Leading Edge has launched an online service for its members, including a new website with social media links and the potential for e-commerce and marketing.
Members were presented with access to their own unique site during the group’s recent conference in Sydney.
Leading Edge general manager, Joshua Zarb, told Jeweller that the new digital program was developed in response to demand from members, many of who found the cost and expertise required to establish an online presence overwhelming.
The digital program was developed in-house by the Leading Edge support network and designed specifically for the retail jewellery market. With assistance from its parent company, Leading Edge Group Ltd, the jewellery division was the first in the group to adopt the new platform.
Zarb explained the members’ unique websites can be customised to suit each independent jeweller, which was the initial motivation for undertaking the project.
“We have already had several members come online and their unique logos look fantastic with our web design,” he said.
Retailers will have control over every aspect of their individual websites with a dedicated Content Management System (CMS) operating behind the scenes.
“This allows members to change pictures, fonts and pages as little or as often as they like,” said Zarb. “I’m excited to see how far members will take the customisation of the website.”
Along with the individual sites for members, the digital package offers members a direct marketing facility, which allows retailers to build a database of customers if they don’t have such a system in place already.
“We will be providing all the communication to consumers via a series of different offers and templates and we will also work with our suppliers to promote offers direct to the consumer,” Zarb said.
Leading Edge has been developing this initiative for almost two years and plans to further develop an e-commerce platform.
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