Today is exciting, rewarding, much anticipated and somewhat overdue. Today being the day we hit the refresh button on www.flowerbud.com. While the concept, intent, and spirit remain intact, the grubby fingerprints, aging ideas and methodologies as seen on the screen of the past are wiped away. Today’s refresh button gives a fresh start indeed. Never fear, it was change much needed, not simply change for change’s sake.
It is almost eight years to the day since the original concept, rudimentary conversations, and scratchings on paper aboard a returning SAA flight from Johannesburg to Portland, OR were painstakingly transformed into a web presence and an electronic market stall for some of the USA’s finest and freshest flowers. The original process took six months an inordinate amount of money, and it broke much new ground. It held up, albeit in these last few years with unseen chewing gum and baling wire.
Going forward, this refreshing site bears all the hallmarks of a collective wisdom wrestled from hard years in a tough marketplace with sometimes skeletal margins that saw ideas and technologies change faster than old flowers can wilt, let alone fresh ones might generate income to implement and pay for them. No bad thing as it turns out… my skepticism and business conservatism… giving time for this nascent method of commerce to calm and for some within to mature and think somewhat more critically and analytically of the future.
Flowerbud “refreshed” now bears the unmistakable, unsmudged fingerprints of one Justin Russ, an “old hand” at Flowerbud who after many years of cobbling together the original has led the charge in pushing/guiding Flowerbud forward into the present while hopefully including the tools with which it can more easily morph into the future. He has been most ably assisted by Ms. Liz Blake whose prose and good humor you will recognize. Additional grey matter came from our long time relationship with opus:interactive.
While its look and feel are unmistakably Flowerbud.com and remain purposely far outside the mundane parameters of erstwhile competitors, it really is chock full of new engineering, useful features, concise yet profound knowledge and tips and many many more ease of use characteristics for those shopping on its front end and for those maintaining, marketing and providing from its back end. It is a better mouse trap and a much better online flower site!
Along with refresh comes a chance for reflection. As you happily click on the new search function at Flowerbud.com that so readily guides you to what you had in mind… remember that when Flowerbud.com was created “search” was not a part of the vernacular and Google had yet to blossom. What more changes might the next eight years bring?
Making sense, very much like a new Toyota Camry… Flowerbud.com is instantly recognisable as it seamlessly combines form with function. It is completely new, utterly reliable, ever more economical and designed, constructed and operated by a talented multinational team. A venerable website, a venerable auto, refreshed for those showing great common sense and good taste. Built in the USA!
Well after 8 years I am luck enough to help launch a new Flowerbud.com website with you again. The site looks great and this round was a lot less stressful! Wishing you much success with the new look, your flower are truely the best!
TJ and Team - adding gray matter to your website and the world
Just thought you might like to know that flowerbud.com doesn’t work on a Firefox browser. Thanks!
Hi JB,
We’ve tested the site in Firefox on a Mac and a PC, and it worked just fine. Are you using the latest version of Firefox? You might need to upgrade your browser, but if that doesn’t do the trick, give us a call at 1-877-524-5400, and we’ll help troubleshoot the problem over the phone.