An ice cream shop website has to make an excellent first impression on the target audience, much like any other business. A friendly and informational interface attracts more customers, which helps you grow your ice cream sales exponentially. If your ice cream business plan includes building a website, read on to know the key points for a fantastic ice cream shop website.
Ice Cream Shop Website Checklist
Here is our top advice for ice cream shop owners to ensure your ice cream shop website is up to scratch:
1. Eye-catching photos
The first thing anyone would see on an ice cream shop’s website is pictures of ice cream. This is to get an idea of your ice cream, ice cream cakes, ice cream rolls, etc., and what they can expect. Be sure to have high-quality photos that will make customers crave your product.
In addition, it is helpful to include a map or photo of your ice cream store. This is so that customers can easily find you when they’re in the area.
2. Highlight your ice cream shop menu
Display your ice cream parlors’ menu on your website. The menu on the website should be easy to find and understand. Be sure that your customers can see what new flavors you have and if you’ve any unique flavors.
In the food business, it’s always helpful to include nutritional information on your website to show you provide the best quality product. For example, vegan options, calories, milk-free for the lactose intolerant folks, etc. This way, customers can make a well-informed decision about what they will order. Also, it can help you stand ahead of the other ice cream parlors in terms of hospitality.
3. Insert multiple CTAs
A CTA, or call-to-action, is a prompt that encourages customers to take the desired action. In the case of an ice cream store website, this could be something like “Love ice cream? Come in and try our newest flavor!” or “Sign up for our newsletter to enjoy ice cream at a discounted price!” or “Contact Us”.
The more CTAs you have on your website, the better. This is because it increases customers’ chances of taking the desired action. So, be sure to insert CTAs throughout your website on all your pages and have a prominent CTA on your homepage.
4. Creative and engaging content
As the right equipment is important to prepare delicious ice cream, the same way the right content is for building an impressive ice cream website. What your target market read on your website is just as important as what they see.
Be sure to have creative and engaging content that will keep them hooked. This could be anything from interesting font styles like Open Sans or Lora to easy-to-read font-size 14px – 16px.
Also, write your content using humor, storytelling, and giving customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business. Make sure it is straightforward to understand, so avoid using complex words and that all the sentences are grammatically correct.
Put extra effort into deciding on a good color palette that would match your ice cream flavors and the overall theme of your website. Finally, customer testimonials are also a great way to engage potential customers. Hearing about how much other people with sweet tooth enjoy your ice cream will make them want to try it.
5. SEO optimize your website
Ensure that you have a strong SEO strategy so that your website appears as the top result when customers search for keywords related to your ice cream industry and your location. Add relevant keywords like ‘best artisanal ice cream’, ‘best ice cream shop’, ‘ice cream shop in <your city>”etc. in titles and content.
Create high-quality backlinks. These are links to your website from other reputable websites – your local chamber of commerce, a yelp business listing, and other business listing websites in your area. be sure to complete your profile on review sites and include links in your social media posts to point people back to your website.
6. A cohesive design
Your ice cream shop website’s design should be easy to use. All the pages should flow well together, and there should be a precise navigation/search bar so that customers can quickly get what they’re looking for.
It is also essential to have a mobile-friendly website. Almost everyone is using their phones to access the internet, so your website must look good on a small screen. Use responsive design so that your website automatically adjusts to the device’s screen size.
7. Add clear and crisp details
Don’t waste your customer’s time by adding redundant content. Keep things crystal clear so that most of their queries are solved by visiting your website. This includes your shop’s address, hours of operation, online delivery options, and pre-order and pick-up options.
8. Get your SSL certificate
Many ice cream shops’ websites lack the SSL security feature. The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates are as important as your food service license. It verifies your website’s identity and allows you to use HTTPS for secure data transmission. This is essential because it encrypts sensitive information like credit card numbers and keeps it from being intercepted by hackers. It also helps build trust with customers, leading to more sales.
Also, make sure that your website is compatible with all browsers and devices. Do a test run of your website and ensure it functions the way you want it. Pay attention to your website’s loading time as well. Customers are less likely to stay on a website that takes too long to load.
9. Share contact details
Lastly, it is vital that your customers can contact you with any queries. Add a contact form on your website and include all the relevant details like your email address, phone number, and social media links. Also, you can add a live chat option to your website so that repeat customers as well as potential customers can get instant answers to their questions.
Conclusion
By following these simple tips, you can create an impressive ice cream shop website that will attract customers and help you to outperform your sales projections. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today!
Not sure if your website meets all of the criteria? Get a free 40-point website and social media evaluation from the team at Ice Cream Shop Websites!
