Solved: Boost Jewellery Sales Domestically & Internationally

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some of my initial thoughts on growing your jewellery business. It's a common situation to be in – you've got a great product, but getting it in front of the right people, especially internationally, can feel like a massive hurdle.

The short answer is that you'll likely need a paid advertising strategy. But the truth is, just turning on ads without getting the foundations right is the fastest way to burn through your cash with very little to show for it. I've seen it happen countless times. So, I'm going to walk you through how I'd approach this, starting from the ground up, to make sure any money you do spend on ads has the best possible chance of turning a profit.

First, let's forget about ads for a second... who are you really selling to?

This is the single biggest mistake I see new businesses make. They say their customer is "women aged 25-45 who like jewellery". That tells me absolutely nothing and leads to generic ads that get ignored. You need to get way more specific. You need to understand their motivation, their 'problem state'.

Your ideal customer isn't a demographic; she's a person in a specific moment. Think about it:

• -> Is she a partner desperately searching for a unique anniversary gift that says "I actually put thought into this," because he's terrified of getting it wrong again?
• -> Is she a professional who just got a promotion and wants to buy herself something special as a personal trophy, something that makes her feel powerful when she walks into a meeting?
• -> Is she someone who feels her style is being crushed by mass-market fast fashion and is looking for a handcrafted piece that expresses her unique identity?

Each of these is a completely different person with a different emotional driver. The ad that speaks to the terrified husband is going to be completely different from the one that speaks to the empowered professional. Your entire marketing strategy, from your website copy to your ad creative, needs to be built around one of these specific 'nightmares' or desires. Once you know who you're talking to and what their deep-seated motivation is, choosing your ad targeting and writing your ad copy becomes ten times easier and a hundred times more effective. Don't spend a single pound on ads until you've defined this.

Your website needs to build trust, not just list products...

Okay, let's assume you've figured out who you're selling to. The next step is getting your digital shopfront in order. Your website is where the sale is won or lost. People are rightly sceptical of new online stores, and you have about three seconds to convince them you're legit. If your site doesn't scream professionalism and trust, they will leave, no matter how good your ads are.

Based on hundreds of eCommerce accounts I've worked on, here's where most new stores fall down:

Product Photography: This is probably the most important element for jewellery. Simple product shots on a white background are a start, but they don't sell the dream. You absolutely need high-quality lifestyle shots. Photos of the jewellery on actual models, videos showing how it catches the light, images that place the product in an aspirational setting. People need to imagine themselves wearing it. This is a non-negotiable investment.

Product Descriptions: Don't just list the materials and dimensions. Tell a story. Tie it back to the customer's motivation we just talked about. Instead of "18k Gold Plated Necklace," try "The 'CEO' Necklace: An 18k gold plated statement piece designed for the woman celebrating her own success. Wear your ambition." See the difference? You're not selling an object; you're selling an identity.

Trust Signals: These are crucial. Are customer reviews and testimonials front and centre? Do you have a clear and easy-to-find shipping and returns policy? Is there an 'About Us' page that tells your story and shows the face behind the brand? These small things make a huge psychological difference and can dramatically increase your conversion rate.

People follow a very predictable path when they land on your site from an ad. Understanding this journey helps you see where you might be losing them. Most potential customers will not buy on their first visit, but your job is to make that journey as smooth as possible and capture their interest so you can bring them back later.

You'll need to pick the right channels to advertise on...

Once your website is solid, it's time to think about ads. For a visual product like jewellery, you have some great options. The key is to understand the difference between platforms where people are actively searching versus platforms where they are passively discovering.

Meta (Facebook & Instagram): This is almost certainly where I'd start. It's a visual discovery platform. Nobody wakes up and thinks, "I'm going to buy a necklace on Instagram today." But they scroll through their feed, see a stunning image or video of your jewellery on a model who reflects their aspiration, and that creates the desire. It's perfect for reaching those customer types we defined earlier based on their interests (e.g., they follow certain fashion magazines, competitors, or have life events like 'Newly Engaged'). I remember one campaign we worked on for a women's apparel brand that achieved a 691% return using Meta and Pinterest ads, so the potential is definitely there.

Pinterest: Don't overlook Pinterest. It's a massive search engine for aesthetics and inspiration, especially for things like gifts, wedding planning, and personal style. Users here are actively creating mood boards and planning future purchases. Having your products show up as a beautiful, pinnable image can be incredibly powerful and often cheaper than Meta.

Google Ads (Specifically Shopping & PMax): This is for capturing people with high purchase intent. When someone searches "silver teardrop earrings" on Google, they are looking to buy, right now. Your products need to appear in the Shopping results at the top of the page. This is less about creating desire and more about being the best option when the desire is already there. Performance Max (PMax) campaigns are a good way to get coverage across all of Google's properties, including Shopping, YouTube and Display.

A common mistake is to run "Brand Awareness" campaigns. You'll be told you need to 'build the brand' first. Rubbish. You're paying platforms like Meta to find the cheapest possible eyeballs, which are usually people who never click or buy anything. You're a business that needs sales, not just views. You should always optimise your campaigns for conversions (Purchases). The algorithm is smart; tell it to find you buyers, and it will. Awareness is a byproduct of making sales to happy customers, not the other way around.

I'd say you need to understand the numbers that actually matter...

When you start running ads, you'll be flooded with data: clicks, impressions, CTR, CPC... it's easy to get lost. For an eCommerce business, there is really only one metric that you should be obsessed with: Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).

ROAS answers a simple question: for every £1 I put into ads, how many pounds in revenue do I get back? If you spend £100 on ads and it generates £500 in sales, your ROAS is 5x (or 500%).

Everything else is just a supporting metric. A low Click-Through Rate (CTR)? Your ad creative or targeting is wrong. A lot of 'Add to Carts' but no sales? Your shipping costs are too high or your checkout process is clunky. But ROAS is the ultimate measure of success. I've worked with some eCommerce clients, like a subscription box company, where we hit a 1000% ROAS (10x). This is possible when the product, the offer, and the advertising are all perfectly in sync.

Your target ROAS depends on your profit margins. If your margin is 50%, you need at least a 2x ROAS just to break even on ad spend (ignoring all other business costs). A healthy target to aim for is usually in the 3x-5x range. Use the calculator below to get a feel for how spend and revenue affect your return. It's a simple calculation but seeing it interactively can be quite powerful.

You'll need a structured plan...

So, putting this all together, what does a sensible plan look like? It's not about doing everything at once. It's about building a solid foundation and then methodically testing and scaling.

Here's how I would structure the first three to six months for a new jewellery brand. This approach focuses on getting profitable sales first, then expanding your reach, including internationally, once you have a model that works.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below in a table format to give you a clear, actionable path forward. Think of it as a checklist to get your business ready for profitable growth.

This is obviously a lot to take in, and the reality is that each of these steps involves a significant amount of detail, testing, and expertise to get right. It's a process of continuous optimisation, not a 'set it and forget it' task. Trying to manage this while also designing, creating, and fulfilling orders for your jewellery is a huge challenge.

This is where working with a specialist can make a massive difference. We can help you avoid the common, costly mistakes, accelerate your learning curve, and implement a professional strategy from day one, freeing you up to focus on what you do best – creating beautiful products.

If you'd like to chat through your specific situation in more detail, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can take a look at your business and give you some more tailored advice. Feel free to book one in if you think that would be helpful.

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh