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Most pizzerias have a website these days, but that doesn't mean it's a really good website. You've probably visited sites you consider substandard, but have you taken a critical look at your own website lately? There may be small tweaks you could make to sell more online without a large investment of time or money. We outline 5 ways to increase online sales below.

1. Use Good Photos & Descriptions

Even if you have your site built by professionals, they will usually ask you to provide photos and descriptions of your food, and those can make the difference between an appealing site, and one that is barely adequate. Take a look at these tips for creating mouthwatering images of your food, and putting some spark in your menu descriptions.

If you use SpeedDine and need help in creating images for new menu items, search the Knowledge Base for the "Create Menu Images for SpeedDine" article.

2. Upsell Online

As when taking orders in-store or over the phone, offering a larger size, appetizer, or dessert to your guests makes their meal more delicious, while also improving your bottom line. Does your ordering provider offer this option? If not, you are likely leaving money on the table. If yes, and you have access to the site "back end," administrative options for your site, you can often add or change upsell messages yourself in a matter of minutes. It's worth the time investment!

SpeedDine, SpeedLine's fully integrated online ordering system, lets you offer upsells to items already in the cart, like extra cheese on a pizza or a larger size drink, as well as cross-sells that offer items to complete the meal like salads, desserts, and appetizers.

3. Streamline the Process

Customers who experience frustration, confusion, and time delays while ordering will often check out a competitor's website next time. Make sure your site streamlines the ordering process by offering these perks:

• "Guest" ordering that does not require filling in a form before perusing the menu.
• Easy menu item customization and topping selection.
• A "notes" field that lets customers give any additional information about their preferences.
• Out-of-stock synchronization with the store, so customers can select an alternative item if need be. 
• The ability to remember customer information like name, address, and preferred store, to make checkout faster.

4. Offer Flexible Ways to Pay

For customer convenience, your website should offer several ways to pay or discount online orders:

• Cash on delivery or pickup.
• Card payment in the store for pickups.
• Card payments on the website.
• Credit and gift cards at the customer's door.
• Loyalty rewards
• Coupons

The SpeedLine Pay app accepts secure tap payments with a card, or with Google Pay or Apple Pay, right at the customer's location.

5. Promote Your Site Everywhere

When your customers are hungry, they'll take the shortest route to food on their table. Make sure they find your site first by advertising it everywhere: pizza boxes, menus, coupons, in-store and vehicle signage, your company website, at the bottom of all receipts, and over the phone to callers.

The site must also be optimized for search engines, as many visitors will find it by "Googling."  Get more promotion tips in this blog post: How to drive customers to your online ordering site.