Do you have a small flower shop
round the corner? In this age of information technology, a great way to expand
the business is to go online. This is especially true for those who run the
neighbourhood store. With the growing popularity of shopping malls and
department stores, the profits of the neighbourhood flower shop are going down.
So in order to survive, the store needs to become an online outlet.
Have a global reach - The online store has many advantages, the
most important amongst these is the global reach it gives your business. You
can expand your business without actually opening stores around the world. Online
stores allow you to send flowers and gifts to near and dear ones who stay away
from you.
User-friendly website – Akin to the physical flower shop is the flower
seller’s website. A user-friendly website is one which makes it easy for the
customer to browse through and place an order. The flowers can be categorised
for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, thank you, sorry, get well soon,
etc. They can be further categorised according to price, colour and type of
arrangement. These categorisations will make it easy for the customer to place
an order.
Pictures – For the customer to have an idea of the flowers, the
website needs to have good quality pictures of the flower arrangements. It
would be a good idea if the customer is able to make his own bouquet by
replacing some pre set flowers with those of his choice. Along with pictures, the
price of the bouquet, its approximate size and some additional information
about the flowers will add value to it. 
Increase product range – A florist can stock things other than
flowers. These could be vases, candles, chocolates, cards, small soft toys and
other such gifts which can go as an accompaniment to the flowers. In short, the
online florist shop can become a one stop gift shop for those visiting it.
Unique Products – A number of flower sellers have mushroomed over
the internet. So what is it that will attract customer to your shop? The USP or
the unique selling point of your shop could be something like organic flowers
or exotic flowers. You could even sell potted flowering plants which will be an
eco-friendly statement and add to the shop’s popularity.
Personalised service – Online shopping is a boon to those who do
not wish to move out of their homes. An online flower seller who caters to all
the requirements of such people will be able to increase his customer base. The
services offered by the shop can include things like doorstep delivery even to
areas out of the town or opening a flower account wherein the customer is
assured of flowers being delivered on special occasions like birthdays and
anniversaries.
Special offers – Unlike
a grocery store or a stationary store, a florist shop that is in the
neighbourhood does not have much traffic throughout the day except on special
occasions like Valentine’s Day, Diwali and Christmas. (This is another reason
why going online makes sense). The shop can run special offers on products as
well as services on such occasions to increase the traffic. These can be in the
form of discount or free delivery options or can be clubbed with any product.
For example, during Diwali, the shop can tie up with one of the sweet sellers
and offer a comprehensive product – a box of sweets and flowers.
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