Why use Proflowers images on your site?

[HERO]

David, as far as Ilocal.........weren't you listed with them several years ago...seems like I saw your store listed when I first joined. And since I pay, why would you get it for free? I know you are special but hey for free...give it up boy...you ain't THAT special! lol Seems like you have asked these same questions before....what is your real beef......she isn't gAthering orders, she doesn't take a commision and you do get get business from it...........a whole lot better than what else is going on out there.

Well Sher, like I said below, if MC florist is giving out local phone #'s all day, that is the CRAZIEST most unselfish act in the florist industry I have ever heard.
My main concern is how was the call done etc. I'm not going to test because I'm not going to sign up because until it goes back to listing LOCAL florist for free in cities that don't have paid listings I don't want to be a part of it. It would have to save MC florist time and money by not having to give out phone numbers. They would be right there, if that turns to be the case, then I say, Sign me up !!! I'll be the first.

Locateaflowershop.com is the Industry standard, I can't imagine Anyone complaining that shops get their phone # listed for free. I can see them complain that shops get their phone # listed for free where there are paid members but not where their are not.

Art got blasted for doing this, and I think Mlou should understand why. It's the same thing. Now does Art give our phone #'s no, but I really don't believe that all calls that come into MC florist that are for out of town are given a local shops #. NO WAY. They would be wasting the day away. I was born at night, just not last night.

Getting to call an 800# to get a local # is just not smart. There is no reason to do it and is costly and inaffective. If the florist complained that some recieved a "FREE" listing, isnt' this the same thing???

Sorry, doesn't add up, smells funny.

HERO

p.s. This isn't an attack on Mlou and all that she does for this industry, this ai a question of why isn't this smelling funny to anyone else, maybe its just me and the way the site is set up. I NEVER have like the way the site was done or have seen listings to prove its results. Testimonials are fine, however they are the hardest one to track unless Ilocalflorist is the ONLY web advertisement there is.


p.p.s. Sherry, I don't want it FREE, however if I'm offered it to prove whether or not it works, then I'll take it, but as long as it is set up this way which looks like it benefits both MC Florist and Mlou, so I don't think it will be changed, I'm keeing my money with Adwords, Overture, Looklistings, and locateaflowershop.

 

[mlou]

If Sunflower is offering a "free" web site, sending a florist the order, taking a 20% commish to FSI and paying a 7% fee to Sunflower

Sher,
I'm not sure those websites are "free"...Don't they pay Sun Production a monthly fee?
As to the 20% commission, it's my understanding that goes to Sun Production as a marketing fee, with FSI retaining a 7% clearing fee...Then Sun Production pays locateaflowershop a 5% marketing fee out of their 20%...

Does this sound fimilar? Is this any different that what the other .com's do? The only difference I see, FSI and ETFA are using Sun Production to front for them...

Or is it time to wake up and smell the roses...Is this the new "Star Alliance" at it's finest...
http://www.flowerchat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3603&highlight=star

...if I am not getting 100% from my "free" web site then how is this any different.

The problem being florists don't realize that they are not receiving 100% orders from these websites...AND the flower order has two or three companies between florists and the customer...Wonder who gets to advertising to that customer next holiday?

Folks, I'm not saying this is a bad business model...I just don't understand why they are not up front with their florists...most of the florists I talked to didn't know this was happening...if florists are going to continue to support this knid of advertising and order gathering, they must change their flower shop business model to survive on the 73% dollar..

 

[Sher]

David

Could it be that since she is only TF and has no access to FTD florists phone numbers and she can only give out your competitors numbers out that you are getting your boxers in a knot? LOL Unknot them babes......every listing I have in any directory shows up in my web stats as well as each customer that calls is asked "how did you hear about us". Most of them are from Ilocal, not many from Art's site and never got anything from FSN. How else do you know if your marketing is working? Try it for a year.Sheesh the cost is minimal...what do you have to lose.

 

[BOSS]

As to the 20% commission, it's my understanding that goes to Sun Production as a marketing fee, with FSI retaining a 7% clearing fee...Then Sun Production pays locateaflowershop a 5% marketing fee out of their 20%...

Thats the way I understand it to be also...

 

[HERO]

Nope that isn't my problem ...

Could it be that since she is only TF and has no access to FTD florists phone numbers and she can only give out your competitors numbers out that you are getting your boxers in a knot? LOL Unknot them babes......every listing I have in any directory shows up in my web stats as well as each customer that calls is asked "how did you hear about us". Most of them are from Ilocal, not many from Art's site and never got anything from FSN. How else do you know if your marketing is working? Try it for a year.Sheesh the cost is minimal...what do you have to lose.

Sher, there are MANY sites that I don't belong to that my cousins or other florist do. Don't care if they get 100's a call a day ( Shouldn't say that, but not realistic that they would ) like with Flowerchilds site, my cousin Billy's shop is listed, so do I want to list, NO; Haven't seen the results like I do with Locate. I spend countless hours doing searchs for my florist, things that I would find and honestly, Never does Ilocal come up. Maybe once in a blue moon, but not often enought to get back or break even on $49.

That is my opinion, I am so HAPPY :bouncy: that you get the best results from them. I find locate beats them 20 - 1 in searchs and you know what, you don't hear Locate tooting their own horn, because he doesn't have to. It works and works well. Hell I don't even know his name. I just know I pay for his every year and get results.

Mlou is very sweet, however the story of florist are complaining becuase of free listings doesn't wash with me. ( Again, if there isn't a paid listing, if there is they all should dissappear. ) Also the MC florist giving out phone #'s all day is Wicked hard to believe.

Tis my opinion, if you dont' like it, put it in the complaint box, in triplicate on the 8th day of the 6th week of the 13th month of the 13th year of the 11th decade of the century.

HERO

p.s. I wonder what MCflorist PAYS for being the Default listing??? :gossip:
wonder how I get to be the default listing. Must be some RELATIONSHIP they have. oooops:

 

[Sher]

THANKS for the response.....

As to the 20% commission, it's my understanding that goes to Sun Production as a marketing fee, with FSI retaining a 7% clearing fee...Then Sun Production pays locateaflowershop a 5% marketing fee out of their 20%...

Are you concerned at all about this "alliance" ? I sure am ... far more than Ilocal having a default florist.........and no one seems to want to address the OG nature of this group. Is it because they are our friends??? Should consumers be alerted to this new WS model? .What's your take on it? :boggles: my mind!

 

[HERO]

I would be concerned if I was a FSI florist ....

Are you concerned at all about this "alliance" ? I sure am ... far more than Ilocal having a default florist.........and no one seems to want to address the OG nature of this group. Is it because they are our friends??? Should consumers be alerted to this new WS model? .What's your take on it? :boggles: my mind![/QUOTE]

However I am not and if I was, this would be the EASIEST decision I could make in leaving FSI.

It is Order gathering is the PUREST form. They are following the model of FTD and Teleflora so they can get a part of the new wire service money.

If they built me a CHEAP website to get me 73% orders, I would gladly say no thanks and CYA !!

HERO

p.s. I have said my peace about Ilocal. :soapbox:

 

[bloomz]

I'm gonna have to take a controversial position with Hero here, sorry...

Folks, I'm not saying this is a bad business model...I just don't understand why they are not up front with their florists...most of the florists I talked to didn't know this was happening...if florists are going to continue to support this knid of advertising and order gathering, they must change their flower shop business model to survive on the 73% dollar..

I am a paid supporter of ilocal, find it to be very reasonable and using a program I have I check for all the directories and they do have the listings, where many many don't, no matter what they tell you.

MCFlorist is one of about 10 default florists that ILocalFlorist.com uses when there isn't a paid local florist for that zip codes...

But mcflorist IS the default, and I have never seen anyone else come up. I don't blame ML for this, I do believe it is her daughter's shop, and I would certainly expect ML to receive a commission from the orders generated there. But it seems a bit much to lead us to believe that it doesn't collect orders. I know from stats that less than 30% of consumers call numbers on web sites, so that would mean 70% of searches would simply order online.

I would estimate they give out several hundred numbers per day at my expense...

So if they give out several hundred orders a day, the online part must be QUITE lucrative, to say the least.

I am a bit miffed by this new Sunflower scam and that is simply what I call it for now. My name will be removed from the website I don't want. The link is already removed from locateaflowershop, but now I want that web site d-e-d. Unless they want to pay me a commission for using my name to advertise, say $10,000 a month?

I did talk to Hal about it yesterday and MAS has nothing to do with this side deal that has apparently been worked out. According to him, tho these may be members of that Alliance, it is not the product of the alliance specifically.

Time to start a new thread on that.

 

[bloomz]

I have tested it, and did so before I paid the low low low price to add my site...

Each of the three tests resulted in being given the number of a local florist.

For the record, what happens if you just click the link and order online?