As a florist, your website is your online shop window – where you showcase your style, capture people's imagination and help customers order flowers online 24/7. In this technology focused world a website is essential for any small business to grow and thrive - but just like plants, a website needs the right conditions to bloom.
Cara, our floristPro Marketing Guru shares her top 8 tips for launching your floristry business online. Got a question for us? Get in touch with our friendly floristPro team and we will be happy to help! 
1. Sowing your goals
It’s an exciting time when thinking about launching your flower business online. But with any new business venture it is important to have specific and realistic goals in mind. At this early stage take the time to plant some seeds, grow some sturdy roots and have a plan of action for steady growth in the right direction.
For instance, when you are thinking about launching your floristry business online your goals could be:
- Defined: to sell flowers online to customers within a 10 mile radius
- Measurable: to sell X amount a month
- Achievable: to grow sales 10% each month
Remember – keep looking at the bigger picture, don’t get too caught up with the little details that don’t add up to your overall goal.
2. Pick your business name
Choosing your floristry business name can be difficult. So much stems from a business name; it’s the starting point to represent what you do and your style. Here are a few things to consider when picking your flower business name:
- Does it quickly signify what you do? The business name should easily and quickly tell people what you do. Think about the key words people associate with your industry and location; flowers, fleurs, blooms, stems, buds, florist, wild, floral …. Over the many years since we launched floristPro, we have worked with over 600 local florists so we have heard many different flower business names! Some are a clever play on words like Floral and Hardy, incorporate a favourite flower such as Mad Lilies, or have an exclusive feel like Wildes of Windermere. But the thing they all have in common? – they all link to the floristry industry somehow.
- Is the business name easy to say and spell? You want customers to spread the word about your business – word of mouth is one of THE best and free advertising your floristry business can have! Choosing a name that is snappy, easy to pronounce and spell means people can easily remember and search for you directly online.
- Is your business name unique? Do some market research - are there other local businesses with similar names? The last thing you want is for customers to be searching for your business online, but as your name is similar to another local business the customer won’t be sure which is the site they want.
- Is the domain available? Before settling on the business name, we recommend checking if the domain name (the www. address your website will show online) is available. You can easily check on an online domain site such as LCN – ideally you want the co.uk and .com domains to be available to purchase.
3. Grow your business brand and logo
A logo is essential – it helps create a brand for your floristry business, something customers can easily recognise and engage with. Having a logo professionally designed means you can use it on your new website, as well as advertising on your delivery van, shop front signage and marketing materials.
Key things to consider for your floristry business logo:
- Pick an easy- to- read font.
- Choose colours that work well together, but will also look good on a computer screen/business card/shop signage.
- Overall style that quickly represents your core business; whether that is wild and rustic flowers, specialist in funeral flowers, elegantly classic.
floristPro offer an exclusive Florist Logo Design Service for our customers as we know this is an important part of launching their new floristry business. We have designed logos for many local florists over the years, and are experts in understanding what your logo needs to represent, branding colours that work online and the difference between a daisy and dahlia!
Our professional logo service is just £149 +VAT, and includes a 1-1 consultation with a graphic designer, logo concept and artwork files of your final logo.
4. Dig out your online competition
Do some market research. Have a Google of competitors and other businesses in your area, browse their websites, add a product to your basket. Is there anything you really like about the layout? Is there a floral service or product you offer that they don’t? This is your chance to discover an opportunity to offer a unique service or product that your competitors aren’t doing.
The great thing with a floristPro website is you aren’t restricted to set website pages or limited on the number of pages. With a floristPro website you have the flexibility to sell the floristry products you want, along with having dedicated pages to highlight your Flower Workshops, heartfelt grave tending service or galleries to showcase your stunning wedding flowers. Pages like these full of useful information and high quality images helps your floristry business stand out from the crowd.
5. Website design for florists
There are lots of website building websites out there such as Wix and Squarespace. They offer low cost, templated website designs that you create and manage yourself. Whilst these can be a good starting point for a small business, they often lack vital floristry features that make running your flower business online easier and, most importantly, make it easy for customers to order flowers online!
This is where a specialist website company such as floristPro can help. Since 2007 our team of IT, design and marketing experts have been designing the best websites JUST for florists. We create a bespoke website for each florist that combines creativity and performance, along with an easy to use admin console so you can manage your orders, load new products or edit content.
Our talented team know what colours work best for a background (some shades make it tough to read words on a screen), easy to browse layouts, shopping cart with specific flower delivery options, where to put call to action buttons that encourage customers order online, high quality images to reflect your high standard and style - the list goes on!
Want to find out more about our floristry features for your new website? Head on over to our Website Features page for further details.
6. Blooming great website content
Bill Gates famously quoted back in 1999 that ‘content is king online’. And even 20 years on, Bill’s wise words could not ring more true.
Search Engines such as Google now use content as one of the key ranking factors for websites (SEO). The aim is to have at least 300 words on key website pages; home page, wedding/funeral/flower services pages, delivery page and shop online page.
What content do you need on your website?
- Unique content – there is no point copy and pasting from a competitors website, as Google will not like identical content repeated on different sites.
- Helpful content – Google wants to see content which is helpful, answers a common question and is relevant for customers. Including things like business open hours, flower delivery information, wedding FAQs section - all valuable content on your website.
- Engaging content – a consumer has found your website, you now want them to stay! Engaging content that customers want to read, whether it’s a blog on looking after cut flowers, advice on seasonal flowers or a meet the team section.
What content to avoid on your website?
- Spam like text - Spammy text is a MASSIVE no no. Google, and most importantly customers, will not want to read content that sounds spammy like “London florist in London delivering flowers in London as a local florist in London”. Your content should be clear, concise and read nicely.
- Poor grammar – nothing looks worse than text full of grammatical errors or lack of punctuation. Make the effort to use spellcheck on the computer and ask someone to read the text to double check it reads well.
- Irrelevant information – focus on your business and specific industry, Google and customers will get confused if you start promoting car tyres on your floristry website!
7. Nurture your social media & marketing plan
It’s important to think ahead about marketing opportunities for when your website launches. It’s a common misconception that simply just having a website will mean ranking number 1 on Google, lots of traffic and sales immediately. That would be like opening your new flower shop on the high street but not telling anyone that you are selling?
There are many simple and free ways to market your new website, which help encourage organic traffic to your website and convert to orders online. This includes:
- Social Media Accounts - Set up business social media accounts. We recommend to start with one and grow from there - the key social media platforms to consider for florists are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The great thing about a business account is they offer tools so you can monitor views, performance of posts and audience insights so you can keep track of what works best for you on Social Media.
- Link link link - Remember on every Facebook post to add the link to your website. Make it easy for people to just click to your website and shop online.
- Celebrate and share - Run a promotion to celebrate the launch of your new ecommerce website such as 10% off code or free box of chocolates. Running an online competition such as name the bouquet is a great way to get people involved and interested in your flowers.
- Engage with your audience - Inspire your online followers with gorgeous images of your floral designs, give sneak peek behind the scenes of wedding or a quick how to video. These all help build engagement with your audience and earns their trust that you are an expert in your field.
- Reach out - Get in touch with local newspapers, online bloggers or directories such as Muddy Stilettos, who may be interested to write an article about your new online business. Try and give them a niche or interesting service you offer to spark the interest.
8. Don’t. Give. Up.
Launching a new business is tough. There are many difficult decisions to make, brambles in your way and looooong days – but don’t give up!
The first year for any online business can be slower than you wish, but as my Mum always says "slow and steady wins the race!" . With careful planning, setting achievable goals, keeping your customers in mind and a big sprinkle of enthusiasm will help - especially in your first year of trading.
Big results take time to achieve, so focus more on the little wins that prove you are going in the right direction. Listen to what your customers are saying and buying from you; do they love your weekly seasonal special hand-tied? Are they finding it difficult to locate your address? This feedback allows you to dedicate your time and efforts to things that actually HELP your customers. Google takes a good chunk of time (allow at least 3 months) to build trust with your website, especially if you are using a new domain name. Seasonal peaks and quieter times is natural in the floristry industry, so use your spare hour or two to invest in some social media posts or start preparing product images for the next key floristry event.
And finally - don’t be afraid to ask for help along the way. That’s what industry experts like floristPro are here for - to add a helping hand for the areas that you find more challenging. We know your expertise is creating a hand-tie in 60 seconds, and ours is doing some serious technical coding so your website is blooming beautiful.
Ready to take the next step to setting up your online flower business? Talk to us today about how a floristPro website can work for you!
Author: Cara Cousins
Role: floristPro Marketing Manager
Publish date: 28th November 2019
FAQs
One of the European designs that we create in floristry is called the Form Linear, in which we apply flowers by using the 3:5:8 rule, with 3 main focal groups: 3 = Sub-dominate Group/Placement. 5 = Contrasting Group/Placement. 8 = Dominate Group/Placement.
How to start a flower business online? ›
- Get the equipment you need. Before you can start selling flowers online, you need to have the proper equipment. ...
- Determine your brand image. ...
- Explore your competitors. ...
- Review your prices. ...
- Design your store website. ...
- Build an email list. ...
- Technological advancement. ...
- Promote your business to drive traffic.
Important Qualities
- Artistic ability. Floral designers use their sense of style to develop aesthetically pleasing designs.
- Creativity. Floral designers must develop appropriate designs for different occasions. ...
- Customer-service skills. ...
- Organizational skills.
So, here are some of the tips to get people into your flower shop.
- Developing strategies according to the trend.
- Perks of a website.
- Choosing the correct social media.
- Start home delivery service.
- Proper market survey.
- Creative floral setups.
- The Conclusion.
The primary principles are Proportion, Balance, Dominance, Rhythm, Contrast and Unity. The secondary principles of Design are: Scale, Focal Area/Focal Point, Repetition, Accent, Depth, Transition, Variation, Opposition, and Tension.
What is the golden rule in floral design? ›
According to Bruni, the "golden ratio" for floral arranging is creating a visual where the arrangement is two-and-a-half sizes bigger than its container.
Is online florist profitable? ›
How much can you earn from the florist business? Most florists do about $200,000 in annual sales, and have a profit margin around 20%. In your first year or two, you could set up an online shop and work from home, with a higher profit margin of 30%.
How can I improve my flower shop business? ›
How Can I Improve My Flower Business?
- Laser-Focus on Customer Service. ...
- Work On Attracting Your Perfect Clientele. ...
- Maximize Your Profit Margin. ...
- Experiment and Take Risks. ...
- Here are some things you may want to try without waiting to have the budget or the right professional to help you out: ...
- Stand Out. ...
- Utilize Technology.
Starting a floral business from home is easy. You just need to find wholesalers and vendors, set up a storefront in your home, and find ways to keep flowers fresh. You can use a large cooler and water sprinklers to do that. Either rely on passersby to sell your flowers or set up an online store to get orders.
What are the five elements of floristry? ›
The five elements of design are line, color, form, space and texture.
Creativity, originality, and an eye for detail are key qualities of successful floral designers. They must also be able to work well under pressure and have good people skills, as they often work closely with customers.
What are hard skills for florist? ›
To become a Florist, you will need: Good customer service skills. A good telephone manner for taking and giving details of orders. The ability to use colours and shapes creatively.
What customers buy flowers? ›
Home Flower Buyers. Gift Givers. Corporate Buyers. Event Buyers (weddings etc)
What do flowers attract? ›
Plants produce nectar to attract pollinators. As the pollinator moves from flower to flower collecting nectar, they are also moving pollen from flower to flower. Certain fruits and seeds will not be produced if their flowers are not pollinated.
What is the rule of 3 in floral design? ›
Rule of 3
Having 3 different types of greens will give your arrangement a depth of color and a variety of texture. In Floral Design, even numbers do not create a balanced look. Odd numbers, like 3, help create a balanced distribution of greens/flowers.
What are the 4 types of floral design? ›
Four groups of floral materials exist based on the form and function of the floral materials within an arrangement. These groups include floral materials used for line, form, mass, and filler. Floral designers use materials from any single group, or a combination of groups, to create attractive floral arrangements.
What is the rule of thumb in floral design? ›
Most professional florists stick to the simple rule of thumb that the height and width of the arrangement should be 1 1/2 to 2 times the height and width of the container holding the flowers.
What are 3 types of form in floral design? ›
A floral design needs to have a range of different forms that work together to compliment each other. The concept of harmony helps to create a pleasing finished design. Each flower has a distinctive 3-dimensional form (shape). It is usually either a point, spherical, line, or transitional form.
What is the number one rule of design? ›
Layout is the main rule that is followed by all designers, it's number one. Much like how we have a skeleton to give us structure as humans, layout gives structure to design. This is simply how the design is “laid out” on a page (or artboard).
Where do florists make the most money? ›
They report that the top paying areas for florists in the U.S.A. include Northwest Colorado, Santa Barbara, San Fransisco, and the District of Columbia, with an average mean salary between $41,000-45,000, and an hourly wage of approximately $19-22/hour in these areas.
Florists earn an average hourly wage of $17.29. Salaries typically start from $14.07 per hour and go up to $22.72 per hour.
How much profit should a florist make? ›
Your goal is a 70% profit margin on your flowers and hard-goods. The mark-up on your flowers is typically 3 to 4x your wholesale cost. The mark-up on your hard-goods is usually 2 to 2.5x your cost.
What are the weaknesses of a flower shop? ›
Difficulty in Maintaining Freshness: Flowers have a limited shelf-life and require proper care to maintain freshness. Ensuring proper care during transport and delivery can be challenging. High Competition: The floral industry is highly competitive, with many established players as well as new entrants.
How much should I budget to open a flower shop? ›
A flower shop will generally cost anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 to open. This includes a lease, the first order of flowers, supplies, and wages. Ongoing expenses also include fridges where you can keep the flowers fresh and cool, and a delivery van or vehicle.
How do you maximize a flower budget? ›
How to Maximise Your Budget for Wedding Flowers
- Choose Seasonal Blooms.
- Make a Statement.
- Work With a Florist You Trust.
- Adopt a Multi-Purpose Approach.
- Invest in a Stunning Bouquet.
- Add Ribbon or Tulle.
- Focus on Memorable Tablescapes.
- Incorporate Votives and Vases.
4 Out Of The Box Ways To Make Money As A Florist
- Teach. As a trained floral designer, you have a skill that many do not. ...
- Sell other floral products. The word is out, and floral accessories are in! ...
- Write. To make money writing as a floral designer, it is a combination of the last two methods. ...
- Affiliate Sales.
It's certainly possible to make good money selling flowers if you know what you're doing. Some farmers make up to $30,000 (£25,221) per acre growing flowers, but bear in mind this is gross income. You can expect your net profit to be about half of what you make.
What are the pros and cons of being a florist? ›
The field can provide satisfaction to creative people with an eye for design, but it has numerous pitfalls to consider as well.
- Pro: Advanced Degrees Not Necessary. ...
- Con: Salaries Not High. ...
- Pro: Outlet for Creativity. ...
- Con: Stressful at Times. ...
- Pro: Certification is Available. ...
- Con: Advancement is Limited.
Parts of a Flower
- Peduncle: The stalk of a flower.
- Receptacle: The part of a flower stalk where the parts of the flower are attached.
- Sepal: The outer parts of the flower (often green and leaf-like) that enclose a developing bud.
- Petal: The parts of a flower that are often conspicuously colored.
The floral industry essentially consists of three major components: growers, wholesalers, and retailers.
In general, the most common florist tools and supplies are floral tape, pin frogs, water tubes, cutting tools like shears or clippers, vases, chicken wire, floral foam, and paddle wire. With these items, you will be able to tackle almost any floral job.
What makes a florist unique? ›
They are very creative
Just like how a painter faces a blank canvas, a good florists can clearly visualize their floral creation and proceed to work their magic using various techniques to bring their creations to reality.
What is most important in flower arrangements? ›
Pay attention to colours when creating an arrangement. For instance, colours like orange and red have been proven to boost energy, while shades of blue and green provide a serene feeling.
What are some facts about florists? ›
What Is a Florist?
| Degree Required | None required; certificate and associate's degree programs available |
|---|
| Education Field of Study | Floral design, horticulture |
| Key Responsibilities | Design and create floral arrangement and bouquets |
| Projected Job Outlook (2020-2030)* | 20% decline (for all floral designers) |
1 more rowThe minimum requirement to become a florist is to complete your high school education or general educational development (GED) credential. While in school, consider taking courses in biology and art to learn about plants and develop creative skills that may help organize arrangements.
What are the soft skills for floral design? ›
Three common soft skills for a floral designer are artistic ability, creativity and customer-service skills.
What is a soft good in floral design? ›
SOFT GOODS: perishable goods such as cut flowers and potted plants. SPECIALTY ITEMS: Items not normally used as a floral container; items added to an arrangement to give added interest; seasonal or holiday items.
What is the tape trick for flowers? ›
Here's the secret. Use basic clear tape to create a grid over the top of your vase. The tape acts as a helpful support structure for your flowers —almost like a metal frog or floral foam — that makes it easy to arrange stems and keeps them in place.
What makes a good flower photograph? ›
Adjust the light's intensity by moving the light closer or further away. Backlighting will often prove the most dramatic type of light, highlighting shape and form and the translucency of petals and leaves. Quite simply, flower photographers should take full advantage of the control they possess over light.
What is the most popular flower sold? ›
Tulips are the best selling cut flowers in the U.S., with annual sales revenue of $65.3 million, reported by both wholesale and retail businesses. Out of any other state, Washington sells the most cut tulip stems, with reported annual sales revenue of over $13 million.
Roses are perhaps the most popular cut flower for floral displays. They feature a tight coil of petals that range in color from white to tones of yellow, pink, and dark crimson and have a delightful fragrance.
What age group buys flowers most? ›
Generation Y is the generation most likely to purchase flowers in person and to deliver them themselves.
What is the happiest looking flower? ›
Sunflowers are often considered to be one of nature's happiest flowers, and for good reason! Here are a few reasons why sunflowers are associated with happiness: 1. Bright and bold: Sunflowers are known for their bright yellow color and large, bold petals that can't help but put a smile on your face.
Which flower is more attractive? ›
Dahlia. The dahlia is another of the most beautiful flowers in the world. It has about 30 different species and up to 20,000 different varieties.
What is the rule of floral formula? ›
Floral formulae are a system to represent a flower's structure using specific numbers, letters, and symbols, hence it is a simple way to present salient features of a flower. It portrays the number of parts, floral symmetry, connotation and adnation, ovary position and insertion.
What is the rule of three in floral design? ›
A good rule of thumb is that the arrangement is twice as high as the container; or of the overall composition, the container is one-third of the height/mass and the flowers are two-thirds. Three is the magic number: no less than three of each flower or element.
What are the basic rules of flower arrangement? ›
What are the basic rules of flower arrangement? The main rules of flower arrangements to aim for are: balance, proportion and scale, unity, harmony, rhythm and balance, and finally emphasis.
What are the 6 principles of floral design? ›
The basic standards used to organize the design elements are balance, dominance, contrast, rhythm, proportion, and scale. A floral arrangement is ultimately judged on how well these principles are applied.
What are the five elements of floral design? ›
The five elements of design are line, color, form, space and texture. I will discuss each element and what the importance of each element is.
What does G stand for in floral formula? ›
Quick Reference. A conventional method for recording the structure of a flower. It uses a series of capital letters to identify parts: K = calyx; C = corolla; A = androecium; G = gynoecium. The number of components in each is indicated by a number; if the number exceeds 12, the symbol ∞ (infinity) is used.
It is a lot easier and sometimes found convenient to describe any kind or trait of a flower by a simple and concise floral formula known as the floral formula. In this floral formula hibiscus, K represents calyx, C=corolla, P= perianth, A=androccium, G=Gynoecium.
What does P mean in floral formula? ›
The parts of the flower are represented by K (for calyx), C (for corolla), P (for perianth), A (for androecium), and G (for gynoecium).
What is the rule of thumb for flower arrangements? ›
Most professional florists stick to the simple rule of thumb that the height and width of the arrangement should be 1 1/2 to 2 times the height and width of the container holding the flowers.
What are 2 common forms in floral design? ›
Regardless of the shape you choose, there are two main types of floral forms: open-form flower designs or closed-form flower designs. Open designs have a lot of room in between the blooms, which adds negative space to your arrangement.
What is the rule of 3 for centerpieces? ›
For decorating, the Rule of Three means objects look better in a group of three. The easiest way to follow the Rule of Three is to display a matching set of décor—three different sizes of the same type of object.
What are the three levels of flower arrangements? ›
Three general styles — Line Arrangements, Mass Arrangements, Line-Mass Arrangements —are the basis of all floral designs.
What are the four elements of floral design? ›
Color, form, line, and texture comprise the elements of design. They are the physical characteristics of materials used in floral compositions.
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