Venting: Selecting a Talented florist.

Venting: Selecting a Talented Florist

August 20, 2012

Brenda Della Casa, Preston Bailey
Brenda

Dear Readers,

I cannot thank you enough for the many recommendations that I received last week. I was most especially appreciative to have heard from so many florists in the United States and around the world. I spent many hours looking at the recommended sites.

Last week, I promised to share my humble opinion and select one talented floral designer to promote on my site. Well, I have some good news and bad news.

The good news is that I found five florists who have sparked my interest, and I am now in the process of learning more in order to give them proper acknowledgement. The bad news is that I discovered that many of the recommended sites do not do an adequate job of displaying the talents of the designers they are set up to support. If I were a client, I simply would have no idea if I was dealing with talent.

It is for this reason that I would like to spend the week making suggestions that are based on my own trials and errors. I will share my thoughts on what I feel clients are looking for when they come to your respective sites. It is my hope that, in doing so, all of us will learn how to better position ourselves and display our talents to our potential clients.

Let me start by asking a very basic question: if you are a florist, do you think you need a website? Many florists still hesitate in creating a site, claiming they are fearful that others will copy their work. I’d like to borrow one of my favorite expressions Judge Judy uses on her popular TV program, “Baloney.”

The issue of cost is also a consideration I often hear. Florists are worried that setting up a site is too expensive. This is only partly true.

This week, I will be working with my brilliant Director of online content and communications, Brenda, to deliver tips to help you create a cost-effective and dynamic website that showcases your talents. It is not enough to just have a site (which you need) but have one that gives the very best impression of you and your business.

Please feel free to ask Brenda and myself any questions about your site, whether it is established or just being designed. We will do our best to help you as much as we can.

Question: Do you think you could run a business in today’s market without a site?

Blessings,

Preston

(Photo Courtesy of Matt Brawn)

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http://www.wookieflowers.com Amy

Looking forward to seeing your suggestions. I personally think a good website is vital- especially when I don’t have a shop. I have only been set up for a year and every bride I meet with mentions my website, which has really hammered it home how much I need to update it often and keep it fresh (which I haven’t actually done since I made it!)
http://www.pamelaseventdesign.com Pam Archer

My demographic, which is primarily brides, are technologically savvy. They search for their wedding vendors on-line via phone, iPad, or computer, then they communicate by e-mail or text. It is an absolute necessity to have a website, but not a generic one. Every business needs a website that displays their products, highlights their services, and demonstrates what sets them apart from the competition.

I am really, really eager to hear your suggestions on how to improve my website. I welcome all suggestions and comments. Thank you for tackling this subject.
http://mossfloraldesign.com Miki Herman

About 90% of my clients – weddings, corporate programs, fundraisers, real estate staging – come to me because of my website. Although I don’t change it as often as I should, my clients have told me that they really like it and that’s why they came to me. I think it is important for a client to see my work but, I don’t want anyone to think I have a “cookie cutter” approach to floral design.
http://www.vofloraldesign.com Trang

Yes, I think it’s very critical to have a website to run a business these days, specially one that is nice and clean and represent your business and work well. I’d love to hear your feedback and comments on what I can improve. My website is http://www.vofloraldesign.com. Thank you so much!!
http://www.stacybowenflowers.com Stacy Bowen

Yes! I believe that websites and social media in general are extremely important for all businesses!
http://www.atouchofclassflorist.edna.blogspot.com Edna Hall

I have a LOVE-HATE relationship with mine – Love it when clients understand those are examples on my work /and I can create for them designs limited only to my imagination and their budget. Hate it when they think that is only the designs I can do –
I just had a bride who found something on my site I did over 5 years ago – that was the reason she wanted to meet me – we talked , she signed, I got the check ! I know I would not have booked that bride with out the website – but it needs work !! Always wanting to improve till the day they prey my scissiors from my stiff fingers:)
http://www.stacybowenflowers.com Stacy Bowen

I am so grateful for the opportunity to seek advice from such an accomplished source of information and professional! Thank you for opening up the forum for questions! As the owner of my business and administrator of my website and Facebook page, I am concerned that I am not using these sites to their full potentials! I have a thousand questions for you, but have narrowed them down to just a few! What is the best way to choose pictures for a website? I am afraid to put too many on and clutter the site. But, at the same time, I want to show my clients everything! Do you recommend paying a search engine (i.e. Google) for advertising? Do you recommend print advertising? I have designed and created my own website but am in the process of hiring a web designer to create a new site for me. What should I look for in a designer? What recommendations do you have for cleaning up my website: http://www.stacybowenflowers.com? Thank you for this imcredible opportunity! I truly appreciate your time and expertise! Thank you!
Stacy Bowen
http://www.silverleafevent.com Navjot Kaur

I feel that we are fortunate enough to be here on this platform where Preston is so open and helpful in sharing what he learned over the years.
Julia rose

Hi Preston

I am currently in the process of rebuilding my website.
I have launched it- uncompleted- just to have it live and not lose clientele.
I am tweaking from week to week.
Any criticism you can give me, Good & Bad, would be absolutely Wonderful.

Thank you so much in advance for your time.
http://www.flowersbysarniaweddings.com/ Pat

Yes a website is an important advertising tool for your business. Keeping it updated it a must (but sometimes hard to do in this busy business). I agree about posting pictures – you’ll get more business out of showing off. Extend your business to Facebook and Twitter is a good idea as well. (If you have the time)
http://www.flowersinlove.com Chantelle

I agree with Miki Herman – 90% of my clients contact me through my website. My website is self-made – I am not a computer programmer or anything, but there are some really good programs out there that teach you how to do it. I have learnt so much about my business and how to improve (what clients are looking for) through feedback from my website. In this age websites are not optional, they are an essential part of business!
http://www.distinctlyfloral.co.uk Amanda Brady

I don’t know how we would survive without a website. Having closed our retail outlet, we are reliant on customers finding out more about us via our website. Now, we don’t use our website to pull people in initially, but we use it as a demonstration of our style and creativity. Most of our business is word of mouth and therefore people have experienced our work elsewhere, but without the website and more specifically the blog, how would they affirm their opinions of us. Cost is irrelevant as without a website, all the adverts in the world are useless. We hope that you consider our website as one of the better examples in your search for florists as we believe it reflects our constantly changing work and style.

Kind regards
Amanda Brady
Distinctly Floral UK
http://Www.marcecooksplace.com Ricardo Rivera

No.
http://www.fineweddingflorals.com Linda

Thank you for this opportunity to give feedback. I am a wedding and event florist. My brides always check out my website first! I created it on my own and always ask photographers for a few pics to share. Looking forward to your response. http://www.fineweddingflorals.com. Thank you.
http://YOURWEBSITE Angela

With the age of social media, i think it is highly important to have a website but more importantly the content on the website. Also would like to know how you can get details of good floral suppliers to avoid being duped by the wrong floral company/persons.
http://www.thefrenchbouquettulsa.com/blog Savannah (The French Bouquet)

With the one aspect of social media, and how prevalent it is in all of our lives and in so many different ways, having a website is a must. It’s your calling card, so to speak.

When a company doesn’t have a website I instantly scratch my head and can’t help but wonder about their validity. Not that that’s necessarily true. Brilliant artists and successful businesses can carry on w/o a website just fine, but I think in today’s world not having a site is kind of akin to not having a telephone number say twenty years ago. There are viable and affordable options out there–start somewhere but definitely have a website.
http://www.elementidistile.com flaminia paglia marzano

i would appreciate to know what you think about my site and my work….
Thank you very much!!!
flaminia
http://www.vanillarose.co.uk/ Rachael

One way I have found to showcase your work as a florist is to blog about it and upload those beautiful photographs. Visitors do check out blogs to get more of an idea.
Rachael, Vanilla Rose http://www.vanillarose.co.uk/blog