This is the fourth in a fi ve-part series designed to
help you take your tech knowledge to the next
✳
TECH TALK
level — and learn how to incorporate it into better
business strategies.
Weave
a Profi table Web
“If you build it, they will come”? The process of building an
e-commerce site is only the beginning for a garden center retailer.
By Ashley Puderbaugh
Setting up an e-commerce site information, which includes offering prices for
all your products online.
might seem daunting at fi rst, but “The majority of consumers are now very
comfortable with e-commerce,” says Graeme
there are many ways to go about Grant, COO at Allurent, an online shopping
experience provider. “The question retailers
it, depending on your needs and now must ask themselves is, ‘What are we doing
to meet the higher expectations of these sophis-
experience level. ticated shoppers?’”
The Internet is gaining momentum as a Choose the Right Merchandise
leading distribution channel, and brand pres- The fi rst thing to consider is what products
ence in the virtual space is becoming more you’ll offer in your online store. Garden centers
important for your business’ success. Not only face a unique situation in that a large part of
are you able to share valuable information such many stores’ sales come from live plants. As a
as special discounts and events with your cus- result, many businesses choose to sell only gift
tomers, thus driving traffi c to your store, but cards and other small products.
e-commerce can also increase your potential of David Williams, title partner at Williams
reaching a larger customer base. Nursery in Westfi eld, N.J. says he started out
Online retailing in general continues to selling fl ower bulbs online, “but the problem
be a signifi cant merchandising channel, with with fl ower bulbs was that they were low-cost
online retailers growing in sales, average ticket, and high-weight items. “Most of the products
conversion rates and more. In fact, projected we sell — the green goods — they do not lend
total online sales of goods and services in 2010 themselves to the e-commerce very easily.
will reach $268 billion, a 14 percent increase They’re perishable, don’t stack well and we
from 2009, according to a survey by Forrester weren’t getting a high enough turn where it was
Research. While garden center product sales worthwhile.” Now, Williams Nursery sells only
obviously make up a small percentage of those collectible Christmas ornaments and gift cards
total projected sales, these data show that there online; Williams says the nursery’s profi t from
is still an opportunity to widen your reach and online sales isn’t too exciting.
grow your business. Barry Christian, retail manager of Berns
Having a website with just your location, Garden Center in Middletown, Ohio, says his
Invincibelle Spirit
™
directions, phone number and minimal infor- company partnered with Arett Sales to create
mation about your products will not necessarily an e-commerce site. A thousand items are avail-
Hydrangea
translate into a practical revenue maker. Studies able through Berns’ online store, but the prod-
show that consumers like to research product ucts are actually being shipped to customers
features and price points before making a pur- from Arett.
Think Pink
chase. According to the Consumer Behavior The e-commerce site went live earlier this
The First Pink ‘Annabelle’!
Report from comparison-shopping company year, Christian says, but it hasn’t been as suc-
PriceGrabber and market research fi rm Market cessful as he was hoping. “Maybe it’s a dif-
Our goal is to raise a $1,000,000 for breast cancer
Reporter, 91 percent of online consumers said ferent product line we need,” he says. “I’m still
research. $1.00 will be sent to the Breast Cancer Research
they felt reassured that they were getting the learning.”
Foundation
®
for each Invincibelle Spirit
™
sold. We
best deal after comparing prices online. This Nature Hills, however, is an online-only
encourage you to donate as well. BCRF is dedicated to
means that if you want to capture the interest of nursery based out of Omaha that’s been crafting
preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime
consumers and retain them as loyal customers, its online strategy for years, says president Jeff
by funding clinical and translational research worldwide.
then you need to make sure customers see your Dinslage. When the store went live, they had
website as the best source for helpful, fresh only two sales that day. “But we felt that there
Visit
springmeadownursery.com
to make a donation.
www.colorchoiceplants.com
Write in 792
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