Oftentimes, jewelers will ask us to create a new website without knowing what websites builder or CMS they should choose. CMS stands for Content Management System. However, the answer to this question truly depends on a number of factors unique to each jeweler and their own specific needs.
With this in mind, many jewelers will select the wrong CMS. Which sets their website up for failure. Whether you want a site built to rank high on search engines out of the gate or an eCommerce platform ready to sell products from day one, we’re here to help you choose the right website design platform for you.
Shopify
First is Shopify, this increasingly popular e-commerce platform and a major contender to all e-commerce solutions. According to Shopify, over 500,000 merchants are using Shopify in some way, shape, or form! Also, over $65 billion worth of goods have been sold through the platform.
Shopify allows jewelers who want to sell their products online to:
- Set up an online store with a custom domain
- Customize your online storefront with pre-made, tweakable themes
- Accept credit card transactions
- Add social media sales channels (like Pinterest)
- Track orders
- Respond to orders
Unlike some other CMS’s, Shopify is hosted. This means they take care of hosting for you. For small business owners without any real web development experience, Shopify could be the best option. This means you’ll have to pay to use the Shopify platform itself. But this also means that most of the technical details are taken care of for you.
WordPress
Next is WordPress, this CMS is the most popular website builder currently. It has a web share of nearly 20% of all websites on the internet. This is because of its flexibility, amazing selection of themes and plugins. This website builder is a great option for businesses of all sizes and budgets.
When you create a WordPress store you will need to use WooCommerce, so you have to do two separate things:
- Install WordPress and learn the WordPress interface.
- Install and configure WooCommerce and learn the WooCommerce interface
In general, before you can start accepting orders, you’ll be responsible for:
- Finding hosting
- Installing WordPress
- Installing and configuring WooCommerce
- Finding a WooCommerce theme
- Configuring nitty-gritty details like payment gateways, tax calculations, and more. WooCommerce Services has made some of this simpler
- None of this is too daunting, and the massive WordPress community makes it easy to find help. But there’s a definite learning curve.
In short, WordPress is a fantastic website builder for businesses of all sizes but does have a significant learning curve. Once you pass the curve, it is simple, flexible, and fantastic for SEO.
Magento
Next is Magento, a popular open-source e-commerce platform. It’s used by small business and large brands alike. But it is not the easiest to customize but it is very easy to scale for both B2B and B2C businesses.
Some key features of Magento:
- Ability to create and deploy custom e-shops
- Massive marketplace stocked with website themes and useful applications
- Search engine optimization
- An easy-to-integrate shopping cart system
- Intuitive inventory system
- Multi-store support
- Integration of software tools such as a CRM, an ERP, etc
To sum up, Magento is one of the fastest growing cloud-based e-commerce platforms as well. In part, because of its customer support, user-friendliness, and flexible shopping cart system. Magento comes with some essential digital marketing features including search engine optimization and customizable user interface design.
Which Website Builder For Jewelers Should I Pick?
Lastly, if you’re still unsure of what website builder to choose, you should first consider your needs. You can ask questions like:
- Do I want to sell jewelry on my website?
- Will my website target multiple locations?
- Am I going to allow users to book appointments directly?
In short, answering all of these questions can help you make an educated decision.
However, if you’re looking for expert guidance, you may want to consider partnering with a web design team who specializes in the jewelry industry. Above all, get in touch with GemFind Digital Solutions to speak with our website builder experts!