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49 WEB IT UP One need not venture into the spider-verse to realize the benefits of doing more with one's website. Although adjusting the background of one's website to reflect the holiday season is probably not something the average florist would be able to do without a skilled webmaster, it is possible. Failing that, "holiday- ize" your website and social media pages to make sure that everyone visiting them will have no doubt that a special season is upon them. Populate them with stories and imagery of your latest and greatest gift and décor offerings, and provide notification of special in-store events and your participation in community events such as home tours, charity events and the like, as well as whatever sales or promotions you have planned throughout the season. During the coming holiday season, you want to drive traffic through not only your company web shop but also your brick-and-mortar store, and they should both have a complementary, similar "storefront" look and theme. Are you wondering which social media sites you should utilize? e most popular, as far as sites being used to gain business, are Facebook, Google My Business, Yelp, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit and Quora. For those who know what Quora is, you must be wondering how it can be used to promote your floral business. Well, for flower shop owners, create a profile, and follow relevant topics and users. Answer questions specific to the flower industry. Or you could just create a Quora ad. Regardless of how many social media platforms you wish to use, it is incredibly important to create a great profile. Having a great profile is key to getting noticed initially and to your marketing success because you are going to launch a social media campaign to highlight your shop's plans for the upcoming holiday. ENTICING SHOPPERS If you have ever braved the stores during a Black Friday event, you understand that people love to save a few dollars when buying Hoday Hoday special deals special deals attract new attract new and returning and returning customers customers roughout roughout e season. e season. NOTE During the 2022 holiday season, somewhere around 60 percent of U.S. consumers looked for gifts online and/ or did all or part of their holiday shopping online, spending an estimated $240 billion. In contrast, sadly, only 43 percent of American consumers shopped in stores during the holiday season last year. Like it or not, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psyche of how people shop, and many consumers are still reluctant to shop in person if they can avoid it. With more and more consumers making purchases online, you need to have a strong online presence if you are going to expand your business. It's also why your holiday marketing plans must encompass both brick-and-mortar as well as an online presence.

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