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Flower farmers, let’s make market days a little bit easier.
Market days are long. You harvest, pack up the truck, set up your stand, wait at your stand… before you know it the day’s gone and you’re exhausted.
Worst case scenario? You don’t sell out before the end of the day.
Selling flowers online can help you save a ton of time and money! Using an online flower store to take pre-orders before a farmers market or selling online throughout the week has a lot of benefits::
- Reach customers who don’t go to the market.
- Pre-sell inventory before you go to the market to ensure sales.
- Predict inventory ahead of time and keep track of it automatically.
- Collect in-depth sales reports to help you plan and make data-driven decisions for planting next year.
4 Steps to Sell Flowers Online
To successfully sell flowers online, there are a few key components and steps you should follow to get started:
1. Define your Dedicated sales channels.
Before you start setting up an e-commerce flower store and marketing plan, you need to decide to who you’re selling to. Who is your target audience? For market pre-orders, your target audience is market-goers. If you're selling flowers wholesale, your target market could be florists or artisanal retailers.
Different sales channels for florists could include:
- At the farmers’ market
- Direct to consumers in your area
- Local florists or retailers
- Food hub or co-ops
- Through a CSA. Either with other farmers or start your own flower-focused CSA online store.
Once you decide who you’re selling to, you’ll be able to make informed decisions on how to list your products, what marketing strategies work best, and how to best fulfill your orders.
2. Create an online floral business marketing plan
If you’re predominantly selling flowers at the farmers’ market, your marketing strategy may not have to change drastically. Depending on how you currently market your business, you can now start promoting your pre-order program.
Some of the best online marketing strategies for florists to get started are:
- Email newsletters: Email marketing for florists and farmers can be an effective way to maintain customer engagement and boost sales. Collect emails at the market and send out a weekly dedicated newsletter to your customer base. This will encourage customers to put in their online orders. For tips on how to write the BEST emails, check out this webinar.
- Social media: Flowers are beautiful! Who doesn’t love to see pretty bouquets come across their Instagram newsfeed? Lean into this and enhance your social media strategy by getting inspired by popular farm Instagram post ideas. Take high-quality photos of your bouquets and share them on social. Download our comprehensive social media guide - for farmers!
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Boost your online flower shop's visibility with targeted search engine optimization (SEO). This includes selecting keywords specific to the floral industry, crafting engaging content that resonates with flower enthusiasts, and maintaining a user-friendly website design. By optimizing for terms like "online flower delivery", "flower shops in Ontario", "fresh cut flowers", or "dried flowers wholesale", you can attract more organic traffic from potential customers actively searching for floral services. To get started, download our free SEO checklist for farmers.
Pick a few strategies and make a plan. How often will you send an email or make a post? What are your indicators of success? Writing down your marketing plan will keep you accountable and help you better reach your goals.
Need help with floral marketing ideas and planning? We created the 365 Days of Marketing Templates which is filled with pre-made templates for social media, email marketing, websites, and events and is completely free.
3. Launch an online flower selling website
You need to have an online flower website to sell locally online!
No more sending spreadsheets with what’s available this week or dealing with orders on Facebook or Instagram. Having a dedicated online store with automated and real-time inventory tracking allows you to take orders and collect payment online for flowers and produce - all in one place! It also gives you a dedicated landing page to send customers when they want to see everything you sell.
Finding the best e-commerce platform for florists can be tricky. Generic e-commerce platforms may lack features associated with selling perishable goods.
Local Line is the leading e-commerce platform and website builder for farmers and producers of all kinds. Its features are built specifically for the needs of producers, such as flowers farmers. Not only does Local Line offer a beautiful online storefront, but has plenty of administrative features and automated sales reporting that will allow you to keep track of your flower business.
To set up your online store, you’re going to need high-quality photos and enticing product descriptions! Once you’ve taken photos of all of your bouquet options, upload them into your online store, write your descriptions, and set your inventory. Before you know it, you’ll be able to start collecting orders.
Customer Spotlight: Fellow flower farmer, Nicole from Flower Hill Farm, used Local Line last year for her seedling sale and loved it! This year she’s using it again – watch her set up her seedling sale.
4. Setup an order harvesting and fulfillment plan
The biggest difference between selling only at the market and selling online is order fulfillment. How are you going to get your products to your customers?
An easy option? Take pre-orders using an online order and invoice management tool. Customers can order what they want the week prior and pick up their order at the market. This way they ensure they’re getting what they wanted before it’s sold out, and you’re ensuring profit for that week. Alternatively, you could also offer additional pick-up times at the farm throughout the week to cater to those who can’t make it during market hours.
In the future, you can also strive towards offering delivery to customers. This is the ultimate form of convenience for customers, but you have to ensure it’s feasible and profitable for your business.
Local Line gives you the ability to define and manage your unique pick up and delivery options. When customers order through your store, they can select the option that best suits their needs. This saves you time from having to communicate when and where they can collect their orders.
In addition to determining how you’re going to get products to customers, you need to think about the best workflow for packing orders. This starts with store hours. If your pick up day is Saturday, you’ll need to give yourself time to harvest and organize orders.
Example online pre-order and pickup process for floral businesses:
You do pre-orders online for bouquets for pick up at the market on Saturdays. You open your online store on Tuesday morning at 9:00 AM and send a reminder email to your customers. On Thursday evening at 9:00 PM you close your online store for orders.
On Friday, you download your pick list from Local Line and start harvesting. Saturday morning you bring the pre-orders and extra flowers to the market. Customers can come to you with their order slips and collect their orders.
Pre-defining your plan will help you avoid any confusion and keep your sales process efficient and clear.
If you’re already selling your flowers at the farmers’ market, you need to add pre-orders! Why not already sell some of your inventory before you even reach the market? By having a clear plan and an e-commerce platform, such as Local Line, you’ll be selling online in no time!
Do you sell seedlings in the spring? Local Line is also great for selling your seedlings to avid gardeners!
Whether you’re looking to sell direct to customers, offer pre-orders, or dabble in wholesale you need to start selling online. Luckily, getting started is pretty straightforward with Local Line.
Running your business is hard work. We want to help make it a little bit easier.
Launch your online flower business with Local Line!
Used by all types of local food suppliers, Local Line helps you sell online, communicate with customers, and manage your business all in one place. Sign up for your free trial today!
Frequently Asked Questions about Selling Flowers Online
What’s the easiest way to start an online flower business?
The easiest way to start an online flower business is by setting up an e-commerce platform. This could be through a dedicated website or using online marketplaces tailored for floral sales. Key steps include choosing a user-friendly domain name, designing an appealing and navigable website, listing your products with clear, attractive images and descriptions, and implementing an efficient order processing and delivery system.
What is the best way to sell flowers?
The best way to sell flowers involves a combination of online and offline strategies. Online, utilize an e-commerce website and social media platforms to reach a wider audience. Offline, participate in local farmers' markets, floral exhibitions, and collaborate with event planners. Offering subscription services, custom bouquet designs, and exceptional customer service can also enhance sales.
What is the profit margin on selling flowers?
The profit margin on selling flowers varies greatly, but typically ranges from 20% to 50%. Factors influencing this include the type of flowers sold, sourcing costs, operational expenses, and pricing strategy. Profit margins are generally higher for rare or specialty flowers and can be optimized through efficient supply chain management and targeted marketing.
How can I make my flower business profitable?
To make a flower business profitable, focus on efficient cost management, unique branding, and strong customer relationships. Diversify your offerings with unique arrangements and cater to various market segments like weddings, corporate events, or subscription-based services. Leveraging social media for marketing and maintaining high-quality products are also crucial for sustained profitability.
How do you sell flowers online?
Selling flowers online involves creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website or utilizing established e-commerce platforms. High-quality photographs of your arrangements, detailed product descriptions, secure payment gateways, and reliable delivery options are essential. Actively engaging with customers through social media and SEO strategies can drive traffic to your online store.
Can I sell flowers on Local Line?
Yes, you can sell flowers on Local Line. Our e-commerce platform is tailored for farmers, food hubs and produce vendors. It allows you to easily set up an online store, manage inventory, process orders, and connect with customers. Local Line is particularly useful for managing pre-orders, streamlining sales processes, and expanding your customer base beyond local markets.
