For the knowledge of how to go about your passion in coffee selling, here is an advanced discussion of some 10 tips to grow your coffee business as a passionate individual. The coffee business, like every other trade, requires some certain strategies to assist in making sure you sustain it for such a long time profitably.
There are a number of strategies that can help you grow a food and beverage businesses, but coffee shops offer many unique opportunities. These 10 tips to grow your coffee business should help you:
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Sell Quality
While quality is the top priority, it’s also important to understand that you’re selling more than coffee. If it were as simple as a need for caffeine then everyone would buy their own Italian espresso machine and make their daily cup at home. In a competitive space like the coffee business, you must be consistently serving the best coffee and espresso.
There are many reasons customers frequent a coffee shop, from needing to escape the stress of the office, to the basic need to connect with others. So if you must keep customers to keep coming in, this means investing in the right equipment and using the highest quality coffee beans and products. People go out of their way for great coffee and if you are one of five coffee shops in your vicinity, you can’t afford to skimp.
You can capitalize on that by encouraging customers to stay in your shop.
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Gather the Appropriate Team
Quality also means hiring the right people to work in your coffee shop. This can be the difference between success and failure. Although it can be tempting to hire the cheapest help, in the long run, you must ensure that your front line is positioned to promote repeat business and growth by word of mouth. Your employees are your customer service force, and you need a top-notch team.
Educate your baristas so they can easily reinforce what makes your drinks unique when they interact with customers, and also share that kind of information on your website. It will help make your shop more memorable.
Also, if your product quality is where it should be, then you need to start looking to other differentiators to help you stand out from the competition. The same study also found that repeat customers spend 67 percent more on purchases than first-time customers.
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Encourage Customer Reviews
86% of consumers are willing to write a review for a business. 70% of consumers look for more than four reviews before they can trust a business. No trust means no business.
More often than ever, consumers will turn to online ratings and reviews to make decisions about how to spend their money. Reviews are especially crucial for restaurants and coffee shops. When you see customers having a great experience, strike up a conversation, and ask them to review your business on Google, Yelp, or Facebook.
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Offer WiFi and a Relaxed Environment
While you’re certainly going to offer free Wi-Fi at your café, do you need to augment that with plentiful access to power outlets? The combination encourages people to stick around, even setting up their little workspace and spending a bulk of the day plugged in while their empty $4 purchase sits on the table next to them.
Free amenities are costing you money, and if non-paying or low-paying customers take advantage, it can create a difficult situation. On the other hand, if you don’t offer them, you might lose business right out of the gate.
You should also capitalize on people’s desire to connect with others by having board games, puzzles, or other interactive activities available in your shop. Coffee is more than a drink people love—it is a reason for people to come together and connect. Understanding the variety of needs your shop is catering to will increase your chances of success and consistent growth.
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Customer Reward Program
Coffee shop owners and operators know this customer-engaging marketing strategy has a strong capability to expand their customer base and extend the average lifetime of customers. It is a great way to engage customers and help them trust your business and become more loyal. They work because consumers like (and even expect) them.
What you should keep in mind is that the worth of a customer reward program is not the number of signups you receive. Instead, the actual value lies in maintaining engagement, increasing repeat visit rates, and allowing your customers to engage with you when and where they wish to do so.
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Grow. Expand.
A creative or alternate location to your coffee shop provides customers another way to purchase your coffee AND respects individuals’ desired pandemic boundaries. Drive throughs, curbside pick-up, and outdoor seating can be incorporated into your preexisting design to grow your coffee business.
Coffee trucks and coffee carts are an on-the-go, affordable option to serve beverages to a wider audience. Thus, explore local options for locations and events where you could set up a portable point of sale!
If you’re considering expanding, you can also buy and convert an existing shop! If you already own one thriving café, acquiring another coffee shop or bakery’s successful location may be faster than launching a new location. To be clear, it will still take considerable effort, and you will likely inherit some big challenges with that acquisition.
To mitigate a number of very common challenges, plan on replacing all of the equipment up front and selling the old equipment to recoup a portion of the investment.
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Make a Unique Delivery Initiative
Digital ordering and delivery have grown 300% faster than dine-in traffic since 2014 and at least 31% of consumers say they use these third-party delivery services at least twice a week. Adding a delivery model to your marketing strategy can be a huge undertaking but it could open your café up to a brand new audience and profitable source of revenue. Using delivery apps and third party providers can help you mitigate the cost.
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Location Appeal
The way your coffee shop appears to people passing by can make a massive difference in terms of attracting new customers. Invest in making your storefront look appealing to those who are walking or driving by. Make sure it stands out. Also, try to make your interior décor match the interests of your ideal customers and pay special attention to cleanliness.
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Point-of-Purchase Displays
You can generate extra revenue for your coffee business by offering coffee beans, branded merchandise, gift cards, and even grocery items to customers while they visit. Create a logical flow for customer lines while they wait to order and receive their drink.
Design a circular customer flow, not linear. Ensure customers pass by at least three opportunities to buy retail items before they reach the counter to order. This includes retail shelves, impulse items, pastries, and merchandise.
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Have a Social Media Presence and Daily Increase It
When it comes to effective coffee shop marketing, social media is a potent, low-cost tool. Every coffee shop marketing professional should create and maintain a social media presence. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are the must-haves. However, there are so many more that you can utilize for your marketing campaigns. Encourage your visitors to like your pages and share their experiences and images.
Be responsive. Remember, this is a social media platform. Replying to comments and online reviews and reposting others’ content is a sure way to maintain engagement on your social pages. It also humanizes your brand, making you more relatable and personable.
How to Promote Coffee Products
Pay attention to these few bits about how to promote coffee products:
Create Events and Experiences
You’re not just selling a cup of coffee, you’re creating an experience every time a new customer walks into your business. Understand that lifestyle you’re selling to your customers, and create events and experiences that tie seamlessly into their day. Depending on your coffee shop brand and concept, events could include:
- Art installations from local artists or groups
- Yoga classes
- Library book readings for kids
- Study sessions for college students
- Live music
- Coffee and wine pairings
- Corporate networking events
- Trivia and game nights
- Coffee Cuppings or Latte Art throw downs
- Fundraisers for local nonprofits
The events you host can bring new customers in your door. And, events are a great way to reinforce your brand to your loyal customers.
Online Visibility
This allows you to:
- Be found online
- Post hours and schedule
- Share your location
- Share your menu
- Showcase photos
- Collect and manage user reviews
It’s free to claim your Google My Business account, and it will vastly increase your online visibility. Business owners can also manage a free listing on Yelp, or boost their presence through paid ads and page upgrades.
Others are:
- Develop a voice consistent to your brand. Coffee on the Red’s posts are goofy and fun. What voice captures your brand? Sophisticated? Health-focused? Family-friendly? Make sure your posts help showcase who you are.
- Post consistently to grow faster. Coffee on the Red posts on Facebook every day, sometimes multiple times a day.
- Choose the right platform. You don’t need to have a huge presence on every social media platform to be successful. Coffee on the Red knows who their ideal customers are, and determined Facebook was the best place to reach them.
- Be responsive. Coffee on the Red responds directly to nearly every comment they receive. They send commenters funny memes, answer direct questions, and tag customers they know. Engagement helps to build community and connection among your followers.
- Choose the right platform. You don’t need to have a huge presence on every social media platform to be successful. Coffee on the Red knows who their ideal customers are, and determined Facebook was the best place to reach them.
