In recent years, shopping at online diamond stores has become the definite trend of the future. More consumers are shifting spending from physical stores to retail websites thanks to lower prices, greater convenience, broader selection and richer product information.
Expectations
The factors leading to this increase in online diamond stores have much to do with consumer expectations and how online diamonds stores have performed relative to those expectations.
Diamond shoppers are looking for diamond stores with low prices, big selection, low risk return policies, ease of shopping and responsive customer service. The growth in online diamond store sales indicates online diamond suppliers like Diamond Source of Virginia are getting high marks in all these areas.
Fears of credit card fraud used to be very high up on the list of concerns but savvy diamond shoppers now realize that reputable online diamond stores like Diamond Source of Virginia can be trusted to not only protect credit card information but deliver items ordered as promised. In fact, Diamond Source of Virginia is one of the few online companies that allow clients to examine the diamond before they purchase the diamond which is even greater protection for the consumer.
Referrals Power Growth
Like all business ventures, online diamond stores that provide a quality product at a low price and with exceptional customer service, generate considerable word of mouth referrals. This is what has powered the growth of successful retail businesses for decades and online diamond stores are no different. At Diamond Source of Virginia, over half of diamond sales are the result of referrals.
With thousands of online sites advertising diamonds and jewelry, finding the best diamond store is a challenge for any new diamond shopper. The power of the referral is that the shopper can spend their energy focused on finding the best diamond rather than finding a reliable online diamond retailer.
Save Money and Time
Online diamond stores have their greatest advantage in their ability to save diamond shoppers money and time. With a diamond ring being one of the largest purchases most shoppers will ever make, saving money is usually a top priority.
How can online diamond stores like Diamond Source of Virginia provide quality diamonds for so much less than traditional jewelry stores? The answer is that they are simply a different business model with much lower overhead. Your local diamond store has expensive retail rent, costly display cabinets, a large staff of employees, billboard and newspaper advertising, and all the costs that are associated with owning inventory (carrying costs, insurance, security, etc). Online diamond stores also have expenses but they certainly don’t have those polished marble floors, fancy display lighting, and other expenses that can not be worn out of the store.
Online diamond stores can also find diamonds with lower cost because they have many more wholesalers to pick from. Where a local jewelry store has to put their energy in trying to sell the diamonds and jewelry they have had in their display case for months and sometimes years, most online diamond stores have no inventory and only buy the diamond from the wholesaler after the consumer has purchased the diamond. At Diamond Source of Virginia we have access to hundreds of wholesalers and cutters’ inventory listings so we are able to find much better values than a jewelry store with one or two suppliers.
Most diamond shoppers also realize that time is money. Online diamonds stores make shopping convenient for busy executives, doctors and other professionals who find it a hassle to fight traffic to shop multiple local retail stores. With online diamond stores, shoppers can learn about diamonds, communicate with the experts and select the diamond that meets their shopping requirements from the comfort of their office at work, at home, hotel room or in the case of military shoppers, from an aircraft carrier or other deployment in foreign lands.
Returns and Risk
Diamond shoppers have quickly learned that the internet contains a wealth of information about how to shop for diamonds and get the best value. Before online diamond stores existed, diamond shoppers only had one source of information about diamonds and that was from the local jeweler who stood behind the counter and who generally had little competition. The increase in information and the competitive nature of online diamond stores means that a diamond shopper willing to put in a little research can end up with much higher quality at a fraction of the price that was available from traditional jewelry stores.
Because online diamonds stores know their customers have many choices of where to buy their diamonds, the best online diamond stores will go out of their way to provide the best customer service possible, including easy return policies.
At Diamond Source of Virginia, we encourage clients to take the diamond to an independent appraiser if they want another opinion before they purchase. If our client does not like the diamond, they simply return it at no expense to them. We are constantly amazed at shoppers who are afraid of purchasing from an online diamond store yet will walk into a local jewelry store and purchase a non-certified diamond because the jeweler has marked it down 50%. We are even more amazed that the thought never crosses their mind to take their diamond to an independent appraiser before they buy it.
The Buying Experience
Unless you drive up to a local jewelry store in an expensive car and are wearing a suit, do not expect to get the VIP treatment. We are constantly amazed at the stories our clients tell of being rudely treated by jewelry store employees, especially if the diamond shopper is wearing casual clothes. Even worse than the pushy or rude salesman are the people behind the jewelry counter who are minimum wage employees with no real diamond experience or training.
With online diamond stores like Diamond Source of Virginia, every customer has access to a diamond expert and is treated as a valued friend. Online diamond stores have their business designed to quickly offer a wide variety of diamond options and to be able to provide education as to which are going to be the best based on the customer’s shopping requirements. Online stores focus their energy on finding the best diamond for the client rather than trying to sell the client the diamond they have in their display case and is probably greater than the client’s budget.
It is no wonder that online diamond stores are growing and taking diamond business away from traditional jewelry stores because they offer better diamonds, lower prices, more convenient shopping and a more friendly shopping experience.