Pizza Today -March 2023 - 28

Choosing your Online Ordering
System
There's a wealth of online ordering
platforms, including ones that may be
powered by or compatible with your
existing point of sale (POS) system.
The number of options, features and
value propositions is extensive, so
operators need to consider their priorities
and examine their range of choices.
Freida urges that operators " should
be looking for a point of sale system
and service that was designed specifically
for the pizza industry. " Talk to
your colleagues in the pizza business,
and pull up their websites to check out
their online ordering.
Compare the huge range of available
features, such as an included
website, loyalty programs, databases of
customers and analytics. For example,
Figueroa says his company is a Google
Food Ordering Partner, so a blue
" order online " button appears on their
clients' Google My Business listing.
Freida's product allows them to add
Google Tag Manager, which enables
users to access Google Analytics.
Any tool must work equally well on
a phone, laptop or tablet, so make sure
it is responsive.
" A responsive website design will
automatically resize based on the
screen resolution of the device you are
using. It will increase for a desktop
computer and decrease for a smaller
mobile device, " says Freida. " This is
very important as it lessens the need
for a brand-specific app. A pizza store
28 / PIZZATODAY.COM / MARCH 2023
can have one website that works on
all devices without the added cost of
developing a brand-specific app. "
Compare their pricing structures,
whether it's based on a monthly fee or
calculated per transaction. Figueroa
says his company's lowest tier product
is free, charging only credit card
processing fees.
Most pizzerias want " white label "
branding, which means that their
brand and logo are featured, not the
online ordering company. You've
worked hard to establish your brand,
and your customers need to feel
confident that they're ordering from a
familiar place.
Other factors to consider include:
* Find out what kind of customer
service, coaching and troubleshooting
you can expect from your vendor.
* Pizza consumers expect custom
ordering, so your tool needs to be able
to accommodate special requests such
as half-pepperoni-half-sausage or extra
sauce.
* Some tools include images on the
menu, which tends to increase sales.
* Find out what kind of analytics are
available and how you can use them to
know your customers better and ramp
up receipts.
Ultimately it has to function well
enough to win over both your customers
and your team members by serving
both parties better.
Get the Most from your Online
Ordering System
" Promoting your online ordering
service is paramount, " says Freida. " The
more business that goes through the
web order portal with the higher average
ticket obviously affects your profit
while decreasing your labor. "
Publicize the ease and simplicity of
placing online orders in every possible
channel, including on menus, table
tents, pizza boxes, window stickers,
and social media. " We want to make
sure that our clients add the order link
to their Facebook, to any type of social
media, " says Figueroa.
Some customers may resist your
new-fangled technology. One way
to train your old-school customers
away from phone ordering is to
send calls to a recorded message that
clearly explains where and how to
order. Implement a system that offers
clear benefits, such as images of the
products, ease of check out, loyalty
programs, and the ability to save and
re-order a pizza or entire ticket.
Get to know your dashboard, and
get assistance as needed from your
provider to master your system. Seek
out feedback from both staff and
customers to improve the system and
iron out any wrinkles.
Thriving in the competitive pizza
industry requires keeping up with 21st
century technology. Online ordering
can be part of your strategy to be a
lean, profitable pizzeria.
ANNELISE KELLY is a Portland, Oregonbased
freelance writer.
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today -March 2023

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