Think consumers must come to the store for a try-before-you-buy experience? Think again. Today’s online consumer increasingly requires video and in-app communication as the beginning of any fine-jewelry-buying decision.
For nearly 20 years, the jewelry industry has expressed skepticism that consumers would buy jewelry online. Why? Because jewelry has always been sold through the experience of touching, looking, and trying it on. The truth is, most fine jewelry buying still happens in the store (over 70% of it). The difference is, try-before-you-buy now happens online. Stores that offer this online experience are in a more competitive position to see consumers in person, and close sales.
Implementing online try-before-you-buy is challenging. “For retail jewelers, creating video and photography of their inventory has been incredibly frustrating,” says Tanya Nisguretsky, CEO of Virtual Diamond Boutique (VDB). “Retailers typically lack the equipment, time, and the sophisticated knowledge about lighting and staging that are necessary to get great shots. This has really held back online selling for independent retail jewelers.”
To deliver a try-before-you-buy experience online requires video, strong images, the ability to search using visuals (rather than just words), and the ability to easily communicate with a real person at the store – all while never leaving the application. The VDB App delivers on all these points. From diamonds, to colored gemstones, to jewelry, VDB has created the technology that jewelers need to compete in today’s highly competitive retail environment.
“This is why we developed the VDB Studio,” says Tanya. “Retailers need a plug-and-play photography system that delivers the high-quality stills and video that sell luxury items. It required a lot of time and effort – and money! – to take something very complicated and make it simple-to-use while still delivering a high quality result. We did that, and then we added more exciting bells and whistles – like the capability to grab the GIA Certificate online automatically when you enter a Cert Number, or the ability to photograph a batch of photos and videos rapidly by uploading a spreadsheet and working through an entire tray of jewelry.”
With VDB Studio, jewelers can place-and-click, and achieve professional results every time.
“Today, retail jewelers cannot get consumers in the store without offering try-before-you-buy online,” added Nisguretsky. “The VDB Studio allows jewelers to update their online offering with extensive video libraries, professional-quality photography, 360-degree views, and smart integration options. The jewelry industry cannot afford to let this new era of marketing pass it by. It needs smart solutions like the VDB Studio to remain relevant to today’s digital consumer.”
VDB will demonstrate its suite of online jewelry tools at JCK Las Vegas, Gallery Bayside, Booth # L112. To learn more about the VDB Studio offering, please visit https://www.vdbapp.com.
