Florist Website Builder – Best Designs For Your Inspiration

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You need to create a website for a flower shop.

Website design has made great strides in recent years.

Anyone can get their website online with free templates, ready-made designs and website builders.

However, a template for a flower shop website can help you avoid making poor website choices.

Pre-made templates or pre-made designs are like starting your search for a flower shop design based on existing buildings layouts.

Yes, a well-designed building layout is a great idea. It doesn’t matter if the location, lease terms, greenhouse space and expansion options don’t make sense.

The secret to professional web designers is that web pages are HTML and CSS combined with scripts. This means…

Any website template can be created on any web platform.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at a quick guide that will help you choose the best template for your flower shop on the right platform. This will allow you to create the design and functionality that you need.

1. Define your needs, budget and assets

With a little editing any template can be transformed into a flower shop template. This makes them very easy to market and easy to mislead. It is important to assess what you really need, your budget, and the assets that you have.

You have to be there

What functionality is your website required? Do you need it to be more than a brochure website? Is it necessary to allow for easy editing? What format should it use to display your floral arrangements and location (PDF or HTML? Is it necessary to integrate it with order apps? Are you able to deliver?

There are no right or wrong answers. However, it is important to think about these issues before you read sales templates.

Budget

Although price is powerful, it is important not to only pay for the value of your business but also to pay for what really matters. Consider your physical location. Where can you save money and what do you spend your money on?

How valuable is a repeat customer? What are your goals for growth? What is the expected lifespan of your website? What is the value of your time? How much time will you save by getting your website up and running correctly? What is the value of your staff’s time? How can a website make it easier for them?

Again, there are no right answers, but it’s important to at least think about them before shopping for a design/designer/template.

Assets

Although pre-made templates for flower shops can be helpful, the site must still be yours. You’ll need to look at mockups of colors, fonts and logos when you shop for templates. You’ll be replacing them with your own. What do you currently have?

What kind of photography do you use? Are you able to digitize your logo? Are you familiar with the fonts and colors used? Are you able to describe your history, whereabouts, and flowers? Are you a part of marketing partnerships with local businesses and organizations? Are you already a part of social media profiles and reviews?

Before you get swayed into buying fancy mock-ups that will be replaced anyways, it is important to understand what you are bringing to the table.

2. Understanding Terminology and Options

It can be confusing and frustrating to learn website terminology, as so many companies mix, match, and misuse jargon in order to sell their products. These are the five core elements you should have for a website today:

Domain Name

Your “address” online is a domain. It is available for lease from ICANN through accredited “domain registrars”. One can be purchased now and “pointed” to your website later. To make it easier, many website hosting companies will also sell domain names.

Website hosting

Your website is composed of computer files. These files must “live” somewhere. Hosting companies lease space on servers that store and serve website files every time someone visits your site.

Software for Websites

Modern websites often contain many files. Websites often require software (also known as a content management system) to organize all files and make it easy to edit and maintain.

There are many website software options available, but WordPress is our choice.

WordPress powers over 25% of the Internet. WordPress has both its critics as well as its advocates. It’s still the best solution for most flower shops websites.

Why? WordPress is sort of like a 4 door sedan or light SUV in website software.

It is very popular. It’s also popular because it suits most people’s needs. It is versatile, easy to use and can do so many things. People will say WordPress can be hacked or WordPress is slow. That’s similar to someone saying that sedans are more likely to be stolen than semi-trucks or that my Ferrari can beat your Honda Accord off the line.

These criticisms may be true. But not. We’ll show you how to minimize or eliminate WordPress’ shortcomings while still retaining its benefits for building a flower shop website (i.e. ownership, marketing integrations, etc).

Website templates

As we have seen in the introduction, templates simply represent pre-made HTML and CSS (the computer languages used by browsers to generate a webpage). Although not essential, good design is almost impossible to create from scratch with mobile devices and other browsers. Every web designer needs a template/framework as a starting point.

There are many pre-made templates for flower shops that can be used as templates or paid templates. Some even come with custom design services. These templates should be designed to showcase design and layout, not functionality.

Software should have the ability to perform functionalities, and that brings us to…

Website Extensions & Plugins

Extensions and plugins are pieces of software that can be used to enhance your website’s functionality.

WordPress’ greatest advantage is its “extensibility”. WordPress offers a wide range of premium and free plugins. These plugins allow small flower shops to add advanced functionality to their websites.

3. Select & set up your flower shop website platform

There are many great website platforms. There are many ways to combine, match and mix the five pieces that you need to create a modern website.

This guide wouldn’t be useful if it didn’t help you to find a template and build a website that works.

We have already narrowed down the options for website software to WordPress. We now need to decide where WordPress software will reside and how it will integrate with your templates and plugins.

Two main options are available: WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress.

Disclosure: I am paid customer referral fees by companies listed on this site. All data and opinions are based upon my professional experience as either a paying customer, or consultant to paying customers.

Self-hosted WordPress

WordPress is open-source software that’s free and can be used by anyone. It is free to download, install anywhere and use however you wish.

Self-host WordPress gives you complete freedom and responsibility. It’s almost like having your own house. You have the freedom to do what you like, but you also have the right to call the plumber.

A good hosting company can make all the difference in installing WordPress. Hosting companies can offer the security, support and services necessary to minimize the risks associated with hosting your WordPress site.

For businesses, I recommend InMotion Hosting because of a few reasons. InMotion Hosting was the subject of my full review.

InMotion offers excellent support via chat, email, phone and knowledgebase.
InMotion charges a slightly more to help businesses focus (and not hobby bloggers) instead of just for individuals.
InMotion offers WordPress auto-install at checkout and an optional, free drag & drop design tool called BoldGrid.
InMotion offers custom web design services that can reduce the need to search for random freelancers.

Check out InMotion Hosting’s current Business Hosting plans.

The upside: You can download and use any theme or plugin you like if you host your WordPress software yourself. This setup is familiar to developers and consultants. It’s future-proof and saves money over other options.

The downside: Technical aspects are your responsibility. While InMotion offers support and consulting, you ultimately have the responsibility for everything. Self-hosting WordPress isn’t for everyone who doesn’t want to deal directly with technical issues.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a hosted service that is managed by the original developer of WordPress software. It is an all-in-one package that bundles WordPress software with hosting, support, software, and other services into one monthly plan.

WordPress.com can be described as self-hosting WordPress. This is similar to owning your building. While you can make all the customizations you wish “inside” the building, the maintenance and boring bits of the building are not your responsibility.

WordPress.com is a great choice for businesses. Here are a few reasons why I recommend it.

WordPress.com is a WordPress-based website that takes care of all speed, security and technical issues while still allowing users to enjoy the benefits of WordPress software.
WordPress.com’s Business Plan can be expensive but predictable. Maintenance fees will not be charged by a large consultant.
WordPress.com offers a complete directory of premium templates that can be installed quickly.
WordPress.com allows you to still install vetted third party plugins – which can be huge for a custom florist website.

Check out WordPress.com’s business plan.

The upside: WordPress.com users get the most out of WordPress software, without having to deal with any technical issues.

The downside is that you will only be able to use a small version of WordPress. You will also lose some design options and functionality.

The Next Steps

There is no wrong choice. It all depends upon your goals and needs.

4. Select & set up your Flower Shop website template

Once you are clear about what you have, and what you need to do with it, you can start looking for the perfect pre-made template for your flower shop.

Keep these things in mind when you shop.

Don’t pay attention to the logo designs and mock-up photography. A template may only look one way because of the mock-up photography. You’ll replace all of these assets with your own.
Concentrate on the layout of the template.
Take a look at more than the homepage. Take a look at the layout of subpages or unique pages.
Any template can be used as a WordPress Theme. It is better to convert a Squarespace, Weebly or Wix template to WordPress than to just keep the design.

Self-hosted WordPress Templates

A self-hosted WordPress installation gives you a virtually unlimited number of templates. These are some places you can look for high-quality options.

My selection of the Best WordPress Themes: These are amazing templates that can create great websites with beautiful photos and colors.
ThemeForest is a large marketplace that sells premium templates and themes. You can purchase, download, and install.
MOJO Themes is another marketplace that offers premium templates and themes. You can purchase, download, and then install.
TemplateMonster is another marketplace that offers premium templates and themes. You can purchase, download, and then install.
WordPress.org Repository – The official marketplace for WordPress templates and themes. All templates can be downloaded and installed directly to your WordPress website.

InMotion Hosting customers will have access to the BoldGrid templates, which have drag-and-drop functionality. Their design services can be used to convert any template to WordPress + your branding.

WordPress.com Templates

A WordPress.com Business Plan allows you to upload templates from any of the above sites. You also have unlimited access WordPress.com’s premium templates. All of these templates have advanced customization options that allow you to edit them.

These can be viewed on their website.

5. Configure Your Flower Shop Website Functionality

Many theme and template makers combine functionality with design. This can be great but can also lead to problems.

You can’t edit a theme that has too many functions. You can edit both design and functionality if you separate them.

WordPress plugins allow you to add functionality.

Everyday Functionality

WordPress is ready to use and requires very few plugins. The rule of thumb is to have fewer plugins than you need.

Installing the JetPack plugin on a self-hosted website is a good idea. It provides security and backups, as well as other fun features like contact forms and sharing buttons.

Here’s a list of the “must have” WordPress plugins. This includes Google Analytics & Redirects.

WooCommerce is another eCommerce option that works well for a flower shop.

Specialized Functionality

There are many plugins that can provide more functionality than WordPress. Be sure to identify your requirements first. It is easy to add to WordPress things that you or your visitors don’t need.

After you have done that, these are the best sources to find specific functionality:

WordPress.org Repository – The official repository for plugins. You can search for specific functionality. Note the rating and number of installations.
ThemeForest is a great source for premium plugins across all industries.
Flower Shop / Florist Software Suppliers – WordPress is a very popular CMS so your favourite software providers will probably have an integration. Do a Google Search!

6. You can refine your design and content

Once you’ve got your design and functionality in place, it’s time to have some fun.

It doesn’t matter if your website is an informational or brochure site, or an interactive site that is constantly updated, maintaining, revising and editing are all part of the process.

Although it doesn’t have to take too much time, a website that is well maintained and updated regularly will be a great one.

Editing your Design

This process should be easy using WordPress + a great template. BoldGrid by InMotion adds drag-and-drop functionality to WordPress. WordPress.com’s Customizer allows for easy click and edit customization.

This guide will explain how WordPress themes work, and also show you the WordPress Dashboard.

Remember to include the features your customers desire when designing and editing your website. Visitors might find it frustrating if they don’t like the look you choose.

Your flower shop’s floral menu and page listing are top priorities. Mobile devices are most likely to be used by your visitors so make sure you keep navigation easy and content simple.

Marketing your Flower Shop Website

Ahh! Now the real fun begins! There are no right or wrong answers.

Here’s the truth: a website is essential for long-term, real brand building. Social media networks change. A good website is one that you own.

You can position your website for any future events if you keep your best customers in mind and find out how they found you.

This topic is covered in my guide for planning a local marketing strategy.

Next steps

Take the time to assess your needs and budget.

If self-hosted WordPress is what you need, then purchase a Business Hosting Plan that includes WordPress auto-install.

You can purchase a WordPress.com business plan here if you are looking for bundled WordPress services.