While most bakeries are still brick-and-mortar operations, customers are increasingly moving online and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. BakeSmart is a bakery management platform that streamlines operations, reduces cost, improves workflow and runs production processes. The BakeSmart team discusses the importance of building e-commerce for bakeries.

“Convenience-enhancing options such as web or app-based ordering are no longer just an option – they’re a must-have,” they say.

One of the major benefits of having an accessible and easy-to-use e-commerce platform is that you’ll never miss a sale, even when your brick-and-mortar store is closed. Additional benefits include enticing customers to purchase more items per transaction than in-person, building strong customer loyalty/encouraging repeat business and increasing efficiency.

In 2023, BakeSmart helped its clients to process nearly 80,000 orders, totaling well over $4 million in sales. Slightly more than half of all online orders were over $50, with the top 25 percent of e-commerce customers having an average order value of $60.44.

The first step to e-commerce success is creating your store. Some things to think about in this process are organization and structure. This helps customers quickly find what they’re looking for. Multiple listings make it easier for customers to discover everything you have to offer. In order to capture all of the fresh and exciting offerings, you can create an easy and repeatable process of taking photos. You’ll need to start early and capture the final creations to really sell them online.

Another way customers will find your products is through search engine optimization (SEO), so think about tools that can help in this endeavor. This is where marketing comes into play. Focusing on local search results will help you to reach your true customer base. BakeSmart research finds that most customers will travel a maximum of twenty minutes to visit their favorite bakery. To ensure you’re taking advantage of SEO, update your Google listing with accurate business information, including address and hours. You can even personalize your profile with photos, offers, posts and more.

You’ll want to highlight convenience in ordering, as that has become paramount to retaining customers. BakeSmart says that you should promote click-and-collect – commonly referred to as “curbside pickup” or “buy online, pick up in store” – to emphasize convenience. You can also drive traffic to your e-commerce store with online-only discounts and promotions.

The ordering process itself will make-or-break your online store. Set your lead time to give your team enough time to successfully fulfill orders. By utilizing an automated system, you reduce the risk of errors and ensure orders are processed promptly.