A recent flower trend that started a few years ago and continues to grow revolves around flower farms. These are an eco-friendly way to support farmers and shop small while tapping into their abundant supply of fresh blooms. But what does this flower farm trend mean for florists? Let’s dive further into it below so you can decide whether working with a flower farm is right for your business.

What is a Flower Farm?

A flower farm is quite literally what it sounds like – a farm where flowers are grown! Those running flower farms are typically known as farmer-florists. The farms can grow all different kinds of florals, and they offer a unique experience to shoppers if they’re open to visitors. It’s almost like a fun attraction to visit! These farms sell and market flowers directly to consumers and they partner with both floral designers and event companies. 

The Rise of Flower Farms

So the question now is – are flower farms a trend or are they here to stay? Data suggests a large rise in their popularity as of late. While 80 percent of the cut flowers in the U.S. are still imported from other countries, the value of domestic floriculture rose 9 percent from 2015 to $4.77 billion in 2018. With that increase, the number of producers in the U.S. increased 8 percent during that time, as noted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Bloomberg further reports that a service called Slow Flowers network – committed to connecting consumers with local flowers – experienced a membership increase of more than a third from 2020 to 2021.

Much of this popularity is attributed to a yearning from consumers to embrace local agriculture and to support local farmers. Additionally, with wholesale flower shortages being widespread over the past couple of years, it makes sense that flower farms received a lot of business and attention, granted they had a bountiful harvest of stems to provide to florists.

How Can Florists Work With a Flower Farm?

You may be wondering what this means to you as a florist. The popularity of flower farms presents a unique opportunity to make a connection in your community if there are any local flower farms in your area. Partnering with a flower farm and advertising this to your customers can create a great deal of appeal for your business. 

Sourcing even some of your stems from a flower farm will resonate with your customers for the following reasons:

• Shop Local: The ability to support not just one community business but two will appeal to your clients. What an amazing way to shop small.
• Eco-Friendly: Everyone is looking to go green, so this will be a big draw for consumers.
• Supporting Farmers: The idea of supporting local farmers is something that many of your patrons can get behind, so it’s a wonderful marketing angle to have.
• A Unique Selection: Flower farms may have a more unique offering than what you’re receiving from wholesale suppliers. This could help you make more sales to customers if they’re looking for something different or out of the box.

Photo via Sierra Flower Farm

What are your thoughts on flower farms? Do you have any in your community that you’ve partnered with? We’d love to hear, so be sure to drop a comment below to let us know your experience with this trend!

Subscription flowers, or floral subscriptions, include a variety of services where customers can have flowers delivered to a place of their choice schedule. Depending on the service, customers may choose bouquets that are sent or receive a random bouquet of seasonal flowers.

Some services also allow flowers to be sent on specific dates or on holidays (eg. Mother’s Day or Anniversaries). While it’s common for customers to send flowers to mark a special occasion, the general reason floral subscriptions are gaining traction today is a growing appreciation for having everyday flowers nearby.

The natural beauty everyday flowers bring to homes and offices invigorates and calms the area. Plus, the convenience of having flowers sent frequently without the hassle of ordering them beforehand is a major selling point.

Who is Offering Subscription Flowers?

It should be noted that not only are florists offering subscription services but cut flower specialists too. Floral subscriptions are a growing market and can also help with your inventory.

These advance orders let you plan ahead and place orders for unique flowers and stock only what’s needed while cutting down on waste. You can even use surplus flowers from other orders as part of the bouquets, managing your waste even more. Floranext website customers can add Floral Subscriptions to their website. To get started with Floral Subscriptions, Click Here!

Benefits of Floral subscriptions

As a bonus, flower subscription services may allow you to provide better flowers to the customer as well. Using seasonal blooms keeps your bouquets of higher quality, which your customers will definitely appreciate.

Of course, with the nature of subscriptions, you get to develop long-term relationships with your customers. You can learn about your customers’ preferences as you interact with them in each delivery, and you can customize their future bouquets to match those preferences. This can definitely let you gain their favor and ultimately improve your relationship.

There are so many advantages to floral subscriptions that it may feel like you’re missing out on an entire industry not riding the trend. If that describes you, try offering a subscription plan and see how they work! Want to add floral subscriptions to your website, Try Floranext Floral Subscriptions today! 

Florists, are you offering floral subscriptions to customers? What are some things that work or didn’t work for you? Please share your comments down 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.

Graduation season is rapidly approaching, so make the most out of this time of year as a florist! You can do a few things to prepare for this particular season to ensure not only that you’re ready for it, but that you drive the most sales possible. Although this isn’t a holiday known to overrun florists with sales, it’s still a great time to run promos, advertise in the community, and make more sales than a normal day.

Have an Abundance of Flowers in The Right School Colors

With graduation approaching, take a look at the school colors in your surrounding area and ensure that you order stock to match those colors. You’ll want to have an array of flowers that match the school colors for festive and perfectly themed arrangements.  Make sure you have ribbons and tissue paper in these colors, too!

Have a Range of Floral Offerings

Graduations don’t require huge bouquets for gifting in most cases. You may want to prepare mini bouquets, artful corsages in the colors of nearby schools, and even a few stems tied together for people to purchase and gift for graduates. Just these simple arrangements could be huge sellers for the event!

Plan Accordingly for Graduation Dates

Graduation days may garner many walk-in purchases at your shop.  Plan ahead for that and make sure you’ll be adequately staffed. Have all of your supplies ready and you may even want to print a special price list for commonly purchased graduation arrangements.

Send Floral Marketing Emails for the Occasion 

As the occasion gets closer, it’s the perfect time to send some marketing emails relating to graduation. These can serve as a reminder of the upcoming graduation season so that anyone with a graduate in their life is reminded to place their order. This is also the perfect place to showcase some examples of arrangements you can provide in school colors, featuring images and examples of what customers can order.

Partner With Local Schools to Take Orders 

There could be an opportunity to partner with local schools. Work with them to advertise your services and take orders as graduation season approaches. For instance, see if you could attend a sports game prior to graduation and have a table showcasing some flowers. Use this time to take orders for the upcoming event. Another option is to put an advertisement in the school newspaper or newsletter about your graduation flowers, listing order deadlines, any specials, or pricing. 

Run a Graduation Promo on Floral Items 

You may want to consider running a promotion or sale for graduation flowers. This could help drive sales. If you do choose to do this, make sure that you advertise it appropriately in your email marketing campaigns, on your Google My Business listing, and on social media to capture the attention of your community.

Post About Graduation Flowers on Social Media 

Finally, be sure to post about graduation flower sales and offerings on your social media page. You can even get creative with your campaigns in relation to social media. One idea is to share different types of flowers and their meaning and how they can each tie into the event. For instance, peonies are known to be hopeful, which is the perfect symbol for a graduate heading into their future!

How are you ramping up for graduation season as a florist? Share any tips and tricks 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.

Wedding floral consultations can be a mix of emotions: fun, exciting, and somewhat overwhelming. This is especially true if you’re having a lot of them during the busy wedding season! According to Forbes, 2022 is projected to be the busiest wedding year since 1984 with an estimated 2.6 million weddings occurring over these 12 months. Wow!

With that being said, it’s a good time to think about how you’re going to organize your wedding floral consultations. You want them to be informative, useful to your client, but also efficient and streamlined from your end. Striking that balance can be tough, but it’s certainly not impossible! Keep reading to learn how you can structure yours to achieve these goals.

Photo via Wedding Wire 

Step 1: Wedding Consultation Preparation

Solid preparation makes for an effective consultation! So, that’s the perfect place to start. Remember that this consultation helps your client decipher whether or not they’re going to hire you for their wedding florals, so you want to give a good impression. 

In preparation for the meeting, make sure that you have a good area to meet – whether it’s going to be in person or virtually. If you’re meeting electronically, you’ll want to be somewhere neat and quiet for the meeting.

Also, you will want to have at least one – if not multiple – floral galleries to show your potential client. Put together a document with different style flowers in the vein of what you can provide them with so you can get a sense of the style they’re looking for.

You’ll also want to have a standard list of questions to go over with your client as well as a floral wedding contract on hand for the meeting.

Step 2: Client’s Vision

After introductions are made, it’s the perfect time for you to tune into your client’s floral vision for their big day. Sit back and allow them to describe what they envision without worrying about tactical things like their budget. They want to feel heard, so give them the chance to express themselves at this part of the consultation.

This is also a wonderful time for you to get to know your client and what their overall style and demeanor is like. You can assess if they’re more relaxed about planning or maybe a bit more high-strung. This will give you insight into how you’ll work with and communicate with them along the way. Don’t forget to take notes during this time that can help answer further questions. 

Step 3: Getting Into the Details

Now’s the time to really dig into the details. This is where you can get more into your tactical questions. Here are some jumping-off points of what to ask:

• When is your wedding date?
• Where will your wedding take place?
• What times are set for set-up and tear-down?
• What are your wedding colors/theme and how would you describe the look and feel of your event?
• How many people will be in your wedding party?
• How many guests do you expect to attend your wedding?
• What’s your floral budget? Here is where you can set expectations of vision vs. budget.
• What else should I know about your event and what do you want your florals to look like?
• Do you have any inspiration photos to share?

Here, you can gain a better understanding of their event and also learn whether what this client is looking for is something in the scope of what you can provide them with.

From there, give your client some time to ask questions of their own to learn more about your business and how you can work together for their event. 

Step 4: The Closer

Even if your client is not ready at this point to make their decision about working with you, this is a great point to make a strong last impression.  Let your clients know what the next steps in the process are and give them your contact information in case they want to get in touch with more questions or comments.

This is a wonderful way to organize your consultations but everyone has their own way to hold a consultation, Florists, Do you have any best practices when it comes to running these meetings? Any questions that commonly arise? Fill us in 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.

As the year continues to progress, we’re getting closer and closer to spring. With that new season comes an abundance of business for florists. With that being said, there’s no better time than now to start preparing for the spring and the busyness that it brings along with it. After all, this season is known for budding flowers – so that is a sign in itself that you will be brimming with business very soon. Go into that time prepared! 

Photo via One Kings Lane

Ordering Floral Supplies and Tools

Since you know you’ll be busy during the spring months, now is a great time to order extra supplies and to have back stock. Floral items you should stock up on are:

• Vases/vessels
• Ribbon
• Floral Wire
• Floral Picks
• Floral Adhesive
• Floral Tape
• Floral Foam
• Floral Cages
• Floral Crowning Glory 

Organize everything well so that it’s easy to grab it and go when you’re busy fulfilling orders. Any small way to streamline the process will make a difference! This is also a perfect time to make sure that your knives and clippers are clean and sharp. Get them sharpened or replaced! 

Preview Floral Spring Holidays

The first way to be prepared for the spring is to know exactly when your busiest times will be. There are several holidays that hit during this time of year, and they’re likely the time that you’ll be slammed with orders. Here are the holidays and dates to be aware of:

• Easter – Sunday, April 17, 2022
• Administrator Day  – Wednesday, April 27th, 2022
• Teacher’s Appreciation Week – Monday, May 2nd – Friday, May 6th, 2022
• Mother’s Day – Sunday, May 8, 2022
• Prom Season (dates vary)
• Memorial Day – Monday, May 30th, 2022

Keep in mind that each year, Mother’s Day is one of the busiest holidays in terms of orders for florists. Many customers will wait until the week of the holiday to order, so this is definitely something to be aware of as you prepare for spring.

Plan Out Floral Sales and Promotions 

These order-heavy times are a wonderful chance to run sales and promotions that can really attract more business and orders. Be strategic about your plans for this, mapping out early the offers that you run and how you will communicate them to customers. For instance, will you advertise these sales on your website, run emails to customers, or both? What will the sales be? Prom season is the perfect way to run a promotion for corsages and boutonnieres, so that is something to consider. Whatever promotions you decide on, make sure to have a plan for not only what they will be but how you will advertise them so that people can take advantage of them.

Plan for Extra Staffing Needs 

Since this time of year is so busy, you want to plan ahead for any extra staffing needs you may have. Take into consideration the needs of your business and plan accordingly.

• Front End Staff (Order taking)
• Back End Staff (Re-stocking, prepping flowers, etc)
• Additional Designers
• Drivers

 It’s good to put feelers out early to ensure you can get the extra staff members you need to keep your business running smoothly. Don’t wait till the last minute as your staff also needs to be trained!

Don’t Forget About Weddings 

Finally, map out the weddings you will be providing florals for throughout the spring. It is being stated that 2022 will be a historic year for the number of weddings occurring. You’ll want to consider weddings you’re working as you figure out staffing and as your account for ordering flowers for spring, as well. 

What are you doing to prepare your business for spring? Do you have additional advice for florists for preparing for this busy time of year? Fill us in 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.

Floranext would like to say thank you for the overwhelming responses to those who participated in our annual florist Valentine’s Day survey, which shows some definite changes for 2022. Based on florist feedback, It looks like 2022 was a very busy holiday for the retail floral industry. 

Key Floral Trends – Valentine’s Day 2022

• Valentine’s Day sales were very strong: Despite the flower shortage and Valentine’s Day falling on a Monday.
• 38% of florists stated they had better Valentine’s Day sales compared to last year’s Valentines Day, that’s an increase of 8.4% from 2021.
• Website orders increased significantly: 40% of florists reported more web orders this year, while 37% reported they stayed the same.  
• Dozen roses prices were up a lot:  Average prices were almost $105. 
• Many florist experiences flower shortages:  34% saw shortages, with roses being the most common.

Were Valentine’s Day 2022 sales better than last year?

Not surprisingly, Walk-In-Orders were higher this year, with an increase of 28.3% compared to last year’s results. Phone orders stayed about the same with shops reporting 2.6% fewer phone orders, however, florists reporting higher website orders for 2022 were down by 11.3%. Could it be that customers are tired of being cooped up at home and are out shopping versus shopping online?

                    .                        

With the shortage of flowers and quality of roses, A Dozen Rose’s price range was very wide, the average in the United States was around $104.58. This was an increase of $13.08 or 14.30% compared to last year’s prices.

With the shortage and quality of roses, arranged flowers were overwhelmingly the next most popular item this year. Candy and chocolates once again were the number one choice for an add-on this Valentine’s Day.

Temporary staffing continues to be an increase year after for flower shops during the busiest holidays of the year. About 74% of shops added new staff, a decrease of 1% compared to 2020. This year 81.9% shops added additional drivers, an increase of 5% compared to last year.  Most shops did not rent vans for the holiday specifically, likely choosing to use driver vehicles.  

Valentine’s Day orders started coming in early for many shops, with 49% getting holiday orders in January, an increase of 9% compared to 2020 – This just shows that it is important to keep your floral websites up to date and start marketing customers for major holiday and events weeks in advance.

Since the pandemic there has been a shortage of flowers, especially during the holidays. This year 34% of florists were unable to get specific flowers from their wholesaler, flower market, and or flower farm. Listed are the flowers that were reported that were hard to receive. 

What (if anything) would you do differently next Valentine’s Day?

Floral Ordering:  “More mixed bouquets using the same flowers!”, “Order fewer flowers so we sell out.” and “Fewer dozen roses and more mixed flowers”

Preparations: “prepare more arrangements”, “limit customer selections and keep cooler filled”, “More things for Galentine’s day – seems to become more popular”, and “green more vases and don’t order Euc till closer to day.”

Hiring: “Secure more employee help”, “Hire faster and efficient drivers”, “More drivers and customer service staff”, and “Extra help on the day of holiday”

Deliveries: “Start deliveries earlier in the day,” “Delivery coordinator,” “Be more organized with routing my deliveries”, and “hire additional drivers and rent additional vehicles”

Marketing: “More social media posts”, “Start marketing in January for Valentines Day”, “More advertising,” and “Market bigger!”

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Thank you florists for participating in our annual floral Valentine’s Survey – we see some definite changes for the floral industry. Wishing you well for 2022 from Floranext – where we continue to help independent florists succeed!

Results were based on the 337 retail florists surveyed by Floranext between February 16th through February 21st. Florists were based in the US (72%), Canada (10%), international (16%), and no response (2%).

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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.

Using Google Business is one of the best ways to improve your floral business website’s visibility.

As small business owners, we know that florists are always on the lookout for simple and direct ways to stay in touch with customers along with ways to reach new customers with ease. Google Business Profiles – formerly known as Google My Business – is a great way to reach people in a direct and efficient manner.

This platform is easy to use and requires little time investment, yet it can provide your business with wonderful rewards in the form of new customers. Learn more about Google Business Profiles and how you can use it to your advantage.

Image of Stem Swag Florist Profile via google.com

What is a Google Business Profile?

Google is one of the first places that potential customers look when they want to find information about florists in their area. More than that, they likely use this search engine to learn more about your business in particular: the products you offer along with other experiences people have had when shopping with you.

You may be wondering – why should I spend my time on this? Google Business is important because of: 

Improved Search Visibility: Local Serch Results

Maps Your Floral Business Location: This allows the customer to find and navigate to your brick-and-mortar store and website more easily.

Allows for Customer Interaction: Allows for customers to interact with your business by leaving reviews and uploading their own photos. Every review counts, and every photo upload counts! 

The proof is in the numbers! ​​An interesting statistic is that customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider your business reputable if you have a complete Google Business Profile. In addition to that, seeing a Google Business Profile will make them an astounding  70 percent more likely to actually visit your location.

Image via business.google.com

Getting Started With Google Business

Step 1: Sign in to Google Business Manager

To sign up make sure you have a Google account. If you have one and are logged in, you will automatically be logged into the Google Business Manager. 

Image via business.google.com

Step 2: Add Your Floral Business

Enter your Floral Business name.

If it does not appear in the drop-down menu, Click Add Your Business to Google.

Next enter and select Florist as the appropriate category for your business and click Next.

Image via business.google.com

Step 3: Enter Your Floral Business Location

Select Yes that you have a physical location that customers can visit your location.

Next, enter your Floral Business Address. Google may require you to place a marker on the location on a map.

Then click Next.

Note: If you don’t enter a physical address, Google will ask you to specify which region you’re based in. 

Image via business.google.com

Step 4: Contact Information For Your Floral Business

Next, Enter your contact information, Business Phone number, and website.

Check over your information and click Next.

Image via business.google.com

Step 5: Verify Your Floral Business

Enter your real Floral Business physical address, not a post office box.

This information is only to verify your business and is not displayed on your Google Business Profile or shared with the public.

Check over your information and click Next to verify your account. 

Note: Physical location businesses will get a postcard by mail to verify their location, Service-area businesses can be verified through an email address. Once you receive your five-digit code, go back to Google Business Manager to verify.

Optimize For Local Search Rankings

Now it’s time to optimize your Google Business Profile to get the most value out of it. Remember that Google determines local search ranking based on three key factors:

• Relevance: How well your Google Business listing matches a search
• Distance: How far your location is from the search or searcher
• Prominence: How well-known your business is (based on factors like links, number of reviews, review score, and SEO)

With that being said, below are a few tips for optimizing your page to increase the likelihood that you appear in a search for florists in your area.

Image via business.google.com

Google Business Profile Manager

Now that you have completed and verified with Google Business, let’s take a look at the various sections of the Profile Manager that will require some attention.

This will be your Main Hub for your Google Business Profil, here you can do a little bit of everything. Google Business is constantly adding new features, and many businesses, small and large, fail to take advantage of them! The next section is going to examine some of the important features you can access on your Google Business Profile Manager

Google Business Profile Information

This is one of the most important pages for your Business Listing. Everything that is in the main column, under the Business Name, should be filled out ASAP. All of this information can be shown with your Google Listing.

This includes:

• Business Name
• Categories
• Business Location
• Service Areas
• Hours and Special Hours
• Phone Number
• Website URL
• Payment Methods Accepted
• Short Description
• Opening Date
• Photos 

We’d like to quickly highlight a few functions from this page that are not utilized as much we think they should be:

Photos: Upload your Photos! This is extremely important. Businesses that don’t have many, or ANY photos will find that they have a harder time ranking highly in the Local Search Results. You should have the following photos that you upload yourself:

• Logo – Your Business Logo
• Cover Image – This is the grand feature photo and should correspond to the services you offer.
• Product – Upload photos of the arrangements that you yourself have created for customers. You can also upload photos of the products as seen in your store.

Service Areas: Previously Google prompted Businesses to choose a Radius on their map to indicate how wide their service area could be. Now GMB seems to prompt you to choose from Delivery Areas such as Cities and Zip Codes. It is advantageous to type in as many as are applicable to your business. Be honest, of course. But don’t short sell your business’s reach by only including your primary area.

Opening Date: This one is applicable to up-and-coming businesses, that are still getting their ducks in a row. Our advice to you, start this as soon as you are able! Your Local SEO Ranking can be influenced by how much people engage with your Google Listing. If you start building this momentum before your business is even open, you may find that people in your area become aware of your business and ask you questions before it is even open!

Image via business.google.com

Google Business Posts

Google Business Profile is the perfect place to run an offer or promotion for your floral shop – particularly around holidays. Now would be a great chance to try it to promote Valentine’s Day sale! When you add an offer to your profile, anyone who Googles your shop will see this on the search engine page, further enticing them to take advantage of your sale or promo. Here are the steps to add your offers to your profile:

• Click Posts in the left-hand column
• Click the Offer tab in the popup
• Upload your image – this makes the offer more eye-grabbing!
• In Offer details write a brief description or summary of the offer
• In Offer title write a title that will grab the attention of your audience
• Add a Start Date and End Date for the offer
• Add a Coupon Code (if applicable)
• Add a URL the customer will need to use to redeem the offer (if applicable)
• Add the text of any terms and conditions applicable to the offer

Note: Keep in mind, a post made here will only last for 7 days maximum, and can only be 1500 characters MAX. So it is important to be concise, and to have good timing with your posts! 

Google Business Reviews 

Encourage and answer reviews and questions on your Google page for further effectiveness. Good reviews are very helpful in allowing new customers to trust your business. Reviews also improve your Google ranking. Remember to ask your customers for reviews. This can be done on email receipts or on other forms of social media.

To share your review request link, follow these steps:

1. Click on the button that says Share review form.
2. Copy and paste the link into a message to customers, or into your autoresponder and online receipts.

You should also take the time to reply to reviews on your Google profile. This makes your overall brand and business seem more trustworthy to those visiting your page. Make sure to respond in a professional manner and in your brand voice. Especially when replying to a negative review, be honest and upfront. Always offer an apology and method of contact when needed. You can view and respond to reviews by clicking the Reviews tab in the left menu of your Business Profile Manager.

Google Business Messaging

Customers can now send messages to your Business directly from the Search page. This is a legitimate way to directly communicate with potential customers! You may find that people reach out to you directly through this Messaging function, make sure to pay attention to your Homepage, to see when you get new messages directly from customers searching online.

Image via cloud.google.com

Google Business Insights

From this page, you can quickly get a view into how people engage with your Business Listing on Google Search, and also Google Maps.

When people see your listing from Search or Maps:

• Do they call you directly?
• Do they click on your Website button?
• Do they ask for directions?

Having this information can be helpful while you are getting to know your customers, and learning how people find your business.

Florists, how has Google My Business helped your floral business in the past years? Please share your feedback in the comment section below.  If you’re getting ready to create yours, let us know any questions you have about the process in the comments section and we’ll do our best to help!

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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.

Valentine’s Day is coming up quickly and there’s no better time than now to get your website ready for the Holiday! Ideally, it is best to have your floral eCommerce all set and ready for Valentine’s Day before February 1st. However, it is never too late to make a few tweaks to your website to attract customers.

Read below to learn how you can get your website in tip-top condition specifically for Valentine’s Day.

Products For Valentine’s Day

Start with your Valentine’s Day product images. These should be displayed prominently throughout the website. We recommend peppering your pages with Valentine’s products, while also adding a section that is specifically for Valentine’s Day. Doing this makes it easier for your customers to shop for the holiday when they come to your site looking to do specifically that.

Valentine’s Day Policy

Make sure that your website includes a clear Valentine’s Day Policy that is visible on your homepage as well as in Valentine’s Day section that has product offerings. In your policy make sure to cover nonspecific delivery times, order deadlines, substitutions, and pickups for Valentine’s Day.

Product Banner

One great practice is adding a banner about the holiday to your homepage on your floral eCommerce.  An invitation like “Shop Now for Valentine’s Day Flowers” will direct customers where they need to go. Make sure Valentine’s Day is clearly shown on your site’s navigation bar so customers have easy access to the page.  

Valentine’s Day Sale

Perhaps you want to add an early bird special to incentivize people to order their items early.  One idea is to offer free delivery or a percentage off for anyone who opts for delivery before February 14.  Whatever you decide to do, definitely highlight the sale on your site so that your audience is aware of it and can take full advantage of it!

Post on Social Media

In addition to preparing your website for the holiday, make sure that you post on social media to encourage your followers to visit your site and get their Valentine’s Day orders in. Add a link to that section of your site in the bio of your social media accounts and post frequent stories reminding followers about the upcoming holiday and order deadlines.

Email Your Customers

Another aspect to focus on is sending out emails about the holiday to your contact list. These emails will direct more shoppers to your site to encourage them to get their Valentine’s Day orders in and to alert them of applicable sales and any pertinent ordering deadlines.

This day of love is the perfect time for your customers to order flowers for those they hold dear, so don’t skimp on preparing your website to make the maximum amount of sales for the occasion. These small measures can make a big difference in ramping up Valentine’s Day sales!

What are some successful website tactics you use around holidays or for Valentine’s Day in particular? Share them with us and with your fellow florists in the comment section 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.

Each year, select colors make the forefront and are named color trends of the year. These color trends can be seen across the spectrum from fashion, home decor, and floral. We have been waiting in anticipation and finally Pantone and Coloro have announced with only a couple weeks left in 2021. 

The color trends for 2022 are:

• Orchid Flower
• Olive Oil
• Butter
• Mango Sorbet
• Atlantic Blue
• Pantone’s Very Peri

In this blog we will go over each individual color, their meaning, and flowers that perfectly capture each individual shade that florists can incorporate into arrangements. 

Orchid Flower

One of the top key colors for 2022 is Orchid Flower. Orchid Flower is a tone lighter than the previous years Magenta but still remains a bold and prominent color that works with each seasons hues.  Orchid Flower color is meant to create a sense of positivity and escapism in the new year. 

Example flowers florists can use in this exhilarating color:

• Orchids
• Asiatic Lilies
• Stargazer Lilies
• Poppies
• Peonies
• Hibiscus

Olive Oil

Next on the color list is Olive Oil. Not only for the kitchen for cooking, Olive Oil is making its mark by its color for 2022. The Olive Oil color represents restful, balanced quality and links to the natural world that surrounds us. It is expected that this color will gain popularity and will continue its popularity in the following years. 

This color maybe slightly harder in floral but think of your fillers:

• Olive branches
• Grasses
• Succulents
• Cactus
• Aloe Plants

Butter

We think food was on the mind when some of these colors were chosen for next year. Butter is the second out of three food related colors for 2022 trends. For the past three years yellow has been a trending color, however this years yellow is a bit muted and softer compared to the previous years. The butter color has warmth and luminosity but softness and muteness of a neutral color.

Floral examples in the Butter hue:

• Daffodils
• Hyacinth
• Peonies
• Poppies
• Orchids
• Roses
• Carnations

Mango Sorbet

The last of the “food” colors for 2022 is Mango Sorbet. This bright and vivid color is a pop of color that combines a combination of Orange and yellow. The Mango Sorbet color is expected to evoke feelings of health and well-being.

Mango Sorbet Floral Inspirations:

• Roses
• Lilies
• Pincushion Protea
• Birds of Paradise
• Hibiscus
• Poppies
• Daisies 

Atlantic Blue

Next is Atlantic Blue on the list of color trends. Blue of course is a hard color choice for florists as blue is not found in natures flowers. However, don’t be afraid to incorporate hues close to this color or use ribbons, vases or even fillers to add this pop of color to any arrangement. This Atlantic blue is a deeper blue that is closer to indigo than a true blue. 

Floral Examples of Atlantic Blue:

• Hydrangeas
• Iris
• Ribbons
• Vases
• Fillers

Pantone’s Very Peri

Very Peri, which is otherwise known as PANTONE 17-3938, is described by the company as a color “whose courageous presence encourages personal inventiveness and creativity.” Since we’re living in transformative times, this color is said to be a symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through. 

Furthermore, this color is noted to be one of carefree confidence and daring curiosity while it animates our creative spirit. Described as inquisitive and intriguing, Pantone believes that Very Peri will help embrace the altered landscape of possibilities known to the world as we come out of a period of isolation. All in all, Very Peri is meant to be a new light.

This is the first time that Pantone created a new color for the color of the year program. 

Floral Examples:

• Lavender 
• Cosmos 
• Dwarf Iris
• Coneflower
• Foxgloves
• Lilac
• Petunia 
• Purple Pansy 
• and more!

The possibilities are endless when it comes to marketing for the 2022 colors, and this can be used during slower times to draw in more business in a fun and innovative way.

What are your thoughts on the 2022 colors?  Share with us below your comments as we enter 2022!

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