I'm wondering if any of you belong to or have heard of or can give input on a website.... it's called CakeAmerica... it's www.cakeamerica.com . It's like the yellow pages for Cake Decorators. From what I read basic service is free, and with that you will promote your business to your locality. I'm wondering if it's worth the time... what all you have to do? Did you get any new business from posting there and any other info you can give me about it....
I'm not making enough money with my current clientel because there just aren't enough celebrations lol.... So I'm looking for a way to pull in more customers without having to spend much if any money to do so. I've printed out business cards with my website address on them, I've handed a few out to friends and distant friends and so on that have children with hopes they will order for thier childs birthday party. And with hopes they will pass my name and number along to family and friends looking for cakes....
I offer more then just cakes with my business, I offer cakes, cupcakes, candies (chocolate pops and such), muffins, brownies, fudge, and normally if a family member asks for something weird that I can make I'll go ahead and figure out a price for that too lol....
I've never done a wedding cake, but I have survived my first tiered cake without ANY issues!! YAY!!! And I'm about to start on my first recreation from an "in my face photo" which is a recreation of a top tier off a wedding cake from 10 years ago that I don't remember even laying eyes on I was so drunk lol.
Anyway I'm trying to find ways of getting more customers in without having to pay out the butt lol... Also I'm not allowed to Advertise in my local newspaper or phone book or hang flyers anywhere. My county health department gave me the OK to bake and sell out of my home as long as I don't advertise and said if I want to advertise I need to apply for a license and also need to rent a space... that's totally out of the question right now as we're barely making ends meet with hubby's income hence why I need to bring in more customers lol....
Any help is much appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!!!
Becky
I just checked out that site. It doesn't seem very busy in my state. Maybe your state would be different.
Won't your state consider a site like that advertising since you aren't supposed to advertise?
Yes they probably would but I did a search for every milage listed from my zip code 5-30 miles I think it was and not a single thing came up for MD... so I'm guessing maybe it wouldn't be a good site to advertise on anyway lol....
Anyone have ideas on the rest of the post??? How to get more customers in??? Not worried about that site anymore as I'm seeing it's not going to be benificial for me as no one else in MD is on there...
No one else has any ideas on how I could pull in more customers???? No one?! I know there has to be someone out there that has ideas!!! Please help!!!!!!
Does your website host have a way for you to insert common search terms that will bring your website to the top of the list? I know there is a technical term for this, but I can't think of it. I come up as number 4 because of search terms I've put in. I've only had 2 actual orders so far (my website went live in April), but I have hits from all over the country (Google analytics shows me this).
Put in as many search terms as you can think of that would bring someone to your site. I do think this will work for you.
Well you could do what I did which was make up flyers and business magnets and put them around the neighborhood. Just dont put them inside the mailbox because apparently that it against the law! I think where we are located is mainly the problem. People on the Western shore dont seem to have that problem and are doing cakes two or three a week. Because we live out in farm country, there really isnt much of a business for it. I wanted to ask you, where do you buy your supplies around here? I havent found anyone that sells Satin Ice and have had a regular visit from the UPS man (his name is Randy since he is practically living here!)
Kim, I buy my supplies at Ben Franklin's here in Easton. I don't use Satin Ice I only use ButterCream and am now offering MMF if they really want it lol
I had gotten used to my UPS and USPS carriers before we moved out of mom's house they were always so nice lol I know the new UPS guy at our new house only because the lady that lived here before keeps getting packages here lol. The mail man used to be an umpire when I played softball years and years and years ago lol so I've known him forever lol...
But yeah I order online alot!!! I have a select few on eBay favorite sellers that I purchase from, and also buy from CC. I've purchased ONE thing from Wilton.com lol that was fancy foil because BF and Walmart refused to carry it. I also shop at Walmart if BF doesn't have what I'm looking for but BF has ALOT more to offer! I get my boards and boxes at BF as well as cake pans and tips and bags and such....
Michelle, I put in search words into my coding but I'm not sure if it'll pull it up.... there wasn't really a section for it or an option for it but I added in the coding and hopefully it'll pull it. I know I'd get more traffic if it was a paid site (ie www.ohmygoodiesco.com) but I can't afford that right now......
As I posted earlier in the other thread I know some people who posted their cakes on CakeAmerica. Search engines especially Google rank your site based on linking so the more you list your site to sites of the same theme the better for your web site ranking. Listing to sites will take only minutes of your time. If you really want traffic to your website you can use Google Adwords and specify it by your locality but this will cost you money.
Try to explore all the free linking and listing. If I am ready to run my cake business I will definitely list my cakes to CakeAmerica and all free websites listings but I will research the website first. The best way to know about the site is to Google it.
You may also try listing your site to directories but most web directories will charge you money. Some smart cake decorators write cake articles and link the article to their site. This may be time-consuming but this will provide more visibility to your website.
Be careful also to paid websites, research the sites first, otherwise, you might lose advertising dollars with nothing in return.
The most effective to drive targeted web traffic is Google Adwords but I heard this will cost a lot of money too because you have pay for all the clicks.
Thanks Cakelove for all the info 
I'll have to research this cakeamerica and free linking thing 
Not sure how all my business came to know me, except I met a couple of private chefs here. Gave them some free samples and now they use me for their private parties/catering gigs they have.
I also do kid's BD parties and special events like the Summer Kid's Kamp at a Cooking School/Kitchen Store. Occasionally, I will make cookies with the store's cookie cutters (bagged and tied) to promote their theme of advertising. Or a cake in one of there cake pans for display.
I also took free samples to vet, MD office, home health offices (by day, I am a physical therapist assistant), my mom's bank...etc.
I had a newspaper contact me about making some cookies for them but when I told them the price, they asked for a cheaper price in exchange for "mentioning" me or letting me put my cards out. I have more business just by word of mouth and do not have to advertise. Hopefully, that will happen with you. Also my friend that has just opened her cake shoppe is the same way--no advertising, just word of mouth. I know her assistant and husband baked 52 cake layers this week alone and 200 cookies. She has been opened about 8 weeks now.
Hi Becky in Easton,
I was just in St. Michaels last week visiting my sister. She owns a B&B there and we have spent alot of our summers in your neck of the woods. My suggestion is to put some samples together and take a day to pass them out with brochure/ business cards. I know at the B&B people are always asking for recommendations and always celebrating something, weddings, anniversaries, B-days, etc. There is also a place in the B&B for brochures on local attractions and businesses. With so many wonderful little vacation spots so close to Easton I bet you could get plenty of business by referral from small business owners. And a little bribe always helps. LOL I know that if you stop by with some goody samples they won't forget who you are and will gladly give you a recommendation. Not sure if this helps, might not be the kind of suggestion you were looking for but it was something my sis suggested to me a while ago.
WOW Mac that's alotta cakes and cookies lol. I've been thinking about making some cookies up in the shapes of animals and taking them to the local vets office or the pet store we frequent because we buy crickets for my daughter's Gecko lmao
I also thought I could make some doctorish ones for the docs offices around here.
I wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions and help in this I've got so many plans I don't know what to do first lol. I've also just recently made a cake for my husband's work, they had a going away party for someone that's pregnant and someone that's having surgery and will be out for 3 weeks (prego be gone for 6 mths lol) well I made a cake and cake truffles and everyone got to share the truffles but prego took the cake home lol which was alright with everyone lol they expected it lol. His boss and his wife love the truffles and have been asking questions of my husband so I'm sure I'll get some orders there lol
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