Just as prom fashion has evolved from the demure tea-length dresses of the 1950s to the slinky, form-fitting cuts popular now, customers today shop for corsages and boutonnieres differently than they did in years past — with many choosing to order online.

After years of trying to woo teens with extensive in-store displays with a lot of choices, McArdle’s Florist and Garden Center in Greenwich, Connecticut, shifted its focus to the shop website, creating a streamlined prom menu with just a handful of exclusive designs.

“This works so much better,” said floral director Michael Derouin, AAF, AIFD, CAFA, PFCI. “Our old approach never took off, made inventory a logistical nightmare and probably confused customers.”

Hall’s Flower Shop and Garden Center in Stone Mountain, Georgia, has had a similar experience. Nearly 40 percent of the shop’s prom sales originate online, said co-owner Betsy Hall. She added a prom category to the shop’s website seven years ago — a move she credits with boosting profitability.

“Corsages are labor intensive, so cutting down on the design efforts involved with selling really helps us,” she explained. “We keep the designs on our website fairly simple.”

Hall shows approximately 30 options with a variety of flowers, colors, styles and base prices ranging from $15 to $65. The online catalogue includes five drop-down menus with customization options, such as “fashion bracelet” (for $3), “feathers” (for $8) and “pearl strands” (for $3). These choices make upselling a breeze.

Another way to boost your perceived value and guide customers to more high-end pieces? Give those prom designs specific names (this also makes it harder for customers to comparison shop) — ideally with some adjectives that conjure prestige, such as “premium,” “signature,” “platinum” and “exclusive,” said Mark Anderson, founder and developer of FloristWare and an enthusiastic researcher on the psychology of pricing. (Click here to watch a webinar he did for the Society of American Florists about Mother’s Day pricing.)

“Don’t be afraid to take a couple of big swings,” he said. “In this business we often get so focused on price-sensitive customers that we forget that some people do want to spend more.  We should offer them high-end options that appeal to their craving for luxury.”

Here are a few best practices when creating a prom menu:

Use a cohesive backdrop for photos. When photographing your corsage and boutonniere options, Hall recommends using a white cardstock backdrop. This gives your portfolio a crisp, clean aesthetic and keeps the focus on the flowers.

Brag in your design descriptions. Did an AIFD designer come up with your prom designs? Use a phrase such as, “Exclusively designed by a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers, a prestigious organization of the country’s most advanced florists” to convey this. If a design includes high-end blossoms, such as orchids, garden roses or ranunculus, spell this out with terminology like “premium flowers.”

Use color charts and ribbon numbers. When you create your menu, be sure to keep track of its recipe (offline, of course). Hall’s designs are broken down with details, such as ribbon number, which makes assembling corsages and boutonnieres much easier. “Orders can be lengthy, so it’s good to shorten them up a bit,” she said.

Mackenzie Nichols is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.