How to Sell Coffee Online

While it may seem intimidating to sell coffee online, a well-planned business can be rewarding. With a wide variety of products available, it’s important to figure out your target audience and niche in order to attract the right customers. Commodity products like coffee tend to be more receptive to small brand appeal, so you’ll want to emphasize branding and differentiation from the competition to generate customer loyalty and repeat sales.

Consider a subscription model to increase recurring revenue, as people will likely return to your store for more of your product. For example, Trade Coffee offers a quiz that helps users select a roast style and level of adventurousness, and then delivers a selection of beans from more than 50 different roasters each month. It also tags customers in its ecommerce CRM and tailors their next email offer to their preferences, further increasing engagement and conversion.

Create detailed product pages with aroma and flavor descriptors to evoke the sensory experience of tasting your coffee even though it’s not physically in front of customers. This will help convert customers and build a strong reputation for your business.

Choose an ecommerce platform that meets your business needs, and ensure the site is user-friendly with high-quality images and descriptive text. You’ll also need to set up a payment system, including credit card and other options, as well as determine shipping options and costs.

Finally, make sure your business is legally registered and aware of all tax obligations. Nothing can derail a new company faster than a government audit, so take the time to research your local and federal regulations as they apply to selling food.