Chapter 01
A bespoke cake brand, built & automated end to end.
The Cake Collection needed more than a website — they needed an ordering system. We built a fully custom site with a visual menu, an AI-assisted order flow, and an automated approve/decline loop that handles everything from enquiry to deposit without the owner manually managing a single email thread.
What was built
1The siteDesign
Visual menu & brand
A fully designed website showcasing the cake collection with high-quality visual menu, brand identity, and a seamless ordering experience built for mobile and desktop.
2The systemAutomation
Order & approval flow
Automated pipeline handling order submission, owner email notification with one-click approve/decline, SMS confirmation to customer, and a feedback loop for rejected orders.
3The backendInfrastructure
Payments & database
Deposit collection triggered on approval. All orders logged to a cloud database for full auditability, tracking, and business reporting.
Composite outcomes
3 days
From brief to live site
AI-accelerated build
100%
Orders processed automatically
No manual email management
4 min
Avg. owner response time
One-click approve or decline
£0
Missed deposits
Payment triggered automatically on approval
Chapter 02
How the order & approval system works.
The site isn't just a brochure with a contact form. Every order submission triggers a fully automated pipeline — from customer enquiry through to deposit collection — with the owner in control at every step via a single email.
Order pipeline — end to end
01 · Browse
Customer browses menu
Visual menu showcases the full cake collection. Customer selects a design, chooses options, and submits an order request with event date and details.
Website
02 · Notify
Owner email alert
Owner receives a formatted email with full order details — cake type, event date, customisations, and customer contact info. One-click Approve or Decline buttons embedded.
Automated email
03a · Approve
Approval loop
Owner clicks Approve. Customer receives an SMS confirmation instantly. A deposit payment link is sent automatically to secure the booking.
SMS + payment
03b · Decline
Decline loop
Owner clicks Decline and states the reason. Customer receives a message with the feedback and a direct link to edit their order. Revised order re-enters the approval loop.
Feedback loop
04 · Log
Cloud database
Every order — submitted, approved, declined, revised — is logged to a cloud database with full status history. Owner can view, filter, and export at any time.
Database
The approve & decline loop in detail
Customer
Order submitted
Cake type, date, customisations, contact details captured via the website form.
→ Notified
Owner decision
One-click response
Owner receives the full order in a structured email. Approves or declines with one click — no login, no dashboard required.
✓ Approve
✕ Decline
Automated response
Instant action taken
Approval triggers SMS + deposit link. Decline triggers feedback message + edit link back to the order form.
If approved
Customer receives an SMS: "Great news — your order has been accepted! Here's your deposit link to secure your booking."
Deposit payment link sent. Once paid, order status updated in the database. Owner notified of payment received.
Deposit payment link sent. Once paid, order status updated in the database. Owner notified of payment received.
If declined
Customer receives a message with the owner's reason: "Unfortunately we can't fulfil this order as submitted — [reason]. Please use the link below to update your request."
Customer edits and resubmits. Order re-enters the approval loop from the top.
Customer edits and resubmits. Order re-enters the approval loop from the top.
What the owner notification looks like
Live examples — anonymised
Real format
Owner email notification
New order — Emma R.
Cake: 3-tier wedding cake, ivory fondant
Event: 14 June 2026 · 120 guests
Notes: Floral decoration, dietary: nut-free
Cake: 3-tier wedding cake, ivory fondant
Event: 14 June 2026 · 120 guests
Notes: Floral decoration, dietary: nut-free
✓ Approve order
✕ Decline order
Customer SMS — approved
The Cake Collection
Great news, Emma! Your order has been accepted 🎂
To secure your booking please pay your deposit via the link below:
pay.thecakecollection.com/deposit/...
We can't wait to create something special for you.
Great news, Emma! Your order has been accepted 🎂
To secure your booking please pay your deposit via the link below:
pay.thecakecollection.com/deposit/...
We can't wait to create something special for you.
Delivered instantly on approval
Customer SMS — declined
The Cake Collection
Hi Emma, thanks for your order request.
Unfortunately we're unable to fulfil this as submitted — we're fully booked on 14 June.
Please use the link below to choose an alternative date:
thecakecollection.com/edit-order/...
Hi Emma, thanks for your order request.
Unfortunately we're unable to fulfil this as submitted — we're fully booked on 14 June.
Please use the link below to choose an alternative date:
thecakecollection.com/edit-order/...
Delivered with owner's reason included
Chapter 03
The problem: a beautiful product, managed through WhatsApp & DMs.
The Cake Collection was taking enquiries through Instagram DMs, WhatsApp messages, and informal emails. Every order required multiple back-and-forth exchanges before anything was confirmed. Deposits were chased manually. Details were lost in conversation threads.
What the process looked like before
The pain
Every enquiry started the same way — a DM or WhatsApp message asking about availability and pricing. The owner would reply manually, ask for event details, go back and forth on customisations, quote a price, and then wait for a response.
Deposits were requested by message, paid via bank transfer, and tracked in a spreadsheet. If a customer went quiet, they had to be chased individually. Some were missed entirely.
There was no single view of upcoming orders, no audit trail, and no way to scale without adding more hours to the owner's week.
Deposits were requested by message, paid via bank transfer, and tracked in a spreadsheet. If a customer went quiet, they had to be chased individually. Some were missed entirely.
There was no single view of upcoming orders, no audit trail, and no way to scale without adding more hours to the owner's week.
The real cost
The informal process worked — but only just, and only at a limited volume. Every order required the owner's active involvement from first message to deposit received.
With no structured system, it was impossible to take holidays, bring in help, or grow the business beyond what one person could manually manage across three different messaging platforms.
The brand was premium. The ordering experience wasn't. That mismatch was costing credibility as well as time.
With no structured system, it was impossible to take holidays, bring in help, or grow the business beyond what one person could manually manage across three different messaging platforms.
The brand was premium. The ordering experience wasn't. That mismatch was costing credibility as well as time.
Before the system was built
3+
Platforms managing enquiries
Instagram, WhatsApp, email
6hrs
Weekly admin on order management
Messages, follow-ups, deposit chasing
~20%
Enquiries lost to slow response
Customers who moved on before reply
0
Automated deposit collection
Every payment chased manually
Chapter 04
The solution: a site that runs the ordering process so the owner doesn't have to.
We built the website and the entire backend system as one connected product — not a site with a form bolted on, but a fully integrated order management system that matches the quality of the brand it represents.
What makes this different
Visual menu experience
Not a PDF or a price list
The menu is a designed, visual browsing experience — customers see each cake style, read descriptions, and select options before placing an order. No emailing to ask "what do you offer?"
One-click owner control
No dashboard login required
The owner approves or declines directly from their email inbox. No new software to learn, no portal to log into. One click — and the entire downstream process runs automatically.
Intelligent decline loop
Saves orders that would otherwise be lost
Rather than a decline ending the conversation, the system sends the reason and a direct edit link. The customer can revise and resubmit — keeping the relationship alive and giving the order a second chance.
Technology used
Website build
AI-accelerated front end
- Site buildAI-assisted
- CopywritingClaude API
- Visual menuCustom design
- Mobile optimisedYes
- Build time3 days
Order automation
Backend pipeline
- Order flowCustom built
- Email notificationsAutomated
- SMS deliveryTwilio
- Decline loopAutomated
- Deposit triggerOn approval
Data & payments
Backend infrastructure
- Order databaseCloud (live)
- Status trackingFull history
- Deposit collectionStripe
- Audit trailEvery order
- ExportCSV available
Chapter 05
The outcome: a business that takes & manages orders without the owner being in every conversation.
Since launch, every order has been processed through the system without manual intervention. Deposits land automatically on approval. The owner spends minutes on order management instead of hours — and the business can grow without adding admin overhead.
Results since launch
100%
Orders processed automatically
Not one handled manually
6hrs
Admin time recovered per week
Reinvested into baking, not inbox management
31%
Declined orders recovered
Via the edit & resubmit loop
3 days
Full build time
Site, system, & database — all live
What changed for the business
✓
Orders come in through one channel
Instead of Instagram DMs, WhatsApp, and email running in parallel, every order now comes through the website. One system. Full visibility.
✓
Deposits collected without chasing
Approval triggers the deposit link automatically. No follow-up messages, no bank transfer requests, no manual tracking. Payment arrives or the booking isn't confirmed.
✓
Declined orders get a second chance
The feedback loop turns a no into a "not yet." Customers who receive a decline with a reason and an edit link convert at a meaningful rate — orders that would have been lost are recovered.
✓
Full order history, always accessible
Every order — past, pending, approved, declined — is logged in the cloud database. The owner has a complete business record without maintaining a single spreadsheet.
✓
Brand experience matches product quality
The visual menu and structured ordering process reflect the quality of the cakes themselves. Customers arrive on a premium site and leave with a professional booking confirmation.
✓
Scalable without adding headcount
The system handles any volume of simultaneous orders. Growth no longer requires more time from the owner — the infrastructure scales automatically.