K Kajoux Jewels (pronounced K- Ka- Jeu) is an independent Irish owned handmade jewellery business run by Kay Lyng from her countryside studio in Clomantagh, Co. Kilkenny. All pieces are designed and hand crafted using a kaleidoscope of semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals and Freshwater pearls.
In 2008, Kay decided that it was time to establish a standalone ecommerce website for her business. She applied and was approved for a Trading Online Voucher (TOV) from Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny. This is a scheme whereby qualifying businesses may apply for matched funding to a maximum of €2,500 or 50% of eligible expenditure (exclusive of VAT) whichever is the lesser, in order to develop their online trading presence. Having secured funding, an ecommerce website was created with an inbuilt store for direct sales as well as a secure platform to facilitate wholesale online ordering and 500 products were uploaded and became immediately accessible at the touch of a button.
As a result of this project, the requirement to physically visit stores and ordering related administration reduced significantly. In addition, the new ecommerce website became a powerful selling tool at trade shows. Jewellery collections were also promoted to end consumers via social media and as brand recognition and the digital marketing capabilities of the business grew, so too did direct online sales.
In 2020, again Kay applied and was approved for a further TOV. Due to the adverse impact of Covid-19 on bricks and mortar retailing, it became apparent that online selling would become more important than ever before. As such, focus was placed on establishing a strong digital marketing strategy as well as enhancing the existing ecommerce website both in terms of content and also by carrying out search engine optimisation work in order to have the website return higher in appropriate search results. This project resulted in a significant increase in hits to the website and delivered an impressive 300% increase in online sales year on year.
“The vast majority of people either shop or research online these days. As such, it has never been more important to establish an ecommerce presence and facilitate those that want to interact or transact with you online. The Trading Online Voucher has assisted me greatly in focusing on this area and in developing a strong digital and online trading strategy for my business” she concluded.
www.kkajoux.com | 086 605 9498 | info@kkajoux.com