Why is it important?

Like your brick-and-mortar flower shop, your website is a centralized hub for your customers, allowing them to communicate and interact with your business. You must treat your online store the same as your physical store. For example, you wouldn’t have Halloween arrangements or decorations up in your shop in December—the same goes for your online store. Be sure to keep your website updated and timely. You can do this by having website banners and flower arrangements that reflect the upcoming holiday or season.

Customers have a wide variety of businesses to choose from when shopping online. To set your business apart, you need to catch their eye and give them a reason to stay on your site and continue looking for more information about your business.

How do I do that?

Start by placing yourself in their shoes and understanding why they're coming to your website in the first place. What questions would you have if you were looking for a flower shop? What would you want to see when going to a florist's website? Write down all the questions and reasons someone would visit a florist's website you can think of and anything you would want to see. Answer the questions in your website content, like the product description and arrangement name. For example, say someone was looking for a gift for their mom's birthday. You could add a few keywords into your product descriptions like 'gift' or 'present' to target those customers.

Okay, what else?

Your website is crucial for making sales outside of your physical store, but it also shows customers what you're all about. It explains why you're different and why customers should buy flowers from you. Your website is potentially the first impression your customers have of your business and can set the tone for how they view and perceive you. By showcasing your beautiful arrangements and updated banners, you can make a great first impression on new and potential customers!

Remember, your online relationships are just as important and meaningful as your face-to-face ones. Make sure you treat your website customers the same way you treat in-person customers. This will go a long way in building a long-lasting and trusting relationship with your customers, regardless of how they come to your business.

Here's an example:

When searching for products online, people often don't get the chance to meet with you face-to-face, which means they don't get the opportunity to gain trust through personal interactions. This is why your website is so critical. You need to make sure you're sharing all the info you can and showcasing who your business is. It's also why keeping your website updated is essential.

For example, say you were looking for a Christmas arrangement to send to your friend and searched for florists near you. One florist's website was up-to-date, had beautiful Christmas arrangements on the home page, and even had a banner with a Christmas theme that linked to more holiday arrangements. On the other hand, the second website had Valentine's Day arrangements on their home page, no banner, and very little information. Which one do you think you'd choose?

You're more than likely going to go with the first website since it had what you were looking for and was updated to match the current holiday. While the other florist is probably just as qualified, their outdated website caused them to lose out on a potential sale.

Why?

When customers search for products online, they're looking for someone that they feel they can trust. They want to feel secure in spending their money. An outdated site gives the impression that your business doesn't care, which provides a level of uncertainty for your business. It can even cause customers to worry about the quality of the final product, regardless of any images. Keeping your website updated is crucial for the continued success of your business.

Let's wrap it up.

Like your brick-and-mortar shop, managing your online store is all about attracting customers and convincing them that you're the best at what you do. Don't value one store over the other—each one is unique and a reflection of your business as a whole. Maintaining your online store and your physical store will help you show off the amazing arrangements you create and build long-lasting relationships with your customers.

Not sure where to start? Check out our websites and the powerful benefits they offer florists like you!