Florists let’s get into the nitty gritty on Florist Website Domain Names!
Before we do lets first explain what a domain name really is, a domain name is used to identify one or more IP addresses. Domains are also used in URLs to identify a particular web page.
Having a domain name that resonates and stands the test of time is key in maximizing your floral business.
Do’s
1.Domain names are for life, it is important to invest some time in picking the right domain name.
2. If your florist website caters to customers world-wide or mostly United States, using the .com is most recommend. However we are super excited on the new industry specific extension (TLD) such as .Florist, slightly pricey however worth every penny.
If your floral website targets business by country, for example a Canada website that only does business in Canada, then your best bet is a (.ca ),same rule applies for all other countries .
3. Use proper keywords in your domain, if you are a flower business then without a doubt you must use a keyword specific to your business, for example flowers – floral – florist.
Tip: If you are targeting a specific area adding your keyword and area is a great for SEO .
Don’ts
Don’t use Hyphens (-) or underscores (_).
Don’t be too clever, clever domain names without the proper keywords are harder for search engines and customers to understand. Be simple and to the point with your domain name.
Don’t use numbers to replace words, for example – florist4you, even though catchy, this is a major don’t with domain name’s.
Tip: Make sure your domain is spelled properly and avoid misspelling trends
image via godaddy.com
Registering Your Florist Website Domain Name
With an abundance of domain managing providers it can be a daunting task when registering your florist website domain name. Following the simple do’s and don’ts below will make it a seamless process.
Do’s
You should be the owner of your floral business domain name, so register it!
Remember to renew your domain name based on your agreement.
Try the new industry specific TLD’s such as .Florist.
Don’ts
Do not allow a web hosting provider to offer to purchase your domain or set up you with a domain name.
Purchase unnecessary TLD’s (.net, .org, etc).
Do not purchase anything beside your domain name, such as advertising or marketing.
image via floranext.com & psd mockup
What to do if a Wire Service/Website Provider owns your domain
Obtaining your domain name from a website provider is crucial to the branding of your business. Regardless if you are staying with this website provider or leaving you MUST control your own domain name. There is valuable SEO with each domain name, the longer the business has been established the better the SEO.
Do’s
Request in writing to control your domain name.
Be persistent,with calls and emails, remember this is your business and this domain name must be released into your control.
Beware of cybersquatting – cybersquatting is using your domain name with bad intentions by selling it back to you or using if for an order gather website. Unfortunately, once this happens there is nothing you can do, your customers will be ordering from an entirely different website thinking it is yours.
Don’t
Give up! Continue to pester your website provider for control of your domain.
Need To get control of your domain, click on the name of your current floral software provider to get a sample Domain Name Transfer Request Letter.
1.”I have had a Florist Website domain name for 20 years, however it’s not cool or trendy, should I change it?”
The answer to this is simply, NO – Regardless if your domain name is cool or trendy this not important. The most important thing is that your business is found on search engines and ranking high or on the first page. Changing your domain name will not make you visible on the first page of search engines, which means you will need to start over – it’s like opening a whole new business.
2.”Can I point other Florist Website domain names to my website?”
You absolutely can! – There are no positive or negative affects pointing multiple domain names. However, if you have a shorter domain name, this could be easier to communicate to your customers. We would discourage pointing a .com to a .ca or country specific TLD however.
3.”What is a TLD?”
TLD stands for Top Level Domain name. TLD are part of the domain name to the right of the url – .com, .net or .org.
A ccTLD is a country code Top Level Domain name.
Florists, if you have any questions or tips regarding florist website domain names, please post below.
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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.
The floral industry is a dynamic business, always a step ahead, aligning with seasons and holidays.
For florists, strategic planning throughout the year is essential for success. While seasoned florists might be adept at yearly planning, having a structured guide can streamline organizational efforts. In this comprehensive blog, we present an easy-to-follow roadmap for effective floral yearly planning.
January: Preparing the Groundwork
January often starts slow in the floral industry, but it’s a month teeming with opportunities. Use this time for flower shop organization and marketing planning:
Start a Blog: Boost your SEO by initiating a ‘how-to’ blog, enhancing your online visibility and social media engagement.
Tip: “How to” blogs are the most searched, so anything with tips and tricks will be well received.
Review Valentine’s Sales: Plan and order Valentine’s Day flowers early, without overordering. Pay attention to add-on items like plush toys and chocolates to boost profits.
Tip: If this is your first Valentine’s Day, do not over-order, this may be tricky, but set up a set amount you will order and see how your sales go. You can always get more in a pinch.
Decorate Store & Website: Create dazzling Valentine’s displays in-store and optimize your eCommerce platform for early sales.
Sign up for Wedding Sites: Expand your reach by signing up for renowned wedding sites to promote your wedding floral business. A few you should consider are The Knot, Zola, Wedding Wire, and My Wedding.
February: Preparing for Valentine’s Rush
Gear up for the Valentine’s Day rush by ensuring smooth operations:
Employee Management: Go over all employee scheduling and duties in the first week of February. Make sure you have hired all your new holiday help and that everyone understands their tasks for Valentine’s Day.
Tip: Good time to also rent extra delivery vans if needed.
Promotions: Offer pre-Valentine’s day delivery promotions. The idea here is to spread the wealth of this Valentine’s Day and not be constricted to just delivering on February 14. Offer generous promotions on your flower shop website, post on social media, and of course, make sure they expire a few days before Valentines’.
Take care of yourself: During this busy month, it is important to rest and take time for yourself. Encourage your employees to do the same and wear comfortable clothes, and comfy shoes, and eat please, it’s amazing how many florists do not eat when they are busy. Being organized will alleviate most of the Valentine’s Day pressure, so make sure to be well-nourished and comfortable.
Tip: Start a flower shop with a holiday diary. We know sounds corny, however, it’s amazing what can be learned from holidays by just writing it down. Yes, you have your gross receipts, but how about mishaps, or comical happenings that are not noted, these are all so important and good read before the holidays.
March: Welcoming Spring and Renewal
March can be the most rewarding month in the floral industry, it gives florist time to relax and get ready for new beginnings with the coming of spring.
Finance Review: With the first quarter almost through, now is a good time to get a grasp on your profit and loss for January and February. Add notes about what you may do differently next year, a good thing if you have started the flower shop diary.
Spring Cleaning: The #1 season that is most anticipated by customers is spring, especially if you live in the colder weathered areas, it is never too early to start bringing out this season. Start refreshing your flower shop and get ready for spring with beautiful decor and showcasing.
March Sales Madness: As florists, we know March can be hit or miss with sales, so start a campaign and sell your products customers love, try a Free with-purchase or half-off sales. make this a yearly ritual if this works for your business.
Order your Easter flowers & plants! It’s always good to get ahead and start an order for your easter flowers and plants. Again ordering early equals savings from your suppliers and you also have the best selections.
April: Preparing for Mother’s Day
Ready or not Mother’s Day will be here before you know it! Take April as a month to prepare for the #1 florist holiday.
Order Mother’s Flowers & Supplies: Make sure to order those beautiful containers and Mother’s Day flowers with your supplier. The good time to order is early April.
Showcase your plants: If you are selling plants, now is a good time to showcase your flowering plants, this creates a welcoming inviting atmosphere for customers. If you can move some outdoors, this is great for some curb appeal.
Promotions & Marketing: We recommend you start promoting after Easter to generate some early bird sales for Mother’s Day. Post on your social media and website, this will help boost your SEO. A great marketing tip is to offer a giveaway, maybe a gift basket, or free flowers for a few months, and have customers fill out their information when they make a purchase.
Employee Management: It’s that time again to make sure to hire the extra help you will need for Mother’s Day. Make sure all current employees understand their schedule and duties.
Tip: If you are new to the floral industry, then a good-to-know tip is that Mother’s Day is the #1 floral business holiday, customers order throughout the week rather than one day. Be prepared with help, lots of flowers, and beautiful containers.
May: Embrace the Flower-Selling Month
May, what a great month for the floral industry! With one of the top-selling holidays, this month starts slow and quickly picks up in a super-charged way, so always good to be ready.
Take a look around: Do a glance, does your flower shop look appealing to you? Make sure you use a critical eye and take it all in, the sound and if possible even the way it smells. Customers are drawn to a beautiful environment, it has proven to make them feel relaxed and comfortable, which will help increase those sales!
Employee training: The first week of May is a good time to discuss employee customer service, the cross-selling, and the up-selling of products. Make sure your employees are polite and offer customers upgrades and add-ons with their purchases. This is an easy way to almost triple your profits.
Offer prom promotions:Proms are a way to make sales. Build relationships with future long-time patrons. Offer a referral discount.
Examine your finances: After the Mother’s Day rush now is a good time to sit down and see whether or not you made a profit, be sure to calculate all costs and include any spoilage or waste. Keep notes on what you would do differently next year.
June: Peak Wedding Season and Graduations
Oh June, what a lovely month! For some, the commencement of summer and a chance to organize all your floral business needs. June is the most popular month for weddings with September and October in a close 2nd. Florists are pleasantly surprised at how busy June can get with weddings and graduations.
Refresh your floral website: Update your flower shop for some summer specials, and make sure you’re wedding galleries are up to date with great content and keywords.
Offer promotions: Teacher gifts and graduation promotions are a great way to bring traffic into your flower shop. Be sure to post these on your floral website and social media.
Order retail products: This is a great time to order some fresh new stock to get customers to flock to your flower shop. There is nothing you cannot sell, so think outside the box, What is popular? Candles (certain brands), skin care, plush, home decor, makeup, and even unique greeting cards. Brand your flower shop!
July: Organizational Month
We like to call July, “a month of organization.” This month can be on the slower side, so it’s very important to get your flower shop in order with beautiful displays and heavy on marketing.
Write a blog: We know this is listed in other months above, however, July can be a slower month. If you have time to write a How To Blog, or anything that inspires you, think about things you search for, read, and watch as your SEO skyrockets through the roof.
Social media: Take some time to focus and revamping your social media communities. Add content and images and don’t forget the hashtags #, Again all this for top placement in Social Media.
Tidy up your flower shop: By tidy up we mean clean, scrub, wash, organize, label, etc. Freshen up your floral space!
Browse your floral supply stores: July is a great month to look at products in your floral supply store, you can find great deals on holiday items, it is a great time to stock up.
August: Innovative Marketing Strategies
August can be one of the slowest months in the floral industry. we ask that if you are slow, to try implementing new ways to market in your flower shop.
Newsletter: Email, mail, or both! Send out a newsletter to your customers offering special savings.
Start a workshop or floral party! Get busy with hosting a floral workshop, kids’ floral birthday parties, and much more. This can lead to great profits and new patrons at your flower shop.
Start preparing for fall! Get your flower shop ready for the most popular season, create beautiful displays, order new inventory, and go for it! We recommend doing this the second to the last week of August. Don’t forget your fall marketing!
September: Prepping for Fall Sales
Flowers sales in September pick up rapidly towards the middle of the month. Customers are now back to their normal routines with the kids back in school and weddings are starting to pick up.
Order fall flowers and Plants: Stock up on your seasonal flowers & plants.
Revamp your floral website: Add the season touch to your floral website with fresh new content and images. Use proper keywords, specific to the floral industry for SEO advantage.
Launch and Adwords Campaign: If your budget allows, try launching an Adwords campaign for more clicks to your eCommerce store. Be sure to set a budget and stick to it as this can get expensive. adwords.google.com
Keep up with your blog: Now that you are a pro, how about writing a seasonal blog or fall wedding blog? We cannot say this enough, blogs are so powerful with SEO.
Note: For Canadian florists, September is a good time to start ordering flowers and supplies for Thanksgiving.
October: Holiday Preparations Begin
October offers some great sales in the flower shop business, now is a good time to start orders on any extra stock supplies and get them at a discount for future use.
Prepare for the holidays: The holidays are just around the corner, shop around for the best deals on all your flowers, and supplies for the holidays. Also, shop around for holiday products to sell at your shop.
Employee Management: Go over your employee scheduling and see if you will need extra help for the holiday season.
Open House: Host a holiday open house showing off your latest products and floral designs.
Floral Expo: Take some time to visit a flower expo in your area, and take your employees, this is a good way to stay current with the new trends, and first dibs on new products.
Note: October is a very popular wedding month with most wedding proposals in December. Think of launching a Wedding Package special on your website during this month.
November: Festive Season Begins
Tis the season for flower sales, November all in all is a great month for flower sales. Customers are getting into the giving mood.
Market the holidays! Add promotions to your floral website and do not forget about your social media!
Start greening: Green those Thanksgiving centerpieces ahead of time, add any taper or candles and put them in the cooler for a quick way to add flowers as a sales role for Thanksgiving.
Decorate for the holidays: Time for Christmas cheer, create eye-appealing displays, and make sure your flower shop is festive. If you can make a beautiful Christmas window display or storefront display to bring in curious shoppers.
Offer incentives: Offer black Friday or Small Business Saturday deals, “buy ones get ones” are great offers, even if it’s just a couple of hours that day. Having a great deal with a cut-off time is a good way of creating hype and traffic in your flower shop.
Tip: Do not forget to revamp your eCommerce for Christmas and update your social media
December: Christmas Rush and Business Boom
Many florists around the world enjoy huge flower sales during the Christmas holiday. Although in some parts of the United States, florists have seen a decline in their floral sales during Christmas, this month is quickly picking up and still trailing as the third-best month for floral retail sales.
Employee management: Set exceptions for your employees on selling upgrades and add-ons for each customer’s order. Review scheduling and days you are closed.
Christmas Greens: As mentioned above, it is also a good idea to green your arrangements ahead of time for Christmas. Take time to do this early before the holiday rush.
Offer Discounts: Sometimes offering a discount too early for Christmas can become forgetful to customers who may not be ready. Post Christmas discounts during this month and make sure to have an expiration time or date. Great discounts are gifts for parents, teachers, corporate and the person, who has everything. Flowers remain the perfect gift.
Tip: Do not forget to market to businesses. holiday parties are huge, so offer incentives to have them book with you for their flower needs.
Mastering yearly planning as a florist involves meticulous organization, marketing finesse, and adaptability to seasonal demands. With a well-structured plan, you can navigate through each month successfully, maximizing sales opportunities and enhancing customer experiences. Cheers to a flourishing and blooming year ahead in the floral business!
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Thank you for reading the Floranextflorist blog. We are committed to bringing flower shops the best information and tips to run their floral business. Click here to learn more about our florist software and how you can upgrade your florist website or floral point of saleStock Up on Seasonal Flowers and Supplies
Floral wire services have been around for decades, providing a way for customers to order and send flowers to different parts of the world.
However, while these services may seem like a good idea on the surface, they come with a host of issuesthat make them a bad deal for florists. In this blog, we will explore what a floral wire service is, the issues it creates, and why it is not a good option for florists.
Flower Wire Service, How It Works
A floral wire service is a company that acts as an intermediary between customers and florists. Customers can place orders with the wire service, and the wire service then relays the order to a local florist who fulfills the order and delivers the flowers. The wire service takes a commission (a BIG one!) on the sale, and the local florist is left with a reduced profit margin. While this model may seem convenient for customers, it creates several issues for florists.
Flower Wire In
The Broker (Flower Wire Service Provider) will keep the customers (Shipping/Service Fees & Taxes) and send the filling florist a total amount in which to fill the order.
Flower Wire Outs
If you are the sending florist and are sending to a flower shop, you will receive 20% and keep the customer’s delivery fee and tax (Some florists extend half of the delivery fee to the filling florist), this is ultimately your choice.
Floral wire service payments can be a nightmare for florists, as the hidden fees and deductions can often cause them to lose money on orders they fulfill. Here is a general breakdown of how flower wire payments work.
Additional Floral Wire Service Fees and Charges
Non-confirmed delivery orders before the allotted time.
Delayed Orders – make sure to cancel orders you cannot fill.
Another significant issue with floral wire services is that they often do not give florists control over the quality of the flowers they are delivering. When a wire service relays an order to a florist, they may not specify the exact flowers that the customer wants or may make substitutions based on what is available at the local florist’s shop.
This lack of control over the quality of the flowers can lead to dissatisfied customers, who may blame the local florist for any issues with the flowers rather than the wire service. This can harm the reputation of the florist and make it harder for them to attract new customers.
Limited Personalization For Customers
Wire floral services do not allow for much personalization of floral arrangements. Customers can choose from a range of pre-designed arrangements – “cookie-cutter”, but they cannot customize them much beyond that. This lack of personalization can make the floral arrangements feel generic and impersonal.
Surprised Hidden Fees
Wire floral services often have hidden fees that are not disclosed upfront. These fees can include delivery fees, service fees, and processing fees. Customers may not be aware of these fees until they receive their bill, which can cause frustration.
Delayed Delivery For Customers
Another issue with wire floral services is delayed delivery. Since the wire floral service acts as a middleman between the customer and the local florist, there is a higher chance of delayed delivery. This can be frustrating, especially if the floral arrangement is for a special occasion.
One of the most significant issues with floral wire services is that they reduce the profit margins for florists. Wire services typically take a commission of between 20-30% on the sale, leaving florists with a much smaller profit margin than if they had sold the flowers directly to the customer.
This reduction in profit margins can make it difficult for florists to stay in business, especially when they are competing with other florists who are also using wire services. Many florists end up having to cut corners to make ends meet, such as using lower-quality flowers or reducing staff hours.
Price Competition Against Lower Prices
Floral wire services often promote themselves based on price, which can create a race to the bottom among local florists. When customers are comparing prices between different wire services, they may choose the one with the lowest price, even if it means that the local florist is left with a tiny profit margin.
This price competition can be damaging to florists, who may find themselves undercut by other florists who are willing to sell flowers at a lower price to attract customers. This can lead to a vicious cycle of lower prices and reduced profit margins.
Limited Creativity For Florists
Wire floral services often limit the creativity of local florists. Florists are often given a specific set of guidelines to follow when creating floral arrangements. This can limit their creativity and make it difficult for them to showcase their skills and unique style.
Wire Services Create Bad Reviews
When customers order flowers through a wire service, they often do not know which local florist will be fulfilling the order. This means that the local florist misses out on the opportunity to build their brand and create a relationship with the customer.
Building a brand is essential for florists, who rely on word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat business to stay afloat.
Wire floral services are causing a lot of issues in the florist industry. They can result in arrangements with lower-quality flowers, lack of personalization, hidden fees, delayed delivery, decrease in profit margins, limited creativity, and increased competition.
Florists are encouraged to be independent and focus on building relationships with their customers and providing high-quality personalized service to stand out from wire floral services.
Customers are encouraged to support local florists and take the time to find a florist who can provide personalized service and high-quality floral arrangements.
You have the choice – No longer in the flower industry is joining a flower wire service mandatory.
The telegraph has come and gone and we now have the Internet which allows customers to find florists all over the world.
That being said – joining a flower wire service is a personal decision for your flower business. Reviewing your monthly statement is key.
Thank you for reading the Floranextflorist blog. Floranext Love Florists and we are committed to bringing flower shops the best information and tips to run their floral business. Click here to learn more about our florist software and how you can upgrade your florist website or floral point of sale.
In this blog, we want to narrow it down to the top 8 social media sites for florists and explain the Ins and Outs of their operations and why they are crucial and matter in the floral industry.
Check out our infographic for quick and easy reference to the Top 8 Social Media Sites For Florists!
#8 – LinkedIn
It’s the leading social networking site for professionals, with about 467 million members, it’s a solid venue for connecting with other local businesses.
Why LinkedIn Matters to Florists
Easy to stay in touch with other local businesses
Provides a valuable backlink for your SEO
Customers can recommend your services on Linkedin
How to get started
Connect with local businesses in your area
Use the Facebook-like feed to post articles, remind local partners of your brand
Write a compelling summary of your flower shop business. (be conceded about your beautiful work and experience)
Creating polished YouTube videos is harder than on many other networks. Upload videos of your floral wedding work or even how-to videos. Most folks won’t discover you via YouTube, but you can host your video there and embed it on your florist website.
Why YouTube Matters to Florists
Show off wedding videos, link off of your website
Great way to increase wedding sales, providing ways to promote on other social platforms by posting your video.
A valuable backlink for SEO.
How to get started
Make sure to have a Google account when signing up for YouTube.
Use your business name as your username on YouTube.
A clear description of what your video is about – “industry-specific”.
Make the video headline compelling.
Make sure your video is public.
#6 – Twitter
Twitter is less a way to get new customers and more a way to build your brand value overall and catch the attention of search engines. Tweet about newsworthy floral-related items during holiday times and you may find yourself re-tweeted by media.
Why Twitter Matters to Florists
Participating with this social media real-time giant and showing your customers you’re “With The Times”.
Keep in touch with customers – instantly alert your shoppers of specials, news, and events.
Engage with your shoppers, Twitter allows you to find out their likes and dislikes and have them give you feedback on your business.
Twitter can boost your Google ranking back to good old SEO.
How to get started
Use your business username.
The profile image is a must.
Descriptive industry-specific About Us.
Keep an important Tweet at the top of your timeline by pinning it there. Use this feature to make sure visitors to your profile can’t miss your latest news, products, offerings, or events.
Don’t forget your hashtags, like a florist, flowers, flower design, etc (a word or phrase preceded by a hash or pound sign (#) and used to identify messages on a specific topic)
#5 – Instagram
More than any other social platform, Instagram is a great way to keep in touch with your existing customers through beautiful, artful photographs. Buyers of wedding/event work will often check out Instagram to see examples of your work.
Why Instagram Matters to Florists
Keep in touch with existing customers
Easy to maintain
Adds credibility for wedding/event purchases
Great for SEO
How to get started
Determine your goals for signing up for Instagram, increasing customer traffic, selling more products, and creating awareness of your flower business
Link your eCommerce website to your bio to direct shoppers to your page
#4 – Pinterest
Pinterest is a great way to showcase image galleries of your wedding/event work – collections of images at local event halls, churches, and other venues will rank highly on Google – and new brides and event managers can find you that way.
Why Pinterest Matters to Florists
Pinterest readers use Pinterest to decide to buy and most of all book wedding floral services
Collections rank highly on Google – local content can help floral event/wedding buyers find your business
Pins last a lifetime – creating high-quality, relevant pins that don’t disappear overnight
Great way to provide a catalog of your work – you can even embed Pinterest boards on your florist website
Great backlink for images and organic searches on search engines
How to get started
Complete your business profile (not personal account) and take your time with adding beautiful images of your work
Add content to your bio and include keywords for the floral industry
Add your location and your business website to your Pinterest profile
#3 – Yelp
Yelp’s business ratings are some of the most used by consumers to evaluate your business. Bing and Google use Yelp ratings in their search results, so it can drive lots of business if you have great ratings and reviews.
Why Yelp Matters to Florists
The website is used most often by consumers who are looking to purchase floral products and services.
Provides spectacular SEO for your floral business! (We cannot express enough, this is vital for your ranking on search engines)
Leading customer review social platform which is proven to drive traffic to your business resulting in increased sales.
Integrated with Apple Maps so users could locate businesses. Making it most valuable in bringing customers to you.
Bing local pages showcase Yelp reviews, they have formed a relationship, and these reviews are super important for your SEO.
Google shows Yelp reviews as organic search results.
How to get started
Fill out your business profile completely
Confirm your business through a phone call to get listed immediately (this may not be necessary for all shops)
Respond to reviews
Offer (nominal) discount to customers to post reviews while they are in your store
#2 – Google My Business
Formally known as Google Places, Google My Business will increase traffic to both your eCommerce online store and your physical location. This is a close #1 for Top Social media platforms – Google My Business is a must for any business owner.
Why Google My Business Matters to Florists
Google My Business offers a variety of benefits to a business, especially if people are searching in your specific location for your flower shop.
Allowing shoppers quick and easy access to your phone number, address, or hours of operation.
Google My Business integrates directly with Google Maps.
Google My Business showcases your customer reviews on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and Google Maps. High-star reviews help you stand apart from your competitors.
One of the best backlinks for maximizing your SEO.
How to get started
The first thing is to claim your page, if you have no page, sign up with your Google account at google.com/business. Your account must be verified before it will start to show on Google local pages.
#1 – Facebook
With 2.23 billion users worldwide, no surprise that Facebook wins the number one spot in our blog. Facebook is vital in helping business owners manage their communications and retain their customers.
Why Facebook Matters to Florists
Increased exposure to your business.
Shows off your business portfolio and personality.
You can reach your targeted audience.
Search Engines love, love, love – did we say, love? Facebook Business page URLs are public, making these instantly rank on search engines.
Get likes to increase your ranking on search engines. The more likes you receive, the higher you can rank. It’s all about popularity Florists!
Allows for customer reviews.
Increases website traffic with link posts.
How to get started
Haven’t you signed up with Facebook? What are you waiting for? We suggest you read this while you are signing up for Facebook!
You must have a personal Facebook page to start a Facebook business page.
Your Facebook personal page and the business page will share the same login. (Top right corner of your page select Create Page)
There you have it our fellow florists, Top 8 Social Media Sites that matter to florists. Whether you agree or not, we highly recommend signing up with these social media sites today! Please use our infographic for quick and easy reference. Please feel free to post any questions or comments on these Top 8 Social Media Sites below.
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Thank you for reading the Floranextflorist blog. Floranext Love Florists and we are committed to bringing flower shops the best information and tips to run their floral business. Click here to learn more about our florist software and how you can upgrade your florist website or floral point of sale.
regardless of what part of the world you are from!
Nearly every country has a tradition of giving flowers, the art of giving flowers as a gift is seen as a gesture of how deeply someone loves and cares for its receiver. For floral recipients flowers carry a vast amount of symbolism, offering them an inner peace, profound happiness and a lasting memory.
Seems appropriate with the Christmas holiday just around the corner. In this blog, we focus on the symbolism of flowers as gifts around some parts of the world with some flower fun facts.
Flower Gifting Across The World:
image via pixabay.com
South Africa
Generally, the biggest gift-giving holidays are birthdays and Christmas.
Exchanging flowers during the Christmas holiday is a practiced tradition.
image via google public domain
United Arab Emirates
Flowers a very admired in Dubai, the gifting of flowers is for both women and men alike.
Dubai is home to the largest Natural Flower Garden (Miracle Garden), with the world’s largest flower wall.
Flowers are very appreciated as gifts, no wonder, as coming in at number 7 for the richest country, point proven that flowers are the perfect gift for someone who has everything.
image via pixabay.com
United Kingdom
Flowers are given as gifts for all occasions and are very well received, However, did you know that flower giving is also popular for Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) and New Year’s Day.
Image via pexels.com
Italy
Roses and are mostly given in odd numbers this for any and all occasions. (Sometimes giving 12 roses is actually acceptable when it is for a marriage, as it symbolize lifetime of togetherness)
Image via pexels.com
Norway
Floral gifts sent as hostess gifts the morning of the event is more typical, they can be displayed beautifully for the upcoming gathering.
Wildflowers are the preferred flower stems, a handpicked look is always appreciated and looked upon as simply beautiful.
Keep from giving wreaths as gifts even during the Christmas holiday season, the same goes for even number of the same flower stems
image via pexels.com
Russia
Flowers as gifts in Russia are actually quite popular, again odd numbered floral stems is the way to go.
Flower gift giving in Russia tends to be more massive in size, (unless if it’s a birthday, typically single-stem wrapped is acceptable ) stick to as many floral stems as you can, grand and full, with mixed florals of many varieties.
image via pexels.com
India
Flowers in India offer a symbolic gesture of graciousness. Customary to give roses, wrapped in bright colors. Green, yellow and red is considered lucky colors. (Be sure not to give white roses)
Image via pexels.com
China
Giving flowers to teachers is the most respectful way to show appreciation and is practiced by most of the population.
Peonies are very well received and are admired mostly at weddings.
image via pexels.com
Morocco
Hostess gifts are expected in Morocco, flowers are the number one choice.
Another popular gift giving holiday is New Year’s Eve with gifts exchanged between family and friends.
Did you know? – Fun Flower Facts!
Most Europeans give flowers in odd number except 13.
International Women’s Day accounts for the most flower sales in Europe.
Kenya flowers account for 35% of all flower sales in the European Union.
In the 17th century in Holland, tulips were more valuable than gold.
The city of Mt. Vernon, Washington, grows more tulips than the entire country of Holland.
Broccoli is actually a flower.
Hydrangea flowers are pH indicators, turning pink in basic soil and blue in acidic soil.
Dandelions are packed with nutrients, approximately 7,000-13,000 I.U of vitamin A. This goes for their greens.
As we can see flowers by far speak the universal language, when given as a gift it becomes a life long memory for its recipient, choose flowers as your gift for all your occasions. Do you have any interesting flower facts, please post below!
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Thank you for reading the Floranextflorist blog. Floranext Love Florists and we are committed to bringing flower shops the best information and tips to run their floral business. Click here to learn more about our florist software and how you can upgrade your florist website or floral point of sale.
“Rake” In Flower Sales With Fall Florist Marketing Tips
As a owner of a flower shop business it can be frustrating when you hit a summer slump when floral sales are down, though don’t fret, autumn is just around the corner and it’s not too late to generate sales. Following some simple marketing strategies will help you on your way to increasing customers and sales for your flower shop business.
image via shutterstock.com
Florist Customer Appreciation
Did you know customers return due to their experience while purchasing a product from a store? So why not “fall” for your customers and entice them by giving them a memorable experience.
Offer discounts or start a loyalty program.
Cater exclusive events in your store.
Carry “trendy” or this season’s top product in stores.
Carry items that cater to all demographics.
Tip: September 22nd is the first day of Fall, Have a Fall open house with drawings and prizes to attract potential customers.
images via google.com
Florists & Social Media
Did you know that 2/3 of the world’s population uses social media. Be- “Leaf” it or not, using social media is a great outreach for potential customers and it’s Free! Use these tips to “rake” in current and new followers.
Share – Gain followers by posting or tweeting interesting content for you customers and fans. Users who like your page will see your posts on their main Facebook news feed.
New Fans – New customers are more than likely to shop at your business if their friends do.
Keep Content Fresh – Post quality content regularly (at least once or twice a week). Create a dialogue with followers, this will encourage them to engage in your posts or tweets.
Promote – Promote your floral business by offering discount and incentives for customers who like, re-post, or recommend your social media site.
Tip: Create a Facebook ad using specific keywords and criteria that will attract customers to your page or eCommerce site.
images via pixabay.com
Flower Shop Blog
“Harvest” those thoughts, A blog is a great opportunity to share your thoughts, ideas, passions, etc to your customers. Blogs help drive traffic into your eCommerce website and increase sales.
Search engines love new content, and blogging is a great SEO tool.
Keep your customers up-to-date on what’s going on, let them know about new deals, tips, and inspirations.
Blogs allow you to build trust and rapport with your customers, not only can you show off what you know, but you are also building your expertise and credibility.
Let customers comment on your blog posts, in return you can interact with them further.
Tip: Utilize Google Adwords Keyword Tools this is a great way to find keywords and phrases people are using to search for your services.
image via pixabay.com
eCommerce SEO
Don’t let your SEO “Fall”, updating your content on your eCommerce website is a sure way to increase your rankings, SEO, on search engines like google. SEO is important to your floral website because customers will visibility see you on search engines therefore clicking on you first.
Your floral website should have at least 1100 words throughout.
Write descriptive articles on pages like About Us, Weddings, Sympathy, Events and Testimonials on your eCommerce website.
Create a page with links to your partners/ vendors.
Add Keywords, search terms, and backlinks, which are important in building your search engines rankings.
Tip: Encourage your partners to link your url on their website as you do the same for them to help you in our SEO rankings.
Using creative marketing is a great way to attract current and potential customers, don’t be afraid to step outside the box. Florists, are there other marketing tactics you use not listed here? Please share below for our readers.
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Thank you for reading the Floranextflorist blog. Floranext Love Florists and we are committed to bringing flower shops the best information and tips to run their floral business. Click here to learn more about our florist software and how you can upgrade your florist website or floral point of sale.
Is your floral supplies included in your profit margin?
Keeping an eye on flowers and floral supply deals and including supplies into your profit margin is a great way to cover costs and increase your daily sales. Here are some great ways to be smart and buy smart in the floral industry.
Profit Margin
The profit margin is the difference between what you pay the wholesaler and the retail price of the product. It is important to include labor in the profit margin along with vases, wire, tape, extra ribbon and so on. Setting a consistent profit margin to your floral pricing allows you to be successful in owning a flower shop.
Simple Profit Formula – Cost of goods $ + markup % = $ + Cost of labor = Final selling price $
Markup Percentage
This is the percentage added on to your wholesale cost which determines the selling price for your customers.
For example, if you have a 100% markup on a product with a wholesale cost of $10, you’re selling price would be $20.00.
Tip: the percentage of the selling price is solely up to you depending on location and competitors prices. General rule of thumb is not to go under 40%.
image via pixabay.com
Buy Flowers On Auction
Buying flowers on auction will indeed give you more for your money, Sometimes half of your local floral wholesale prices. You must buy in bulk and works great for the busier seasons.
Buy What You Need
Order supplies and flowers that sell, Reference your weekly product category and weekly sales report and order accordingly. We all love lavish high end flowers, understanding your market and customer base will help in determining whether these flowers are sellers or not.
Tip: pay your wholesalers on time, paying on time or at time of delivery allows the wholesaler to give you a discount.
image via pixabay.com
Bonding with Your Wholesaler
Create a special relationship with your wholesaler representative, let him or her know what you want to pay and what is affordable. Set a standard weekly delivery for price breaks.
Tip: do not settle for the first wholesalers price, shop around, there are many flower wholesalers, call them all and ask for their standard price and compare.
Shop Early
With your busy schedule, try and make a trip to the flower market and purchase you’re weekly flowers. As they say “the early bird gets the worm,” getting top pick at fraction of the cost will save you money in the long run.
image via pixabay.com
Dollar Store
We do not expect you to purchase all your floral supplies here, however, sometimes you can come across great finds all for a $1.00 a piece. Check out your local dollar store for great deals on vases and unique containers.
Tip: Some dollar stores have closeout prices on their websites and can ship to your local store, saving you more money.
Prep Flowers
Your flower purchases are a investment for your business, please prep your flowers correctly to maximize their beauty and life span. Do not be wasteful or allow your employees to be wasteful. Being wasteful can be done subconsciously, it is important to account for every supply in your shop.
Tip: Pay special attention to ribbon, wire, pics, paper goods, and so on.
Florist do you have any cost saving ideas on buying floral supplies? Please share with our readers below.
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Thank you for reading the Floranextflorist blog. Floranext Love Florists and we are committed to bringing flower shops the best information and tips to run their floral business. Click here to learn more about our florist software and how you can upgrade your florist website or floral point of sale.
The floral retail business is not just selling flowers anymore!
Florists today use their wits to include much more in their retail and florist e-Commerce stores. Reasons why are simple, profits are high and labor is practically nonexistence.
We encourage all florists to sell more than just flowers, and you may already be doing so from plush, chocolates, candles and so on. Let’s take it a step further and add your business brand to these products and sell them at your retail and e-Commerce store.
Ok, so why you ask? Why go through this much trouble?
What Competition!
When you sell your own product brand, there are no competitors. Regardless if someone else is selling the same exact floral scented chapstick, your brand is your unique product, thus eliminating competition.
Make More Profit!
We all know and understand supply and demand, selling a product that is unique and “special” allows you to mark up the costs and make more of a profit.
Business Recognition!
The #1 way to market your business is with your business name, what better way to get your brand out there and recognized. You have an abundant of material for social media communities. Think of what this will do for your SEO. It’s a win, win situation!
Distributing Your Brand!
Do no limit yourself to selling your product brands just at your retail locations. There are many retail stores that will gladly sell your products, thus building your brand in ways you could not even imagine. Of course, besides that, there are advantages of making a huge profit.
Products You Can Add Your Brand Too
Be creative and add flower names and flower scents in addition to your logo, these resonate with customers and offer a unique product.
Floral Scented Candles / Candles
Floral inspired Makeup, Makeup Tools, Etc
Wine With Floral accents
Jams, Jellies, Butters, etc
Chocolate, Candies, Coffee, etc
Floral Soaps, Body Wash, Lotions, Etc.
Flower Shop Branded Scarfs, Socks, Slippers, Home Decor, Etc
Florist Brand -Water Bottles
Floral Inspired Wallets & Bags
Jewelry
Floral Containers, Gift Boxes, Vases, Etc.
T-Shirts (Flower Sayings or Quotes)
These are just a few ideas, however, we encourage you to add your own spin, think outside the box and sell what you like.
Tip: Please stand behind your products, and do not sell overly cheap-looking products, this is just not good business practice, remember to offer a quality-looking product with your brand.
No Name Brand Sites
No Name Brand Sites offer products to businesses that they can sell with their business logo or branding.
yournamepro.com
namify.com
alibaba.com
Florists, are you selling products with your brand? Let us know any suggestions or thoughts below.
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Thank you for reading the Floranextflorist blog. Floranext Love Florists and we are committed to bringing flower shops the best information and tips to run their floral business. Click here to learn more about our florist software and how you can upgrade your florist website or floral point of sale.
It’s sometimes surprising how many florist sell only flowers in their shops!
This is not to say that only selling flowers is passé, however we want to encourage all florists to carry various items that demand little-to-no design time and offer a long shelf-life to boost retail sale profits.
Another point is that owning a flower shop gives you a huge advantage in the retail business market. Florists can carry and sell various gift items in their stores while maintaining the flower shop nostalgia.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the products customers are gravitating to and list six of 2019’s must-sell retail items in your floral business.
Image via Shutterstock
6. Greeting Cards
Most customers write messages when purchasing a floral arrangement and we all know how much content customers sometimes try to fit on the little floral cards. Here are some tips:
Set up a small greeting card display with a variety greeting cards for holidays and occasions.
Choose trendy or artsy cards. The key is to sell something unique and only found at your flower shop.
Have various greeting card designs. Floral is great, but it’s perfectly okay to have greeting cards without flowers on them. See what attracts you and offer various looks, consider going for a more current look.
Keep your greeting card display close to checkout, preferably next to the free flower message cards.
Image via Shutterstock
5. Home Decor
Statistics show that consumers spend approximately $65 million a year on home decor items. The great thing with home decor is that consumers love browsing these items and most will generally purchase something after browsing.
We do not want to have home decor items take over your flower shop. Create a small display with various items. Leave enough room for consumers to look and pick items up and move around.
So what kind of home decor can you sell?
Bowls, Ceramics, and Vases
Toss Pillows
Throw Blankets
Luxury Candles
Art
Faux Flowers
Image via Shutterstock
4. Fragrance
The number of women who receive perfume as a gift is 50% and approximately 80% of both women and men buy fragrance. So why not sell fragrance at your flower shop? Find a fragrance supplier in keeping with your look and feel. We want to make sure that your fragrance items are quality and smell enticing.
Offer a fragrance line that is not carried in competitors stores.
Make sure to offer gift bundles which include your fragrance. Flowers & Perfume – watch them sell!
Decorate an area designated to your fragrance items.
Tip: There are so many suppliers of retail fragrances. We encourage you to select a great line which may be a tad more pricey. Consumers know quality and with fragrance its all about the alluring scent.
Image via Shutterstock
3. Chocolates
Although chocolates in a small business do not gravitate to consumers as much as other items mentioned, we still feel as if chocolates deserves the #3 spot. Chocolates and flowers go hand and hand and most important is finding the right supplier of your chocolates. Flower shops who offered high-end chocolates and marketed them correctly actually made substantial profits.
Offer high-end quality chocolates. Small and large beautifully displayed chocolate boxes.
Have various individually wrapped chocolates for purchase. Your patrons are very likely to indulge in one sweet chocolate morsel than a whole box. Keep these by your checkout area.
Sell bundles which include a great deal for flowers and chocolates. It’s a good idea to include other items you sell such as perfume.
Image via Shutterstock
2. Unique Planters
Planters are all the rage now! Take beautiful green plants and add some to unique planters. Unique planters could have a place under home decor, however, they are so huge we thought it fitting to give them a place all by themselves.
Zinc wall hanging planters – wow these are absolutely spectacular and such a presence. These will surely attract customers and impulse buys bringing in huge profits.
Ceramic animal planters in fun modern colors. These are super fun and believe it or not, so popular. Most purchased are llamas, foxes, hedgehogs, and turtles. These have a modern flair to them.
All white accents have been popular for a while now however with these planters pay close attention to flowing shapes and odd organic looks.
Hanging planters – we are talking higher end hanging planters with colors of yellows, teal, whites, and grays.
Wall scape planters allow the customer to make plant art. This is a new trend we see sticking around for a long time. Grays and whites are the most popular colors.
Image via Shutterstock
1. Succulents Terrariums
Succulents get the #1 spot because they are purchased by such a large demographic of consumers. While shopping at a high-end home decor/furniture store, there were succulents and succulent terrariums for sale. Besides the fact that this home store is now selling live plants, was the many customers hovering over them and putting them in their carts.
Ranging in price were tiny terrariums at $48.00 and way up over $150.00+. No wonder home decor stores are jumping on the succulent bandwagon and selling succulents and making a huge profit.
Offer various individual succulents for sale.
Have succulent terrariums displayed around your flower shop showroom.
Pay close attention to the vessel customers are gravitating to.
Succulents make great gifts for men and women alike and are a huge hit with businesses.
If possible, bring your succulents outside, to lure traffic into your flower shop.
Offer hanging terrariums. Besides being a great selling item, they look so beautiful when displayed in your flower shop.
Florists have a retail item in your store that is a great seller? What are your customers gravitating to? Please share any retail items you feel are important to sell in a flower shop in the comment section below. If you have any questions please post below as well!
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