Establishing your coffee shop brand online

Great coffee is only half the job. Build your brand online so people find you before they walk in.

Planning a coffee shop opening? Great coffee and an inviting interior, with shops, offices and potential customers all around you, are a strong start. But keeping busy takes more than passers-by wandering in off the street. Spend time establishing your brand online and get customers to come to you.

Why your coffee shop brand needs an online presence

You may have been on a fact-finding trip to South America before opening. You might sell the best speciality coffee for miles. None of that sells by itself. Your online presence is where you turn that knowledge and passion into visits. Be easy to find, tell people what is at the heart of your business, and you will be on the right path.

When customers look for somewhere to eat and drink, they grab their smartphone. They search for cafes, check local food bloggers on Instagram and read review platforms. Every one of those is a chance to get noticed, show the experience you offer and explain what you are about.

1. Set up your Google Business Profile

If someone searches Google for a coffee shop nearby, can they find you? Your Google Business Profile is a free marketing tool that helps customers find you and learn more about you.

Set up your profile with your location, opening hours and contact details. Write a summary that speaks to your target customer. Use words that tell people whether you are a comfy spot for casual coffee drinkers or a shop aimed squarely at aficionados. Your target customer should recognise themselves when they look at the page.

Upload photos of your food, your drink and your interior to give people a sense of what visiting is like. Want to tell people about your launch party? Add a post for events and news. And link to your website so customers can learn more.

2. Invest in a coffee shop website

Do you really need a website for a coffee shop? Not always, but owners often overlook what one gives you. A branded, easy-to-navigate website improves the customer's online experience and gives you space you control.

Start with an easy-to-find menu and great photography that sets the ambience of your shop. A blog is a good place for the photos and stories from that fact-finding trip to South America, and it shows you know your stuff. Use the site to share the news and events that shape your brand. Link it to your social media accounts too: that helps Google tie your profiles into your Business Profile, and it gives customers another way to connect.

3. Begin your social media story early

If you want customers to wake up and smell how good your coffee is, social media carries the scent. Coffee quality is the biggest factor behind a cafe's success, but people need to hear about you first, and the experts say you should start before you launch.

Simon Fogal, Creative Director at food and drink PR firm Chapter 81, spoke to Stampede about launching coffee brands on social media. Yes, #latteart and #pastryporn play a part. But it is the behind-the-scenes images that shape a brand and hold people's interest.

"Our first port of call is great photography, images that can set a scene and really get the ambience of the venue through the lens. So we do simple set-up shots, product shots. But there are also basics like opening times," advises Simon.

Chapter 81 launched the Leeds coffee shop Archive this way. Behind-the-scenes teasers built interest well before the baristas got busy with any beans.

"We helped launch their Instagram and did the shop build in sets of three. We had to do several shoots as the impact dates were very tight and it was still being built. Details of the shop and machines were used to create hype and intrigue and we did the sets of three to build up a quality Instagram feed."

When customers hear about a new opening, they head straight to social media for details. Sharing your story as it happens builds anticipation and strikes the right impression.

Provide reliable free Wi-Fi

The rise of remote working has driven demand for free Wi-Fi in coffee shops. There are benefits beyond being known as a laptop-friendly spot. With a captive portal, customers log in through a branded screen you design, and with their consent you collect data that helps turn first visits into repeat ones. Insights from those logins support targeted marketing and give you a fuller picture of your customer. See guest Wi-Fi for how Stampede handles this.

Free Wi-Fi also makes it easier for customers to act as ambassadors for your brand. They can tag your Instagram in photos of a flat white or a pancake stack, and a good connection makes it simple to leave a review before they walk out.

Be proactive with your review strategy

When you are the new coffee shop on the block, online reviews matter. Your Google review score sits inside your Business Profile, where potential customers can read reviews in a few clicks and decide whether to visit. Reviews on platforms like Google and TripAdvisor, and your responses to them, increase your visibility and build your reputation. Keeping them in one queue, like Stampede reviews does, stops responses slipping.

You do not need to be pushy about asking. If a customer gives you a compliment, say you would appreciate a review. Be mindful of how you respond: reply in good time, thank guests for feedback and show empathy when something went wrong. A genuine, personal touch goes a long way.

Put the pieces together

Your profile, website, socials, Wi-Fi and reviews all feed the same goal: a brand people can find, trust and come back to. To walk through guest Wi-Fi, reviews and marketing for your coffee shop, book a demo of Stampede.