Florists
The best website platform for florists in the UK
If you're starting a flower business, or your current website is holding you back, the platform question comes up fast. Shopify? Wix? Squarespace? One of the florist-specific website services?
There's no single right answer — but there is a right answer for your shop. Here's an honest comparison, from someone who builds Shopify stores for a living (so I'll tell you when Shopify isn't the best fit, too).
What a florist website actually needs
Flowers aren't like most products. Before comparing platforms, check they can handle the things that matter for a flower shop:
- Delivery dates — customers choose the day, and you can block out days you're closed.
- Same-day cut-offs — "order by 1pm for today", switching to next day automatically.
- Local delivery zones — prices by postcode or distance, and only where your van actually goes.
- Card messages and add-ons — a proper message box, plus vases and chocolates.
- Email marketing — a sign-up form and emails before Valentine's, Mother's Day and your customers' own dates.
- Speed on a phone — most flower orders start on a phone, often in a hurry.
- Owning your customer data — so your customers stay your customers.
Keep that list handy; it's the best way to judge any platform.
The main options
Shopify
Best for: florists who want online orders to be a real, growing part of the business.
Shopify is built for selling. Checkout is fast and trusted, local delivery is built in, and there's an app for almost everything a florist needs — delivery date pickers, subscriptions, add-ons. It also connects properly to email tools like Klaviyo, so you can send abandoned-basket reminders and occasion emails automatically.
Watch out for: Shopify doesn't include a delivery date picker out of the box, so you'll need an app or a small custom build (here's how to set up cut-offs). Apps add monthly costs and can slow your store down if you pile them on.
Wix and Squarespace
Best for: florists who mainly need a beautiful portfolio — weddings, events, workshops — with a small shop on the side.
Both make good-looking sites easy, and they're simple to update yourself. For a wedding and events florist, where most work starts with an enquiry rather than an online order, they can be all you need.
Watch out for: delivery dates, cut-offs and local zones are harder to set up properly, and the selling side is less flexible as your online orders grow. Their built-in email tools are fine for a newsletter, but more limited for automated emails like reminders and abandoned baskets.
Florist-specific website services
Best for: florists who want something ready-made and don't want to think about the tech.
Several companies offer websites made just for florists, sometimes linked to a relay or wire network that passes orders between florists. They often come with florist features ready to go, and a catalogue of stock photos.
Watch out for: less control over design and features, and sites that can look similar to other florists on the same service. If it's linked to a relay network, check how orders, fees and commission work, and whether the customer data — names, emails, order history — is yours to keep and use for your own marketing. Read the contract carefully, including what happens to your domain and customers if you leave.
WordPress and WooCommerce
Best for: shops that already have a developer and want complete control.
It can do anything, but it needs more looking after: updates, security, hosting and plugins. For most small florists, that's time better spent on flowers.
Side by side
| Shopify | Wix / Squarespace | Florist-specific services | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online selling | Excellent | Good for small shops | Good |
| Delivery dates & cut-offs | With an app or custom build | Limited | Usually built in |
| Email marketing automation | Excellent (with Klaviyo) | Basic | Varies |
| Design freedom | High | High | Lower |
| Owning your customer data | Yes | Yes | Check the contract |
| Easy to run yourself | Yes | Very | Very |
Prices change often, so check each provider's current pricing — and remember to add the cost of any apps you'll need.
So which should you choose?
- Mostly weddings and events, few online orders? Wix or Squarespace is probably enough.
- Want something ready-made and simple? A florist-specific service can work — just check who owns your customers.
- Want online orders and repeat customers to grow? Shopify, set up properly, is hard to beat — especially once you add email.
Whichever you pick, the platform is only half of it. The florists who do best online are the ones who get the basics right and stay in touch with their customers.
Thinking about Shopify for your flower shop, or not sure your current site is pulling its weight? I set up Shopify stores and email marketing for florists — see Shopify for florists, or send me your site for a free check below.