Why most food & drink brands struggle to grow online (and how to fix it)

You’ve poured everything into your product. You’ve built a brand people love in real life. But online? You’re still not seeing the sales you want.

You’re trying all the things, Instagram posts, email campaigns, influencer gifting, but it feels like you’re spinning your wheels. The traffic isn’t converting. The customer journey is clunky. The results are… underwhelming. And in the back of your mind, you’re wondering “Should this be working better than it is?”

Here’s the truth, most food & drink brands struggle to grow online because they’re juggling too many channels with too little time and not enough strategy. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s break down what’s going wrong and how to fix it.

Want to see how this fits into the bigger picture? Check out the five stages of the digital marketing life cycle.

1. You’re not clear on your actual growth strategy

There’s a big difference between posting online and having a plan that drives revenue.

We see it all the time:

  • Brands chasing every shiny new platform
  • Jumping on trends with no real objective
  • Sending emails but not tracking what converts

Without clarity on who you’re targeting, what you’re selling, and how your marketing connects to the bottom line… growth stalls!

The fix:

Start by getting clear on three things:

  • Your ideal customer’s pain points
  • Your most profitable products
  • The channels that actually drive conversion

Then build your marketing around that. Not what everyone else is doing.

Want help with brand positioning and clarity? Read the ultimate guide to branding and strategy for your food business in 2025.

2. Your website is leaking sales

You’re investing in content, ads, SEO but where is all that traffic landing?

If your website is slow, hard to navigate, or doesn’t clearly guide someone to buy, you’re losing sales daily. Especially on mobile.

In fact, most of the brands we work with don’t have a traffic problem. They have a conversion problem.

The fix:

  • Optimise your mobile experience
  • Add clear CTAs
  • Simplify the customer journey
  • Build trust with reviews, FAQs, and UGC

If you’re ready to stop leaking sales, explore our website design & development agency for food & drink brands.

Need a deeper dive? Here are 8 website conversion barriers for food and drink brands (and how to overcome them).

Even small tweaks here can double your revenue without spending a penny more on traffic.

3. You’re relying on hope, not data

You’re busy. You’re wearing 10 hats. So it’s tempting to “just get the email out” or “post something on socials” and hope for the best.

But if you’re not tracking what’s working, you’re wasting time.

The fix:

Use the data you already have to shape your strategy.

  • Which product pages convert best?
  • Which emails get the most clicks?
  • Which social posts drive traffic or sales?

When you start marketing based on performance, not guesswork, that’s when the growth kicks in.

4. You’re not using email properly

You’ve heard it a million times, but email still drives the highest ROI of any channel.

And yet, we see so many food & drink brands:

  • Only sending email once a month (or less)
  • Relying on one-off newsletters with no strategy
  • Not automating anything

One of our clients generated £56.7K in email revenue last year and nearly doubled their YOY growth by focusing on email. No big team. No extra spend.

The fix:

  • Get your abandoned cart, welcome, and post-purchase flows working
  • Build your list and segment it
  • Use content that sells, not just updates

Need help getting this right? Learn more about our email marketing agency services for food brands.

And if email feels like a mystery, you’ll love how to market your food & drink brand in 2025 (without wasting time & money).

And yes, we’re dropping a FREE Email Playbook later this month to show you exactly how we did it!

5. You’re doing too much and not seeing enough return

This is the big one. You’ve tried freelancers, dabbled in ads, launched new SKUs, and now it all feels a bit… chaotic.

There’s no rhythm. No plan. Just reaction.

The fix:

  • It’s time to simplify.
  • Pick 1-2 channels that actually move the needle (like email and social).
  • Build consistent content and campaigns.
  • Align your efforts with your sales goals.

Want ads that actually convert? Explore our paid social agency services built for food & drink brands.

Want to focus your funnel? Read 10 ways to optimise your marketing funnel.

You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be strategic!

Ready to turn things around?

If you’ve been nodding along to this blog, you’re not alone. The brands we work with are talented, ambitious, and passionate but they’ve hit a wall online. That’s why we’re dropping a brand-new free resource this month: The Email Playbook, showing exactly how one brand used email to generate over £56K and 46% YOY growth. You’ll get the strategy, the setup, and the swipeable copy framework to apply it to your brand. It’s landing soon! Keep a lookout.

Curious how other brands are doing it? Here’s a peek at what really happened at FUEL LIVE 2025, our signature event for food & drink founders.

Want to see how we support food & drink brands like yours? Check out our full digital marketing services for more info. Or if you’re ready for hands-on, personalised support, book a free discovery call with Kate now. No fluff. Just clarity, support, and next steps for your food & drink brand. Let’s fuel your growth, one smart strategy at a time.

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