What NOT to do when creating your bakery's website

Use a photo that is clearly copyrighted from another bakery, in this case, Sprinkles Cupcakes.

I call out the soon-to-open Sweet Surrender Cupcake and Cookie Cafe in Boynton Beach, Florida not to be mean, but because it's both illegal and a huge breach of business ethics and not a good way to gain customers. Why would you post cupcakes on your site that are not yours? It doesn't even make sense from a business standpoint, because if people come in to your bakery, they will be expecting what's in the photo. Even as a placeholder, it's just not the thing to do.

In this case, I get that they haven't opened yet. Again, I'm not trying to single them out, just to give bakeries a heads up about what never ever ever to do. Save your website until you can post original photos. And give credit where credit is due; that's part of being a good businessperson and and a good Internet citizen.

Oh, and Sweet Surrender Cupcake and Cookie Cafe is hiring. That's how I found out about them and their site in the first place.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Wow. And to use the "love to sue the little guys" Sprinkles cupcakes pics at that?! Dumb as toast, people!
Anonymous said…
I'm all for using your own material, but did you contact them first about the issue and give them time to correct it before bashing them on an open forum?
Anonymous said…
crikeys
Anonymous said…
If this site were truly concerned about the dos and donts of cupcake bakery then you would not feature cupcake "companies" that are baking and selling out of a non-commercial kitchen.

Home kitchens for profit are risky on so many levels. They are unlawful and tax-dodgers.

To have links to bakeries that do not have storefronts is misleading to your readers.
Anonymous said…
I think the real culprit here is their web company, which seems to be run by their sons.

Don't blame the bake-ists, they might know a darn thing about the inter-web or how it works. But I bet you their Sons do and they should be skewered for this sloppy work, to think you'd cut corners and leave your mom high and dry!

Get a hold of these yahoos if you wanna gripe about it: www.Voltier.com

The website was built by them.
I agree with using your own work. And on top of that the last people who's photo you want to use is Sprinkles. They'll go out of business before they open up. Someone please warn these people about their site.
Anonymous said…
No warning needed, beyond being unethical, it's just plain stupid and likely illegal.

All the pics on our site are our own cakes and cookies, pastries and desserts.
Sheryl said…
Anonymous there are several registered small businesses that operate from home and therefore creating their products from home kitchens, just because they don't have a storefront does not mean that they unlawful and tax dodgers. Part of the process to become a registered small business (in my country) requires stringent guidelines being met as well as your home kitchen being evaluated by health and safety measures.

Most people start their cupcake businesses from home as they are just starting out and don't have the capital to open up a store at the click of their fingers.

Instead of discouraging those who are trying to get their businesses up and running you should get your facts right first before jumping to conclusions.
Anonymous said…
I noticed the copyright of the photographer is in both photos.. perhaps the photographer granted permission? I know that lots of photographer will pay people and businesses to take pictures to use for stock photos and then sell them to various companies. I know its a stretch that this is what happened here.. but you never know.
I came across of a site ( my country!) using 'hello-naomi's' picture. I was shocked. Why do people do that? What is so difficult ? Bake a batch. Go decorate. Snap some shots. Would probably take less than a day. Since my discovery, I have vowed to put my signature card in every shot ( a bit annoying, but its better to know your creations are safe and original and not doubted as a 'steal'. ;-)
Mel said…
The same happen to the Le Cupcake cupcakes in Australia, they copy all her beautiful photos in their website.

www.nycupcakecouture.com