If you're starting or expanding your business, a great way to gain exposure is through social media and a visually appealing website. Wondering why an appealing website matters? Well, if your website doesn't catch the eye of consumers or brides, they might lose interest quickly. For brides, selecting vendors is a tough decision, and their first impression plays a key role. A florist with a beautifully designed and informative website makes the decision-making process easier for brides. Having a "good" website is crucial for attracting more prospects and leads.

What is considered a good florist website? 

When considering your floral website, you have to think about the aesthetic and what most people would find a "pretty website" and "informative website". If you choose to make your website with twenty different fonts, varying neon colors, and a dark background, you are not going to attract the right type of clients.  If your ideal client gets the wrong vibe from their first impression, it can be assumed that you are not going to be hired or even considered.

So what makes a good florist website that attracts your ideal client?  Here are a few tips that we found from our research of literally thousands of florist websites, including those that fit in the good, bad, and the "not so pretty" category.

1. Easy to navigate.  If a website is easy to navigate and the prospective client can find all the information he/she needs, then you will get more traffic and more business
2. Sense of Style.  A good florist website is appealing to the eye.  It would have less font styles/sizes that work well together.
3. Bio of the Florist Owner and Team:  Key points to include are why you started your business, name of the owner, why you love to do what you do, and what the client will accomplish with hiring you. Telling your future client a few personal details will appeal to them and will make them feel connected to you before they even meet you.  
4. Portfolio Section:  Photography and pictures of your work is a must.  Professional, well-lit photos of your best performances will showcase your talent and visually tell them what to expect of your designs
5. Good Communication and Calls to Action: The contact page should contain a phone number, an email address, and the address for your location. It is very important for the customer to be able to easily access a communication line.  Tip:  If you don't leave a way for them to contact you then it will create a feeling that you don't want to be contacted... thus not really wanting their business!  Make it easy for them to reach you and send information at their preferred choice! 
6. Client Testimonials & Reviews:  Word of mouth is the best way to earn a client's trust.  Other people's experiences will shine a light on what they are to expect when signing up with you and your company, and with positive comments it will have them trust you with their event right away.
    

What is considered a bad florist website?

Bad florist websites are very easy to notice versus good websites! The human eye can quickly detect things that look well put together vs. things that are messy; which is why having an attractive floral website is essential.  If a website is “bad,” then it is not appealing to the eye, and hard for the potential customer to navigate, they won't spend much time in the consideration stage for your company for their events.  They've said "good-bye" even before an official introduction was even attempted.  Your website is supposed to work for you-- not against you.

When our interns and team members have been adding prospective florists to our leads list, we notated that SO many florists have bad websites that are helping them secure more work.  Bad Websites are: 

• Unorganized:  Messy and cluttered with disorganized information, lacking contact information or ways to contact the florist.  
• Inconsistent style:  Filled with a ton of different colors that do not work together, many different fonts, and low-quality pictures.  
• Bad Colors:  Without a unique/creative design or appealing color scheme is a sure way to have clients immediately move on;  Your website should be bright and inviting, and should convey a sense of who the florist really is and the service they will provide.
• Too Retail Focused:  Websites that are filled with listings of pictures of flowers with a price underneath (like a clothing website) is not appealing to clients seeking event florists.  If your customers are searching for a specific event, they want to see this type of work easily.  
• Bad Photography:  Photos produced by an amateur or with a smart phone aren't hard to miss and say a lot about you.  If you post pictures of your most beautiful work, but the pictures are taken at bad angles, or in terrible lighting then it will make your beautiful work seem unappealing and not beautiful.

Although you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, everyone still does.  This is one of the reasons why it is important to have an appealing website to make a good first impression to prospective customers.   

How much can you infer about a florist based on their website?

For a florist, their website is everything and represents their company!  The florist’s website is how the prospecitive customer will get the information they need to want to learn more and engage with you.  If your website is well designed and easy to navigate, then the client will be more likely to choose to do business with you and not your competition. 

Once again, first impressions are a big deal. If the first thing a possible customer sees is text upon text overlapping, they are going to click off of your site and give their business to someone else.  A cluttered site equals someone who does not care enough to fix it, meaning you do not try one hundred percent. Customers want to know that you care about everything! They have to think they come first in your mind and it starts with a good website and the story you are telling at first impressions.