by The logistics of shipping frozen meat across long distances can puzzle even the most experienced farmer. Will the product stay fresh? How do I build a website? Will customers receive it as perfectly as it left your farm?
Many business owners have these exact worries (and more) when considering how to sell meat online — but it’s not as complicated as you might think.
In this blog, we’ll cover how to start selling your prime cuts online, from setting up your website to shipping products, so you can generate dependable, year-round income.
Why Should You Sell Meat Online?
Selling meat directly at farmers markets or other in-person events works well, but these opportunities often have seasonal limitations. When winter arrives, many events stop, and your direct sales can drop off.
An online store fills this gap, helping you build a year-round revenue stream and making your business less dependent on fair weather or specific market schedules. It helps you reach new customers far beyond your local area and lets them purchase your products anytime, anywhere.
Ultimately, building an online presence creates a direct link to your customers while fostering a stronger community and building lasting loyalty.
How To Sell Meat Online: 5 Tips for Farmers
Setting up an e-commerce storefront might feel like the last of your priorities when you’re busy raising healthy animals and producing quality meat. You might wonder about the technical aspects or how an online store fits into your existing farm work.
But it doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking — you just need to implement a few foundational strategies.
We’ve compiled five valuable tips to help you get your online meat business up and running, breaking down the process into manageable steps.
Tip 1: Pick the Right Sales Model for Your Farm
Before you start selling meat online, you need to determine your e-commerce sales model. Selecting a strategy that fits both your production capabilities and customers’ preferences helps set you up for smooth operations and satisfied buyers.
Three common sales models for businesses selling meat online include:
- Retail cuts: Offer individual portions, like this example from Premium Dakota Wagyu Beef, so customers can build their own custom orders.
- Bulk buying: Provide larger quantities, like this example from Crosswinds Farm & Creamery, to appeal to customers looking to stock up.
- Meat subscriptions: Create recurring deliveries of curated boxes, like these examples from Seven Sons, to build consistent revenue and customer loyalty.
Start with one model that feels most manageable, then consider adding others as your online presence grows to test what works best for your farm and customers.
Tip 2: Build a Strong Online Storefront
Think of your farm’s online store as your digital farm stand, where you can showcase your latest products and tell your farm’s story. Take time to imagine what you’d like your ideal website to look like — things like your preferred colors, logos, images, and products you want to have on display.
Additionally, an industry-specific point of sale (POS) system can help you build and run your farm’s website, offering tools for much more than just taking payments.
When mapping out your farm’s website, consider things like:
- “Why buy from us?” story: Describe what makes your online offerings special. Is it your raising practices, specific breeds, or unique flavor profiles? Help customers understand why they should choose your farm over others.
- Customer testimonials and reviews: Gather positive feedback from in-person sales and display it prominently on your website to build trust with online buyers who haven’t tasted your products beforehand.
- Transparent pricing with shipping: Display shipping costs early in the shopping process, and don’t surprise customers with added fees at checkout. Consider flat-rate shipping or including shipping in the product price for clarity.
- Mobile-friendly design: Ensure your website looks good and functions well on mobile devices for a smooth customer experience.
- Calls to action: Guide visitors directly to your products with prominent buttons or links encouraging them to “Shop All Meat” or “View Cuts.”
Related Read: Direct to Consumer Farming: Selling Your Farm Products in 8 Steps
Remember to design your site with ease of use in mind, making sure customers can find what they need and complete their purchases without difficulty. Regularly review and navigate through your website yourself to make sure everything flows well, plus troubleshoot any bugs or broken links.
Tip 3: Market Your Products Effectively
Even with the finest meat and a stellar website, customers need to find you. Active marketing strategies bring more visitors within your target audience to your online store, helping turn them from casual browsers into loyal buyers.
Possible digital marketing efforts include:
- Search engine optimization (SEO): Weave popular search terms, like “pasture-raised beef” or “local pork delivery,” into your website content and product descriptions so search engines show your site to relevant buyers.
- Social media storytelling: Share engaging content about your farm, animals, and daily life on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to build a connection with your audience.
- Email list building: Add sign-up forms to your website to gather customers’ emails, and send regular updates on product availability, farm news, or special promotions to keep your audience engaged and remind them to shop.
Solid digital marketing efforts don’t have a “set it and forget it” approach. To truly connect with customers and see results, you need to experiment with different marketing strategies and find what’s most successful.
Look up what other farms are doing to promote their business online to glean inspiration for your own campaigns. Clearly define your goals for each strategy you try, then use what you learn to figure out what works, what doesn’t, and how to adjust your efforts for the best return.
Related Read: How To Market Meat Products for Your Farm: 7 Ideas
Tip 4: Carefully Handle Packaging & Fulfillment
Quality packaging is a considerable concern many folks have when considering how to sell meat online. To ensure products arrive in the same condition they left your farm, the meat needs to stay frozen solid, protected from outside elements like rain or heat, and cushioned from bumps during transit. Also, choose packaging materials that offer protection without adding excessive weight, which can drive up shipping costs.
To effectively ship meat online to your customers, prioritize:
- Reliable packaging: Use insulated boxes and appropriate cooling methods to maintain temperature during transit, keeping your meat perfectly frozen or chilled.
- Clear shipping and pickup options: Outline shipping costs, delivery zones, and estimated delivery times on your website. If offering local pickup, provide precise instructions for location and times.
- Customer communication: Keep customers informed about their order status with confirmation emails and delivery updates so they know when to expect their products.
Pay careful attention to packaging, logistics, and customer transparency when shipping perishable goods so your meat products always arrive in the exact condition you sent them.
Tip 5: Cultivate Customer Loyalty
Individual sales are a good start, but building a base of returning customers is what really strengthens your online business. Consider how you can implement programs encouraging your most loyal shoppers to buy from you again and spread the word about your farm.
Strategies to build long-term customer relationships include:
- Loyalty programs and discounts: Reward repeat purchases with custom pricing, gifts, or special deals for frequent buyers. Include flexible discount options like coupons or “subscribe and save” options, like this example from Lilac Hedge Farm.
- Convenient ordering: Allow customers to store their payment information securely for future purchases. For subscriptions, implement recurring billing to automate renewals and keep business consistent.
- Gift options: Offer digital gift cards to attract new customers and let existing ones share your products.
- Personalized service: Customize email receipts with your logo to add a professional touch, and take customer notes to remember certain preferences.
These programs, typically set up and facilitated by your POS system, look slightly different for every business. Make sure these initiatives align with your chosen business model, and consider checking in with customers via surveys or reviews to determine which discounts and promotions would be most effective.
Building Your Digital Farm Store: How To Sell Meat Online
Figuring out how to sell meat online might feel like a massive undertaking, but it’s easier than you might think. Many tools, like your POS system, can support your efforts to build a strong online presence, manage orders, and connect with customers far and wide.
An industry-specific POS solution like GrazeCart helps with everything from building and running your website to sales, marketing, and customers – all from one centralized hub. Built by farmers for farmers, GrazeCart understands the challenges of selling perishable products, which is why it includes features for branded websites, subscriptions, customer delivery, and more.
Take the next step with a free trial of GrazeCart and see why over 600 farm businesses already rely on it for their daily operations.
