Tips on How you Can Grow your Business online
More than ever, it is important for any industry to be visual 'online.' Whether you are looking to sell or just for brand awareness purposes, it is vital that you are visually seen online and on social media. In this article, we have provided tips on how you can grow your business and brand online.
Invest in your Brand
Invest the time and effort into establishing your brand, look and style. With so many florists, shops and home florists, it is vital that you establish your niche and USP's (unique selling points).
- What makes the product valuable?
- What is compelling about my business?
- How do I stand out against my competitors?
- What makes customers come back to the business again?
- Would I shop at my business?
Start off with a flower shop policy:
- Quality
- Respectfulness
- Honest
- Punctuality
- Up to date
In recent years, our industry has shifted and is now becoming more conscious of the environment and how we can adapt our practices to be more eco-friendly and sustainable. One consideration would be to become a sustainable florist, adapting your practice to be more focussed on helping the environmental sustainability avoiding the use of all kinds of plastic materials, chemicals and one-time use products like foam.
Create a Website
Create a website for your brand to showcase your work, share your services and provide your contact information.
If you do not yet have a website, there are many useful resources to help you build your own such as WordPress, wix.com, squarespace or seek to hire a website builder. It doesn't have to be overcomplicated.
Having a great website is only the half of it. Once you have a website, as mentioned previously, it is important that you continue to update the website on a regular basis, including the bio, company profile and contact page, making sure it is accessible and in working order. You can add your portfolio to the website to allow online customers to view your previous work including weddings, funerals etc. You can also create a blog on the website to add new, fresh content to the website to help boost your SEO ranking and brand exposure.
Social Media
Social media is a fantastic tool for florists to use to display their work and creations with the public. As floristry is such as visual medium, it is a great tool to connect with other like-minded individuals and potential clients. Similar to the website, it is important to keep your social media up to date including the bio, contact information, opening hours and uploading content. There are many different types of social media that you should look to use including:
Other types include snapchat or tiktok that have become extremely popular during and after the pandemic.
Reviews
Reviews are invaluable to your business. After you have provided a service, email your customers and ask for a review on your Google page or social media. Clients are more likely to review you directly after an occasion.
Negative reviews, on the other hand, are not so welcome. However, it is important to be professional and not take the comments to heart. It is best not to remove or block negative reviews, deal with the review and address the issue as quickly as possible. It is better to agree to rectify a mistake, offer a incentive such as money off the next order and apologise.
Advertising
Digital marketing and advertising allows you to advertise your floral business online in ways that will help drive traffic to your website and increase sales. There are many different ways in which you can market to your target audience including:
- SEO
- PPC
- Social Media
- Email Marketing
- Content Marketing