The Cost of Short-Term Thinking

I was recently asked to divulge the 'secrets your florist doesn't want you to know', especially about Valentine's Day. Honestly, the question was a real stumper because all I could come up with were points most local flower shops would want consumers to know about flowers and roses for the holiday.   

We brick and mortar florists are in this business for the long haul.  We've invested heavily in fixtures and equipment, deliver vehicles, products, advertising and staffs and look at a holiday like Valentine's Day as an opportunity to not only sell flowers, but to build on established relationships and to gain and maintain future sales. 

We're not just thinking short-term since we know each sale is an opportunity to become the go-to florist for future needs, whether it be for proms, weddings, birthdays or anniversaries.  Get it right and customers remember.  Get it wrong, and they really remember. ;)

Shortcuts or compromises on quality or service are a fast way to get remembered for all the wrong reasons.  

A webmaster friend and I were recently discussing the new Google Plus Boxes that added address and map links to local flower shop listings and I commented that the boxes may cause Google to lose some Pay-Per-Click revenue in the flower space.  Savvy surfers can just start looking for the boxes and skip the affiliate ads proclaiming (falsely) to be local flower shops.

This webmaster replied that it was far more important for Google to show surfers what they're looking for - and that the better the natural results, the more ads they'll sell long-term.  If users can't find what they seek, Google will simply lose out as searchers go elsewhere.   It makes sense - long-term - to help users find what they want.

Juxtapose that with the latest florist scam from All American Florist (Aah Marketing), Teleflora, FTD and SuperPages.com. Short-term, SuperPages sells lots of ads, All American pulls in affiliate dollars and FTD and Teleflora move more orders through their networks.  Long-term, fooled buyers may well decide to choose a different resource the next time they need a florist or anything else - and they should. Let's just hope they don't give up on sending flowers all-together.

Short-term thinking has a price. Especially if it's made at the expense of trust and long-term relationships.