For most bakeries, the channels that pay are, in order: a Google Business Profile with great photos, an active Instagram, a custom-order page for cakes and catering, and an email or text list for regulars. Baked goods sell on sight, so the whole game is great photography in front of the right people, then a frictionless way to order.
We build websites and lead capture for local food businesses, so we measure this by cost per sale and per custom-order, not impressions. Here is the honest math on each channel and the cases where a shop should not spend a dollar with anyone.
What someone sees when they search "bakery near me" or "custom cakes." Real photos of your case and your cakes, correct hours, and recent reviews. Free, and it brings the walk-in and the cake shopper alike.
The best fit for a bakery of any local business, because the product is gorgeous. Post the cake reveal, the lamination, the fresh case at open. Use it to win custom orders, and link to a real order page instead of asking for DMs.
Custom cakes and catering are your highest-margin orders, and DMs lose them. A simple order form that captures the date, flavor, size, and budget turns interest into a booked, paid order you do not forget.
A list of regulars for a holiday pre-order push costs almost nothing and sells out a Thanksgiving or Valentine's run. Paid ads come last, against a specific season or product, and only after the photos and ordering convert.
Bakeries commonly spend 3 to 6 percent of revenue on advertising, higher in a launch year. A sane order before you scale:
Advertising pays when there is product to sell and the photos and ordering already convert. A single custom cake or catering order can cover a month of a small budget.
We build the channel you own: a fast bakery site with your menu, a custom-cake and catering order form, hours and pickup info, and an AI assistant that answers "do you do gluten-free" and "can I order a cake for Saturday" after hours and captures the order details. Start Getting Leads is $249/mo for the site plus AI lead capture; Grow in Google is $597/mo with the SEO content engine and attribution; Own Your Market adds CRM and reputation automation from $1,750/mo. Month-to-month, and you own the site and domain.
We will build a free demo in 48 hours. Related: marketing by trade, local SEO cost, is local SEO worth it, and the AI receptionist.
We don't post stock testimonials. On a 15-minute call we screen-share the real dashboards behind our own businesses — live leads, rankings, and the exact page that produced each one. See the proof →
A Google profile with great photos plus an active Instagram, since baked goods sell on sight. Add a custom-order page and an email list. Ads come last.
Roughly 3 to 6 percent of revenue, higher in a launch year. Spend the first money on photography and your profile.
Yes. A site with a custom-order form captures the high-value cake and catering orders that DMs lose, and you own the customer's contact.
Send your bakery name and city — we'll confirm your market is open and build a working demo within 48 hours. Free, no card, no commitment.
Prefer email? [email protected]