This year’s Design Atelier is full of gems.
The Smart Lab: Have You Been Reviewed Yet?
If not, you’re missing out on the chance to increase your store’s online visibility and set yourself apart from competitors, writes Emmanuel Raheb.

With the rise of online shopping and our passionate love affair with search engines, a strong internet presence is essential for the prosperity of any business, big or small. So much so that it’s pretty well understood that the lack of one is just as dated as calling an operator or using dial-up internet service.
So why, we ask, is the importance of online reviews not as ubiquitous as having your own URL?
Even if you have a 100,000-square-foot building in the center of a major city with consumers singing your praises outside your door each day, nothing beats the reach of the internet.
To help you, below are a few reasons why online reviews are a must for your business this year.
1. As social media continues to define a new way of communicating, it also changes the idea of who qualifies as a friend, or a stranger for that matter. The internet allows us to befriend someone we’ve never met before and find some sort of connection with them.
This especially relates to the idea of online reviews. As we read them, we instantly channel our involvement in the community of the internet and relate to the writers of those reviews; we develop trust in their opinions. All of a sudden, a complete stranger impacts our decision to patronize, or walk away from, a company.
Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes the internet to raise a business, so why not join in and help it grow?
2. Given the importance an internet presence has on a business, it also, first and foremost, qualifies the legitimacy of your business.
With companies popping up every second, it’s hard sometimes to trust that the small online company you’re giving your card information to is real. We’ve all seen online examples of companies with no photos or personal touch to their internet presences and have been suspicious.
But the support of online reviews documenting real experiences helps let consumers know that you’re an official business making official transactions.
3. With businesses increasing in number every day, there’s no shortage of options for consumers.
And that’s where reviews come into play, as they’re a great way to set yourself apart from competitors.
While your services or products may be similar to another local business, each customer is unique and, by extension, each customer experience is also unique. Opening yourself up to online reviews allows those good experiences to be recorded and could be the reason why your business gets chosen over another.
4. Another obvious reason to open up your business to review platforms is that it increases your visibility.
Oftentimes, when searching for any type of business, some of the first pages that pop up right below the company’s actual website are review sites.
Search engine algorithms understand their importance and rank them up high for consumers to easily find.
Having your business open to one or a couple review platforms expands your presence and allows for multiple URLs to be a representation of your work, not just your website.
Search engines favor original content, and as personal reviews are as original as they get, they’re a great way to boost your rankings in their algorithms.
5. Most importantly, however, is that online reviews are free marketing.
In this age of endless blogs and Instagram posts, it’s pretty obvious: people love sharing their opinions.
And we, as consumers hungry for personal stories, love reading others’ opinions. So why not take advantage of that and join the club?
The Latest

They’re a testament to the power of excellent design.

This year’s honorees include one of Florida’s largest independent jewelers and two multi-store independents in the Chicago and New York areas.

The most trusted diamond report, available in print or the GIA App.

The industry’s most influential contemporary designers are showcasing their latest jewelry designs.


Created by Maitri Lab-Grown Diamonds and graded by IGI, it’s slightly bigger than the record-setting lab-grown diamond GIA just examined.

The marketing agency has integrated its first C-suite.

Navigate origin determination with Continuing Education seminars offered by the GIA Alumni Collective™.

The jewelry trade show also will debut educational content centered around social media.

Luxury kicks off today, with the full show in swing on Friday.

One of the three new collections was inspired by the legend of a woman who traded her mansion to Cartier for two strands of natural pearls.

Rob Ballew will be tasked with communicating the jewelry giant’s plans and financial performance to investors.

With the app, customers receive a 15-day insurance offer on new purchases while their coverage needs are being evaluated.

It is in House of Showfields, a bazaar-style retail space in the borough’s Williamsburg neighborhood.

From consumer trends to retail technology, these are the JCK Talks sessions that should be on attendees’ radar.

Signature pieces from Cartier and David Webb will appear in the June jewelry auction.

They will be celebrated at the annual dinner dance and gala in the fall.

Gemologists have long used machines in diamond grading but technology has made it possible for them to “learn” how to do it on their own.

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by IGI

Watch retailers Jeffery Bolling and Bobby Bengivengo discuss employee training, customer education and the sticky subject of future value.

The company has plans to revamp the Movado brand and offer less expensive watches this year.

Set with a 118-carat unheated Sri Lankan sapphire, it just sold for $3.4 million at Phillips jewelry auction in Hong Kong.

Sponsored by Noam Carver

As cybercrime incidents threaten the industry, jewelers need to know what they’re up against and the best ways to protect their businesses.

The Pittsburgh jeweler is redoing the lighting and showcases, and adding a full hospitality bar as well as new shop-in-shops.

The Yurman Family Crystalline Pass is inside the museum’s brand-new Richard Gilder Center.

Zale has more than 40 years’ experience in the diamond industry, including 17 years as Stuller’s VP of diamonds and gemstones procurement.