How to Sell Flowers Online: 10 Tips for Success
In the age of e-commerce, more and more businesses are moving online to sell their products and services. This is especially true for businesses that sell physical goods, like flowers.
Selling flowers online has many advantages over selling through a brick-and-mortar shop. For one, you have a much wider reach - you can sell to anyone in the world with an internet connection. You also have lower overhead costs, since you don’t have to rent or maintain a physical space. And, you can sell 24/7, which is not possible with a traditional shop.
If you’re thinking about starting an online flower business, or if you’re already selling flowers online but want to increase your sales, here are some tips for selling flowers online directly to your customers:
1. Use attractive videos or photos.
When potential customers are browsing the internet, they’re going to be drawn to videos and images before they even read any text. That’s why it’s important to use high-quality, attractive videos photos of your flowers on your website and in your marketing materials.
If you’re not a professional photographer, that’s okay - there are plenty of resources out there to help you take great photos, even with a basic camera or smartphone.
While photos are certainly important, using videos can help you sell even more flowers online. This is because videos are more engaging than photos, and they give potential customers a better idea of what your flowers look. In addition, videos are more likely to be shared than photos, which can help you reach a wider audience.
2. Offer a wide variety of flowers.
Different people have different flower preferences, so it’s important to offer a wide selection on your website. This not only includes different types of flowers, but also different colors, sizes, and arrangements.
If you can, offer a custom option, where customers can pick and choose the specific flowers and arrangement they want. This is a great way to upsell customers and increase your average order value.
3. Provide helpful descriptions.
In addition to attractive photos, your flower descriptions should be helpful, informative, and persuasive. They should tell potential customers everything they need to know about the flowers you’re selling, including what they look like, what they smell like, how long they’ll last, and what occasion they’re best suited for.
4. Offer free shipping.
Free shipping is one of the best ways to increase online sales. In fact, a study by Forrester Research found that free shipping is the number one factor that influences whether or not people will make a purchase online.
If you’re selling flowers online, offer free shipping on all orders, or at least on orders over a certain amount. This will encourage people to buy from you, and you can make up for the cost of shipping by charging a higher price for your flowers.
5. Offer discounts and promotions.
Discounts and promotions are another great way to increase online sales. You can offer a discount to first-time customers, or run a promotion for a holiday or special occasion.
Just be sure not to discount your flowers too much, as this can devalue your brand. A good rule of thumb is to never discount your flowers by more than 20%.
6. Make it easy to buy.
The easier you make it for people to buy flowers from you, the more likely they are to do so. That’s why it’s important to have a well-designed website with a user-friendly checkout process.
In addition, offer a variety of payment options so that people can pay in the way that’s most convenient for them. And, make sure your website is mobile-friendly, as more and more people are shopping on their smartphones and tablets.
7. Provide excellent customer service.
Even if you do everything right, there will be times when things go wrong. That’s why it’s important to provide excellent customer service.
If a customer is unhappy with their purchase, do everything you can to make it right. Offer a refund, a replacement, or a discount on their next purchase. And, be sure to apologize for any inconvenience.
By providing great customer service, you’ll turn unhappy customers into lifelong fans of your business.
8. Get involved in the community.
One great way to sell flowers online is to get involved in the community. You can do this by starting a blog, joining forums, and participating in social media.
There are a number of ways you can engage with the local community without doing it online. You can participate in local events, sponsor local teams or clubs, or donate to local charities. You can also get involved in local politics or join local business associations. By getting involved in the community, you’ll build relationships with potential customers, which will make them more likely to buy from you.
When you’re active in the community, you’ll build relationships with potential customers, which will make them more likely to buy from you. You’ll also be able to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, which will help you make better decisions about your business.
9. Use search engine optimization.
If you want people to find your website when they’re searching for flowers online, you need to use search engine optimization (SEO). This is the process of optimizing your website for the search engines, so that your site appears as high as possible in the search results.
There are a number of things you can do to optimize your site for the search engines, including using the right keywords, adding fresh content, and building backlinks. For more tips, check out this guide to SEO for small businesses.
Keep in mind that Google My Business is a great way to attract more local customers to your flower shop. By creating a listing for your business on Google My Business, you can make it easier for potential customers to find you when they’re searching for flowers online.
10. Advertise online.
In addition to SEO, you can also generate traffic to your website by advertising online. There are a number of different ways to do this, including pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, display advertising, and social media advertising.
PPC advertising is a great way to get targeted traffic to your site, as you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Display advertising is also effective, although it can be more expensive. And, social media advertising is a great way to reach people who are already interested in your business.
By following these tips, you can sell flowers online directly to your customers, without going through a middleman. This will allow you to keep more of the profits, and provide your customers with a better experience.
Are you ready to sell online?
Creating modern online stores to sell online is a challenge for flower businesses. That’s where we help.
Online stores built with SoTrusty are optimised using the latest technologies so that your customers have the best purchase experience on mobile, tables and desktop computers.
When we use technology to its full potential, we secure the success of your business. With partners like SoTrusty, you can do so with no coding knowledge and at your own pace.