Shop For Flowers Online
Everyone loves to get flowers. And doesn’t it feel good to send them as well?
Flowers are easy to send. With a scroll and a tap, a beautiful bouquet or arrangement can be delivered nearly anywhere within hours. But with so many retailers to choose from, how do you know you’re making the right choices and getting the most, best flowers for your money?
Speak the beautiful language of flowers. At Orchard Lane, a Clintonville/Columbus neighborhood institution for more than 27 years, we want to help you shop for flowers online wisely. Here are some tips:
1. Order from a Local Florist
Want to order better flowers online? Shop local! Those national networks of florists — you know who they are — offer a standardized selection of arrangements and originate orders through online advertising and purchasing top-ranking Google spots. They sometimes market themselves as a “local option,” but here’s how they work: Once a customer places their order, it’s sent to a local florist to be assembled and delivered. But choose this option, and you’re paying a lot for a “middleman.” That big online store charges between $15 and $20 simply to funnel your order to the local florist. After other costs, such as advertising and other fees, only about 50 percent of your purchase goes toward the actual flowers.
There’s a way to get more for your money: Shop for flowers online directly through a local florist. How can you tell if your florist is really local? Verify by checking the flower shop’s street address at the bottom of their web pages or on their “contact us” page. You can also search for their Google business listing. Finally, pay close attention to their “About Us” page too. If it’s generic and there’s not anything specific about the shop, it’s history, it’s reason for being in business, then chances are it’s a faux-local business page.
Another benefit of using a local florist when you shop for flowers online: Local florists tailor their online offerings to reflect what’s in season and what’s new in stock. This means you’ll get fresher blooms than you might from a standard online retailer and an arrangement that lasts longer.
Finally, shopping with local florists helps to ensure your flowers will look like the image you see online. Large floral delivery companies use catalog shots. Their actual work might not be as beautiful as what’s pictured online. Your local florist is also less likely to make substitutions. When shopping local, what you see is what you get.
2. Consider making your first purchase via phone or in person!
Nothing beats the convenience of online shopping, but you can get a good feel for a business by speaking with an actual person. This gives you the opportunity to test their customer service, professionalism, and product knowledge. If your phone or in-person experience is exceptional, you can place future floral orders online with confidence.
At Orchard Lane, we’re flower people, but we’re also people-people. We love to create incredible, unique floral gifts, but we also like meeting and speaking with customers and getting to know you, your needs, and your tastes.
3. Choose a Florist With Experience, Talent, and Creativity
Reviews, whether on Yelp!, Google, or social media sites can be helpful in choosing a florist. But longevity in the community is another important factor. As with many services, a florist’s long history in the community indicates a history of excellent customer service, a high-quality product (flowers that don’t die in a few days), accurate, on-time delivery, and overall “wow” factor of the florist’s work.
Orchard Lane has been a fixture of Clintonville since 1996. The last nine years have been under the ownership of OSU alum Kasey Conyers. Not only is Kasey a veteran in the floral and wedding planning industry but each of Orchard Lane’s floral designers, Noah (a 20-year Orchard Lane veteran) and Melonie, have two decades experience in the business. We also have a dedicated customer service team with years of experience making sure our customers get exactly what they want and are delighted by both our flowers and by their interactions with us.
Not only are our floral artists experienced, but they are creative as well, setting new trends in floral design, rather than following them. The Orchard Lane Flowers designers bring something new, personal, and unexpected to every order — all to make your recipient feel even more special.
4. Make the most of ordering online
Once you’ve found a local florist, take advantage of their specials and services that are exclusive and easily accessible to customers who shop on their devices. For instance, if you like to send flowers on a regular basis, many florists offer flower subscription services you can sign up for and manage online, so you can treat a loved one, the office, or yourself to recurring deliveries of fresh flowers.
Finally, sign up for any newsletter or mailing lists — digital or print — offered by your favorite local/online florist. This will keep you up to date on what’s being offered, what’s new, and special events like sales or workshops.
There’s no wrong time to send flowers. Let flowers speak for you when you want to express love, joy, remembrance, support, gratitude, sympathy, or simply tell someone you’re thinking about them. Shopping online for flowers is an enormous convenience — but there can be pitfalls as well. If you know what to order and are equipped with the tips and tricks for getting the most for your money, you can send the perfect flowers for every occasion — or treat yourself to some beautiful blooms as well.
