Independent v WS websites comparisons

[HeatherTuckey]

They are buying the Title not the picture
Brighten your day! thats why they buy it-
I bet you could put another image in there( another WS image or your own) and call it brighten your day and it will still sell just as well

Actually, we have called it VIVID, BRIGHT AND BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY. It is the arrangement they are buying, not the name.

 

[bloomz]

and that speaks volumes.

 

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Heather,
It is also one of our most popular vases.
Why would we mess with success???

The Smiley mug is also one of our best sellers.....
I actually move these 2 items periodically a little deeper into the pages just so the customer will maybe pick something else....It does not work though!

Cheryl

 

[bloomz]

Ya know - it would be a useful thread to list which of the Proven Best Seller cookie cutters are the best selling.

But I ain't gonna do it.

Too many up in here talk down about them like you're supposed to be ashamed to use them.....

which is sheer and utter baloney.

Thanks to Heather - that one goes on my list to add to my site. They come out with great new ones so fast these days it's tough to keep up.

 

[Dazeal]

A lot of good posts here. Joe I agree a lot of template sites look pretty close to the same ones ftd/TF use. Ryan's sites use more curves and seem to be a head of the design curve in general.

Our site has not yet adopted a template, we do something different than most florists.. we use a form. I know I know... it's not the best thing, but I would rather people describe the shape, colors, floral types they want rather than show them an image that never looks like that anyway because that color is not in or that flower isn't fresh.

This is my philosophy and it works for us: Wow them with credibly by having amazing images of flowers. Let them know you know about flowers and they should just trust you. I would say 95% of the people who order say they trust us. I am assuming because they see our work and know we kick a**. It's nice to never have a phone call and we have to explain to them about the 'substitution clause'.

Cathy's sight has a cool designer's choice feature. I am jealous of Cathy's shopping cart. Sometimes at night when I'm lying in bed thinking about chocolate, I want to snuggle with that shopping cart to make me feel safe.

Also, I have had great feedback on my form, especially over MDAY. To make a long story short, template sites in the eyes of my market = commodity and a personal site in the eyes on my market = something special. My market wants something special, not a commodity. (Just speaking about my market) - BUT I WILL say that images still trump all and are worth 1000 words.

Again, I am aware of the weak points of using a form. Next month I'll be testing a shopping cart out. I just don't want to get pinned into the 'sorry we had to substitute' excuse.

 

[Dazeal]

Heather,
It is also one of our most popular vases.
Why would we mess with success???

The Smiley mug is also one of our best sellers.....
I actually move these 2 items periodically a little deeper into the pages just so the customer will maybe pick something else....It does not work though!

Cheryl

Exactly. That is why I said... in the eyes of my market.

We all have only one thing in common, we sell flowers and so many things not in common, like our market, style, etc.... No one is right or wrong in general.

 

[Dazeal]

Too many up in here talk down about them like you're supposed to be ashamed to use them.....

Keep your market happy and you win. I might think it looks bad, but I am not your market. And by knowing what you do in sales, it's clear you do well with your peeps.

Function over form, form over function or maybe a lil bit of both... it is your customer who will mold you in the long run, not the other way around.

 

[CHR]

Please DO list the Proven Best Sellers in a thread.

Also, please DO show me where anyone said or implied any florist should be 'ashamed' to use WS images while you're at it.

There are benefits to using them and benefits for not using them. It's not about shame - it's about branding, sales, and offering unique items (both from a visual and an SEO standpoint) to distinguish a shop in a crowded marketplace.

Sites with unique touches - be they a few or a lot - just seem to feel more authentic, fresh & real. There's a credibility on the local level when flower lovers (frequent flower buyers) visit a site with unique product content.

 

[Joe Mioux]

how many of you with independent websites can emulate your internet orders to your POS?

I think this is a really important question as internet sales increase, the need to efficiently move an I order to a POS will gain significant importance.

joe

 

[Joe Mioux]

P it's about branding, sales, and offering unique items (both from a visual and an SEO standpoint) to distinguish a shop in a crowded marketplace.

Sites with unique touches - be they a few or a lot - just seem to feel more authentic, fresh & real. There's a credibility on the local level when flower lovers (frequent flower buyers) visit a site with unique product content.

Cathy, how does offering a unique image get picked up better by search engines?

re: second paragraph: I think or hopefully think customers can also make a HUGE distinction between the "Flower Globs" that are offered by Pro flowers and FTD.com. Hopefully that difference between them and us (shops with WS templates or independent templates/custom sites) translates into more authentic feel.

joe

 

[Joe Mioux]

Daz, i like your idea of "selling the sizzle".

joe

 

[RWK]

I too would LOVE to see a listing, along with pictures, of which arrangements are your best sellers - be they WS featured arrangements or your own designs.

I would also love to see and read WHY you think this design or that design IS a good seller.

Is it the flower selection, Is it the container, Is it the theme, Is it the price, What MAKES that particular design a best seller for you. I want the WHY.


Now, regarding template sites versus individual sites. - My contention is that an individual site SHOULD reflect YOUR INDIVIDUALITY. Shops such as Winston's, Oberers, and the like are great examples of what an individual site SHOULD be. - Now, Sites that unique and individualized require a lot of work and a good bit of maintainence.

Template sites are great for starting as they are a preset style and form, simply select the pictures you want, input your prices, and they don;t take the degree of maintainence that an individualized site does.

The Strider templates are just that.....templates, easier to use than creating a individual site from scratch. That is the difference between templates and uniqueness. Whichever one is the EASIEST for your shop to use and maintain.

( I should also add that for me, it makes NO difference if I am shopping at a template site or an individual site........it is what is ON the site that I am interested in - Example - if three shops in my town have the "800TFTD Smiley Day Buggy Boo***" design and 1 of those three also has something different......I am more than likely to look at the different design. )


***800TFTD Smiley Face Buggy Boo is NOT a featured design.......that I know of....just a funky name***

 

[RWK]

Ya know - it would be a useful thread to list which of the Proven Best Seller cookie cutters are the best selling. Proven designs are not JUST WS designs........You seem to think they are. Why??

But I ain't gonna do it. Why would you not.......?

Too many up in here talk down about them like you're supposed to be ashamed to use them..... If the designs are profitable.....make the percentage and amounts of money they SHOULD......Why NOT use them?

which is sheer and utter baloney.

Thanks to Heather - that one goes on my list to add to my site. They come out with great new ones so fast these days it's tough to keep up.

As I have said many times......ANY design - From an 800TFTD white basket of daisies and carnations to an eiffell tower centerpeice of 100 dendrobium orchids to a towering 5 foot tall design of heliconia, anthurium, and pandanus fruit can be a 'cookie cutter' if you have a ton of them to make.

TO give an example - the recent design Randy showcased for Secretary;s week.....He said that over 300 sold......I betcha a dollar to a donut those designs HAD to be made in a cookie cutter fashion.

 

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Joe:
At the present time, TF POS systems do NOT allow any outside webhost to integrate with their POS systems. (RTI MAY be the exception to the rule -- not sure on RTI).

So, we re-key the order into our POS. It arrives in our shop via email and/ or fax. (your choice -- we get both).

For the small amount of time it takes to re-key the order, we do it now. I can forsee this becoming a hassle down the road.

Integration is really, really important as the web use grows. We hope our next investment in technology will integrate with our web host. (Our web host is willing -- TF is not & will not budge).


Ricky:
Look for the new thread of Proven Best sellers that I just started.
PRICE is always the issue.....it may not be the #1 issue, but it is always near the top of the list in consumer choices today.

Cheryl

 

[Dazeal]

how many of you with independent websites can emulate your internet orders to your POS?

When and if I change my field names of my form floristware can do this for me. I am going to wait and see about this new shopping cart in a month to decide what to do.

Like I said, most people say we trust you, but below is what customers talk about most when they call and look:

I am not happy with the images I have up on my site, it's evolving still. I do know that MDAY online orders were up almost 300% with just a few images to create the 'wow credibility'.

 

[Dazeal]

And if you haven't heard me say it before, any image on my site is free to use to any real florist for free. Just let me know you are using it and it's all good!

 

[SpringCity]

And if you haven't heard me say it before, any image on my site is free to use to any real florist for free. Just let me know you are using it and it's all good!

Same here.
I am changing as of tomorrow to a Stider ecommerce site, and will have JH images up at first but will be adding mine as I go along.

 

[RWK]

Daz - Those arrangements are beautiful.

 

[RWK]

how many of you with independent websites can emulate your internet orders to your POS?

I think this is a really important question as internet sales increase, the need to efficiently move an I order to a POS will gain significant importance.

joe

I'm with you on this one Joe - The orders placed from your internet site should show up on your POS. That was the one thing that persuaded the shop's old owner to go with an FTD site initially.....is the the order came through as a Mercury order.....which in turn was printed up as a work ticket on our POS.

 

[Joe Mioux]

Joe:
At the present time, TF POS systems do NOT allow any outside webhost to integrate with their POS systems. (RTI MAY be the exception to the rule -- not sure on RTI).

So, we re-key the order into our POS. It arrives in our shop via email and/ or fax. (your choice -- we get both).

For the small amount of time it takes to re-key the order, we do it now. I can forsee this becoming a hassle down the road.

Integration is really, really important as the web use grows. We hope our next investment in technology will integrate with our web host. (Our web host is willing -- TF is not & will not budge).


Ricky:
Look for the new thread of Proven Best sellers that I just started.
PRICE is always the issue.....it may not be the #1 issue, but it is always near the top of the list in consumer choices today.

Cheryl

Cheryl, think about this. My POS can emulate internet orders, I need to find a Webserviceprovider that can give me the best value.

When and if I change my field names of my form floristware can do this for me. I am going to wait and see about this new shopping cart in a month to decide what to do.

Like I said, most people say we trust you, but below is what customers talk about most when they call and look:

I am not happy with the images I have up on my site, it's evolving still. I do know that MDAY online orders were up almost 300% with just a few images to create the 'wow credibility'.

Daz, those are nice pictures. they are pictures that florists appreciate, however, ask yourself this question.... are they staged to maximize web-based sales?

for me, the answer is no. That is why I value TF's efforts. They stage their product well.

In other words, they sell sizzle and professional images.

again don't misunderstand..... your arrangements are attractive, but that is only one component in marketing the product. The ambiance or setting also plays a vital roll.