The Christmas and New Year period is one of the busiest — and then quietest — times of the year for florists. Taking a few minutes to prepare your website properly can prevent customer confusion, reduce support requests, and protect your SEO.
Below is a simple checklist to get your site ready.
Christmas & New Year Support Hours
FSIAB will be closed from Friday 19 December, with limited support available via the support system during the holiday period.
New Features in the FSIAB AI Assistant
We’re actively expanding the FSIAB AI Assistant so you can manage more of your website simply by asking questions.
Recent additions include:
- Automated banner scheduling
- Blocked delivery dates
We’ll continue sending updates as new features are released.
Managing the Increase in Form Spam
Many customers have noticed an increase in spam coming through website forms.
This type of “comment spam” has increased globally as AI tools are being used to bypass traditional form security.
All FSIAB websites use Google reCAPTCHA, and you can reduce spam by increasing your spam score threshold to 8:
Settings → Advanced Settings → Advanced Settings
This won’t eliminate spam entirely, but it should significantly reduce it while Google works on a broader fix.
Website Checklist for the Holiday Break
1. Block Delivery Dates
Ensure customers can’t place orders on days you’re closed.
Using the AI Assistant:
- “Show my blocked dates”
- “Add blocked date”
Manual method:
- Orders → View Pending → Block Dates
2. Add a Site Notice Pop-Up
A pop-up helps clearly communicate closure dates to customers.
Go to:
Marketing & SEO → Marketing Tools → Site Notices
You can use a pre-designed image, upload your own, or add text.
Best practice:
Show once only, no more than 1 second after page load.
3. Manage Your Christmas Banner
If scheduled via the AI Assistant, your banner will be removed automatically.
To remove it early:
- “Delete Scheduled Banner”
To add a new banner:
- “Upload Banner”
4. Remove Christmas from the Main Menu
Go to:
Design & Layout → Menus
Delete or hide the Christmas menu item.
If Christmas appears in automated dropdowns:
- Products → Edit Christmas → Untick Visible → Save
5. Add Christmas to the Footer Menu
For SEO, keep your Christmas category live by linking it in the footer.
Go to:
Design & Layout → Menus → Footer Menu
Add or enable the Christmas link.
Final Thoughts
A few small updates now can save a lot of confusion over the holiday period and ensure your website stays SEO-friendly while you’re closed.
🎄 We wish all our florists a happy, safe, and well-deserved Christmas break!
