Selling jewelry is a great way to start an online boutique. Jewelry is relatively inexpensive for you to buy. And they’re an attractive purchase for shoppers looking to upgrade their wardrobe on a regular basis.
Depending on the quality of the items you select, they can also have high perceived value. Which means you can price your jewelry to make even more profit.
Every boutique owner wants to have frequent customers. And the great thing about jewelry is that (compared to clothing) it is easier for shoppers to spend on and get more of.
So if you’ve been wondering how to start your own online jewelry boutique, then you’re in the right place.
There are four things you should focus on as you launch. So in this blog post, we’ll explain why each is important and how they work together to help you successfully launch the online jewelry boutique you’ve been dreaming of.
Identifying Your Target Customer for Your Online Boutique
Before you can hope to sell any products when starting an online boutique —but especially jewelry— you have to know who you’re selling to. Your customer is the most important person to your business. So you should be framing everything about your online jewelry boutique around them.
When you can identify your target customer, then you’ll have clarity and confidence in every decision you make as you launch and grow your online boutique: from what to name it all the way to where you do your marketing.
Most new boutique owners skip this step and wonder why they struggle to make sales. But (because you’re reading this blog post) that won’t be you!
Now exactly sure how to identify your target customer? Read this post to learn more.
Buying the Right Inventory For Your Online Jewelry Boutique
When it comes to selling jewelry online, there are so many different styles to consider. Customers might be shopping for a certain event like bridal jewelry or formal jewelry. Or maybe they have more niche tastes like vintage jewelry or bohemian-inspired jewelry.
Other customers might be more attracted to dainty jewelry or beaded jewelry or jewelry made with natural stones.
When starting an online jewelry boutique, it’s important to have the right styles or mix of styles when you buy inventory for your online jewelry boutique. And that’s all determined by how clear you are on your target customer!
Once you know what to buy, you definitely need to find a great vendor (and have any permits you need to be able to buy wholesale inventory).
But you also have to understand how to buy that inventory. And how many items to buy with your first order. You don’t want to get saddled with more products than you can sell or have space for in your living room or garage.
That means setting a budget so that you don’t overspend. It’s tempting to want to get as much inventory as possible but it’s always a good plan to start with a manageable amount and see what sells. That way you’ll know what jewelry styles to reinvest in.
Then creating collections so that customers are more likely to purchase multiple items every time they place an order from your online boutique. And pricing your accessories correctly so that when a shopper does make a purchase, you actually make a profit.
Because if you don’t make a profit, you won’t be in business for long. A good business needs reliable cash flow where the income is significantly more than its expenses.
So you need to have a healthy profit margin on every one of your products.
Buying inventory shouldn’t be overwhelming! Learn how to buy correctly so you can confidently place your first inventory order.
Creating Your Online Boutique Website
Once you get clear on your target customer, and understand more about how to buy inventory, the next step in starting an online jewelry boutique is all about presentation.
First impressions count, so your website will be an important step in convincing a customer that they should shop with you. It’s all about trust. Just because you’re a new boutique doesn’t mean it has to look like it.
Professional quality photos will definitely help here too!
Shopping online means you can’t just drop into a store and try something on. So it will be very important to have photos that showcase every product in it’s best light. It’s easier to shop when you have enough information to make a decision. So being able to actually see the true colors and details goes a long way in guiding a customer to the shopping cart.
Now once you have quality images, you want to think about your complete website.
Websites can cost thousands of dollars. But platforms like Shopify have made creating a functional and beautiful website more accessible than ever. And with half of shoppers using their phones to make purchases, you also want to make sure your website is mobile responsive.
Once you have the right photos and website design, you’ll want to create captivating product descriptions that make your products stand out. Remember, customers need the right information to make a purchasing decision.
With your website complete, the next step is marketing.
Marketing Your Online Jewelry Boutique
Once you have everything else in place but if no one knows your jewelry boutique exists, you’ll never make a sale. That’s why knowing how to market your online boutique is so important.
You can use social media, run paid ads, work with online influencers and so much more.
But deciding on which strategy to use will be based on how well you understand your target customer. That will help you know which platforms and tactics you should spend your time and money on.
And the first step to marketing is actually setting aside a budget.
Every online boutique owner should have a consistent budget every month that is allocated to marketing. That’s the only way you will be able to get the word out about your business.
And be able to get strangers to visit your website and spend their money with you.
It doesn’t have to be thousands of dollars either. Even sending a product to an influencer, Youtuber or blogger could be a cost that you budget every month. But it’s important that you always have some money dedicated to marketing for growth.
Your job as an online boutique owner is to get as many people as possible to see what you have for sale every single day. The more website visitors or traffic that you have, the higher the likelihood that someone will become a buyer.
Starting an online jewelry boutique is exciting! And there’s a lot to do before your idea can become a business.
But if you follow these steps and get the resources you need to learn how to do it correctly—especially if you haven’t sold anything online before, then you can make progress really quickly.
What’s Next
The journey doesn’t end here! If you are hungry for more guidance on steering your online boutique toward success, I’ve got something special for you.
Dive into my free video training: How to Launch (and Grow!) Your Dream Online Boutique So You Can Leave Corporate Life Behind… (Without Taking *Forever* To Figure It All Out On Your Own!)
This training introduces my proven system that helps you make sales from Day 1. So, grab a seat, soak in the knowledge, and let’s elevate your online boutique game to new heights.
And the best part? It’s an on demand training — that means you can watch it on your own time!
Click here to sign up to get free video training and turn your boutique dreams into a thriving reality!