Let me suggest a marketing STRATEGY and TACTIC to enhance almost any Real Florist’s positioning versus OGs and their look-alike twins, the Wire Services.
In the suggestion below, I am assuming membership in one or more of the major Wire Services. I also assume that you are tired of receiving orders that were obviously placed locally for delivery locally.
We changed the customer-readable headlines on our website to include the phrases, “Florist Direct” and “20% Discount Off Teleflora and FTD Advertised Prices.” Since we did this, we have seen a substantial (like 50%) increase in website conversion efficiency. And ALL our online orders are now substantially more profitable than they were before.
All The Best!
Bill
In the suggestion below, I am assuming membership in one or more of the major Wire Services. I also assume that you are tired of receiving orders that were obviously placed locally for delivery locally.
- The Strategy: Real Florists can re-brand themselves as FLORIST DIRECT suppliers. Think about it. For the freshest produce, everyone knows that you should buy Grower Direct. For the best price on manufactured goods, you buy Factory Direct. And Pro Flowers has done an excellent job of selling the idea that the most inexpensive flowers (in bulk) are Grower Direct. So let’s build on this PRE SOLD concept!
- The Tactic: The first step is to INCREASE web prices so that the online prices are THE SAME as those posted by TFTD800. (Remember… their prices include $7 for delivery) The second step is to add OUR local delivery charge as a separate line item. Since for most Real Florists, the local delivery charge is substantially less than the OGs handling/service/delivery charge, we already have a (slight) price advantage. The final step is to offer a SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNT (I use 20%) OFF of the Wire Service’s Prices (for local deliveries only.)
- The Results First, this approach challenges the customer to price-shop. They will be pre-conditioned to do so by the Florist Direct re-branding. Second, the customer will get BETTER SERVICE and a product that COSTS THEM LESS than if they buy from an OG or Wire Service. Finally, we are capturing orders that we know (in many instances ‘cuz they tell us) would have been placed via the Wire Services. And THOSE orders are significantly more profitable than if received from a Wire Service. And, we know who the customer is, so we can market to them again and again.
We changed the customer-readable headlines on our website to include the phrases, “Florist Direct” and “20% Discount Off Teleflora and FTD Advertised Prices.” Since we did this, we have seen a substantial (like 50%) increase in website conversion efficiency. And ALL our online orders are now substantially more profitable than they were before.
All The Best!
Bill
