What's New for 2021? Episode 1 - The Shop

We are so excited for the 2021 Christmas season. There are so many new things to cover that we can't do this in one post, so we have decided to start with the shop itself, and later we will look at products, collections and some of our other plans. While this is not the most glamourous topic, it will make your experience here better. One of our main focuses is that you can escape whatever is going on in your day and have a few minutes of peace and joy when you visit our shop. That, of course, means our website has to be easy to shop. 

Just like an app update, the first thing was to fix bugs and errors. The next thing to solve were issues that you found annoying. Finally, what innovations can we add to make the experience easier? So we pondered the problems and came up with the following changes:

1. We reviewed product descriptions to correct information and fill in missing items. (Although I am sure we probably still missed a few things, LOL. Nobody's perfect)
2. We are proud to introduce our new Return Center that makes getting exchanges, reporting broken items in shipping, and doing returns much more manageable. You need your order number and email, phone, or zip code. After a few questions, we will send your return shipping label via email.
3. Need to cancel your order? We hope that never happens, but we understand because it does. Now you can edit or cancel your order right from the confirmation page or your account page. Love your item so much you wished you had ordered more? You can reorder items in the same place too.
4. Never skip an order because you worry about the item getting to you. We now offer shipping protection. For a small fee, your order is covered if it gets lost, damaged, or stolen on its' way to you. Just submit a claim right with Guide Protection, and they will get a replacement order sent right out to you. 
5. Dark Mode is a popular way of viewing your devices that converts the bright backgrounds and colors on websites to darker colors that are easier for some people to see. We have night mode available. In the bottom left corner, click the moon for dark mode and the sun for regular mode.
6. Quickly identifying item features makes it easy to gain important information like new arrivals, best sellers, and more. We have implemented informational stickers on products that are worthy of attention. No more going into the product detail for some of the critical features of ornaments and lights.
7. Your feedback helps us make a better experience. Now you can provide some quick feedback that lets us know where to focus on pain points and what we get right. After your check-out, you can submit answers to 2 simple questions about how you think we are doing.
8. We have always wanted to offer discounts for certain purchases, like multiple flower stems or matching ornaments. Finally, we have found a way to work that out. This year you can buy any floral stems and get discounts based on how many you buy. Floral discounts are a big deal if you love flowers and berries in your Christmas decor, as they can get pricey quickly. Also, we can now show you items that work with each other and offer them together at a discounted price. One more dream come true for us. 

That is a lot of improvements, and we still have more surprises to come. It is a lot of learning to start a business from the ground up and get it right. Each year I have found that I can only figure out a bit each year. The first year was Shopify and Vendors; last year, a new, modern website and Google Advertising. This year it's '..... Social Media and blogging (oh my!). If you haven't already been by our Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, then it's time to follow us and enjoy the laughs as I stumble through this area and figure it all out.

I look forward to sharing more of our journey and getting to know you better too. While the world has thrown a boatload of drama at us, we love what we are doing, and that makes it all bearable. So let's enjoy this Christmas season and everything it can offer us!

Join us next time for a look at our newest collection and some of the trends for 2021. We will also feature some of our latest additions and a fun new way to see our products.