The PR Adviser: Dear Lilian
Lilian Raji took a break from her spectacular Italian vacation to help a jeweler in Barbados who’s looking to redesign her website.
![Lilian Raji is a strategic marketing and public relations adviser who helps luxury lifestyle brands sell more products to luxury buyers. 2016_Lilian-Raji-new.jpg](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/4c353b0e4179197f20dd872d4ce88ed6.jpg)
Dear Lilian,
Many thanks for your informative articles.
I have decided after 17 years to do a new website. My current website is lovely but not interactive. I want this site to be really user friendly, require use of a password in order to view collections and have awesome photography.
I have two shops in Barbados and would like the website visitors to have an “interactive” experience when on the site. Most people are seeing your website before your shop. How can I get the private- jeweller-of-Barbados feel on a website?
Heather Harrington Jones
----------
Hello Heather,
Hopefully, you and my wonderful readers are having a fantastic summer! I write to you now from the breathtaking shores of Capri, which the Italians have ardently informed me is pronounced KAH-pree.
It’s only fitting your email is my next focus as I’ve heard Barbados’ shores are just as spectacular!
I, and my dear friend Christina Hagopian of Hagopian Ink, have reviewed your website. Christina’s business is ensuring that the first impression her luxury clients’ receive is that they deserve whatever price tag they command.
Let’s start with your website’s biggest problem; this far outweighs your website’s lack of interactivity because, as it currently stands, your website can’t be found organically.
In April 2015, Google introduced major changes to their ranking system. Google declared that if a website doesn’t look good on mobile devices, well, gosh darn it, it’s not good enough to acknowledge! Christina spent early 2015 getting her clients’ websites updated, and this is what you must do.
As you’re evaluating web designers, the first question you must ask--repeat after me, dear--are you fluent on everything that will make Google happy with my site?
Next, your desire to be positioned as the private jeweler of Barbados is commendable. A strong positioning serves as a shield against competitors.
However, I assure you your customers care less about you being the private jeweler of BARBADOS, and more about you being THE PRIVATE JEWELER of Barbados. They care more about what you offer and less about your location.
“Your jewelry needs to be front and center,” Christina recommends. “Make Barbados secondary to your primary purpose, which is providing an elite selection of jewelry they can’t find anywhere else.”
To do this, you may have to reconsider password-protecting your site.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of making customers feel special with invitation-only access.
Christina and I differ on which luxury website offers the most inspiring design. Christina is all-American with Tiffany & Co. And I, who’s never seen a flute of Taittinger (or any other French product for that matter) I didn’t immediately want, j’aime Cartier.
We’re both right for different reasons. Albeit, for a budget less than a tenth of Cartier’s annual earnings, Tiffany’s website is your better muse.
What we want you to notice on Tiffany’s site, first and foremost, is the white background.
“You want a white background because jewelry shows up best on white,” Christina advises. “Black is a very difficult color to work with in web design.”
Christina recommends banner imagery for your home page. Banners spread across a browser’s full width, and when properly designed, welcome in visitors. They highlight immediately your unique positioning while luring visitors deeper into the site.
Integrate Barbados by using subtle allusions to your island. Perhaps conduct a photo shoot with your vendors’ jewelry elegantly styled on beach sands. Or have a woman wearing your vendors’ gems standing before an exquisite golden sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.
If you don’t want to invest in a photo shoot, ask your vendors to provide you with high-resolution images. For your home page, include a few revolving banner images from brands exclusive to you. Make sure you prominently note somewhere on those images “Available exclusively at Heather Harrington Jones.”
Your vendors, Doves by Doron Paloma, Mattioli, and Oromalia, all have gorgeous pictures on their home pages they might be willing to provide in exchange for photography credit. I personally love Vendorafa Italy’s home page image of jewelry-as-leaves. It tells a million stories, all of which end with “what else is available from Vendorafa?”
After your home page shows them a bit of leg, the rest of your site should whisper “come hither,” with “hither” being your “Contact Us” page.Hmm … is it just a coincidence that I’m referencing mostly your Italian vendors, or have I drank one too many Limoncellos here on the Caeser Augustus hotel terrace to see anything other than prodotti di Italia?
Perhaps that’s a question best answered after another Chianti.
Back to your website.
The very essence of creating an experiential site is to evoke emotion from visitors. Emotions are the quintessence of luxury.
Your new website’s job, Heather, love, is to tease potential customers with products extraordinarily different from other Barbadian jewelers--products exclusive only to you.
After your home page shows them a bit of leg, the rest of your site should whisper “come hither,” with “hither” being your “Contact Us” page.
Use your “About Us” page to declare your ties to Barbados. Have fun with a Barbados-inspired photo shoot, where you serve as supermodel in stunning jewelry. Match your photos with a personal testimony as to why you love the island.
Your “Designers” page requires a white background. Multiple images set on a black background are visually disruptive. Luxury is all about ease. Make things easy on the eyes.
Christina and I highly recommend featuring more than two products on your vendors’ individual pages. Give your potential customers something to lust after. If they’re not already familiar with Tagliamonte, two random images won’t solicit a call with their Centurion card number to get your latest Tagliamonte exclusive.
We recommend at least six to eight product images per vendor. Plan on updating images monthly so customers have reason to come back to your site regularly.
Assuming you’re not planning an e-commerce site, still allow customers to click through your vendors’ product images. The subsequent page should feature an enlarged image, product name or number, and description.
Because you are not selling online, rather than listing prices, use “Contact us for pricing.” The name and/or number will make it easier to know which item is being summoned to your customer’s jewelry collection.
Lastly, create a monthly email newsletter and encourage all site visitors to subscribe. A newsletter as simple as “what Heather found this month” will do, with a picture of your recently discovered gem and the designer’s bio. Mind you, “recently discovered” is subjective, so don’t feel you have to be on a monthly hunt for something new to feature. Last year is more recent than five years ago!
Now darling Heather, this is where I must leave you. I saw a gorgeous Damiani ring in Quisisana Hotel’s lobby showcase yesterday on my way to their pool and I must now contact them for pricing.
Thank you, Christina, for your contributions.
Ciao bello, beloved readers. Until next month--and please send me your pressing PR and marketing questions!
Lilian Raji is a strategic marketing and public relations adviser who helps luxury lifestyle brands sell more products to luxury buyers. Send questions for The PR Adviser to nationaljeweler@lmrpr.com or contact her at lilian@lmrpr.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
The Latest
![These “Double Loop” earrings feature a drop-cut amethyst sitting atop the lower hoop, totaling 1.60 carats between both earrings. The hoops are made of silver covered in “pistacchio” colored enamel, while 9-karat yellow gold holds the stones in place and connect the two hoops behind the earlobe ($1,770). Bea Bongiasca’s Double Loop Earrings](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/f338ef6b4603be3c97765f833b831ca0.jpg)
Commemorate “brat summer” with these green hoops.
![The skyline of downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Jewelers of America held one of its Multifacted Learning Workshops there on July 17 and National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff tagged along. Stock image of Providence, Rhode Island, skyline](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/4ec5b02d4cbaaaa2283bdcf6820950a4.jpg)
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff returns from Rhode Island with thoughts about in-store shopping and a trends report.
![Untitled design.jpg](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/583fbcb2bb839782810080debef35d3c.jpg)
As the demand for lab-grown diamond jewelry may still be increasing, the most notable change we are likely to see is price stabilization.
Sponsored by Gemological Institute of America
![](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/99a46b30cc354962ac2e29ecd113587a.jpg)
![A shot of the Venetia diamond mine in South Africa, owned by De Beers Group. The diamond miner and marketer saw revenue drop 21 percent and rough diamond sales decline 20 percent in a “weak” market for diamonds. De Beers’ Venetia diamond mine](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/a1f16ceaaba662e80385166060d192a7.jpg)
Lab-grown diamond sales in the United States and ongoing economic challenges in China are impacting natural diamond demand.
A longtime member of IJO, she’s remembered for her passion for design, learning, and environmentalism.
![1872 x 1052 Gemolite.jpg](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/9d60901b44425a53b9010301897a3bbc.jpg)
GIA®’s most advanced microscope has new features to optimize greater precision and comfort.
![A malachite and diamond bracelet from Pomellato’s “Pom Pom Dot” collection, launched earlier this year. Pomellato and Boucheron were bright spots for Kering in an otherwise underwhelming first half of the year. Pomellato Malachite Pom Pom Dot bracelet](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/3c237b62e009742fc52487097daf3c5a.jpg)
The gains come amid a tough time for parent company Kering, which saw sales slide 11 percent in the first half of the year.
![Volunteers and Shane Co.’s corporate team from all 22 locations of the family-owned jewelry chain have begun packing backpacks with school supplies for teachers to distribute to their students this school year. Shane Co. and the Kids in Need foundation logo](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/1c5abfb36ec775724f014f47bfbb47fc.jpg)
The fine jewelry retailer filled backpacks with back-to-school essentials for students in 13 states.
![A shot from the advertising campaign for LVMH-owned Bulgari’s “Eden the Garden of Wonders” high jewelry collection. LVMH’s jewelry and watch sales slipped in the first half of the fiscal year. Bulgari high jewelry campaign](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/c24eb75ca8cea44d2e9859648f4a98ee.jpg)
Tiffany & Co. is focusing on its “iconic” collections while the company has made changes at the top at TAG Heuer and Hublot.
![Chaumet, a Parisian jeweler owned by LVMH, has designed the Olympic and Paralympic Games medals. Chaumet Paris 2024 Olympics medals](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/7831b3a738baddfc7d783e6df0fbf796.jpg)
The Parisian brand is the first jewelry company in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to design the medals.
![The acquisition of Union Life & Casualty by Jewelers Mutual will help strengthen both the pawn market and the insurance industry, said JM. Jewelers Mutual and Union Life and Casualty logos](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/195925667226ecfc51b4e1bb09607143.jpg)
Union Life & Casualty will join JM Insurance Agency Partners, expanding the provider’s pawnbroker coverage.
![The winner of this year’s Lonia Tate scholarship, Bradlei Smith will receive the opportunity to earn her Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA and, following graduation, an internship at Ben Bridge Jeweler in Seattle. Bradlei Smith](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/996834935ae30a7a1195db8b9db6cb7d.jpg)
Los Angeles-based Bradlei Smith was selected for this year’s award.
![Peter Smith is an industry consultant, speaker, sales trainer, and author. He can be reached via email at TheRetailSmiths@gmail.com. National Jeweler columnist Peter Smith](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/bec7295a7f478778b1c196e6d81e7cd9.jpg)
In his latest column, Smith shares multiple reasons why people who look at the glass as being hall full often make better salespeople.
![De Beers Group mined 6.4 million carats of diamonds in the second quarter of 2024, down from 7.6 million in the same period last year. (©De Beers Group/Photo credit: Ben Perry @ Armoury Films) De Beers rough diamond display](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/80cd02b1c8384f4b2efda0bcdf6a75e1.jpg)
The company also reported the $150 million sale of an iron ore royalty right, part of its ongoing effort to divest “non-core” assets.
![In honor of its summer bridal event, Long’s Jewelers is partnering with Wequassett Resort and Golf Club on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and jewelry brand JB Star on a vacation giveaway. Long’s Jewelers giveaway promo](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/4e7a90944c4e8875a4f3818dbe26b28b.jpg)
The giveaway is part of the New England jeweler’s summer bridal event.
![L.A.-based flower designer, Sophia Moreno-Bunge models Guzema’s “Hidden Beauty” collection in front of a garden in Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, California. Sophia Moreno-Bunge of Isa Isa modeling Guzema’s Hidden Beauty collection](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/6f3822623eb7fd2f6468f82825194cb1.jpg)
The ad features three celebrity florists creating floral sculptures while wearing jewelry by Guzema.
![The Entrepreneurship Grants program supports winners with financial aid to scale their businesses and increase their societal impact, said Diamonds Do Good. Pictured here are three of the 13 winners, top right is Tresia Shituula, and bottom row left to right, are Monkgogi Moshaga and Mohamed Samu. Tresia Shituula, Monkgogi Moshaga, Mohamed Samu](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/a7c9b87301b76a9446f6522747ce5b95.jpg)
The grant provided a total of $100,000 to support 13 entrepreneurs from diamond communities in Africa and India.
![Ghazi Osta, better known as Gus, was the owner and president of Volusia Gold & Diamond, a store he and his wife, Leigh Osta, opened in 1986. He was shot and killed inside the store Friday afternoon after a brief argument with a regular customer. (Photo courtesy of Volusia Gold & Diamond Facebook page) Ghazi “Gus” Michel Osta](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/c8c1fa3df746cbd364915a98dcac9d21.jpg)
Ghazi Michel Osta, or “Gus,” was killed Friday by an 83-year-old man said to be a frequent customer at his store, Volusia Gold & Diamond.
![Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez (left) is the Responsible Jewellery Council’s new head of North American development, and Effie Marinos is its new specialist advisor for technical standards. Elyssa Jenkins-Perez and Effie Marinos](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/94332af0c7a776e7a8c36fabf76baa5f.jpg)
The organization also announced Effie Marinos as its new specialist advisor for technical standards, as well as four other appointments.
![Karen Rentmeesters, who joined the Antwerp World Diamond Centre in 2010, will take on the role of CEO. Karen Rentmeesters](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/3256fcc71cd43a399055c61f68486269.jpg)
Rentmeesters has served as interim CEO since April following former CEO Ari Epstein’s resignation.
![Longtime Washington, D.C., jeweler Brian Mann (right) with his wife Jessie Mann, an artist who custom-paints porcelain Limoges Boxes, at a 2016 Jewelers of America member event. Mann, the longtime co-owner of David Mann Jewelers, died June 21 at age 70. Brian and Jessie Mann](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/be4debc6e0b3198943a66ef0e2197c2c.jpg)
Mann, whose family’s jewelry store was located inside the Pentagon, is remembered for being a thoughtful champion of the industry.
![The 1916 Company recently opened a new Tudor boutique in Denver’s Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Tudor store in Denver](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/9f8600ea53ed731963331ebd28a10d16.jpg)
The 500-square-foot boutique is located in Denver’s Cherry Creek Shopping Center.
![This necklace from Messika’s “So Move Max” set is made of yellow gold with 19.18-carats of brilliant-cut diamonds and designed with circle motifs that move within the links (price upon request). Messika’s So Move Max Necklace](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/14c78af4a4e8c6b996a81bbb5a5bc69f.jpg)
Dance all night long with the “So Move Max” set’s necklace.
![On Sept. 1, Julien Tornare (left), current CEO of TAG Heuer, will become CEO of Hublot. Antoine Pin, now the general manager of Bulgari’s watch business, will take over Tornare’s role as CEO of TAG Heuer. (Images courtesy of LinkedIn) Julien Tornare and Antoine Pin](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/b24627b34ece895ddd254bae22751fb8.jpg)
Luxury giant LVMH is reshuffling the leadership in its watches division.
![A rendering of a billboard from Etsy’s new campaign. The campaign is designed to highlight the platform’s creators and how their products are made. Etsy billboard rendering in NYC](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/9a94f394f326b90dc1c9da6a711c5e09.jpg)
Sellers and shoppers have spoken out against a rise in mass-produced merchandise on the platform meant to highlight handmade goods.