1. Please, please put your location somewhere prominent on the main page. About 10% of the cupcake websites I come across don't list their location, which is so shocking to me. I just don't get it. Are they intentionally making it hard for customers to find them? Sometimes I can figure it out by google searching the area code of the phone number, but that only works if the number is a landline and not a cellphone, and besides, a customer shouldn't have to do that much work to figure out the location of the business! The best websites have the name of the store, the phone number, the address (if there is a retail location), and the city/state/zip/country all in a header or footer bar on each page. If there's one tip you follow, it should be this one.
2. If you have a retail location, please list your store hours somewhere on your website, preferably in a spot that is visible and easy to find. (Like on the main page, or a "location" or "contact" page.) Keep these hours updated and correct! Again, make it easy for your customers to find you; it can only increase your business.
3. List a phone number on your website. Many sites I've come across only list a contact e-mail address, and I understand the security concerns of posting a phone number, but business is a lot about instant gratification. If I have to choose between two companies, one that has a phone number and one that doesn't, I'm going with the one that has the phone number because they're probably the one I can get in contact with the fastest.
4. Post pictures of your cupcakes on your website. More so, make at least one an easily downloadable picture, so that sites like this one can show examples of your work. I can't imagine that many people buy food sight unseen. Posting pictures of your baked goods can only increase your sales. I know that many cupcake places don't want people to copy them, and if that is a concern just put a huge watermark on your pictures.
5. Make it explicitly clear on your website whether you are special-order only or whether you have a retail location. I've come across many sites that post an address, but no store hours, and have an "orders" page explaining how to place orders. This makes it difficult to figure out if I can just show up at the address and be able to buy cupcakes.
6. Make the exact name of your store crystal clear. This will help people find your site using search engines and find your location in yellow page listings. For example, I've seen websites such as "www.cupcakes.com" with a logo on the main page that said "Cupcakes Galore" in big font and "Sweet Treat Bakeshop" in smaller font underneath. Is the name of the store "Cupcakes"? "Cupcakes Galore"? "Cupcakes Galore Sweet Treat Bakeshop"?
I think that's about it. Here's what got added this round:
United States
- Amy's Cupcakery
- Babycakes Sacramento
- Bread and Chocolate Bakery Cafe
- Cake In a Cup
- Cakes By 2 Moms
- Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes
- Crave Cupcakery
- Cupcake Craving
- Curious Cupcake
- Daddy Cakes
- Harmony Cupcakes
- Hey Sugar Cupcakes
- How Sweet It Is
- Icing on the Cupcake
- Kimmy's Kakes
- Kumquat Cupcakery
- Le Petit Gateau
- Mad Hatter Cupcakes
- Perfect Endings
- Polka Dot Bake Shop
- Reese's Cupcakes
- Sara Bakes Cakes
- Sharlene's Babycakes
- Sprinkle Sprinkle
- Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique
- SweetCakes Cupcakes
- Sweethouse Bake Shop
- The Cupcake Shoppe Bakery
- The Flying Cupcake
- The Sweets Boutique
- Wink Cupcakes
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