Many retailers are starting to realize the flexibility and convenience that comes with supplementing the in-store sales experience with technology. Smartphones and tablets offer an interactive and convenient way to engage customers and give them the most up-to-date information available on inventory and prices.

But is it enough to simply show customers the same catalog you have on your website? Websites are optimized for ecommerce. They are designed with the online shopper in mind. On top of that, you might feature different merchandise at different prices in-store and online. The in-store experience demands something else entirely. Jewelers have long needed an app designed with the in-store experience in mind. That is why VDB has designed the VDB Sales Genie.

Your website is good at what it does. It is optimized to drive traffic through search engines and to attract people to your store. It creates brand awareness, promotes your brand. It’s full of content that engages visitors and establishes a relationship with them. It is also an ecommerce platform, providing photos, product descriptions, prices, availability, and reviews for online shoppers.

It may seem like you could easily use your website with customers in your store, but websites have some limitations in this department. It might be “good enough,” but it’s not what websites are built for. The Sales Genie lets you display your inventory in a way that makes sense for in-store customers and staff alike. While your ecommerce site will display the items for sale online, the Sales Genie makes it easy to customize a unique, technology-enabled in-store experience. You can offer your own diamond inventory, virtual diamond inventory, and even vendor-restricted inventory in ways that you wouldn’t or couldn’t to online shoppers. 

The customization options let you differentiate your sales strategies for different channels and different geographical locations. Rather than being bound by the price displayed on your website, the Sales Genie lets you set different prices for different stores. The Sales Genie also gives you the option to offer virtual products you don’t want to sell on your website. You even have control over which suppliers will appear in searches. If your client is not ready to buy immediately, you can even send them a branded email with the item or group of items they are interested in so they have your company contact info handy (and so you can collect that important email address!).

Finally, the Sales Genie gives you more control and flexibility with memo goods. Through the app, customers can examine in detail any diamond you offer for sale, and the salesperson can immediately submit the request, simplifying the purchasing process for memo goods. Purchasing agent controls make the system an even better tool for your back office, and you’ll also save on shipping costs by displaying the diamond virtually in the Sales Genie and selling it before you get it in the store.

The in-store shopping experience is not the same as the online shopping experience, and sometimes, your in-store and online inventory differ. Your website is great for displaying and selling products online, but brick-and-mortar sales require so much more. Show more, do more, and sell more with VDB Sales Genie.