Vegan pie company Magpye started selling their wares from a converted horsebox trailer by the banks of the Tyne.
But when the first lockdown started in 2020, owners Chris and Sarah Fryer had to change their plans and get online. They turned to GoDaddy and built a website.
Now they deliver their pies to customers all over the country, as well as selling them at events and in shops across the north-east.
Here are Magpye's and GoDaddy's top tips for growing a vegan business:
1. Offer consumers a way in
Most people want to try vegan products on a small scale before committing to bigger purchases. Ahead of Veganuary this year, Magpye offered a four-pie sample box via its website – half the usual box size – to give customers new to veganism a straightforward, cost-effective way of trialling the products.
2. Make it visually appealing
All products – whether vegan or not – need to be showcased in a way that makes them as visually appealing as possible. For non-designers, there are now tools such as GoDaddy Studio that make it quick and easy to create high-quality images. Studio comes with a range of easy-to-customize templates, which will make sure your images always stand out from the crowd.
3. Link to your social profiles
If you’re selling vegan food and drink, social media is where many people seek out new ideas and recipes, so it's a great way to market your business. GoDaddy’s Website Builder tool lets you connect your website to your social profiles, and then post and respond without having to leave your control panel.
4. Geotarget based on previous sales
While you can find vegans in every corner of the UK, inevitably there are some areas of the country where veganism is a more popular lifestyle. Look at your previous sales and geotarget your online and social media marketing to regions where vegan products have performed particularly strongly.
5. Don’t position buying vegan as a lifestyle change
Although animal products still form the basis of most people’s diets, many are becoming more curious about plant-based alternatives. Encouraging small steps to begin with, such as going meat free one day a week, is often the best way to capture the attention of those who want to try vegan produce, but are hesitant to give up meat and dairy altogether.
If you're planning to get your business online or are trying to grow an existing online business, GoDaddy can help. Check out our blog for a range of articles on digital marketing topics, or call a GoDaddy Guide on 020 7084 1810 to talk about your needs.
