To make sure you are starting your plant eCommerce business hassle-free, here\u2019s everything you need to know about how to sell plants online \u2014 along with some tips to get your online eCommerce business off the ground.<\/p>\n
Is it a good idea to sell plants online?<\/strong><\/h2>\nIf you don’t know it already, the interest in nurturing house plants has increased during the pandemic, and it still continues.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Millennials now find comfort in nurturing plants and growing their own food at home.<\/p>\nHouseplants have benefits that far outweigh their dislikes. Plants not only improve the air around us but also improve our moods, help us think more creatively, and\u00a0disconnect from technology.\u00a0That might be the biggest factor that motivated millennials stuck at home to buy one in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\nMoreover, easy availability, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness are further driving demand for indoor plants.\u00a0<\/span>Money does grow on trees after all!<\/span><\/p>\nHere’s a forecast of the market size of the Indian\u00a0indoor plants\u00a0market for you-<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.instamojo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Screenshot-2021-09-08-at-5.30.11-PM.png\")
How to sell plants<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
How to sell plants online<\/strong><\/h2>\nAre you ready to start your own plant eCommerce store? In 7 simple steps, we have described how you can start selling plants online<\/a> from scratch.<\/p>\n\n- Step 1: Decide what to sell<\/span><\/li>\n
- Step 2: Source your plants <\/span><\/li>\n
- Step 3:\u00a0<\/span>Setting up inventory<\/span><\/li>\n
- Step 4: Decide on pricing<\/span><\/li>\n
- Step 5: Set up your online plants store<\/span><\/li>\n
- Step 6: Marketing – social media and SEO<\/span><\/li>\n
- Step 7: Ship your plants<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n
1. Decide what to sell<\/h3>\n
The natural first step in setting up your online plant business is deciding the right plants for your store. The following points will help you decide what kind of plants you should sell online:<\/p>\n
– Your love for a specific plant<\/span><\/p>\n– The area you live in<\/span><\/p>\n– The kinds of plants which grow in your area<\/span><\/p>\n– The scale at which you can maintain an indoor garden<\/span><\/p>\n– Your target audience <\/span><\/p>\n– The market’s supply-demand situation\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHere are some plant options to get you started:<\/p>\n
List of plants to sell online<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n- Succulents – best option if you are new. Requires less maintenance. Will survive shipping.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Bamboo – low maintenance<\/span><\/li>\n
- Herbs (medicinal, aromatic)<\/span><\/li>\n
- Ornamental grasses<\/span><\/li>\n
- Landscape plants<\/span><\/li>\n
- Aquatic plants<\/span><\/li>\n
- Seeds (vegetables, flowers, etc)- biggest profit margin, easy shipping<\/span><\/li>\n
- Orchids\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n
- Aloe Vera<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2.\u00a0Source your plants<\/strong>
\n<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\nThere are multiple ways to source the plants you sell online. The first is to grow your own plants in a backyard or a garden. <\/span><\/p>\nGrow your own plants:<\/strong> This could be a good option if you love cultivation and plan to sell plants on a small scale. <\/span>You will be able to cater to consumer\u2019s needs on a personal level provided you<\/span> have the necessary tools and equipment for it. If you have both the time and the land to turn tiny seedlings into plants then <\/span>growing your own plants is the best option to get started with.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"grow](\"https:\/\/www.instamojo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/plants-in-grow-bag-1024x767.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Partner with a wholesaler:<\/strong> The next option is to buy your plants from a wholesale store. Find a local nursery around your neighborhood to partner with and resell them in unique pottery or under your own branding. <\/span>Partnering with a wholesaler is a much cheaper option and can save you a lot of time <\/span>and help you grow your business quickly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n3. Setting up inventory<\/strong><\/h3>\nFor plant businesses, managing your inventory is critical. Consider these points below:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Will you sell seasonal plants, variety plants, or both?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Where will you stock your plants?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Should you build in a buffer in case some of your inventory is damaged or dies?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- If you go away for a few days, how do you plan on doing plant care?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Create a system for yourself that helps you identify and manage inventory. For example, <\/span>Instamojo\u2019s dashboard offers different features to help you manage your inventory. While adding a product, you can specify different units, add shipping information, minimum and maximum stock units, <\/span>generate invoices<\/span><\/a>, and later, keep track of order status.<\/span><\/p>\nHow to manage orders and inventory on the Instamojo online store:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n- From the left panel in your dashboard select online store -> orders -> all orders<\/span><\/li>\n
- All your product-related orders are listed under the orders section<\/span><\/li>\n
- You can filter your orders by order ID, order ID created date, who placed the order, source of the orders, and order payment status\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- You can also filter products by applying \u2018<\/span>filters\u2019 by Item name, categories, active and inactive products using the Instamojo premium online store.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"inventory](\"https:\/\/www.instamojo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Screenshot-2021-09-08-at-6.24.48-PM-1024x467.png\")
<\/p>\n
4. Decide on pricing<\/strong><\/h3>\nPlant pricing mainly depends on seasonality and the overall market price. <\/span>So when you price your plants, consider these points:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- What do other businesses in the market sell the same (or similar) plants for?<\/span><\/li>\n
- What are people willing to pay for the plants you sell?<\/span><\/li>\n
- How much do the plants cost you to buy or grow?<\/span><\/li>\n
- How much does your business cost to run (website, marketing, etc.)?<\/span><\/li>\n
- How much time do you invest in your business?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Method to calculate plant pricing: cost of expense + variable cost (cost of seeds, fertilisers, etc) + profit margin<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n5. Set up your online plant store<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen it comes to selling plants online, the most notable option is to sell them on your own e-commerce store\/ online store. The Instamojo online store only takes care of building an aesthetic store for you, but also has features like secure payments, a good user interface, shipping, and tools for marketing.<\/p>\n
Houseplants have benefits that far outweigh their dislikes. Plants not only improve the air around us but also improve our moods, help us think more creatively, and\u00a0disconnect from technology.\u00a0That might be the biggest factor that motivated millennials stuck at home to buy one in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, easy availability, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness are further driving demand for indoor plants.\u00a0<\/span>Money does grow on trees after all!<\/span><\/p>\n Here’s a forecast of the market size of the Indian\u00a0indoor plants\u00a0market for you-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are you ready to start your own plant eCommerce store? In 7 simple steps, we have described how you can start selling plants online<\/a> from scratch.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n The natural first step in setting up your online plant business is deciding the right plants for your store. The following points will help you decide what kind of plants you should sell online:<\/p>\n – Your love for a specific plant<\/span><\/p>\n – The area you live in<\/span><\/p>\n – The kinds of plants which grow in your area<\/span><\/p>\n – The scale at which you can maintain an indoor garden<\/span><\/p>\n – Your target audience <\/span><\/p>\n – The market’s supply-demand situation\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some plant options to get you started:<\/p>\n There are multiple ways to source the plants you sell online. The first is to grow your own plants in a backyard or a garden. <\/span><\/p>\n Grow your own plants:<\/strong> This could be a good option if you love cultivation and plan to sell plants on a small scale. <\/span>You will be able to cater to consumer\u2019s needs on a personal level provided you<\/span> have the necessary tools and equipment for it. If you have both the time and the land to turn tiny seedlings into plants then <\/span>growing your own plants is the best option to get started with.<\/span><\/p>\n Partner with a wholesaler:<\/strong> The next option is to buy your plants from a wholesale store. Find a local nursery around your neighborhood to partner with and resell them in unique pottery or under your own branding. <\/span>Partnering with a wholesaler is a much cheaper option and can save you a lot of time <\/span>and help you grow your business quickly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For plant businesses, managing your inventory is critical. Consider these points below:<\/span><\/p>\n Create a system for yourself that helps you identify and manage inventory. For example, <\/span>Instamojo\u2019s dashboard offers different features to help you manage your inventory. While adding a product, you can specify different units, add shipping information, minimum and maximum stock units, <\/span>generate invoices<\/span><\/a>, and later, keep track of order status.<\/span><\/p>\n Plant pricing mainly depends on seasonality and the overall market price. <\/span>So when you price your plants, consider these points:<\/span><\/p>\n Method to calculate plant pricing: cost of expense + variable cost (cost of seeds, fertilisers, etc) + profit margin<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When it comes to selling plants online, the most notable option is to sell them on your own e-commerce store\/ online store. The Instamojo online store only takes care of building an aesthetic store for you, but also has features like secure payments, a good user interface, shipping, and tools for marketing.<\/p>\nHow to sell plants online<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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1. Decide what to sell<\/h3>\n
List of plants to sell online<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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2.\u00a0Source your plants<\/strong>
\n<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n3. Setting up inventory<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How to manage orders and inventory on the Instamojo online store:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\n4. Decide on pricing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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5. Set up your online plant store<\/strong><\/h3>\n