Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Thanks for this info.  This is why we`re doing the re-design of the whole checkout process - those are the little problems that need to be fixed.  As for the error message "Please select at least one item to check out",  you are getting that because you need to check the checkbox to the left of the item in the cart to select them for the checkout process.  This allows you to choose only the jewelry designs that you want to purchase while leaving the rest in your shopping cart for later purchase.  

Roland,  

Thank you for your comments and for taking the time in viewing the website.  I have forwarded your comments about the CSS to the web designers.  We`re going to incorporate SEO into the re-design.  Feel free to email me more comments anytime.  

I think your jewelry is very nice, however, there is a reason that jewerly is almost always dispalyed against a dark, rich color (However, I forgot why since I don`t work in the jewelry field.  I think it was to set off the brilliance and sparkle more.)  Seems like the colors are black, deep blue, and deep red.

 

I was also unimpressed with the store front.  No image appeared and it was just the thumbnails.  Also, expensive jewelry is not something I would buy over the internet.  I want to try on several styles, wear it, see the sparkle, and see the eyes of my boyfriend when they how much it costs. 

There are a lot of diamond and jewelry stores that use a light or white background.

A quick search on diamonds and jewelry found these:
http://www.diamondsafe.com/diamonds.asp

http://www.diamonds-usa.com/

http://www.helzberg.com/home.do

http://www.barskydiamonds.com/

www.arthursjewelers.com

http://www.gordonsjewelers.com/

www.zales.com

 

Shopping online for high ticket jewelry does demand a high degree of trust to be built between the seller and buyer. One way to help is to have a good return policy and good customer service and help with the purchase process like an online chat feature or telephone number the potential buyer can call to ask any questions about selecting the prefect jewelry item.

 

CascadeStar does have a return policy similar the the major jewelry stores (30 days). You might make that more prominent "30 day money back guarantee" or something like that...plus have real customer testimonials to assure potential buyers that this is a safe purchase.

 

~Roland

Natalie,

Thanks for your response.  I am surprised that you did not see the large image on the left.  What browser and platform are you on?  I would appreciate that info.

Regarding your concerns about purchasing expensive jewelry on the website, that appears to be the most common issue that puts Cascade Star at a disadvantage compared to bricks & mortar retailers.  As Roland pointed out, we try to overcome this disadvantage by offering a friendly no-questions-asked return policy and excellent customer service.  In our re-design, we`re going to offer intensive education on jewelry buying, jewelry manufacturing, and jewelry care.  I think that the biggest advantage over retail stores that may overcome your concerns is the fact that we offer far better value than any retail store.  For example, if you see something on our website for $2,000, you can expect to pay at least $4,000 for a similar design at a retail store (just compare the total diamond carat size and gold weight to get an apples-to-apples comparison).   

When folks say that they would prefer to buy from retail stores because they can try on and wear it, I often point out that they would be paying a healthy premium for that privilege (not to mention dealing with less-than-honest salespeople in some cases).  With our return policy, you can try out and wear it and return it within 30 days for any reason.  The only difference is that you have to go through FedEx instead of burning shoe leather and as you probably know, your purchase has ironclad protection through your credit card with a maximum of $50 liability.  

We launched our re-designed website a few weeks ago.  We have made a lot of changes to the front-end, especially in the product page.  Let me know if the time and money were well worth spent on the re-design project.  Thanks!

Cascade:

 

I viewed the site from the first posting and it lacks color and drama. I understand that you have high end jewelry; diamonds etc. which are clear, bright and sparkling but you need some color within the site to have these pieces pop out and still look high end. There is definitely a difference between how you display in a brick and mortar store, which would be on a white or light background, and how the work should be displayed on the internet. Black can suck the color out of a piece in person, but this might work on the internet. I would give it a try.

 

Colleen