Life is not a bed of roses, but our lives do look better when someone hands us a bunch of these beautiful and blissfully fragrant flowers. Why roses! Flowers in general convey special emotions and sentiments the way that nothing else can. This miraculous ability of flowers in communicating feelings and touching the heart has made them a great gifting item. Moreover, across the world no ritual or occasion is complete without these beauties. The importance of flowers can well be assessed from the report published by Spherical Insights & Consulting which says that the cut flowers market was estimated to be valued at USD 36.4 billion in 2022. It is projected to reach USD 45.5 billion by 2027, recording a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period.
The report also says that the global cut flower market is all set to grow in the next few years, due to factors like increasing demand for fresh flowers, rise of eCommerce and online flower delivery services, and the spreading out of global trade networks. According to Statista, nearly 18% of internet users all over the world have purchased flowers online as the online platforms create more room for customization and offer a great preview for the customers by means of pictures, descriptions, and videos.
With the rise of eCommerce flower businesses it is now possible to order flowers from across the world. The modern ways of customer interaction, transaction, and delivery methods along with lower rental, workload, time, and energy for sellers and buyers have given a strong impetus to the global online market for cut flowers. Moreover, by enabling small-scale producers to reach a larger audience, eCommerce sites have considerably increased the market competition. Hence, it can be safely said that the time is ripe to start an online flower business.
Key reasons for starting an online flower business
– Given that the market is unsaturated, it offers a great opportunity for local florists to craft a niche
– The cost of this business is low as you do not necessarily need to rent a space
– The business comes with a lot of room for creativity from the customers’ side, which gives way to easy customization
– With no geographical limit to the internet, there is a great chance of getting more and more new customers
However, it is important to note that the prices of cut flowers are extremely volatile, and are affected by conditions like weather, currency exchange rates, changing consumer preferences and supply and demand imbalances. This is why it becomes imperative for online flower businesses to put in place the right online business strategies in order to stay ahead of the competition.
In this blog we will share the right way to build a successful online flower business.
Cross-platform readiness
Before setting up your online flower store, you will need an eCommerce software suite that has all the right tools and tricks of the trade. Once the web & mobile portals is ready, you will need to craft a unique brand identity to make your products stand out. While putting the information into your website make sure to place the logo on every page. You will also need to create an ‘about’ section to narrate your unique story in captivating content and finally, make sure your metadata matches your story. You will need a reputed software partner like Valoriz to help you build a new age and highly advanced website for your flower business.
Implementing SEO
The most crucial cog of your online flower business is the website. You will need to create a platform that is optimized and is potentially capable of extending your business growth and revenue. SEO will help you build an authority on the market, drive more customers to your site, and create your conversions. It is only when a website is optimized for all devices, i.e. both desktop and mobile, can it rank at the top of online search results. This ranking at the top is integral for customers to choose your brand among others.
Integrate safe payment gateways
Online shoppers are used to a host of safe and easy payment options. Given that trust is pivotal in online business success, you will need to integrate recognized ways of payments like Amazon Payments, Google Checkout or PayPal Express, to your platform.
Shipping a crucial consideration for florists
Being in the flower business means dealing with a highly sensitive shipping mechanism, which is totally different from dealing with any other commodity. Hence, you’ll need to find shipping partners who deliver flowers in good condition and on time. Facilitating option to pre-purchase and schedule a delivery or pick-up for a specified date and time.
Opt for a shopping cart that best suits flower business
Any high performing online business provides a highly customizable shopping cart experience. As a new age online flower business you will have to provide your customers the option to customize their own flower arrangements. This is where the right shopping cart comes into play. Industry dab hands insist on a highly advanced shopping cart so that you can seamlessly integrate the orders with the delivery partner for more efficient order execution and better customer satisfaction.
Additional important features
Features including built-in marketing tools, product zoom, a backend customer relationship manager and a simple checkout system will also be necessary to take your business to the next level.
Wrapping words
If you are looking for a software partner to help you build a website for your flower business, Valoriz eCommerce services are right there to assist you. As a company enabling eCommerce businesses to scale and grow, Valoriz creates highly operational websites for flower businesses, where every single aspect including checkout, design, product listing, as well as secure payments is ensured to be the best in the market. With AI and Chatbot powered online platform, you too can have an uber cool online store ready in no time.
Let us help you get started!
