Seven menu tips to increase your online sales

Our data scientists combed through thousands of menus and millions of orders to determine how the most successful pizzerias approach their online menus. There’s a lot of factors — everything from the number of items and modifiers to discounts and photos — and we’ve outlined what gets the best results. 

Here’s how you can get the most out of your digital menu and make it easier for customers to complete their orders faster. 

1. Add menu categories

When it comes to ordering food online, customers want a menu that is easy to navigate and helps them decide what to order. One of the simplest ways to meet this need is to split your online menu into categories, much like you would do on a printed or display menu. Here are some ideas:

• Separate out appetizers, entrees, sides, drinks, kids, and desserts into different sections. Top-performing shops are 10% more likely to offer sections for kids and beverages.

• Add a highlight section for dishes to suit special dietary needs, such as gluten-free and vegetarian. Top-performing shops are 50% more likely to have gluten-free products and 20% more likely to have vegetarian options. 

• Create categories recommending meals for certain situations, like “Family Dinner for Four” or “Party Catering.” Top-performing shops are 30% more likely to have separate sections for dinner and catering.

2. Add menu item photos 

There’s a direct connection between menu photos and performance: 60% of the most successful shops include photographs for at least 20% of the items on their menus. Appetizing photos can make or break a customer’s decision of where to order their meal. You should aim for pictures of every food item, but the minimum should be to have pics of your top 20 items. 

Additional reading: Mastering pizza photography 

3. Add descriptions to ALL menu items 

Your online customers don’t have one of your servers or staff members nearby to answer questions or tell them what’s special about a particular dish. Our data shows that it’s important to include evocative item descriptions throughout your menu.

This isn’t surprising — if you had to choose between these two items, which would you pick: “Regular pie” or “Fresh Neapolitan four-cheese pizza, cooked to toasted perfection in our wood-fired oven”? The pizzas are the same, but the second description is more likely to get customers hungry. 

4. Offer discounts and coupons

People can't resist a good deal and busy pizzerias know it: Top-performing shops are 20% more likely to offer discounts and 50% more likely to offer coupons. Consider offering an overall discount, percentage-off coupon, or the ever-popular perk of free delivery. 

5. Add menu modifiers

Customization is a top factor for shop success: It allows you to attract a wide range of customers who want to tailor orders to their taste.

Plus, including an upcharge on modifiers is an excellent way to increase ticket size. There are a couple of different ways to incorporate modifiers into your menu:

• The option to add a side, dessert, or drink to any entree

• The ability to add toppings or other additions to items like salads and pizzas

• Allowing for an easy upsell to a larger size 

6. Create special bundle packages for larger orders

If your customers are looking to order for a group, bundled options make their ordering experience faster and less complicated. Whether it’s dinner for two, a full family-style meal for six, or a package (like five pizzas for the price of four), bundles make life easier for customers and kitchens and work well for shops: The most successful pizzerias are 30% more likely to offer special bundle packages.

7. Remove low-selling items

More isn’t always better — the most successful shops typically have fewer than 100 items on their menus. If most of your revenue comes from a small number of items, consider removing items that don’t sell well. This will make your menu easier to navigate and won’t overwhelm potential customers. 

Additional reading: Strategies to increase profit margins in your pizza business

At Slice, we’re dedicated to empowering independent pizzerias. If you’re working hard for your community, there’s no need to go it alone.

If you’re already a partner, please feel free to reach out to your Partner Success Manager at any time — they’re always standing by and ready to help.