Jenna Ptacek chief executive officer and founder of butterbottoms, an online ordering business designed to help bakeries and local restaurants grow, points out that social media can be an effective way to connect with your customers and create awareness for your brand.

“Our recommendation is to keep social media posts short and simple – we have found this to be most effective,” Ptacek says. “Educational posts and posts that show a more personal side of your bakery have also been shown to have a positive impact on consumer behavior. Engage in a meaningful way with groups on social media platforms.”

Some experts suggest that as many as 50% of customers will be using online purchasing within a few years – and Elizabeth Hassett, director of digital product experience for Dawn Foods, believes the trend is definitely on an upswing.

“I believe the use of online purchasing will only increase,” Hassett said. “Online ordering provides ease, convenience and speed for customers who are busy running their businesses, among other demanding industry challenges. Mostly everything else in our lives is done online, so it makes sense that purchasing ingredients would be done the same way.”

To implement these strategies, Dawn uses Instagram and Facebook to share more tactical updates and content – including new recipes and inspiration, Hassett said. “In contrast, we use LinkedIn to share more corporate updates such as new executive hires or updates to the business,” Hassett points out.

If you sell to wholesale customers, get them used to ordering online as well. “I talk to bakery owners every week that are drowning in text messages, emails, voicemails,” says Mike Clements, owner of BakeSmart. Empower them to manage their own orders and reclaim those labor costs spent chasing after that usually already discounted business.

Make customization a breeze. You do complicated things at your bakery, your customers like the custom options you offer, so it only makes sense to offer those customization options online, too.

“From designing a custom cake, to filling an assortment box with goodies, or building a custom sandwich order, your online bakery should be able to match (or come close to matching) the offerings inside the friendly confines of your store,” Clements says.