I’m Kayla. I run a small flower studio out of my garage. Picture buckets of roses by the door and a glue gun that never cools. I sell prom corsages, last-minute birthday blooms, and lots of sympathy pieces. I needed a website that didn’t fight me on delivery dates, card messages, or rush orders. So I tested three real setups for my shop: Floranext, Shopify with apps, and BloomNation. I also gave Square Online a quick run for a pop-up weekend.
For the nitty-gritty screens-and-settings breakdown of each build, I documented the entire process in this florist-specific case study.
You know what? They all shipped flowers. But they felt very different in the chair.
For a broader look at how the major platforms stack up beyond the flower world, I found the independent reviews on WebsiteBuilderAwards refreshingly blunt and data-driven. Their other hands-on experiments—like building six different cleaning business websites and testing real electrician sites to see what flopped and what flew—reveal quirks that apply well past bouquets.
What Matters For A Florist Site
Let me explain what I really need when I’m busy and wearing clippers on a lanyard.
- A date picker that blocks Sundays and same-day cutoffs by time.
- Local delivery zones by zip code or miles, with fees that make sense.
- A clean “card message” box that prints nicely on tickets.
- Substitutions and policy notes right on the product page.
- Holiday mode. Big photos. Fast checkout on a phone.
If a builder can’t do those, it’s a headache. I learned that fast.
1) Floranext: Built For Florists, And It Shows
I ran Floranext for one full month, including Mother’s Day week. Set up took me one afternoon. I added 42 products, like “Sunset Mason Jar” at $55 and “Designer’s Choice” at $75. I turned on delivery dates, blocked Sunday, and set a same-day cutoff at 1 p.m.
What I liked
- The date picker just worked. It auto-hid sold-out days when I hit my cap.
- Card messages print on work tickets with sender and recipient big and bold. No squinting.
- Zip code fees were easy. I charged $8 for 43085 and $12 for 43214. No math at checkout.
- Holiday banner swap was simple. I made a quick graphic in Canva and it looked great.
What bugged me
- The templates felt a bit old. Not ugly, but not slick.
- SEO settings were fine, but a little plain. I wanted more help with meta text.
- The editor lagged when I bulk-edited products. Nothing broke, but I waited.
Real moment
- On Friday at 12:58 p.m., a teacher ordered a peony vase for same-day. The system let it through since the clock struck 1:00 right after. I moved my cutoff to 12:45 the next day. That tweak took 20 seconds. Saved my sanity.
Verdict
- If you want fewer moving parts, this feels calm. It’s made for flower folks. I could train a helper on it in one cup of coffee.
2) Shopify + Apps: Power House, But You’ll Tinker
I ran Shopify for two months using the Dawn theme. I used Zapiet for delivery and pickup, and I added a free “Cart Attributes” app for the card message. I also used Order Printer for tickets.
Build notes from my shop
- I set a 12-mile delivery radius with tiered fees: $7, $10, $15.
- I added “No delivery to schools after 2 p.m.” as a rule. The date picker showed a warning, which helped.
- I hid shipping for vases but left it open for dried bundles. That mix felt nice.
What I liked
- The site looked sharp on phones. Big photos, clean font, fast pages.
- Add-ons were easy. I upsold a $4 message card and a $6 mini candle. A third of buyers added one.
- I ran a quick “Peony Week” page with a timer. It sold out in two hours.
What bugged me
- It’s Lego. You build a lot. And you pay for bricks. App fees stack up.
- The card message field works, but it’s not native. One time it printed tiny. I had to tweak the template.
- Zones by zip code took a minute to learn. Not hard, just… fiddly.
Real moment
- Valentine’s week, we did 146 orders on Shopify. On Wednesday night, I bumped the same-day fee to $12 and blocked Friday morning for hospitals. Both changes went live right away. No calls. No mess.
Verdict
- If you like control and plan to market hard, this is strong. But be ready to adjust things on the fly. It’s worth it if you enjoy building.
3) BloomNation: Marketplace + Site In One
I ran BloomNation for six weeks. I listed “Peony Pop” at $65 and “Garden Wrap” at $45. My site went live fast, and I also showed up in their marketplace for my city.
What I liked
- Orders came in with no ads from me. Three Mother’s Day orders found me on the marketplace.
- The product editor was simple. I wrote short notes like “Colors may vary.” Customers got it.
- Delivery dates and time windows were built in and clear.
What bugged me
- Fees made my eyes cross. Some fees hit me. Some fees hit the buyer. It’s not hidden, but it adds up.
- The branding leans toward their badge. My shop name is there, but I wanted my look front and center.
- Exporting my customer list felt clunky.
Real moment
- A funeral order needed a 10 a.m. drop. The date picker let it through, but the chapel moved the time. BloomNation support helped me call the sender. It got fixed. The family was happy. Still, I wished I could send a custom text from my dashboard.
Verdict
- If you want traffic fast and don’t mind marketplace vibes, this helps. It’s a trade. You get orders. You share the room.
Quick Pop-Up: Square Online For A Weekend
I used Square Online for a two-day plant sale. I synced inventory with my Square reader.
What I liked
- Setup in one hour. Done. Pickup slots were easy.
- Payments and tickets matched my POS with no fuss.
What bugged me
- Card message fields felt basic.
- Delivery rules were thin for funerals and schools.
Verdict
- Great for pickup events or a small menu. Not my pick for full florist life.
The Real-World Stress Test: Valentine’s Week
Here’s how they held up when petals flew.
- Site speed: Shopify was fastest for me. Floranext was steady. BloomNation was fine, with one 2-minute hiccup.
- Edits on the fly: Floranext was easiest for quick cutoffs. Shopify did more, but took more taps. BloomNation was the most locked-in.
- Tickets: Floranext tickets were the clearest. Shopify needed my template. BloomNation was readable but tight on space.
- Calls from confused buyers: Fewer with Floranext and Shopify after I added big “Same-Day Cutoff 1 p.m.” banners. BloomNation had one call about a marketplace fee line.
I sold the most on Shopify, but Floranext felt the calmest. Funny how both can be true.
What I Chose (And Why)
I stayed with Shopify plus Zapiet for my day-to-day shop. I liked the control, the mobile look, and the upsells. I added:
- A “Designer’s Choice” tile at the top. It became 40% of my orders.
- A bold “Delivery by zip” note under the date picker.
- A rush fee toggle that shows only after 10 a.m.
But I kept my Floranext notes. If I hire a new designer or open a second location, I may switch back for less fuss. BloomNation I now use as a side channel for slower months.
Who Should Use What?
- Want florist tools that just work? Pick Floranext. It’s simple and calm.
- Want full control and strong marketing? Use Shopify with a delivery app.
- Want marketplace orders fast? Try BloomNation, and watch the fees.
- Running pop-ups or pickup only? Square Online is fine and quick.
Speaking of local reach, geofencing isn’t just handy for routing flower drivers—it’s the backbone of many dating platforms that promise “someone near you” in minutes. A striking example is how the adult scene keeps interactions hyper-local through tools like Local Hookups, where zip-code filters and an instant-chat layout show just how much friction you can remove when proximity is the main selling point.
If you want to see that same tight radius applied in a