A Window of Opportunity – Parisian Inspiration
© by Dawn Woodward; all rights reserved.
Following a recent “inspiration gathering” visit to the wonderful city of Paris, I am still awe-struck and dreamy at the utter beauty of the jewellery shop window displays I encountered there.
The Inspiration
Elegant glass and a feather boa lend Dawn's jewelry a French flair.
The little independent shops, with windows displaying beautiful French costume jewellery on stacked cushions, layered fabric and lace tablecloths, backdrops of French toile – all very theatrically staged – simply stunning!
The creativity and sheer prettiness of the designs really did get me thinking about how I could give my customers that feeling of being transported to streets of Paris when they visit my online shop.
So being the sort of person who doesn’t mind where she gets her good ideas from, I got to work at redesigning my website home page to give that Parisian “Je ne sais quoi”!
I decided that whilst my products would lend themselves well to that style of display, I really did need to get some stunning lifestyle type shots to set the scene for my shop.
Customers needed to know that it’s not just beautiful jewellery and accessories that I sell, I also sell that fabulous feeling of shopping in an exclusive and very luxurious designer boutique – perhaps in Paris, London or New York – but definitely a world away from their own front rooms!
To achieve this look, I needed the help of a few friends.
A flower, a mysterious model, and a beautiful necklace set the mood for Dawn's online shop window.
The Photoshoot
I knew that, whilst I am good at what I do, my photography skills would not yet be sufficient to allow me to achieve the sort of pictures I wanted. And similarly, I know that I’m no model (sadly!).
Enter two of my friends, one an amateur photographer, the other an amateur model – who, on the promise of a nice lunch and perhaps a piece of jewellery each, agreed to help me for the day in producing my new shop front, my home page gallery.
It was a brilliant day. The three of us worked extremely well together and and at one point all declared that we had each been born to make, photograph, and model such beautiful jewellery.
blue jeweled pendant A sparkling blue jeweled pendant rests against lace-edged fabric in Dawn's online shop.
The Result:
Peek into a Parisian Shop Window
from Your Computer Chair
The end result was a wonderful collection of photographs, which really did speak volumes about what I am trying to achieve with my site, and reminds me of those wonderful days in Paris.
What’s more, it cost me very little to achieve, and the feedback I receive from customers is that they really enjoyed the experience of visiting my shop!
This has given me the confidence to really start to market my site and drive traffic through the door – after all , it’s usually the shop’s window which tempts us to go inside.
The combined results of the makeover plus the extra marketing are now starting to come through, with increased sales after just one month.
Have a look for yourself at www.dawnwoodward.com, and perhaps think about how you’d like your customers to feel when they step inside your shop – it’s a powerful thing!
Author Dawn Woodward has been designing jewellery for the last six years and has now developed a business supplying customers across the UK. Specialising in boldly individual pieces, Dawn uses foiled glass, pearls, Czech crystal and gemstones to make her unique creations. For customers who like to express their individuality through the way they acessorise, Dawn’s jewellery and accessories will make the statement you desire.
