There are so many website platforms out there. Which one is the best fit for you?
Choosing a website platform
When it comes to setting up a website for your florist business, the options can feel overwhelming. There are countless platforms available, each with their own advantages and drawbacks. Some cater specifically to florists, while others are more general website builders or e-commerce tools. With new options appearing all the time, how do you decide which one is right for you?
In this post, we’ll break down our recommendations based on budget, ease of use, flexibility, and e-commerce abilities. Whether you’re a side hustler just getting started or an established florist looking to scale, there’s a platform that will suit your needs.
Factors to Consider
Before diving into the comparison, here are some key questions to ask yourself:
- What are your website goals? Is this primarily a tool for selling flowers, or are you looking to showcase your design skills and event work? Perhaps you want an online presence to legitimize your business. Different platforms shine in different areas.
- Do you want to take orders online? Not every florist needs e-commerce capabilities. Some platforms are great for displaying portfolios or providing contact information, while others specialize in online sales.
- What’s your budget? Prices vary from free plans with minimal features to more robust options that come with a monthly and per-transaction fee. It’s important to factor in the cost of any necessary apps or add-ons as well.
- How much setup do you want to do? Some platforms are easy to set up out-of-the-box, while others require more setup, but may be cheaper or more flexible. Consider how much time and technical knowledge you want to invest in building and maintaining your site.
Our Recommendations:
Let’s take a look at different types of florists and which popular platforms best suit their needs.
Note: Some platforms offer discounts for annual (instead of monthly) plans. We are using the monthly price for the sake of comparison. We also are not considering POS in this post, but let us know if you’re interested in that too.
1. Side Hustler selling flowers through social media: Shopify Starter
Simple Shopify Starter storefront example from Shopify
- Best For: Florists just starting out who want to dip their toes into online sales, with room to grow
- Price: $5/month (Starter plan)
- Pros: Low cost, easy to link to social media, easy to scale in the future, built-in SEO features
- Cons: Limited design options and personalized branding at this plan tier. 5% transaction fee on online sales.
Why we like it: Shopify Starter is a great option for those running a side hustle or for smaller-scale florist businesses. It’s an affordable step up from taking orders from DMs. With an easy way to set up an online store, you can integrate it with social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok so customers can shop from their phones or computers.
Alternatives: Big Cartel is also an option for small online stores with a free tier. However, its paid tiers have fewer features than Shopify’s, so your website won’t have as much flexibility to grow with your business.
2. Floral Designer focused on event flowers: Squarespace Basic
Fireweed Florals highlights their event portfolio with Squarespace
- Best For: Florists focused on design, with a portfolio showcasing their work for events and weddings.
- Price: $25/month (Basic plan)
- Pros: Gorgeous designs, no need for coding, integrated e-commerce options, built in SEO features
- Cons: Less flexible customization, more expensive compared to basic Shopify plans.
Why we like it: Squarespace is known for its beautiful templates and ease of use. You don’t need to be a designer to create a stunning website. It’s perfect for florists who do more event-based work and want to showcase their artistry in a visually appealing way. While it’s less flexible than platforms like Wix or Framer, Squarespace provides all the tools you need to create a professional-looking site with minimal effort.
3. Event florist with seasonal retail campaigns: Shopify Basic with Pause and Build
Wild Things highlights a portfolio, and also offers flowers online on a seasonal basis
- Best For: Florists who focus on event florals, with holiday retail campaigns on Valentine’s day and Mother’s Day
- Price: $39/month when checkout is active, and $9/month when checkout is paused
- Pros: Flexible for mixing events and retail, good for seasonal campaigns since there’s a discounted plan when checkout is disabled, website will scale with your business
- Cons: More hands-on customization means more setup time, more expensive compared to basic Shopify plans.
Why we like it: Shopify Basic contains the core ecommerce capabilities of Shopify, and it makes it easy and flexible to set up a site that combines your portfolio with an online shop. Their apps allow you to customize the site for your exact needs, like limiting delivery to certain days of the week or month.
But maybe you do holiday campaigns for selling bouquets, and you don’t need the ecommerce power of Shopify year-round. A good balance is to use Shopify’s “Pause and Build” option to pause the checkout functionality of your online shop, while still keeping the website up and running. You can still use your website for your portfolio, but for $9/month instead of $39.
4. Established Business with Lots of Products: Shopify Basic
- Best For: Florists with a larger product catalog or those looking to fully manage online orders and local delivery.
- Price: $39/month
- Pros: Highly scalable, robust e-commerce tools, flexible for various business needs.
- Cons: Higher cost, requires some setup and maintenance.
Why we like it: Shopify is one of the most powerful e-commerce platforms available, offering a ton of flexibility for businesses that need to manage multiple products, process orders, and handle deliveries.
With a massive app marketplace, Shopify can be customized to fit your needs, from inventory management to local delivery. It’s ideal for florists who are serious about their business and plan to grow. Shopify Basic is likely enough for your needs, unless you require a lot of staff accounts for your store.
5. Retail florist with out-of-the-box website: Floranext
Wildflower Florist has an online store, inquiries for events, and subscription packages
- Best For: Florists who want a florist-specific platform that’s easy to set up and requires minimal effort.
- Price: $29.99/month (website only, not POS)
- Pros: Florist-focused features, minimal setup work, customer service.
- Cons: Less flexible than general platforms, limited design customization.
Why we like it: Floranext is designed specifically for florists. They offer tools that cater to the needs of florists, such as flower-specific templates, local delivery management, and integrations with POS systems. If you’d rather not deal with too much customization or setup, these platforms make it easy to launch a professional site for your business.
This also means you have less flexibility. We chose Floranext over BloomNation, since BloomNation does not offer a website-only option (only a more expensive package that combines website with other services).
Enhance your website with Foxtail
At Foxtail, we understand how crucial your website is for your business. We also know you’re passionate about flowers, not technology. That’s why we create tools that are simple to integrate into your website—no tech experience needed. Our first product, a free Shopify app, lets you set up a custom bouquet feature in under two minutes. New exciting tools are in the works, so sign up for our mailing list to keep up with the latest news!