A few weeks ago, I received an urgent phone call from a good friend. She wanted to send flowers to a funeral, but didn’t know what type to order or what message to put on the card. I offered her a few suggestions and suggested that she talk with a florist to figure out what the most appropriate gift would be. This incident reminded me that many people my age – or any age – are sending and receiving flowers for the very first time. Often, they don’t realize what a great resource their local florist can be and the wealth of information on offer.
I thought it would be interesting to ask my fellow Gen Yers what they’d like to know more about when it comes to flowers or how florists could help them make ordering blooms easier. Here are a few ideas that came to mind:
Label what’s inside: We’re used to looking up labels for food – why not for mixed bouquets? Help educate your customer by letting them know exactly which flowers went into the design. This way when someone asks “what’s that flower?” the recipient will know the answer without having to do a Google search. Providing a design recipe may also help consumers develop a favourite flower. Next time that person orders from your shop they’ll know to ask for a specific variety instead of “you know, those pink flowers with pointy-looking petals?”
E-mail confirmation: In the Internet age, online shoppers have grown used to buying a product online and tracking exactly when it will arrive. As a florist, you could do this in two ways. Once the flowers have been delivered, you could e-mail the sender a quick confirmation so the sender doesn’t call the recipient and ruin the floral surprise prematurely. You could also offer your customers a visual of the flowers. Typically when a customer buys an arrangement to send to a faraway friend or to a funeral they can’t attend, they don’t get a chance to see the flowers they’ve purchased. Why not offer a service where you e-mail customers a picture of the design they are sending out? That way, when the recipient says “the flowers were gorgeous” the sender knows that they were in fact beautiful. The bonus with these two ideas is that it’s also a great way to gather e-mail addresses (with the customer’s permission of course) for e-mail marketing and e-newsletters.
A custom design: Consumers are used to choice. We can customize our own phone plans, build-our-own meals and create our own music playlists, to name a few. Why not offer a “build-it-yourself” section on your website where shoppers can choose which blooms can go into a bouquet? You could itemize different varieties into evenly priced categories (seasonal flowers, tropicals, greenery, etc.) and offer various price points and bundles. This will make the consumer feel as if they’ve added their own personal touch and had a hand in the design.
These are just a few suggestions to help pinpoint what new customers are looking for. Pay attention to those questions you hear time after time and talk with staff, family and friends. What can you do to make a shopper’s life easier? After all, the more convenient it is to shop with you, the more often consumers are likely to do it.
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