Global designs at your fingertips

Promoting business via websites like Facebook, Twitter and business-to-business trade portals is nothing new, but the impact is huge and profound. Three-year-old Israel-based Erayo – an online B2B platform for fashion jewellery designers, retailers, wholesalers and suppliers to connect – is one recent example.

"Designers in different countries simply upload the images of their pieces onto our online channel to showcase them to the whole world. It is user-friendly: everyone can sign up and become an ‘Erayonian' and deal directly with buyers or retailers on payment, minimum purchase and method of delivery. It's fun and convenient," Raffi Topaz, founder of Erayo, said. Mr Topaz aims at introducing local talents to the global market and works to do his best for all designers. Here, three Israeli designers share with us how they benefit from the unlimited opportunities on the Internet.

Designer Iris Braunshtein Shemesh is very surprised at the results of online marketing, in which customers make deals based solely on visual images, without even actually touching the products. She has received numerous responses, enquiries and orders from different parts of the world, and through this online portal she has been able to explore new markets such as Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Kuwait.

Her best sellers – bangles – are even sold in the renowned boutique "Lord & Taylor" in the United States, and were once worn by "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul. Ms Shemesh also has her fashion jewellery and accessory pieces exported to as far as Spain, Netherlands, Romania, France, Australia, South Africa and United Kingdom.

This new media tool serves as an effective gateway to the world for Neta Livne. She tells us that Erayo does save her time and expense in travelling to other countries and dealing with other designers or retailers. She can just stay with this local channel, which allows her the great flexibility of connecting with a much broader quality audience around the globe.

Since, as Ms Livne reveals, her target audience is more mature customers, she has not considered promoting her business on Facebook or Twitter. Now she reaches professional industry practitioners with this appropriate tool. She once received a one-off order for 800 pieces of her fashion jewellery for department stores in the US and Canada, and her products are also exported to Australia, England, France, Austria, Sweden, Romania and Singapore.

"This platform does have a great impact on my business, and helps me gain access to the international market," designer Hagar Satat said. Nowadays, many things can be done through the Internet, and online marketing is even more vital for a business to expand worldwide.

She is always looking for opportunities to expand, and any online platform can prompt her interest; but she went for Erayo only for its professional service and the ease of starting to use it. From there, most of her pieces are exported to Europe, United States and Asia; and she once received a huge order of 2,000 pieces from the US.