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Business 44 July | 2022 here's nothing wrong with having a brick-and-mortar fl ower shop that caters to your customers' needs. Period. Setting up a part-time stall or kiosk at a fair or outdoor weekend market is also a great way to sell your goods, but the fl ower shop has been a mainstay for the revenues of the fl oral retailer. But, this is the 21st century, and along with walk-in traffi c and those customers A LIST OF INDUSTRY-SERVING WEBSITE DEVELOPERS AND SOFTWARE SYSTEMS TO BRING ECOMMERCE SUCCESS TO YOUR FLORAL BUSINESS. By Andrew Joseph looking for special gifts when visiting your store, customers are also shopping via online ecommerce. Shoppers, regardless of the product they want to buy will often do their own due diligence and utilize their smartphones, tablets and/or computers to determine where they should shop or even if they can shop online, with delivery to their door. Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death isthe title of a 1987 Dead Kennedys album, but rigor mortis aside, people do enjoy shopping convenience. It's why modern fl ower retailers will have constantly updated websites where they can show off their current inventories or seasonal fl owers that customers are looking for. With today's technology, as Florists' Review is sure you have noticed, when searching for a product online, your device understands where you are located physically and provides options on where to shop that are closest to your location. It's why it is imperative to have a website and to update its look from time to time to avoid looking staid. A website will promote you 24/7—as long as it: • represents you and your ideals; • speaks to the consumers—physically, fi nancially and spiritually; • works easily so even those who are technologically challenged can manipulate it to earn you a sale. If you want a fourth point, consider that a fl ower website need not be overly wordy. Sometimes—okay, most times—you can let the fl owers and your fl ower designs do the talking for you. So instead of wordy descriptions from well-meaning writers, you need superb, professional photography. A picture is worth a thousand words. Sigh. It need not be a wedding photographer who has shot his or her fair-share of fl ower bouquets, or even someone who specializes in fl ower photography, but rather one who knows how to photograph products to allow you to achieve the branding you want and deserve. WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE T

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