Let the
games begin!
News reports are calling for a Holiday shopping season
that is at least as good as last year's, if not better. From initial
feedback, things seem to be going
well.
We've got the
Canvas
Tote and the Thelli
Bag back in stock. Both are good quality and have proven themselves
great sellers.
Check out the
Tucson Blowout pages. We've added new rings,
earrings,
necklaces
and pendants
over the past couple of weeks. Great prices, beautiful designs.
These are terrific value, especially considering the recent
increases in the price of silver!
Article: To
Web or Not to Web?
So the internet
has been around a while now, and the dazzling growth rates of the
early years have leveled off somewhat.
We all know that this Holiday millions of shoppers will spend billions
of dollars online. Recent numbers say something like 46% of all US
shoppers will make at least one Holiday purchase online.
Maybe you've
thought about getting a website, and maybe you've even done so with
limited success. Is it really worth it to build a site and maintain
it? You can now find web site hosting for under $30 per month with
lots of bells and whistles like ecommerce capability and merchant
services (credit card processing).
The most important
part of starting a website having a strategy. You should consider
several issues when making a decision to start a website for your
company. What is the ultimate goal of your site? How much time and
money are you willing to spend?
For most businesses,
selling retail products on the web is a difficult proposition. At
last count there were more than 45 million websites on the internet.
Add to the mix ultra-competitive sites like Ebay, Amazon.com and
Overstock.com, and it can be difficult to generate enough traffic
to make any money. For this reason, many brick and mortar stores
use their website as a means of promoting the store itself rather
than as a vehicle for online sales.
Keep it simple:
showing your hours of operation, store location, upcoming specials
or events, a list of products, and photos of merchandise can be
a great way for customers to find your business. More importantly,
the website can serve as a means for repeat customers to find out
what's new and exciting at the shop. Of course, this also means
updating the site regularly.
Ten years ago,
you needed to know html in order to build a site. Now most web hosting
companies offer an interface that allows you to make most or all
of the additions to your site through a browser like Internet Explorer.
This user-friendly software often comes bundled with the cost of
monthly site hosting. Often a web hosting company will have several
options for hosting, including initial set up, ecommerce, newsletter
management, site stats, merchant services, etc. Often it is best
to have an experienced designer do the initial set up so the overall
look of the site is attractive and functional. After the site is
up and running, updates can be done quickly and easily once you
get the hang of the software.
We started indiasilver.com
in 1996 with a shoe string budget and a small product line. With
much less competition back then, we were able to place in the top
ten for search terms like "wholesale silver jewelry" and
"hanging lanterns." Eight years and thousands of dollars
later we are still generally in the top ten for these search terms,
but it is a laborious and ever-changing proposition to stay above
the masses.
Which brings
us back to the original idea of having a strategy. If you are hoping
to start a retail site from scratch that competes with the big dogs,
you better have deep pockets. If on the other hand you want to use
the site to augment the business you already do face to face, then
your website can be a relatively inexpensive and effective proposition.
As the site grows in popularity, you may even want to start selling
online. The key to a successful site is all in the planning.
December
Birthstone: Blue Topaz
Topaz
comes in many colors: blue, yellow, pink, brown, green and clear.
Orange-red "Imperial" topaz is the rarest.
Topaz
has a hardness of 8. As with all gems, protect topaz from scratches
and sharp blows. Also avoid large temperature changes (don't leave
topaz near a heater vent or in a hot car).
Do
not clean topaz in a home ultrasonic cleaner. The best way to clean
topaz is warm soapy water. Clear topaz is commonly irradiated and
heat treated to become blue. Yellow and brown topaz is often heat
treated to become pink topaz, since natural pink topaz is extremely
rare.
Reputable
dealers will not use the following misleading terms: "Bohemian Topaz",
"Madeira Topaz" and "Occidental topaz" are really yellow quartz
(also known as citrine). "Nevada topaz" is really smoky obsidian.
"Spanish topaz" is really orange-brown quartz. Topaz is found in
Africa, Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Russia, and USA (Colorado, Maine and Utah).
Highlights
of the Site
New
Arrivals section has all the latest goodies.
Blue
Topaz is the birthstone of the month,
New additions to the Tucson Blowout rings,
earrings,
necklaces
and pendants
Lots of new CLOSEOUTS!!!!
The next few
weeks are the biggest of the year for most of us. We at Whirled
Planet would like to wish you a safe, happy and prosperous Holiday
Season.
Aloha,
Mike McGinnis
Whirled Planet
808-822-2335 tel.
888-408-0072 toll free (US only)
http://indiasilver.com/index.asp
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December Special:
$7
off orders over $200
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New Arrivals:
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5
Stone Fancy Earring
Part of the Tucson Blowout earrings. Beautiful chandelier
like design. Can't beat this price: $9.50
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Faceted
Stones Pendant
Eight faceted stones set in handmade silver
setting. Gorgeous design, just $9.25
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Square
Jali Ring
Hand carved design on each of these elegant
rings. With nice faceted stone, just $4.35
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Our Promise:
You may return any item for any reason.
We have a no-questions-asked policy. If you get something
you don't like, for any reason, just send it back!
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About Us:
All our silver jewelry is guaranteed sterling (at
least 92.5% silver), and whenever possible each piece is
stamped to indicate this. All our stones are genuine.
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Questions:
Please
visit our
FAQ page for questions about shipping, ordering, payment
methods, etc.
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Archives:
Visit
our past newsletters archived online by clicking here.
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