Why Should I Use Online Flower Delivery Services?

Beyond the obvious convenience that ordering flowers online provides there are a number of reasons that online flower delivery is a good choice to make. It is an eco- and time-friendly option by saving you a trip to a florist which, in turn, saves you transportation costs, hassles and time. It’s safe to say that most everyone has forgotten a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion up until the last moment. An online flower delivery service can save the day AND make you look really good.

What Makes A Good Online Flower Delivery Service?

There are many factors that contribute to a good online flower delivery service. Product selection, special occasion arrangements, an easy-to-use site, extensive coverage areas and strong customer service and community elements are all necessary components of a superior online flower delivery service. Flower arrangements range from a bundle of cut flowers, loosely arranged and shipped via FedEx or UPS to flowers arranged in a vase and delivered by a local florist. As we reviewed the various service providers in this review site, we held each candidate up to these criteria.

Product Selection
Since we are talking about an online flower delivery service, it stands to reason that a wider variety of flowers to choose from makes a site more desirable. Roses are a common offering among practically all of the sites we reviewed, as are lilies. Gerbera daisies, carnations, sunflowers and mixed arrangements are all excellent candidates for delivery service.

Many sites offer wedding and funeral floral arrangements that run the gamut from bridal party flowers such as bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres to arrangements that you would send to express sympathy to casket pieces.

Just because the site delivers flowers doesn’t mean that’s all they need to offer. Most top-ranked flower delivery sites also have thoughtful extras that will compliment your gift of flowers. The majority of sites offer gift items such as stuffed animals, music CDs, figurines, balloons, themed gift baskets, candy and gourmet foods, among other things. Sometimes sending a live green plant is preferred and many of the sites feature a section of live plants that range from the pedestrian office fern to the exotic bonsai or elegant phalaenopsis orchid. On top of the range of products, styles and themes for flowers several sites also offer designer products such as Vera Wang, Martha Stewart, Todd Oldham and Waterford & Wedgwood to name just a few.

Web Site
Well-organized information and intuitively structured navigation make it easy to use online flower delivery services. A search function is crucial to finding items on a web site, especially when dealing with the potentially limitless types of flowers, arrangements and options that are available.

Sentimental floral gifts are a popular item and a natural fit for earth-sensitive standards. Many of the sites we reviewed prominently feature eco-friendly plants and flowers. A VeriFlora designation means the flower delivery service sells only products that are produced under stringent sustainability standards. The Fair Trade designation means the service sells products that meet various standards of environmental, labor and development and the products oftentimes comes from developing countries.

Coverage Area
If the online flower delivery service doesn’t deliver to the area you need to send flowers to, it’s not going to matter whether or not the provider has a great product selection or a well-organized site. All of the sites we reviewed deliver within the continental United States and most include Canada, Hawaii and Alaska as well. Several of the sites offer international flower delivery for an additional cost.

Customer Service
A first-rate online flower delivery service is wholly concerned with the user’s experience. To that end, the site owners provide help and support in the form of FAQs pages, online customer support forums, email support, helpful and informational articles. Some have even gone so far as to offer online chat options for a more personalized service.

The help and support is one part of strong customer service and the community factor is the other. Many sites offer a customer loyalty or frequent buyer program that rewards you with points for purchase. Accumulate enough points and you can redeem them for discounts of flowers or gifts. Blogs and newsletters are another way for the web site to cultivate customer loyalty.

All of these points are important for an excellent experience with an online flower delivery site. If a site is lacking in any one area it’s likely you won’t use them more than once. Our top-ranked sites: 1-800-Flowers, FTD and ProFlowers all offer a wide variety of products, services and community features that will deliver a first-class experience for all of your floral gift needs. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™