Florists will have yet another online marketing channel for brides to choose from, with the launch of the Web site, New Bride USA.
New Bride USA, scheduled to launch this spring, will operate as an interactive, social networking forum, according to its media kit, and "it will encourage participation from our vendors and engaged couples on a variety of formats including forum postings [and] direct chat."
Founder and CEO Jill MacKellar told E-Brief editors that vendors will pay between $199.95 and $349.95 (there are three levels of membership) to become a member and have their businesses listed with their shop's contact information and links to their Web site.
E-Brief editors talked to florists about how they decide whether to become a member of an online wedding community.
Scott Kremp of Kremp Florist in Philadelphia says, when evaluating online wedding communities, he asks, "How many shops are involved. How is the site being marketed to the consumers? How many clicks are needed to select us? Cost?"
Clay Atchison of McAdams Floral in Victoria, Texas, agrees, adding that, given the proliferation of such Web sites, he would take the "wait and see" approach about what the new site has to offer before he'd consider paying for a membership. "Only if it was free for three months, with a cancellation clause afterwards, would I get involved," he says. "That way I could see if I got any Web site hits or bride referrals during that time period, to justify a join cost."
Erlene LeBorgne of Rosemont Floral in Portland, Maine, says that florists should be choosy: "Many Web sites such as this have come on the scene and have a bit of a splash at the beginning and then are not heard from again, or do not provide the promised value ... often times the value provided isn't worth the price paid," she says.
LeBorgne, however, is a believer in signing up for online directories if it is free. She says that most times, she feels her money goes a long way in other promotional wedding venues such as bridal shows and educational events. "These examples will provide more results for me than any online directory," LeBorgne adds.
--Cassandra P. Foster
cfoster@safnow.org
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