At this age, you’d be amiss to believe that your business can survive without an online presence. Word of mouth can suffice for a simple hobby if you want to make a little extra on the side, but if your plans involve reaching people outside of friends and family, you’ll need to venture into the digital space. A website should be central in your marketing plan to generate revenue. Potential customers will want to see a website before they feel ready to make a purchase. You may not feel tech-savvy enough to build one, but many options simplify the process. Here are some reasons you should have a website for your bakery business.
Makes You Trustworthy
Your customers will appreciate that you might have a social media page, but a website is where you build your credibility is built. People will want to ensure they’re sending their money to a legitimate company, and having a website sends the message that you’re reliable, professional, and credible.
A website will set you apart from competitors without one and make sure you’re at the same standing as better-known businesses. It shows that you’re taking your business seriously and that you can be taken as an authoritative member of your field. Without it, a customer might think: ‘why should I invest in this business if they don’t invest in themselves?’
Increases Your Visibility
The most crucial aspect of your business is your customers. Even if you’re happy with the size of your business, are you still doing enough to attract new customers? Through google, you’ll be able to drive up traffic, thus increasing sales through SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and paid search ads.
Knowing SEO can help you rank on google because, ideally, you’ll want to be on the front page when potential customers search up bakeries in their local area. SEO isn’t as complicated as it may seem either - it’s all about using keywords or phrases. Creating content based on these words will increase your website's ranking.
Displays Your Information
Your potential customers will inevitably have questions about your business like ‘do they deliver?’, ‘what are their opening times?’, and ‘do they do custom deserts?’ Try and ensure that these questions are answered on your website. You could even try creating a Frequently asked question page/section.
In addition, you can clearly display all your contact information and make it as easy as possible for new customers to contact you. You can provide a form or even install a chat feature on the site. There are also ways of displaying your information that isn’t available on other platforms, like integrating google maps into your website so people can find you easily.
It’s Never Been Easier
You don’t need extensive coding knowledge to build a website for your bakery business. Sites like: Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace make website building a relative breeze. They give you many templates to choose from, so you only have to rearrange the features to your liking and add your pictures and information.
The costs can be relatively low - The WordPress pricing plan starts at just $100 a year for small businesses. To make the most of your website, you’ll need to create content SEO is pretty easy to learn, and there are many benefits of being found on search engines - it’ll attract leads and increase revenue.
Should You Hire A Professional?
Though there are numerous advantages of hiring a professional website developer to bring you to the net, it’s possible to go without and still create a beautiful website deserving attention. There are pros and cons to both, but ultimately it’s up to you to decide, factoring in your budget, the stage of your business, and how comfortably you are making one.
DIY Website
| PRO'S | CON'S |
| Can start from as little as $100 a year | May need to learn new skills |
| In control of how it looks | Can be time-consuming |
| May be easier to update | Limited to template designs |
Using A Web Developer/Designer
| PRO'S | CON'S |
| Looks professionally designed & unique | The developer may need to update it for you |
| No need to deal with technical difficulties | Spend time providing input |
| More time for baking! | Can be costly |
| Less stressful | May not be designed to your taste |
Can A Small Bakery Business Survive Without A Website?
Some small businesses report that social media does suffice in satisfying their business needs. But in a world driven by e-commerce, online shopping has to be convenient for the consumer to purchase. Most potential buyers are not looking through social media to buy your products - they’re using search engines.
The question isn’t if your business needs a website, reports Dennis Consorte, but how long you can survive without one. It’s not worth the loss of potential customers by not making one. If you’re planning on making a serious income through your bakery business and want to be found by new customers, you should have a website.
Want to Learn More About Maintaining Your Baking Business?
Plastic Container City has a wide selection of blogs and articles that we’re constantly updating to give you all you’ll need to set up and maintain your own home bakery. Check them out here!
