According to online sites at least.
I guess the answer to why Troy Shoppe Jewellers isn’t the most popular store in Calgary could be because not enough customers like us or know about us. Or it could be the way that various sites and magazines decide which store is most popular.
This week, I was asked to list my store on a “most popular website in Calgary”. Quite simple to do. I just had to purchase a listing. And in the same week I read a magazine that many years ago I advertised in and saw the top jewellers in Calgary listed. No, my store was not listed. Surprise! I haven’t advertised in that magazine in years and have never heard of their online voting system. Not that the stores they had listed were or were not good, just if you’re going to represent them as ‘best’ make the voting open and transparent.
How do you become the most popular jeweller in Calgary?
I was talking to my webmaster about this issue and went on a search for “most popular jeweller Calgary”. To my surprise one of the top sites showed eight jewellers, two of which closed their doors about two to three years ago, one store was a giftware store, and another wasn’t even in Calgary. How that is possible is a mystery.
My feeling to becoming the most popular jeweller is by doing great work, offering great service, and pricing fairly. But that isn’t really going to work, at least according to websites and other media. With so many “best of” websites popping up, it becomes more about getting your name on these sites or buying into them to list your store. Once listed you suddenly become more popular. Some IT people will say that is because you have more backlinks and visibility. That is a possibility. It is also due to buying your way onto sites with paid listings, buying advertising or packages that come with being number one. I find this method to be highly disingenuous.
Secret ballots and hidden methods on the road to popularity.
I ‘love’ the sites or publications that have people log in and vote. How come when I ask for numbers of voters or even how many votes I received, I can’t get that information? And if I want to get the feedback that legitimate voters offer, I have to pay to get that information. Or how do I even get to register my store when some sites restrict the number of stores to a small select group? And why is it that if I do not want to advertise or pay to list on these platforms, I really don’t exist. The answer is simple. These sites and publications are profit centers designed to generate revenue. While there is nothing wrong with getting paid for their efforts, it should not be made under the disguise of making anyone think they offer a fair and legitimate list of who or which business is the best in a category.
But how do I know who is best?
In today’s world, I don’t think it is easy to get an honest answer to just about anything, unless you are willing to put in some work. A major issue with the sites that suggest the ‘best of category’ is that they spend a lot of time and money to get their site seen on Googles first page. This suggests they are legitimate because of their positioning in a search. The best way to find the best in any category, whether it is car repair, tailoring or jewellery, is to get referrals from friends. Looking at online reviews can help if they are honest. Even there, it’s possible to literally buy fake reviews. The internet has created a monster when it comes to finding the truth. It is out there!
Who is the best jeweller in Calgary?
Whether it is Troy Shoppe Jewellers, or someone else is up to the reader. But I think my store deserves to be in the top five. And you get to decide the order.