Punchmark's 2024 Year Wrapped

"What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year."
- Vern McLellan

Another year in the books, and 2024 was nothing short of action-packed! At Punchmark, we leaned into what we do best: delivering industry-leading marketing services, rolling out cutting-edge AI-powered tools, and, most excitingly, creating stunning new jewelry websites for independent retailers.

This year alone, we launched over 100 new jewelry websites, all powered by our SiteManager platform. In the Loupe, our podcast tailored for retail jewelers, released 50 episodes and earned the distinction of being the #2 jewelry podcast in America. We also enjoyed reconnecting with clients and friends at the 3rd annual Punchmark Client Workshop in Charlotte and made new connections at the Vicenzaoro Show in Italy. On top of that, our Premium Vendor service, which curates nearly a million SKUs from the industry's top jewelry vendors, is on the verge of achieving 100% data relevancy.

Now, let's dive into some of Punchmark's standout moments from 2024!

2023 Year In Review • 2022 Year In Review • 2021 Year In Review

 

Key 2024 Developments

This year, Punchmark's goal was to release tools and features that would make our customers' lives easier with regards to managing their online businesses. From speaking with all of you daily, we have learned what the sticking points are with regards to developing the omni-channel experience for a jewelry store. Managing your website should be as straightforward and gratifying as managing your brick and mortar. Here are some of the key developments Punchmark released in 2024.

 

More AI Features!

We expanded our AI toolkit to include blog writing and content creation for landing pages. These tools make it easier than ever to generate professional, engaging content that resonates with your audience, saving you time and effort while enhancing your site.

Eye4Fraud Integration

We partnered with Eye4Fraud to bring advanced fraud protection to your e-commerce operations. This integration ensures you can ship with confidence, knowing your business is safeguarded against fraudulent transactions. Learn more here!

Customer Website Invitation

When customers make a purchase in your store, they will now automatically receive an invitation to claim their account on your website. This is an easy way to engage your customers on a digital level, giving them more chances to buy from you when your store is closed.

Website Templates Based On Jewelry Personas

Our new website templates are tailored to the specific needs of your business persona, whether you're focused on custom jewelry design, online sales, or establishing a luxury brand. By taking our Design Strategy Assessment (or DSA) quiz, you'll discover your jewelry persona and receive a personalized website recommendation to match your goals. Try it out! 

Massive Security Overhaul

In collaboration with HMH Consultants, we conducted a comprehensive security evaluation. This led to modernized data hashing, updated protocols, and a complete security sweep, ensuring that your data—and your clients'—remains safe and secure.

Form Builder Updates

We improved our Form Builder with updates to ADA compliance and enhanced email deliverability by sending attachments as links rather than images. These changes make your forms more accessible and reliable for both you and your customers.

Advanced Klaviyo Integration and Support

We enhanced our Klaviyo integration to track more customer events, including Active on Site, Placed Order, Ordered Product, Fulfilled Order, Cancelled Order, and Refunded Order. This upgrade empowers you with deeper insights into your customers' behavior and enhances your marketing efforts.

Wish Granted Emails

One of our most exciting features! When you lower the price of an item, customers with that item in their wishlist automatically receive an email about the price drop. It's a simple yet powerful way to turn wishlists into sales and delight your customers.

New 2024 Rolex Bespoke System

Offering Rolex products is the main offering for some of our clients, and our new Rolex Bespoke websites are built with all Rolex constraints in mind so that you don't have to worry about meeting Rolex's style guide requirements. If you are a Rolex dealer, be sure to ask your Account Manager today about our Rolex Bespoke Sites! 

 

New Marketing Approaches

Punchmark's Marketing Team changed considerably this year, with a shift from purely SEM to a variety of digital marketing strategies including email marketing, SEO, product optimizations, and a focus on User Experience improvements. The result has been amazing, as Punchmark's Marketing clients DOUBLED in 2024, with no signs of slowing down.

We also rolled out our Email Marketing campaigns product, which provides unique promotion ideas and efforts for stores that might not have time to formulate these ideas independently. From Valentine's Day to Cyber Week, the goal is to drive traffic to your website and brick and mortar stores 12 months a year.

Finally, Punchmark released Issues 3, 4, and 5 of our semi-annual publication, the Vendor Vault. This booklet is our opportunity to highlight some of the incredible diamond & jewelry vendors who participate in our Premium Vendor program. Be on the lookout for Issue 6 coming in late May!

 

Staying Connected with the Jewelry Industry

This year, we had the privilege of attending some of the most prominent jewelry tradeshows in the industry, connecting with clients, partners, and new faces alike. We kicked things off internationally at the Vicenzaoro Show in Italy, where we gained insights into global trends and business strategies for jewelers abroad. Closer to home, we participated in industry staples like Centurion and JCK Las Vegas, two major hubs for innovation, networking, and setting the tone for the year ahead.

But our journey didn't stop there, we also attended the AGS Conclave in Austin, an event known for its focus on education and excellence in jewelry. Regional tradeshows like IJO in Dallas and Chicago and RJO in Palm Springs and St. Louis gave us the opportunity to connect directly with our retailer and vendor base, reinforcing our commitment to serving independent jewelers nationwide. These events weren't just about showcasing our services, we also spent a lot of time listening to what our retailers and vendors are focused on, so that we can stay at the forefront of the industry's ever-evolving landscape.

 

Client Workshop Year 3

This year marked the 3rd annual Punchmark Client Workshop, where over 35 clients from across the U.S. gathered in Charlotte for two days of insightful seminars, networking, and collaboration. Industry sponsors like The Edge, National Rarities, and Jewel Craft shared their expertise through presentations, while Punchmark's own team delivered actionable strategies on digital marketing, e-commerce trends, and more.

Some of the time slots have become treasured traditions for the event, including the Meet Your Account Manager session, a live recording of In the Loupe, and the ever-popular rooftop cocktail party with stunning views of the Charlotte skyline. If you haven't yet made it out to Charlotte for the Client Workshop, now is the time to mark your calendars for May 18th - 21st! More details to follow.

 

In the Loupe Named a Top Jewelry Podcast

2024 also saw a milestone for Punchmark's weekly podcast, In the Loupe, as it reached 200 episodes midway through its 5th season. What started as a way to reach our clients during a moment of strife has blossomed into an ongoing series highlighting retail jewelers' marketing strategies, jewelry vendor news, and tutorials for emerging tech.

Most excitingly, at the end of 2024, In the Loupe was recently ranked #2 on the Top 45 Jewelry Podcasts list according to Feedspot. With increased recognition, it also allows us to interview more established guests to hear about their visions for the future of the jewelry industry. We don't have any plans to stop, and have already started publishing episodes for Season 6, so subscribe for weekly episodes every Tuesday! 

Looking Inward

As the year comes to a close, it prompts the question: "What did we learn?"

At Punchmark, we've focused on sustainable growth from within. By welcoming talented individuals to our team, nurturing their skills and passions, and creating clear paths for advancement, we've cultivated a dedicated and professional group of teammates who share a passion for excellence.

 

New Members & Promotions

2024 was a big year for longtime employees at Punchmark who are stepping into increasingly more senior leadership roles.

For any business, refining your elevator pitch is a powerful way to uncover fresh marketing approaches and strip away the noise to focus on the essentials.

At Punchmark, we embraced this challenge through our Why Punchmark campaign. Along the way, we gained valuable insights about ourselves, including what matters most to Next Generation Jewelers and how we can better meet their needs. It also pushed us to present our story in creative and compelling ways. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the campaign video and landing page!

 

What's Next?

Looking ahead, we're more determined than ever to push the envelope at Punchmark. Innovation and growth remain at the heart of everything we do as we strive to deliver even more value to our clients. Whether it's enhancing our offerings, refining our processes, or exploring new opportunities, we're committed to staying ahead of the curve and setting the standard for excellence. We wanted to share some teasers ahead of these releases

10+ New Website Themes

We took all of the feedback we received on our first round of themes and the responses from our Design Strategy Assessments and created more than ten beautiful and highly tailored website designs, with well crafted landing pages, megamenus, and all sorts of tailored content for each jeweler persona!

PageBuilder Updates (AI and more)

PageBuilder was designed to handle every possible instance a Front End Developer might encounter when building a full jewelry website. We know, because we use it to build websites all the time. However, we have also heard the feedback that you would like it to be more lightweight and streamlined, with more AI Content tools. We built the next version with our users' needs in mind, and can't wait fo you all to try it out soon!

FileManager with New Image Library

We want the Image Library to have renewed value and become a repository for vendor and jewelry marketing images. Be on the lookout for a New Image Library complete with lots of tailored jewelry images soon!

Jewelry Grid UX / Filter Customization

Your Jewelry Grid is one of the most important parts of your website, which is why we've rethought some of the key elements of it and redesigned the User Experience and key interface mechanics so that your shoppers can filter to the exact right product. 

The best is yet to come, and we're excited to take the next steps together.

 

Sincerely,

Ross, Dan, Bryan, Jason, Michael, Sarah, Aaron, Thomas, Hope, Lorenzo, Junior, Kimberly, Mana, Gary, Andy, Tom, Savannah, Diana, Kristine