5 Online Ordering Tips from Stan Garber

Are you currently utilizing online ordering in your pizzeria?

This week, The Pizza Insider asks Stan Garber, partner at ONOSYS Online Ordering, about the latest advances in online ordering as well as his tips and advice for promoting it.

1. What are some of the latest advances in online ordering?

Mobile. It’s by far the biggest growth area that we’ve seen in 2013. Over 50% of Americans now have access to a smartphone and those customers have no hesitation in placing orders. Our customers are seeing mobile orders make up 20-30% of their total online ordering sales. That’s enormous growth from only a few percent in 2012.

2. How can pizzeria operators best utilize online ordering?

Online ordering is also a great customer relationship management tool. You’ll know when, what, and how they are looking at your pizzeria. If you can tie it together with a loyalty program, email marketing and social media, then you have a direct communication link to your best customers.  

3. What's the best way to promote an online ordering option?

Make sure all of your marketing materials are labeled with online ordering. One simple but often overlooked area is employee awareness. Have your employees champion the product because it’s there to make their lives easier. At the end of an order they should always inform the guest that they can now place future orders online.

4. Can you share some tips for getting customers to order more items during an online order?

Take the time to develop an online menu with key upsells and modifiers. Think of the online ordering system as your perfect employee. If you take the time to configure the menu/layout correctly, it will do the rest. Additionally, with coupons being a big revenue driver we have found that giving customers the ability to upgrade within a coupon helps drive a higher ticket size (i.e., for an extra $3, upgrade to an extra-large pizza).

5. For those considering adding online ordering, why should they do it?

In today’s market, you need online ordering to stay competitive. A majority of the top pizza operators have rolled out, or are piloting, an online ordering solution. Online ordering for pizza operators has the largest impact to their overall sales among our client mix. Our pizza clients are seeing online ordering sales make up 25% to 35% of their total sales.