Is your site ready for Valentines Day?

[Knife's Wife]

Now is the time to get your site ready for VD. Don't wait until the last minute to try to pull it all together. I find that is hard at this point to have the VD category activated on my site because of the price difference in roses. But, I have been working "behind" the scenes preparing the pages to take them live when the time is right.
I have have 7 product images shot and , need to spend another day to do at least 4 more.
Working on my e-mail blast that I hope to be to send out through my back office this holiday!
Started last night working on an information page "A look inside at Valentines day" (after having shot some pics I decided I don't like all my displays, so now back to working on getting some of the displays more attractive).

I took a look at what the 12 most popular sold items were last year and came up with new ones for this year. Glad I looked back at what people really liked last year, because what I was planning doing was a little off and it surprised me what did sell. Look at your stats from last year before you just jump in and start creating what you feel you want to sell or think might sell.

Here are my pics so far. I would like to clean them up a bit but if I run out of time they will go as shown below.

The names of the pics will be: Love Bowl of Blooms, Modern Romance, Undying Love, Love Blooms in All Colors, We Belong Together, and My Heart Is Yours

 

[Knife's Wife]

Opps, one more!

 

[sloan]

Very nice! Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Rhonda]

nope it's not, Thanks Joan.....that's this weekend's project I'm sure. I do have some pics I've been working on though.

 

[Palms]

Joan this is exactly what i was thinking, I have altered my site but need to clean things up. I am also going to figure out the strider thing this sunday and get all of my email addresses ready. Thanks for the kick up the bum..

 

[concord]

Sigh......I have three pictures and the rest planned but not photographed. Still not happy with my photography skills or lack of skill. My pictures look too dark.

 

[anytimeflowers]

Joan,
Fabulous, thank you! Trying hard to work on everything, web site is priority.
I am also working on an ad, and was actually thinking about doing a poll for help, but I have NO idea how to do that. The ad is going to be 8 1/2x11, both sides, full color insert in local paper. I need to know if I'm even in the ball-park. I need to choose for a larger one or two for front side, and I'm leaning toward "Love Birds" if I can make it more valentiney. I know my photography sucks. There are still three more designs that I have not edited yet, an all purple, and a contempory, and just some red tulips.

CRITIQUE PLEASE, don't be shy, you may hurt my feelings, but it would hurt my feelings more if nobody wants to buy them!
Names are Heather Heart, Love Vase, Mugs & Kisses, Perfectly Pink, OMG Orchids, Love Birds, Puppy Love, and Not Her Mother's Dozen

 

[sandytf]

How is everyone dealing with the price jump for Valentine's Day on their website? Right now I have a few things under the Valentine's Category on our site including a dozen roses. I was planning on changing the pricing the week before...as that is when we will start seeing the increase in our rose pricing. If we get orders placed before that, we'll have to honor the price we have when the order was placed. I'm thinking it won't be a big deal because we rarely get orders for Valentine's Day that far ahead. Any other ideas?

 

[master J]

How is everyone dealing with the price jump for Valentine's Day on their website? Right now I have a few things under the Valentine's Category on our site including a dozen roses. I was planning on changing the pricing the week before...as that is when we will start seeing the increase in our rose pricing. If we get orders placed before that, we'll have to honor the price we have when the order was placed. I'm thinking it won't be a big deal because we rarely get orders for Valentine's Day that far ahead. Any other ideas?

Sandy I tell people to order early and pay todays prices. I agree, not that many will bite, but those who do, deserve to pay todays market price IMO. I get enough roses at standing order prices to be able to give the early birds a much better deal. They can save up to $20 on a dozen red roses.

Joan , your pics look great, are you using photo shop? Linda, your pics are great too! Thanks for sharing!

Hey, maybe we can start an FC Photo Share Gallery? I would love to snag a few of these designs and try them out for Vday. Hint Hint

 

[BOSS]

Joan... how much can you do Modern Romance for?

Thanks for the reminder.... gotta get on this myself...

 

[twiggy]

Love your designs Joan and Linda!
I will be getting the rest of my specials loaded hopefully by the end of next week- a couple of them are already up. the one in the bowl isn't on my menu- but it is on the site- 'flirty pink and purple'

 

[anytimeflowers]

Sandy I tell people to order early and pay todays prices. I agree, not that many will bite, but those who do, deserve to pay todays market price IMO. I get enough roses at standing order prices to be able to give the early birds a much better deal. They can save up to $20 on a dozen red roses.

Joan , your pics look great, are you using photo shop? Linda, your pics are great too! Thanks for sharing!

Hey, maybe we can start an FC Photo Share Gallery? I would love to snag a few of these designs and try them out for Vday. Hint Hint

Snag away on mine, I have not yet figured out how to do the watermark, was planning on doing a search on the forum. Every time I search for something though, I find SO many useful threads that I seem to get lost. My, doesn't time fly in here?

Twiggy - Love em', espcially the puppy with the pink spot, how cute is that? I suspect that one will fly out the door, all the kids will want to give those to their moms.

 

[Knife's Wife]

Adam, We use photoshop.

Boss, Modern Romance sells for $80.00 right now but my price will increase for the holiday.

Just remembered...I wanted to share a tip with you, some may already do this but it occurred to me to do it last week for the first time. Immediately, aftershooting the arrangements above for VD, I transferred each of them to a plain glass container and took picks for the website to use in every day.

Here they are:

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

I'm noticing a lot of mixed vases in your pic's

Most everyone wants a dozen red roses here, or Carns. New designer makes a beautiful tall dozen Carns. I didn't even carry them for over a year, now their back for good.

So how do those mixes work for you at VDay? I have sold a few small mix vases, when everything else was sold out.

Joan, the Modern Romance is gorgeous. Wish I could get 80.00 for anything...
I won't even get that for my VDay long stem, all around, with China Pink Limonium filler, 29" tall dozen red roses.

Beautiful work everyone.

 

[Knife's Wife]

I did not do all of my pics yet. I still need to do the dozen roses, and the bud vase of 3 red roses, mylar balloon, 1/2 pound box of chocolates with a stuffed animal (which is one of the best sellers for $60.00. Maybe 1 or 2 more.

I only have one mixed colored arrangement. This one is $75.00 in the VD vase. We sell a lot of mixed colored arrangements, 40, 50, and $75.00 .

 

[Knife's Wife]

Joan,
Fabulous, thank you! Trying hard to work on everything, web site is priority.
I am also working on an ad, and was actually thinking about doing a poll for help, but I have NO idea how to do that. The ad is going to be 8 1/2x11, both sides, full color insert in local paper. I need to know if I'm even in the ball-park. I need to choose for a larger one or two for front side, and I'm leaning toward "Love Birds" if I can make it more valentiney. I know my photography sucks. There are still three more designs that I have not edited yet, an all purple, and a contempory, and just some red tulips.

CRITIQUE PLEASE, don't be shy, you may hurt my feelings, but it would hurt my feelings more if nobody wants to buy them!
Names are Heather Heart, Love Vase, Mugs & Kisses, Perfectly Pink, OMG Orchids, Love Birds, Puppy Love, and Not Her Mother's Dozen

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For the large front pic I would use the first pic. Love birds does not really appeal to me because I know that it would not sell in my area at all. Our best sellers always contain some red flowers even if it is just a few.

 

[Eric S]

We have finished our products this year.
http://www.everydayflowers.net/ValentinesDayFlowers.html


Now we are thinking about which ones we are going to feature for instore pick ups.

 

[BOSS]

I have not yet figured out how to do the watermark, was planning on doing a search on the forum.

If you have and use PhotoShop, or PhotoShop Elements then the ability to watermark images is in there...

Here's a LINK to some free watermarking programs....

Good luck....

 

[anytimeflowers]

Okay, tell me how I did on my first photoshop edit. Tell me what I need to fix, and how please,I have NO CLUE how to use it, I'm flying by the seat of my pants and what tips I have found archived on this forum. This is for VD 2010, called "Love and Passion"
"

 

[Knife's Wife]

Are you shooting on a neutral background? I would shout the pic on a white background or something close to it. I actually use sheer cream colored curtains hung on the wall to shoot against. When I first started out I tried the cut and paste like you have done. To me it looks a little fake and looses the details of the arrangement on the edges. It also is time consuming, from my experience. I would move the placement of the water mark to a less obtrusive place. Maybe you could try adding a drop shadow to it.

You can see my set up in this pic where the fabric hangs, not ideal for shooting matching pieces!