Just the other day I came across an ad that said ‘You don’t call for a cab anymore, so why call to order food.’ To think about it, ours is a generation who wants everything at the click of a button - from making flight reservations, shopping online to booking a cab.

Considering people’s inclination towards niche online marketplaces, the line between online and offline spaces will continue to blur. E-commerce has made life simpler. Right?

When it comes to ordering cakes through e-commerce websites, not everyone holds the same opinion. Afterall, online portals lack the personal touch. Who would they approach if the order is mismanaged? Who can be held accountable? After all cakes, particularly birthday, anniversary or wedding cakes are more personal and no one wants a last-minute hustle.

The problem is, people are still oblivious to benefits of cake ordering services. To help you out, here are five things you should keep in mind while ordering cakes online:

Trust the online aggregators:

Many bakeries might have their independent website on which you can place an order. However, trust an aggregator to give you the best service. Why?

You get to choose from a wide collection of bakeries, and not be restricted by limited cake options from a single bakery
Goes without saying that you have a massive variety of cakes to choose from

If an order is not satisfactory, you can hold the aggregator accountable

Being a marketplace of bakeries and not a single cake shop, they are trustworthy

Niche websites like Bakeway allow users to explore and order cakes
online from nearby bakeries.

Check delivery options in your city:

Ordering online is just one aspect but getting cakes delivered to your doorstep is what people want. However, not all online ordering portals provide delivery in your city. Some websites cater only to the denizens of major metro cities, or a specific city and its surrounding areas. So before placing the order make sure that the website caters to your city.

Look out for unique and customized cakes:

Online portals help you branch out and explore bakeries or home bakers who excel in baking unique theme cakes you never imagined existed. Many incredibly talented bakers in your city specialize in creating amazing fondant cakes based on themes like Harry Potter, F.R.I.E.N.D.S TV series or even naughty cakes for bachelor and bachelorette parties. Depending on the occasion; you can get your cake customized by connecting with these home bakers and
bakeries through such online portals.

Check reviews to know if cake tastes as good as it looks:

One of the major concern people have about ordering a cake online is that, would the cake look and taste as good as it looks in the image? Would we get exactly what we see? A fair point! Here is where the reviews and the description of the cake plays a major role. Go through the descriptions of the cake and the bakery. You may also search on Google and check out the reviews people might have given for the bakery to get holistic information.

Pay attention to the Bestsellers:

If you are still apprehensive about ordering online, it’s best to check out reviews, recommendation, and bestsellers. Like Foursquare provides reviews of the best restaurant in and around the city, many bakery portals provide you with bestsellers. You may also refer to the critical reviews and comments by reviewers and food enthusiasts. These are your most unbiased sources to help you choose the yummiest cakes online.

Compare prices to fit your budget:

The best part about surfing online is that you get to compare prices of similar cakes from different bakeries and see which fits your budget. Online portals also offer deals and discounts that you might miss out on otherwise.

Don’t forget to read cancellation and change in the order policy:
Particularly, if you are going for a customized cake option, and give out specific instruction to the bakers regarding the specifications of your cake, the pricing might hike up. Also, we being human,

sometimes our mood or change in the circumstance might force us to cancel the order. In such situations, it is always better to read the fine print. Before you book a cake online, check out the cancellation and change in the order policy of the online portal you order from. Else you might end up bearing the brunt of cancellation charges. It is always better to be informed!

That being said, when it comes to a last-minute birthday or anniversary preparation, trust me, there is nothing better than ordering cake online. Be assured that your loved ones will never be mad at you for forgetting their birthday or anniversary. All you have to do is follow the above few points while you surf through any online bakery portal and get the convenience that e-commerce spaces bring to your plate.

Author's Bio: 

Relfor Labs is actively engaged in developing two platforms. The first, Bakeway.com, is an exclusive online platform for cake lovers and home bakers.