Website Provider Comparison Chart

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Ryan:
Yes, we can load up an image gallery.
It can be loaded into specific categories of product, or it can be a whole separate gallery of pictures (such as weddings). Because of our (my) sechedule lately, this is one feature of Media 99 that we have not availed ourselves of. It is there -- it's me getting to it.

Content. --- Yes, we can add content pages as we need to. We work with Media 99 to do so. When we first put up the site, moving our site from TF to Media 99, just getting it all loaded up and categoriezed properly, and priced, was a challenge. (And it all was finished about 2 weeks before christmas!!).

We actually will be adding some content type things before the holidays this year.....It depends upon me getting my part done.


Delivery scheduling - I checked, and I can block or turn on/off certain delivery dates. I also have the ability to offer coupons and special incentives for taking an earlier delivery for Valentine's Day, for instance. Is this what you meant??

Hope this helps!

Cheryl

 

[David]

Product control

When you upload a custom image you have to request FTD place it in certain categories that you want. You can not pick what categories regular items appear in. The only exception is to request a whole category of specific items you want. This locks the category and you have to contact them to make changes. You should be able on the back end to check which categories a product should appear in.
I think you should compare how web sites handle cut off times for delivery. With FTD You can choose a cut of time by zip or city. M-F and Sat or Sunday. For wire outs you can set the time also.
I am very Bothered that the FTD logo and my logo are the same size with my FTD site.

 

[avflorist]

More about floristboard sites I found out - yes on
stats
SEO platform and setup
dedicated ip
SSL
addons
newsletter email
image gallery
customer account
cust order history
MAS
Mercury

just fyi

In addition to the above, FB is Yes on Unlimited content creation and User generated content. Brian used to offer a no set-up fee at 34.99 a month, however, I don't see it on his home page anymore.

 

[CHR]

Unlimited content means you can add new text to pages or add new pages/articles on your own without having to have your hosting company/webmaster do it. Can you build your own pages and add articles on the fly? If not, the answer is 'no'.

User Generated Content means customers can review your products right on your site (like Amazon.com does.) I'm sure FB's sites do not have this feature - but neither most of the others on the list.

My (custom-built) site does, and it's been educational to read the reviews. I also believe it helps other customers make purchasing decisions and helps us decide which products to change/improve.

 

[Knife's Wife]

Ok probably a real dumb question here. When I do the down load it opens automatically in Word but is in some weird computer language. How do I change it?


Joan

 

[LJVF]

Ok probably a real dumb question here. When I do the down load it opens automatically in Word but is in some weird computer language. How do I change it?


Joan

This is a pdf file, you should open with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

 

[theRKF]

FYI - Just updated to version 4, with some input from Brent at DTI.

 

[BOSS]

I'll just throw this out there for your web developers (Ryan, Brent, anyone else reading) what with the continually growing number of employment applications we get weekly... be nice to have an "online application" to send folks to

I know the race is on!

 

[theRKF]

Already there, big guy

With our unlimited info pages, you can put up as many forms, applications, etc as you like.

We can even collect the data via your own secure (SSL) certificate.

Ryan

 

[clay]

Gallery of Images

I read this line item a week ago, then again today. To me the catagory line is misleading....to me a "Gallery of Images" means that you have images ready to use, a catagory name of "Image Gallery Feature" does not imply that a company has a gallery of images ready to use. Under the definition of "A gallery to display images...", Digital Thoughts has one available like http://www.mcadamsweddingflorist.com/default.aspx?s=37 (I am using some misc. JHC images until I get a some shot of our own wedding work).

While I am on that topic, there are actual florists out there that DO want to use wire service (I am not going to argue the merit of WS images vs. their own) and/or John Henry images along with their own unique work images....especially if they do not have a portfolio of their own images right off the bat. With that in mind, some florists might want to know if the list of companies have preloaded wire service or John Henry images they can use....IMHO.

 

[theRKF]

Agreed x 2

Next revision I'll change the wording to "Image Gallery Feature" to avoid confusion.

Yes, lots of shops want to use WS images. To the best of my knowledge, all the providers on the list will let you use any image you have license to. Are there any prohibitions against using TF images on an FTD site or vice versa?

Ryan

 

[clay]

Agreed x 2

Next revision I'll change the wording to "Image Gallery Feature" to avoid confusion.

Yes, lots of shops want to use WS images. To the best of my knowledge, all the providers on the list will let you use any image you have license to. Are there any prohibitions against using TF images on an FTD site or vice versa?

Ryan

I am sure that any company will let you load on images that you have a license for.....I guess I was referring to companies that all ready have them loaded to save the florist time on getting up 300+ images for everyday arrangements, plants, gift/snack baskets, holiday arrangements, funeral arrangements, and wedding arrangements....and the likes, from a WS or The John Henry Company.

I have "heard" that some of the florists that paid TF for a custom site have some other wire service images on the site....but I do not know of an example right off hand.

 

[FloralFantasies]

Ryan, Thanks, this is invaluable information for all of us who try to keep up to date on our website options.

I am sure that any company will let you load on images that you have a license for.....

I have "heard" that some of the florists that paid TF for a custom site have some other wire service images on the site....but I do not know of an example right off hand.

I've also seen both TF & FTD arrangements on several real flower shop websites in which the site was hosted by one of the wire services. If you're a member of both wire services I don't see why you couldn't use both.

I'm assuming that you can use TF &/or FTD images on a website not designed/hosted by TF or FTD. Is that right?

 

[theRKF]

I'm assuming that you can use TF &/or FTD images on a website not designed/hosted by TF or FTD. Is that right?

You can use WS images on any site you own, as long as you are a member of that WS.

Ryan

 

[theRKF]

I've just updated the chart located in the first post.

Draft 5 includes updates for the new Florist 2.0 temlate sites, and we've removed DTI from the list at their request (they are no longer taking on new customers).

Ryan