Online floral sales are here to stay, as you know. So, how do you cater to a more knowledgeable online shopper? And how do you make sure that person will find your floral shop when they search for flowers online? The answer is SEO or Search Engine Optimization. SEO is the practice of increasing traffic to your website through organic search engine results instead of online ads. It’s the reason some companies rank on the first page in a Google search, while others are on page 20. And it’s all about making the user experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. So how do you do that? Here are a few tips:
- Optimize your presence on local directories
Thanks to online directories, more people than ever are deciding to purchase online before even visiting a website. That’s why Google My Business, Yelp, and even Facebook are vital tools to ensure people can find your shop online. And it’s not just about your name, address, and phone number: you’ll need to include a description of your business, as well as photos and videos to show your products. The more information you have on these directories, the better your potential customers will be able to see, at a glance, what you offer.
- Focus on quality images in your listings
When someone Googles your business online, they’re certainly going to be looking to see if you’re in the area, what your hours are, and if you can deliver to them. But just as importantly, they’re going to want to get an idea of precisely what you can offer them. Feature beautiful, high-quality images of your arrangements and other gifts on these directory listings, and make sure you link every image to your website so people can easily purchase the stunning arrangement they’ve just seen.
- Make user experience (UX) your priority
You may have heard the term “UX” and weren’t sure what it was all about. In short, it means what the user experiences when they go to your website. Is it easy to navigate? Fast? Secure? Not only is this important for the user, but it’s also a vital component in how Google’s algorithm ranks your website. Go through your website as a typical customer and see how easy it is to use. Then correct anything that makes it tougher for you to move through the shopping and purchasing process.
- Designate website pages for floral holidays and events
Once you have established your website, ensure that you are advertising to the correct targeted demographics. Do your market research to determine who will be most likely to purchase online from your shop. A good starting point is to get a list of wedding planners, event planners, funeral homes, local businesses and hotels, and inform them about your online flower shop.
- Create valuable, relevant content
When it comes to search engine rankings, there’s nothing more important than high-quality content. Of course, you should make sure your website is optimized technically (see below), but if your site isn’t full of engaging content that’s continually updated, you aren’t likely to see those high search rankings. There’s so much you could write about, and it can seem overwhelming. To make it easier, focus on your ideal customer and write directly to them. Do they want decorating tips? Holiday ideas? How-to videos? There’s no end to the amount of content you can create. And if you’re not up for creating content, find a professional and have them write your content for you—it can be well worth the investment.
- Incorporate SEO technical best practices
While your number one goal is to create content that speaks to your potential customers, it’s also essential to make sure your web pages are technically optimized. This is called “on-site SEO” and simply means the actions taken on the web pages themselves (specific words used, HTML code, etc.) that cater to search engines. On-site SEO becomes even more critical when people view your site from mobile devices: You need to ensure it’s fast, secure, and easy to access.
We hope these tips help you to optimize your online presence. There are plenty of tutorials available on SEO, or you can work with an expert. In either case, we wish you good luck—and good search engine rankings!
