Online Ordering

Online ordering has been making steady strides in popularity in the years leading up to Covid-19 but since then it has dramatically accelerated the trend. OLO (Online Ordering) is no longer just a trend. There are many solutions out there but be careful because not all solutions are equal.

One solution is using 3rd party services. Let's start with the bad, these services come with commissions. The commissions depend on the service and sometimes in the service the rate changes depending on the exposure you want. For example if you want to be on the top of the list of restaurants the rate is higher. Another question to ask is whether this 3rd party solution is integrated or not. Integrated solutions flow directly into the POS, the non integrated ones send an email or fax to the restaurant with the order. This approach can lead to missed orders and/or costly mistakes when someone has to manually enter the order into the POS. It's not all gloom and doom, some restaurateurs simply raise their prices on the online service to offset the commissions. There is a business decision to be made with these services. You have to take a long hard look at the sales being brought in solely from the service. If it makes business sense use the service.

3rd party services are not the only solution. Most POS’s have the ability to take OLO orders. This is the most cost effect solution but you don't get any marketing or advertising that those services provide. The built in OLO features in the POS are integrated into service. Meaning when someone orders online the order will flow directly to the kitchen just like some order a dine in order. With some in house marketing I have seen some a lot of success using the built in OLO from the POS. Including pictures and descriptions help to increase online sales. At the end of the day one thing is clear, if you don’t have OLO you should get moving on it ASAP. As for which option is best for you depends on your current needs.