I have just opened a wholesale marcasite site, which aims to serve the UK small retailer/reseller market.
Lines will be limited initially but will be built up in time.
Anyone who is interested should check out the website at;
www.wholesalemarcasite.co.uk
Friday, 28 August 2009
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Email Marketing (3)
My figures for my first email;
I checked on industry averages and these are not too bad.
I was not expecting fantastic figures as I have rather neglected my mailing list, so probably it includes a fair few out of date email addresses.
If anybody is thinking of trying email marketing with Constant Contact please message me first at info@qtsilver.com . Why? Because they have a "refer a friend" scheme - the new user (you) gets $30 in credits and I get $30 in credits - so pretty much a win-win situation. As a small business now really is the time to make sure that you get value from every £/$ so such offers are certainly worth trying to take advantage of.
| Sent | Bounces | Opt-outs | Opens | Clicks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1058 | 8.2% | 1.1% | 31.2% | 47.5% | |
I checked on industry averages and these are not too bad.
I was not expecting fantastic figures as I have rather neglected my mailing list, so probably it includes a fair few out of date email addresses.
If anybody is thinking of trying email marketing with Constant Contact please message me first at info@qtsilver.com . Why? Because they have a "refer a friend" scheme - the new user (you) gets $30 in credits and I get $30 in credits - so pretty much a win-win situation. As a small business now really is the time to make sure that you get value from every £/$ so such offers are certainly worth trying to take advantage of.
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Email Marketing contd.
Signed up with Constant Contact, having had a play with their email creation facilities, and sent out my first Email. I put on offer a bracelet that hasn't sold too well (I know why as the photos we have taken just don't do the piece justice). Was actually quite exciting when we got our first order in, which was within 20 minutes of the email being sent!
So far I am very happy with the results as I have had far more traffic today than usual (50%++). Still quite a lot of unopened mail but I think my figures will improve as many users have used work rather than personal addresses so may not see my message until Monday.
I will publish my figures on here in the next couple of days in terms of - bounce rate, open %, click through % etc. Probably just talking to myself here but, who knows, maybe some other small business owners can pick up some tips, even if it is learning from my mistakes.
So far I am very happy with the results as I have had far more traffic today than usual (50%++). Still quite a lot of unopened mail but I think my figures will improve as many users have used work rather than personal addresses so may not see my message until Monday.
I will publish my figures on here in the next couple of days in terms of - bounce rate, open %, click through % etc. Probably just talking to myself here but, who knows, maybe some other small business owners can pick up some tips, even if it is learning from my mistakes.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Email Marketing
I about to start an email marketing campaign where those signing up to my website www.qtsilver.com get regular special offers on my jewellery - which I should say is already incredibly competitively priced (but I would say that wouldn't I).
I have certainly been slow to try this approach and my base of people who have signed up to my site is now sitting at over 1000! I think it is one of the problems of having a small business, you never seem to have the time to research new approaches or ways to do things and even when you have an idea it can constantly be put on the "back burner" as there always seems to be something pressing that needs to be done.
Well now I am about to take the plunge and will sign up with a firm called Constant Contact . I had looked around for a suitable company and they seemed like the best bet to me. They have a trial period of 60 days (for less than 100 contacts) which I am currently in, although because of the number of contacts I have I can't do much more than experiment with the email creation and send out some emails as testers to friends and family. From my experience so far I have decided to sign with them and give it a go. The emails are pretty easy to create from templates provided and the customer support appears excellent.
Anyway I will be completing sign up in the next couple of days and send out my first "Special Offer" and see how it goes. I will record my experiences on here as it may prove useful information to other small scale sellers who are thinking of doing something similar.
I have certainly been slow to try this approach and my base of people who have signed up to my site is now sitting at over 1000! I think it is one of the problems of having a small business, you never seem to have the time to research new approaches or ways to do things and even when you have an idea it can constantly be put on the "back burner" as there always seems to be something pressing that needs to be done.
Well now I am about to take the plunge and will sign up with a firm called Constant Contact . I had looked around for a suitable company and they seemed like the best bet to me. They have a trial period of 60 days (for less than 100 contacts) which I am currently in, although because of the number of contacts I have I can't do much more than experiment with the email creation and send out some emails as testers to friends and family. From my experience so far I have decided to sign with them and give it a go. The emails are pretty easy to create from templates provided and the customer support appears excellent.
Anyway I will be completing sign up in the next couple of days and send out my first "Special Offer" and see how it goes. I will record my experiences on here as it may prove useful information to other small scale sellers who are thinking of doing something similar.
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Pomanders
A pomander, from French pomme d'ambre, i.e. apple of amber, is a ball made of perfumes, such as ambergris (whence the name), musk, or civet. The pomander was worn or carried in a vase, also known by the same name, as a protection against infection in times of pestilence or merely as a useful article to mollify bad smells. The globular cases which contained the pomanders were hung from a neck-chain or belt, or attached to the girdle, and were usually perforated and made of gold or silver. Sometimes they contained several partitions, in each of which was placed a different perfume. Pomanders were used in the late Middle Ages through the 17th century. - from Wikipedia
Although not that common today there are still some examples of pomanders around. Now people would usually place some cotton wool, or the like, scented with some essential oils inside the pomander.
Below are a few pics of an example of a pomander that I sometimes have in my stock at
qtsilver.com;
You will notice the solid design of the front of the piece, but the perforated back design to allow the perfume to filter from inside.
If you are interested in the look of the pomander please feel free to check out this piece on our website;
http://www.qtsilver.com/Marcasite-&-Silver-Pomander-/-Locket-with-Sapphire/1091.htm
Although not that common today there are still some examples of pomanders around. Now people would usually place some cotton wool, or the like, scented with some essential oils inside the pomander.
Below are a few pics of an example of a pomander that I sometimes have in my stock at
qtsilver.com;
You will notice the solid design of the front of the piece, but the perforated back design to allow the perfume to filter from inside.
If you are interested in the look of the pomander please feel free to check out this piece on our website;
http://www.qtsilver.com/Marcasite-&-Silver-Pomander-/-Locket-with-Sapphire/1091.htm
Thursday, 14 February 2008
Apologies
Have posted nothing for quite some time now.
Myself and my wife have been looking after my mother, who has dementia, since last March. We had adjusted our lifesytle/work so that we could do this, but now my wife has been diagnosed as having arthritis, which has come as a bit of a blow to put it mildly.
Anyway back to the topic of marcasite.
Have been fairly appalled recently having seen the prices of marcasite jewellery at Gemondo http://www.marcasites.co.uk/ and http://www.gemondo.co.uk/index.php?mod=showcase&showcase=Magical%20Marcasite&gclid=CNmvg5SLxJECFR3kXgodpVgOIA
their pricing is appalling and they use the hackneyed "was £66 - now £45, you save £21" marketing approach on their site. Also their prices for gift wrapping etc. are staggeringly expensive.
The example of "was £66" is a ring that we were selling for £9.99!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately they manage to make sales by spending large amounts on marketing - their Google spend alone must be incredibly high.
If you want marcasite at a decent price (or a bloody specatacularly cheap price compared to Gemondo) then visit our site at www.qtsilver.com
BTW the quality of our marcasite is without question the best in the world!
Myself and my wife have been looking after my mother, who has dementia, since last March. We had adjusted our lifesytle/work so that we could do this, but now my wife has been diagnosed as having arthritis, which has come as a bit of a blow to put it mildly.
Anyway back to the topic of marcasite.
Have been fairly appalled recently having seen the prices of marcasite jewellery at Gemondo http://www.marcasites.co.uk/ and http://www.gemondo.co.uk/index.php?mod=showcase&showcase=Magical%20Marcasite&gclid=CNmvg5SLxJECFR3kXgodpVgOIA
their pricing is appalling and they use the hackneyed "was £66 - now £45, you save £21" marketing approach on their site. Also their prices for gift wrapping etc. are staggeringly expensive.
The example of "was £66" is a ring that we were selling for £9.99!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately they manage to make sales by spending large amounts on marketing - their Google spend alone must be incredibly high.
If you want marcasite at a decent price (or a bloody specatacularly cheap price compared to Gemondo) then visit our site at www.qtsilver.com
BTW the quality of our marcasite is without question the best in the world!
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Marcasite Silver Jewellery Today
Marcasite silver jewellery: silver and gemstone rings, sterling silver earrings, bracelets and pendants are some of the hottest fashion accessories today! Marcasite silver jewellery is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today's fashion conscious public. Marcasite silver jewellery complements fashionable clothing due to the way it sparkles and shines and catches natural and artificial light so beautifully.
Marcasite is a metallic pale yellow / brass colour mineral and is traditionally set in Sterling (925) Silver creating beautiful, classic jewellery. Cleopatra was known for wearing Marcasite and believed it helped preserve her beauty. Queen Victoria wore Marcasite rather than diamonds for over forty years. Marie Antoinette also showed a strong preference for Marcasite. Marcasite has again risen in popularity in recent years due to its` endearing beauty and stunning value for money.
Silver has been used since ancient times for jewellery making, but has not survived as well as ancient gold because it tarnished and decomposes. There have been times, however, when silver was "in"; we are going through such a vogue today.
Silver is the most common of the precious metals. Fine silver is pure silver, which is seldom used for jewellery because it is too soft. Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper, the alloy most often used. Silver weighs about half as much as gold, has greater flexibility, but is not as malleable, it has always been less expensive as well. A comparable piece of gold jewellery might cost four or five times that of a piece of sterling silver jewellery.
The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewellery more popular than ever. Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner & shinier through movement and friction. So sterling silver is a perfect accessory for today's fast paced lifestyles. Much like gold, sterling silver needs to be cleaned.
Care and Cleaning of your Marcasite Silver Jewellery
1.) For daily cleaning it is recommended to use a simple jewellery polishing cloth that is impregnated with special jewellery cleaner. These are widely available and are very easy to use. Store your cloth in a plastic zip-lock bag, and keeping your jewellery drawer or armoire. It is a good idea to have one cleaning cloth for gold and one for silver.
2.) For a slightly more "in-depth" cleaning you may want to use warm soapy water and a clean cotton cloth - ensuring that you very thoroughly dry the piece after cleaning (as moisture will promote tarnishing).
3.) For cleaning badly tarnished silver, here's a neat little trick we use at QT Silver - (i) Use a soft brushed toothbrush with warm water and some standard toothpaste and very gently brush the piece.
(ii) Rinse the piece thoroughly with clean water.
(iii) Dry the piece thoroughly and polish with a cotton cloth.
Here are Some Tips for Greater Enjoyment of your Marcasite Silver Jewellery
1.) Are your silver chains all tied-up in knots? If so, here's a nifty little trick for straightening them out. Dust your chain with a little talcum powder and then try to unknot it. If the knot is stubborn, place a small drop of baby oil on a sheet of wax paper. Lay the knot in the oil and work it out with two pins; then clean the chain as instructed below.
2.) Always apply make-up, perfumes, oils or colognes before you put on your jewellery.
3.) Store your jewellery in a dark and dry place, as both light and moisture can hasten tarnishing.
Hope you have enjoyed this brief piece and has perhaps encouraged those unfamiliar with marcasite jewellery to search some out a good place is at my own website
http://www.qtsilver.com
Marcasite is a metallic pale yellow / brass colour mineral and is traditionally set in Sterling (925) Silver creating beautiful, classic jewellery. Cleopatra was known for wearing Marcasite and believed it helped preserve her beauty. Queen Victoria wore Marcasite rather than diamonds for over forty years. Marie Antoinette also showed a strong preference for Marcasite. Marcasite has again risen in popularity in recent years due to its` endearing beauty and stunning value for money.
Silver has been used since ancient times for jewellery making, but has not survived as well as ancient gold because it tarnished and decomposes. There have been times, however, when silver was "in"; we are going through such a vogue today.
Silver is the most common of the precious metals. Fine silver is pure silver, which is seldom used for jewellery because it is too soft. Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper, the alloy most often used. Silver weighs about half as much as gold, has greater flexibility, but is not as malleable, it has always been less expensive as well. A comparable piece of gold jewellery might cost four or five times that of a piece of sterling silver jewellery.
The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewellery more popular than ever. Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner & shinier through movement and friction. So sterling silver is a perfect accessory for today's fast paced lifestyles. Much like gold, sterling silver needs to be cleaned.
Care and Cleaning of your Marcasite Silver Jewellery
1.) For daily cleaning it is recommended to use a simple jewellery polishing cloth that is impregnated with special jewellery cleaner. These are widely available and are very easy to use. Store your cloth in a plastic zip-lock bag, and keeping your jewellery drawer or armoire. It is a good idea to have one cleaning cloth for gold and one for silver.
2.) For a slightly more "in-depth" cleaning you may want to use warm soapy water and a clean cotton cloth - ensuring that you very thoroughly dry the piece after cleaning (as moisture will promote tarnishing).
3.) For cleaning badly tarnished silver, here's a neat little trick we use at QT Silver - (i) Use a soft brushed toothbrush with warm water and some standard toothpaste and very gently brush the piece.
(ii) Rinse the piece thoroughly with clean water.
(iii) Dry the piece thoroughly and polish with a cotton cloth.
Here are Some Tips for Greater Enjoyment of your Marcasite Silver Jewellery
1.) Are your silver chains all tied-up in knots? If so, here's a nifty little trick for straightening them out. Dust your chain with a little talcum powder and then try to unknot it. If the knot is stubborn, place a small drop of baby oil on a sheet of wax paper. Lay the knot in the oil and work it out with two pins; then clean the chain as instructed below.
2.) Always apply make-up, perfumes, oils or colognes before you put on your jewellery.
3.) Store your jewellery in a dark and dry place, as both light and moisture can hasten tarnishing.
Hope you have enjoyed this brief piece and has perhaps encouraged those unfamiliar with marcasite jewellery to search some out a good place is at my own website
http://www.qtsilver.com
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