There's an article in the North County Times about the upcoming opening of Cupcake Love. Once again, though, we see an example of What Not To Do when launching your bakery website: get press, and have them link to an unfinished website. I really can't stress enough how unprofessional it is; bakeries, please makes before you launch your websites that they: a) contain your original photographs, b) have your full contact information and c) are complete.
This is easily fixed, but something that anyone launching any website in 2008 should know.
What they've done right:
1. They have a website (yes, this is a must)
2. They have a newsletter (excellent way to keep customers informed of sales, specials, etc.)...except that when I tried to sign up I got an error.
3. They encourage customer participation.
4. Customers can request flavors.
And lest this sound harsh, obviously we are huge supporters of cupcake bakeries. We want to see more of them. I'm thrilled any time I hear about anyone opening a cupcake bakery. But what is the point of a website if it isn't user friendly? That's what I think bakery owners and really anyone with a business needs to ask themselves, and the time to do that is before you start getting press and alerting customers to your site. I wish Cupcake Love the best of success and look forward to hearing more about them.
Here's a bit from the article:
Last year, Ilene Lamb was craving a cupcake like she had tasted on a vacation with her husband and two daughters, but when she went hunting for a cupcake shop near her Rancho Santa Fe home, she came up empty.
So last fall, Lamb quit her marketing job for Simon Properties (owner of Fashion Valley mall) and set about opening her own store ---- Cupcake Love, which hosted its grand opening last week, in the Beachwalk Shopping Center.
Cupcake Love offers individual cupcakes ($3 each), "Love Bite" mini-cupcakes ($1.75), cupcakes by the dozen, brownies and bar cookies, as well as gift items such as cake plates, candles and beauty products (such as hand cream that smells just like buttercream frosting).
At least a dozen cupcake flavors are available daily, with varieties changing regularly. Some of this month's offerings are Toasted Coconut Cream Dream, Fancy Pants Red Velvet, Vanilla Bliss, Cinnamon Swirl Dream, Chocolate Sin, Oooh La La Spice and a grand-opening special with champagne cake and pink champagne icing.
Cupcake Love
437 S. Highway 101, Suite 106, Beachwalk Shopping Center
Solana Beach, California
858-755-5506
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays
This is easily fixed, but something that anyone launching any website in 2008 should know.
What they've done right:
1. They have a website (yes, this is a must)
2. They have a newsletter (excellent way to keep customers informed of sales, specials, etc.)...except that when I tried to sign up I got an error.
3. They encourage customer participation.
4. Customers can request flavors.
And lest this sound harsh, obviously we are huge supporters of cupcake bakeries. We want to see more of them. I'm thrilled any time I hear about anyone opening a cupcake bakery. But what is the point of a website if it isn't user friendly? That's what I think bakery owners and really anyone with a business needs to ask themselves, and the time to do that is before you start getting press and alerting customers to your site. I wish Cupcake Love the best of success and look forward to hearing more about them.
Here's a bit from the article:
Last year, Ilene Lamb was craving a cupcake like she had tasted on a vacation with her husband and two daughters, but when she went hunting for a cupcake shop near her Rancho Santa Fe home, she came up empty.
So last fall, Lamb quit her marketing job for Simon Properties (owner of Fashion Valley mall) and set about opening her own store ---- Cupcake Love, which hosted its grand opening last week, in the Beachwalk Shopping Center.
Cupcake Love offers individual cupcakes ($3 each), "Love Bite" mini-cupcakes ($1.75), cupcakes by the dozen, brownies and bar cookies, as well as gift items such as cake plates, candles and beauty products (such as hand cream that smells just like buttercream frosting).
At least a dozen cupcake flavors are available daily, with varieties changing regularly. Some of this month's offerings are Toasted Coconut Cream Dream, Fancy Pants Red Velvet, Vanilla Bliss, Cinnamon Swirl Dream, Chocolate Sin, Oooh La La Spice and a grand-opening special with champagne cake and pink champagne icing.
Cupcake Love
437 S. Highway 101, Suite 106, Beachwalk Shopping Center
Solana Beach, California
858-755-5506
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays
Comments
Very frustrating indeed...
Meredith
Cupcake Love
www.cupcakelove.org