Mobile Searches are Vital to Local Jewelry Stores

Mobile phones—they’re what connect users to the world, including the marketing world of business listings, advertisements and promotions. As corporations capitalize on the digital mobility of their customers, marketers have refined their retargeting capabilities so precisely that they can nab shoppers at a particular store in which they are currently browsing, using their real-time location to deliver sale information or coupons. Yet even as big-box stores and chain retailers saturate the mobile playground, the nature of mobile search algorithms and consumer review sites continually hold locally owned businesses, like jewelry stores, in their favor. The Redefined Era of Mobility A uptick in the trend of users searching for stores or products in their vicinities have proven beneficial for locally owned stores, who often may be able to infiltrate a larger range of areas with different populations, demographics and infrastructure as opposed to corporate stores. The use of the phrase “near me” in Google searches has skyrocketed 34 fold since 2011, as reported by Think with Google. Say a consumer strolling a city street needs an anniversary gift and wants to look at diamond earrings at the nearest jewelry store. When he or she includes the keywords “closest” or “nearby” in a search, it allows locally owned businesses to place themselves on the same playing field as corporate retailers. Jewelry stores can use their locations, third-party business listings, reviews and websites portraying company culture and customer service to their advantage. Rather than driving to go to the nearest cluster of corporate stores to find chain retailers, like Zales or Kay Jewelers, consumers can find local jewelry stores a couple of blocks away. Bright Local reported 38 percent of mobile users have searched for a local business at least once a month. And, as mobile capabilities are ever-increasing for users, that percentage will undoubtedly grow.

Smaller Screens, Larger Results This year, 23 percent of mobile users admit they have never used their phones to search for a local business, down from 39 percent of users who made the same statement in 2013, according to Bright Local. Even more, 61 percent of mobile users in 2015 that find a local business’ mobile site are more likely to contact the business. The concept responsible for the plethora of potential conversions equates to responsive website design, seamlessly taking a desktop website and allowing it to adjust for mobile users to see easily navigable and aesthetically appealing web pages on their typically smaller screens. Though food usually comes to mind at the thought of one dashing to search by mobile for a local company, any local business can take advantage of customer recognition on a mobile device, including jewelry stores. Local jewelry stores can engage in mobile marketing for very little funds, if any, including creating free social media accounts and business listings.  You Need a Responsive Website

• Claim your company page on Google and Yelp, as well as social media sites like Facebook. Control part of your brand by creating a Google+ page, allowing customers to leave reviews and responding positively to as many as possible, including pessimistic ones. List your business on Yelp as well, a popular site for local reviews whose monthly mobile users grew to about 83 million in one quarter, as stated by Search Engine Watch. Making social media pages for sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram allows you to portray your brand in a desirable fashion and shape how your customers see you.    

• Make searches easy for your customers. According to Google, 94 percent of people with smartphones conduct mobile searches backed with local intent. On-the-go customers want information quickly. Providing a brief menu with a call feature, store location and hours or frequently asked questions may be most helpful for hasty consumers.  

• Observe trends to use to your advantage. Increasing staff to answer phone calls during busy hours or posting images of new jewelry for upcoming holidays allows your business to cater to an influx of customers around peak traffic times and add credibility to your mobile search results. If customers know you will always answer the phone or provide updates on new inventory and promotions, they will most likely continue to use your mobile site and leave good reviews on your pages.

The Early Bird Gets the Customer     Looking out for the latest ways to reach consumers searching for a local jewelry stores can also provide greater advantages by jumping onboard early. Beacons, a technology that serves ads and content marketing to consumers when they enter a certain retail location, now allow stores to easily remarket to consumers with the greatest probability of making a purchase. As reported by Marketing Land, beacons are based on the consumer having a particular mobile app, as well as working Bluetooth and allowances for notifications from the app. The company StepsAway developed a way for guest WiFi networks to send notifications to consumers in shopping malls, eliminating the need for shoppers to have a specific app or operate their phone settings in a certain way like beacons require. In turn, jewelry stores in shopping malls can more easily reach consumers to know about sales or new pieces as they enter the door. For jewelry stores in non-mall locations, other future technologies can perhaps allow you to implement the same practices. With more consumers staring at their phone screens rather than those of desktop computers or televisions, local businesses have scrambled to get the attention of consumers among the online clutter. Staying on top of the best digital marketing methods and newest trends can help your locally owned jewelry store strengthen its connection with mobile users, drawing in more local traffic and leading to more purchases.