Your bakery’s website provides potential customers a portal into your business. It is a reflection of what you can offer them, a way for them to see not only the product you provide, but the level of quality you bring to it.

Just as a great website can do wonders for a business, a bad one can do just as much harm.

According to a recent survey of 1,800 U.S. adults by promotional products company Vistaprint, over 60% of consumers are either not very likely or not at all likely to visit or purchase something from a small business if it has a poorly designed or unprofessional website.

If a website looks unprofessional, that can speak volumes to consumers. There is a certain level of trust that customers must have in a company before they will be willing to give it their business.

Not only is appearance paramount, but information must be readily available and easy to find. That same survey from Vistaprint found that the information most likely to be searched for by website visitors is product information (44.9%), hours (21%), and contact information (18.7%). These items must be clearly stated and prominently placed on a website.

Aside from easy-to-find company information, some other changes that can be made to a website to improve performance include:

  • Crisp, clear design of your website’s homepage
  • Great product photos
  • Optimizing your website for mobile users
  • Easy-to-read fonts on text
  • An about page featuring your company’s story, who you are, and what you do

With these changes in place your website will achieve better results, not only retaining current customers but also attracting new audiences.