The advantages are obvious. Consumers prefer seeing flower arrangements on their computer screens to help them decide which one will suit their needs. The Internet is also never closed, so users can browse day or night. They can also see prices in both U.S. and Canadian dollars as well as sign up for e-mail reminders for upcoming holidays and anniversaries.
Cellie Gonsalves, owner of www.cyberflowers.com, an Internet marketer of flowers and specialty gifts which sells directly to consumers, says the Internet is full of untapped opportunities for florists.
"We did a lot of research into who was using the Internet and found the people buying products online are mostly middle age, affluent men and women in white collar jobs and with families," she says. "It's perfect because it fits with the flower purchaser."
For Gonsalves the number one priority of operating a business on the Internet is assuring customers they can trust online security.
"People are very scared to buy online and it must be addressed up-front," she says. "Once a secure site is built it should be even safer than giving your credit card in a retail environment. Online, all of the data is encrypted and the number of people with access to it is minimal."
Gonsalves also offers online customers a guarantee whereby they are fully refunded if there is any misuse of their cards.
There are a couple of options for florists who want to connect to the Internet.
Thousands are already online by networking with large web-hosting companies such as FTD.com or Teleflora.com For a start-up fee, they provide you with a template of a web page, which can be filled with all of your store information, pricing and arrangements and updated monthly.
When an order is placed through your web site, their system handles all of the billing and security of ordering online and your shop receives 100 per cent of the commission. However, if an order is placed by the consumer through their main web page (not yours), and your store ends up filling the final order, the web-hosting company will give you a commission similar to a phone order.
The other option florists have to get online is to buy and manage their own web site.
While a web site is great for displaying information about your store and products, a lot of steps need to be taken if you want to set up a system whereby people can actually purchase products nline.
"It's just like opening a separate business," says Gonsalves.
"You need a business plan, define the target market, strategies and tactics and they are all quite different because the online purchaser is different."
Many businesses decide to hire professional web designers to set up their sites to handle some of the various aspects of operating online.
Gonsalves says, as long as your web site is managed properly the Internet is a great place to make a profit.
"The Internet is an incredible opportunity for florists, but you have to understand the psyche of the user," she says.
"The biggest challenge is providing excellent customer service. When someone comes into your store you can develop a relationship with them and they become loyal to you, but you can't establish a personal relationship with someone on the Web like that."
Free cyber flower bouquet cards, loyalty points and continuously adding new products are just a few of the techniques Gonsalves uses to generate high traffic flow and repeat visits to their site.
"Having a successful web site comes down to having 100 per cent dedication and burning desire to make it work," she says.