No Photos of Your Best-Sellers
This is the bakery-specific version of a restaurant with no menu photos. People don't buy what they can't see. If your website shows text like "Chocolate Cake" and "Sourdough Bread" without images, you're asking customers to imagine your product instead of craving it.
The problem gets worse if you do have photos but they're old, blurry, or shot in bad lighting. A macaroon that looks flat and pale won't sell for $4.50, even if it tastes incredible in person. Your custom tiered wedding cakes deserve photos that make someone's mom say "yes, that's the one I want."
Fix this: Use 3-5 clear, well-lit photos of each product you want to sell online. Show a croissant broken open to reveal the layers. Photograph your donuts on a white plate against a neutral background. This takes one afternoon with a smartphone and good natural light.
Ordering Process That Takes 10 Minutes (Or Doesn't Exist)
A lot of bakery owners add a "Contact Us" form and call it an order page. But customers want to select what they want, pick a date, and know the price. Right there. Not after sending a message, waiting for an email response, and negotiating details.
If someone has to fill out a custom form for a dozen cookies, many will just go buy from the supermarket instead. Friction kills sales. The easier it is to buy, the more people will actually buy.
Fix this: Set up a simple ordering system for your regular items. Customers should be able to pick a product, choose quantity, select pickup or delivery date, see the total, and check out. This doesn't require fancy software. Many bakeries use simple tools with templates that integrate into their existing website.
No Clear Pickup or Delivery Information
If someone orders a birthday cake online and has no idea when or where to get it, they'll call your shop. That phone call costs you time. Some people won't even bother calling. They'll go somewhere else.
Your website needs to answer these questions immediately: Do you deliver or is pickup only? What areas do you deliver to? How much does delivery cost? What are your cutoff times for orders? Do you take custom orders or just pre-made items?
If you operate in a downtown area with limited parking, say so. If you only deliver within a 5-mile radius on Saturdays, put that on your homepage. Customers appreciate clarity. They also don't want to place an order for delivery only to find out you're 15 miles outside their area.
Fix this: Create a FAQ page or a small section on your order page that lists delivery zones, cutoff times, and any restrictions. Update it before your busy season.
Pricing That Doesn't Match Your In-Store Prices
Some bakery owners list prices online that don't match what's on the sign in the shop. Maybe your website says sourdough is $6.50 but you've raised it to $7.50 in store. Now a customer orders online, gets charged $6.50, and you lose money on that sale.
Or the opposite happens. Your online price is higher to cover delivery and service fees, but a customer shows up in person expecting the lower online price. Arguments happen. You lose a customer.
Fix this: Audit your website prices against your current in-store prices. If you're selling online, decide if you'll charge a separate price (delivery surcharge or convenience fee) and communicate it clearly. Update your website quarterly or whenever you change prices in the shop.
No Mention of Allergens or Ingredients
Allergen information isn't nice-to-have for a bakery. It's essential. A parent ordering a birthday cupcake needs to know if it contains nuts, dairy, or eggs. Someone with a gluten sensitivity needs to see that your GF items are made in a separate area, not just with different ingredients at the same workstation.
If your website doesn't list allergens and someone orders thinking they're safe, you could face a serious problem. Even if you include a disclaimer that says "call to confirm," customers often skip that step. They trust what the website says.
Fix this: List allergen information next to each product. If you make any items in a nut-free or allergen-free area, say so. If you do work with those allergens, be transparent: "Contains tree nuts. Processed in a facility that handles peanuts." This builds trust, not fear.
No Reviews or Social Proof
A website with zero reviews or testimonials feels risky to a first-time buyer. If they've never tried your macarons, why would they order two dozen online without some proof that they're actually good?
Reviews work. Someone reading "These croissants saved my morning meeting" is more likely to buy than someone seeing a fancy website with no evidence that real humans actually like the product.
Fix this: Ask customers to leave Google reviews, especially after in-person purchases. Screenshot positive comments from Instagram or Facebook and add them to your website (with permission). After the first 5-10 reviews, momentum builds on its own. Getting your first reviews takes strategy, but it's doable in 30 days.
Not Mentioning Your Specialty or Story
If your website reads like every generic bakery site, people have no reason to pick you over the bakery two blocks away. What makes your bread different? Do you use sourdough starter you've maintained for 12 years? Are your donuts from a secret family recipe? Do you source local flour from a specific mill?
That story sells. People pay premium prices for bakeries with a story. A $5 muffin feels reasonable if the website explains that you make them fresh at 5 AM with organic eggs and top-quality chocolate.
Fix this: Write a short "About" section that explains your bakery's specialty. Are you known for Danish pastries? Artisan loaves? Gluten-free options? What's different about how you operate? This should be 2-3 paragraphs, not a novel, but it should give people a reason to trust you specifically.
The Bottom Line
These mistakes sound small, but each one stops someone from ordering. No photos means no impulse purchase. No clear ordering process means no online sales at all. Missing allergen info means liability risk.
The good news: fixing these takes a few hours, not weeks. Start with the one that costs you the most customers right now. If people call to ask about pricing and delivery, fix that section first. If you have no online orders, clear photos and a simple ordering process are your priority.
Your website should do the work your storefront does: show what you sell, let people buy it easily, and give them a reason to trust you. If you need help building a website that does all three, there's a guide to essential bakery website features that walks through exactly what to include. Many bakery owners find it simpler to work with a platform like OutsourceIQ that handles design and updates monthly, so you can focus on baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an online ordering system if I'm small and mostly do custom orders?
Not necessarily. A simple contact form for custom orders works fine if that's your main business. But even custom bakeries benefit from listing prices, allergens, and delivery info clearly. Pre-made items (like cookies or bread) should have an easy ordering option to capture impulse sales.
What if I update my menu seasonally? How often should I update my website?
Update it before each season changes (spring, summer, fall, winter) and before any major holidays. If you're introducing a new product line, update immediately. Customers check websites expecting current information, so stale menus hurt trust.
Should my online prices be higher than in-store prices?
It depends on your model. If you're offering delivery or shipping, a delivery fee is standard and transparent. If customers pick up at your shop, prices can match in-store pricing. Just make the difference clear and consistent so there's no confusion.
How do I handle custom orders with different pricing on my website?
List your standard items with fixed prices online. For custom orders (wedding cakes, large-quantity requests), create a simple contact form or "Request a Quote" button where customers describe what they need. You follow up with custom pricing. This separates browsing from negotiation.