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:
To successfully sell flowers online, there are a few key components and steps you should follow to get started.
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:
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.
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:
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!
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.
➡️ 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
