[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":782},["ShallowReactive",2],{"help-\u002Fhelp\u002Fflorist-website":3,"help-related-\u002Fhelp\u002Fflorist-website":667},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"category":655,"description":656,"extension":657,"meta":658,"navigation":659,"order":660,"path":661,"product":662,"seo":663,"stem":664,"updated":665,"__hash__":666},"help\u002Fhelp\u002Fflorist-website.md","Florist website: what gets the order and the trust",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":637},"minimark",[9,13,16,21,24,112,119,123,126,129,147,151,154,203,207,218,252,263,267,270,285,289,292,306,317,321,324,373,377,380,428,432,439,451,455,458,487,497,501,504,508,511,534,544,548,551,583,587,593,622],[10,11,12],"p",{},"People who open a florist's site are usually not in your shop. They're sending flowers to someone else, often today, sometimes to a funeral. They want to know four things: is this a real shop in that town, can you deliver today, what will it cost in total, and what will actually arrive.",[10,14,15],{},"In October 2026 we opened 27 independent florist sites in 12 towns, on a phone, and looked at what people search for. The catalogs were good. The basics around them were thin: only 12 showed a readable phone number on the first screen, 14 gave a same-day cutoff time (always deep in a policy page), and only 9 told a buyer what a funeral order needs. This guide goes through what matters, with the steps for each.",[17,18,20],"h2",{"id":19},"show-youre-a-real-local-shop","Show you're a real local shop",[10,22,23],{},"Websites that only take orders and pass them to someone else often use a town's name to look local. The FTC has warned about this since 1998, and its advice to buyers was to deal only with shops that list a street address with the phone number. A real shop has what they can't copy.",[25,26,27,44,73,86,105],"ol",{},[28,29,30,31,35,36,39,40,43],"li",{},"Click ",[32,33,34],"strong",{},"Business info",". Under ",[32,37,38],{},"Basics",", check your ",[32,41,42],{},"Phone",": it must ring in your shop, not at a call center. On phones, visitors tap it to call.",[28,45,46,47,50,51,54,55,54,58,61,62,65,66,61,69,72],{},"Under ",[32,48,49],{},"Location",", fill in ",[32,52,53],{},"Street address",", ",[32,56,57],{},"City",[32,59,60],{},"State"," and ",[32,63,64],{},"ZIP code",", and set your ",[32,67,68],{},"Regular hours",[32,70,71],{},"Time zone",".",[28,74,75,76,79,80,61,83,72],{},"Add an ",[32,77,78],{},"Open today"," section near the top of your home page and turn on ",[32,81,82],{},"Show address",[32,84,85],{},"Show phone number",[28,87,30,88,91,92,95,96,99,100,72],{},[32,89,90],{},"Menu",", then under ",[32,93,94],{},"Header button"," turn on ",[32,97,98],{},"Call bar on phones",". See ",[101,102,104],"a",{"href":103},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fmenu#add-a-call-bar-on-phones","Add a call bar on phones",[28,106,107,108,111],{},"Add a real photo of your front door and counter, and an ",[32,109,110],{},"About"," page with your name, your team and how long you've been in town.",[10,113,114,115,72],{},"If you fill out-of-town orders through other shops, say so on your delivery page: \"We deliver nationwide through trusted local florists.\" Be as plain as one site we read: \"We coordinate delivery through vetted local florist partners.\" See ",[101,116,118],{"href":117},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fbusiness-info-and-hours","Business info and hours",[17,120,122],{"id":121},"put-the-same-day-cutoff-where-people-see-it","Put the same-day cutoff where people see it",[10,124,125],{},"At least 14 of 27 shops gave a cutoff time. The times ran from 10 AM to 3:45 PM, and several said \"in the recipient's time zone\", which makes an out-of-town buyer do the math. Say yours in one sentence near the top of your home page and your delivery page:",[10,127,128],{},"\"Same-day delivery in Ithaca: order by 2 PM, Monday to Saturday. We don't deliver on Sundays.\"",[10,130,131,132,135,136,139,140,143,144,72],{},"Use the ",[32,133,134],{},"Announcement bar"," for it if you like: Turn on ",[32,137,138],{},"Show announcement",", type the line (90 characters), and pick the ",[32,141,142],{},"News"," style. See ",[101,145,134],{"href":146},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fbusiness-info-and-hours#announcement-bar",[17,148,150],{"id":149},"say-what-delivery-costs","Say what delivery costs",[10,152,153],{},"About 10 of 27 gave a dollar amount. Others said a fee \"will be added\" or is \"nominal\". A buyer wants a total, so give one:",[25,155,156,173,187,197,200],{},[28,157,158,159,54,162,54,165,168,169,72],{},"Make a page called \"Delivery\" (",[32,160,161],{},"Pages",[32,163,164],{},"New page",[32,166,167],{},"Basic page","). See ",[101,170,172],{"href":171},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fadd-a-page","Add a page",[28,174,175,176,179,180,61,183,186],{},"Add a ",[32,177,178],{},"Price list \u002F menu"," section with a group called \"Delivery fees\". For each town, add an item with its ",[32,181,182],{},"Name",[32,184,185],{},"Price",", like \"Lansing, $15\". Add a line for what's free, like \"Funeral homes and hospitals, free\".",[28,188,175,189,192,193,196],{},[32,190,191],{},"Service areas"," section for the towns you cover, and use ",[32,194,195],{},"Note under the list"," for \"Don't see your town? Call us.\"",[28,198,199],{},"Write any minimum order, service fee or address-correction fee. Three shops added a separate service or handling fee, and the trade association treats an undisclosed one as deceptive.",[28,201,202],{},"Add your cutoff, your delivery days and your holiday closures on the same page.",[17,204,206],{"id":205},"take-orders-online-and-know-what-the-store-cant-do","Take orders online, and know what the store can't do",[10,208,209,210,213,214,72],{},"Most shops run their catalog in an ordering system built for florists (it knows delivery zones, cutoffs and ZIP codes). If you have one, keep it. Add an ",[32,211,212],{},"Order online"," section near the top of your home page with a button to your catalog. See ",[101,215,217],{"href":216},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fonline-ordering","Add online ordering buttons",[10,219,220,221,224,225,228,229,232,233,236,237,240,241,244,245,61,249,72],{},"The ",[32,222,223],{},"Online store"," add-on ($10 a month) suits a shorter catalog: pickup arrangements, plants, gifts, kits and bulk buckets. For each product in ",[32,226,227],{},"Lists"," › ",[32,230,231],{},"Products",", add a ",[32,234,235],{},"Questions for the customer"," question with the ",[32,238,239],{},"Date"," answer type for the delivery or pickup day, and set ",[32,242,243],{},"Made to order"," to the days of notice you need. See ",[101,246,248],{"href":247},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fonline-store","Sell products with the online store",[101,250,243],{"href":251},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fmade-to-order",[10,253,254,255,258,259,262],{},"It ",[32,256,257],{},"can't"," stop an order placed after your cutoff, close Sundays or holidays, charge different fees by town, cap orders per day or check a delivery address. Its flat shipping price takes any US address. So don't use it for same-day local delivery. Write the rules on your delivery page and check the ",[32,260,261],{},"Store"," screen each morning.",[17,264,266],{"id":265},"say-how-substitutions-work","Say how substitutions work",[10,268,269],{},"Twenty of 27 shops mentioned substitutions, and six used the same paragraph from their website vendor, with no mention of what happens when it isn't right. New Jersey's attorney general settled with an online florist over, among other things, undisclosed substitutions. Write your own, on a \"Substitutions\" page or in your FAQ:",[271,272,273,276,279,282],"ul",{},[28,274,275],{},"What stays the same: colors, style and value.",[28,277,278],{},"What can change: a flower or a vase, and what you'll call about first.",[28,280,281],{},"What you won't change: a named flower, or a color the buyer chose.",[28,283,284],{},"What the buyer can do: \"Tell us within 24 hours with a photo and we'll replace or refund.\"",[17,286,288],{"id":287},"make-a-sympathy-page-that-gets-the-order-right","Make a sympathy page that gets the order right",[10,290,291],{},"Twenty-four of 27 sold sympathy flowers, but only 9 said what a funeral order needs. On a page called \"Sympathy\", say:",[25,293,294,297,300,303],{},[28,295,296],{},"What to send us: the person's name, the funeral home, the date and time of the service, and who the card is from.",[28,298,299],{},"How late you can take an order for a service that day, and \"call us for a timed service\".",[28,301,302],{},"Whether delivery to funeral homes is free, and which ones you deliver to.",[28,304,305],{},"A phone number that someone answers.",[10,307,175,308,311,312,316],{},[32,309,310],{},"Form"," (see ",[101,313,315],{"href":314},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fforms-and-inbox","Forms and your inbox",") if you take them by message, and tell people to call for a service today. Keep the family's details off your site.",[17,318,320],{"id":319},"take-wedding-and-event-inquiries","Take wedding and event inquiries",[10,322,323],{},"Seven shops had a form for weddings, eight said to call, and only one said how a date is held. Make a page called \"Weddings & events\":",[25,325,326,329,349,352],{},[28,327,328],{},"Say how far ahead to ask, and that you'll answer within two business days.",[28,330,175,331,333,334,99,337,341,342,345,346,72],{},[32,332,310],{}," and start from ",[32,335,336],{},"Catering or event inquiry",[101,338,340],{"href":339},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fforms-and-inbox#start-from-a-ready-made-form","Start from a ready-made form",". In ",[32,343,344],{},"More questions",", ask for the event date, venue, colors and budget, and turn on ",[32,347,348],{},"Let people attach photos",[28,350,351],{},"Add a few real photos and a starting price, like \"Bridal bouquets from $150\". Couples ask for one.",[28,353,354,355,228,358,361,362,365,366,61,369,72],{},"To hold a date, use ",[32,356,357],{},"Payments",[32,359,360],{},"Request a payment"," for a deposit. For consultations, the ",[32,363,364],{},"Bookings & RSVPs"," add-on lets people pick a time. See ",[101,367,360],{"href":368},"\u002Fhelp\u002Frequest-a-payment",[101,370,372],{"href":371},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fbookings#take-a-deposit","Take bookings on your site",[17,374,376],{"id":375},"get-ready-for-valentines-day-and-mothers-day","Get ready for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day",[10,378,379],{},"We looked in October, so those notices weren't up yet. Post your order-by dates and holiday hours weeks ahead, and again as the day gets close.",[25,381,382,395,410,421],{},[28,383,384,385,387,388,99,391,72],{},"In ",[32,386,34],{},", add your ",[32,389,390],{},"Holidays and special hours",[101,392,394],{"href":393},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fbusiness-info-and-hours#add-holiday-hours-and-closures","Add holiday hours and closures",[28,396,131,397,399,400,403,404,61,407,72],{},[32,398,134],{},"'s ",[32,401,402],{},"Holiday hours"," quick start, and set ",[32,405,406],{},"Show from",[32,408,409],{},"Last day shown",[28,411,412,413,416,417,72],{},"Send a reminder with the ",[32,414,415],{},"Newsletter sending"," add-on. See ",[101,418,420],{"href":419},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fsend-a-newsletter","Send a newsletter",[28,422,423,424,427],{},"Say whether you take pre-orders, and mark a product ",[32,425,426],{},"Sold out"," when you've run out.",[17,429,431],{"id":430},"flower-subscriptions-and-gift-cards","Flower subscriptions and gift cards",[10,433,434,435,72],{},"Fourteen shops sold subscriptions, and only 2 said how they bill or how to cancel. Our site doesn't run billing, so link to your ordering system or a payment link you've set up as a repeating payment in your Stripe account. Next to the price, say how often it bills, on what day, what it covers and how to pause or cancel (a link and a phone number). A gift subscription that ends after 12 deliveries is simpler. See ",[101,436,438],{"href":437},"\u002Fhelp\u002Ftake-payments","Take payments with payment links",[10,440,441,442,445,446,450],{},"For gift cards, the ",[32,443,444],{},"Gift cards and coupons"," add-on ($2 a month) sells them on your site and takes from them with a QR scan at your counter. See ",[101,447,449],{"href":448},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fgift-cards-and-coupons#sell-gift-cards-on-your-site","Sell gift cards on your site",". Federal rules say a gift card can't expire in under five years, and some states are stricter, so say yours don't expire.",[17,452,454],{"id":453},"show-your-reviews","Show your reviews",[10,456,457],{},"Almost everyone reads reviews before choosing a local business. About 10 of 27 shops showed theirs.",[25,459,460,469,478],{},[28,461,462,463,228,465,468],{},"Add your best recent Google reviews under ",[32,464,227],{},[32,466,467],{},"Reviews",", with the date, and mention the town.",[28,470,175,471,473,474,477],{},[32,472,467],{}," section to your home page, and your rating and count to your ",[32,475,476],{},"Highlights",", like \"4.8★ · 310 Google reviews\".",[28,479,480,481,484,485,72],{},"Paste your Google review link into ",[32,482,483],{},"Leave-a-review link"," in ",[32,486,34],{},[10,488,489,490,61,493,72],{},"Don't offer a discount only for five stars. See ",[101,491,467],{"href":492},"\u002Fhelp\u002Freviews",[101,494,496],{"href":495},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fask-for-reviews","Ask customers for reviews",[17,498,500],{"id":499},"care-tips-and-pets","Care tips and pets",[10,502,503],{},"Add a \"Flower care\" page or FAQ answer: trim the stems, use fresh water and flower food, keep flowers out of sun and away from ripe fruit. Say that lilies are dangerous to cats (the ASPCA lists them as toxic to cats), and offer pet-friendly arrangements. Only 6 of 27 shops had care tips.",[17,505,507],{"id":506},"photos-that-prove-youre-real","Photos that prove you're real",[10,509,510],{},"Take your own photos with your phone in daylight, near a window:",[25,512,513,516,519,522,525,528,531],{},[28,514,515],{},"Your storefront with the street number, from across the street",[28,517,518],{},"Your counter with the buckets of flowers",[28,520,521],{},"A finished arrangement, straight on and from above",[28,523,524],{},"A hand-tied bouquet in paper",[28,526,527],{},"A sympathy piece before it goes out",[28,529,530],{},"A wedding bouquet, with permission and credit to the photographer",[28,532,533],{},"Your team at the bench, and your delivery vehicle",[10,535,536,537,540,541,72],{},"Ten of the shops used a vendor's catalog photos. A visitor who has seen the same bouquet on three sites stops believing any of them, and the photos may stop being yours if you leave the vendor, so check your agreement. Until you have your own, ",[32,538,539],{},"Free photos"," has good ones for \"florist arranging bouquet in flower shop\" and \"hand-tied bouquet wrapped in kraft paper\". See ",[101,542,539],{"href":543},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fedit-text-and-photos#free-photos",[17,545,547],{"id":546},"rules-worth-knowing","Rules worth knowing",[10,549,550],{},"This isn't legal advice, just what we found looking at florist sites. Laws vary by state, so check yours with your attorney general's consumer office.",[271,552,553,559,565,571,577],{},[28,554,555,558],{},[32,556,557],{},"Don't promise a delivery you can't control."," The FTC's order rule makes a stated shipping date a promise, so tell the buyer and offer a refund if you can't. A shop's usual line, \"we can't guarantee a delivery time\", matches New Jersey's order.",[28,560,561,564],{},[32,562,563],{},"Itemize fees",", and don't use a call-tracking number in place of your own.",[28,566,567,570],{},[32,568,569],{},"Renewals:"," state laws (California, New York and Colorado are strict) apply to a subscription that bills until canceled.",[28,572,573,576],{},[32,574,575],{},"Licenses:"," a few states license cut-flower or plant sellers (Louisiana requires permits).",[28,578,579,582],{},[32,580,581],{},"Photos:"," a photographer owns their pictures unless you have a signed agreement.",[17,584,586],{"id":585},"questions-customers-ask","Questions customers ask",[10,588,75,589,592],{},[32,590,591],{},"FAQ"," section. Florist questions to answer:",[271,594,595,598,601,604,607,610,613,616,619],{},[28,596,597],{},"Can you deliver today? What time do I order by?",[28,599,600],{},"Where do you deliver, and what does it cost?",[28,602,603],{},"Do you deliver on Sundays and holidays?",[28,605,606],{},"Will it look like the picture? What if you don't have a flower?",[28,608,609],{},"What if my flowers arrive wilted?",[28,611,612],{},"How do I send flowers to a funeral home?",[28,614,615],{},"Do you do wedding flowers? How do I start?",[28,617,618],{},"Are these flowers safe around cats and dogs?",[28,620,621],{},"Are you a real local shop, and where are you?",[10,623,384,624,228,626,54,629,632,633,72],{},[32,625,227],{},[32,627,628],{},"FAQs",[32,630,631],{},"Suggest questions"," drafts more from your own site. See ",[101,634,636],{"href":635},"\u002Fhelp\u002Ffaq-list#use-suggested-questions","Use suggested questions",{"title":638,"searchDepth":639,"depth":639,"links":640},"",2,[641,642,643,644,645,646,647,648,649,650,651,652,653,654],{"id":19,"depth":639,"text":20},{"id":121,"depth":639,"text":122},{"id":149,"depth":639,"text":150},{"id":205,"depth":639,"text":206},{"id":265,"depth":639,"text":266},{"id":287,"depth":639,"text":288},{"id":319,"depth":639,"text":320},{"id":375,"depth":639,"text":376},{"id":430,"depth":639,"text":431},{"id":453,"depth":639,"text":454},{"id":499,"depth":639,"text":500},{"id":506,"depth":639,"text":507},{"id":546,"depth":639,"text":547},{"id":585,"depth":639,"text":586},"Guides by business","We looked at 27 independent florist websites: what buyers check before they send flowers, what most shops leave out, and how to set up each part.","md",{},true,377,"\u002Fhelp\u002Fflorist-website","sites",{"title":5,"description":656},"help\u002Fflorist-website","2026-10-30","PKUJVdvqmg71kaL7SpXpFN-B1mSphLlsZnKumGgvAMw",[668,671,674,677,680,683,686,689,692,695,698,701,704,707,710,713,716,719,722,725,728,731,734,737,740,743,746,749,752,755,758,761,764,767,770,773,776,779],{"path":669,"title":670},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fauto-repair-shop-website","Auto repair shop website: what earns the call",{"path":672,"title":673},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fcar-wash-website","Car wash website: what brings drivers in and keeps members happy",{"path":675,"title":676},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fsmoke-shop-website","Smoke and vape shop website: useful and on the right side of the rules",{"path":678,"title":679},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fdeli-website","Deli website: what gets the order",{"path":681,"title":682},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fstaffing-agency-website","Staffing agency website: what brings in applicants and orders",{"path":684,"title":685},"\u002Fhelp\u002Flive-theater-website","Live theater website: what sells the tickets",{"path":687,"title":688},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fcinema-website","Independent cinema website: what fills the seats",{"path":690,"title":691},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fhair-salon-website","Hair salon and barbershop website: what gets people into your chair",{"path":693,"title":694},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fplumber-website","Plumber website: what earns the call",{"path":696,"title":697},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fdentist-website","Dentist website: what patients check before they call",{"path":699,"title":700},"\u002Fhelp\u002Frestaurant-website","Restaurant website: what gets the table filled",{"path":702,"title":703},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fgym-website","Gym website: what brings people through the door and keeps members",{"path":705,"title":706},"\u002Fhelp\u002Freal-estate-website","Real estate agent website: what brings sellers and buyers to call you",{"path":708,"title":709},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fveterinarian-website","Veterinarian website: what pet owners check before they call",{"path":711,"title":712},"\u002Fhelp\u002Flaw-office-website","Law office website: what clients check before they call",{"path":714,"title":715},"\u002Fhelp\u002Flandscaping-website","Landscaping and lawn care website: what earns the estimate",{"path":717,"title":718},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fdaycare-website","Child care website: what parents check before they call",{"path":720,"title":721},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fcafe-bakery-website","Cafe and bakery website: what gets the order",{"path":723,"title":724},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fmassage-spa-website","Massage and spa website: what gets people onto your table",{"path":726,"title":727},"\u002Fhelp\u002Felectrician-website","Electrician website: what earns the call and the big jobs",{"path":729,"title":730},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fhvac-website","Heating and cooling website: what earns the call and the sale",{"path":732,"title":733},"\u002Fhelp\u002Froofer-website","Roofer website: look local, honest and easy to call",{"path":735,"title":736},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fpainter-website","Painter website: what earns the estimate",{"path":738,"title":739},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fcarpenter-website","Carpenter and remodeler website: what earns the estimate",{"path":741,"title":742},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fphotographer-website","Photographer website: what clients check before they write to you",{"path":744,"title":745},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fyoga-pilates-website","Yoga and Pilates studio website: what fills your classes",{"path":747,"title":748},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fmartial-arts-website","Martial arts school website: what parents look for and how to show it",{"path":750,"title":751},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fdance-studio-website","Dance studio website: the classes, costs and policies parents look for",{"path":753,"title":754},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fnail-beauty-website","Nail salon and beauty studio website: what gets people in the door",{"path":756,"title":757},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fpet-grooming-website","Pet groomer website: what dog owners check before they book",{"path":759,"title":760},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fbookstore-website","Bookstore website: what brings readers through the door",{"path":762,"title":763},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fantiques-website","Antique and vintage shop website: what buyers and sellers look for",{"path":765,"title":766},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fgift-boutique-website","Gift shop and boutique website: what shoppers look for",{"path":768,"title":769},"\u002Fhelp\u002Faccountant-website","Accountant and tax preparer website: what clients check before they call",{"path":771,"title":772},"\u002Fhelp\u002Finsurance-agent-website","Insurance agent website: what customers check before they call",{"path":774,"title":775},"\u002Fhelp\u002Finn-bnb-website","Inn or bed and breakfast website: what guests check before they book",{"path":777,"title":778},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fwinery-brewery-website","Winery, brewery or distillery website: what fills the tasting room",{"path":780,"title":781},"\u002Fhelp\u002Ffarm-stand-website","Farm and farm stand website: what gets the visit and the order",1793740286740]