How to get customers to order online from you, not the apps
To get pizza customers ordering online from you directly, give them a reason that benefits them: a guaranteed pickup time, no waiting on hold, no app service fees, already paid. Then put your link where they already are, a QR code on the box, your Google profile, your voicemail, and offer it on every phone call. Expect 10–15% at first, rising as regulars switch.
Why most pizzeria websites take so few orders
On French pizza forums, owners who bought an ordering system describe the same first months over and over: “a few orders, but too rare,” sometimes “no online orders at all.” Customers called at 7:30 wanting food “now,” and a system built around ordering ahead felt useless. Another owner, three years into online pickup, still says most orders come by phone; a shop in the same thread gets 10–15% through its own site. The tool was never the problem.
In the US there is a second twist: your customers already order online. They just do it on DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub. So you are fighting two habits at once, the phone and the app, and the app is a very good habit.
Pizza is an impulse buy. People decide at 6:30 and want to eat at 7:15. If your ordering only works well for scheduling later, it misses most of the demand. It has to handle “as soon as possible” first.
Give customers a reason that’s about them, not you
“No commission” and “it frees up my phone” are your reasons. The customer doesn’t care. What moves them is what the phone and the apps can’t offer:
- A guaranteed pickup time. On a Friday night the phone says “20 minutes” and it is 40. Online, they pick 7:15 and the pie comes out at 7:15.
- No service fee. The big apps add service and delivery fees on top of a menu that is often priced higher. Ordering direct is the same tap-and-pay experience without them. Say so on the box.
- No hold music, no misheard order. No “large pepperoni, no onions” lost in the noise of the oven.
- Already paid. Pickup takes ten seconds.
A time slot only works if you keep it, so it must match your real capacity. Pizza makers on the forums quote 5–8 pies per 15 minutes working alone, 9–11 with a helper. Past that, the next slot should show automatically.
Managing the rush: capacity per 15 minutes
Put the link everywhere the customer already is
On the pizza box
The most effective spot. The box sits on the coffee table for an hour, at home, right when they are thinking about next time. A sticker with a QR code and a short web address is enough. Sell the benefit (“Pick your time, no fees”), not “Find us online.”
On your Google Business Profile
Google discontinued Order with Google in June 2024, so the “Order online” button now sends people to a website. Under “Food ordering” in your profile, add your own link and set it as preferred, separately for pickup and delivery. Otherwise DoorDash or Uber Eats is often what shows first. Careful: switching off “Accept orders on your profile” hides every link, yours included.
Everywhere else
- Your voicemail greeting and the hold message.
- Your Instagram and Facebook bios, and every post with a pie in it.
- The receipt, the window, the menu you hand out at the counter.
- A card in every app bag: the one moment you can talk to an app customer.
The phone script: convert callers one by one
Hardly anyone uses this lever, and it is the strongest. Every caller has already decided to buy and just doesn’t know your link yet.
- At peak: “We’re slammed on the phones. Order at [short address], pick your time and skip the wait.”
- Off-peak: take the order, then text the link “for next time.”
- Blocked numbers: prank orders and fake addresses are a constant complaint among owners. It is the natural moment to say “for blocked numbers we only take prepaid online orders.”
Expect a clear step up the first busy weekend the whole team uses the script. Not before.
Incentives that work (and ones that train bad habits)
| Incentive | Effect | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| 10% off orders placed before 4 p.m. | Moves orders online and flattens the rush | Excellent; used by a forum pizzeria |
| Free knots, dessert or soda on the first online order | Triggers the first try | Good; the cost is capped |
| Loyalty rewards only for online orders | Brings them back through the right door | Very good long term |
| Permanent 10% off online | Cuts margin on customers you already had | Avoid |
If you are also on the apps, read your agreement before pricing direct orders lower. Where you are free to, being cheaper direct is the strongest lever of all. DoorDash charges 15% to 30% on delivery orders depending on the plan; on a $30 order that leaves plenty of room to knock a dollar or two off your own price and still come out ahead.
Pizza loyalty programs: what actually works
Make ordering online faster than a phone call
Time it: pull out your phone and order from your own site. If it takes more than a minute, the call wins. You need:
- A menu that opens straight to the pies, with sizes in inches and real photos.
- Toppings and half-and-half that work in two taps.
- Apple Pay, Google Pay or a saved card, no account required.
- “As soon as possible” as the default time.
Building a menu that works on a phone
Measure the switch
Every week, note the share of orders placed online and where they came from: the QR on the box, Google, a mailer. A different link per channel is all it takes. To see what each order you move off an app saves you, use our delivery commission calculator.
FAQ
What share of pizza orders can go online direct?
It varies widely. One forum pizzeria reports 10–15% through its own site, with the phone still dominant after three years. Shops that push the link on calls and on the box do far better than those that just put a website up.
Should I give a discount for online orders?
A time-limited one works: 10% off before 4 p.m. also flattens the rush. Prefer a first-order freebie or online-only rewards to a permanent discount, and check your app agreements first.
Why do customers keep calling instead of ordering online?
Pizza is an impulse buy and the phone feels faster. Your site has to beat it: a guaranteed pickup time, no waiting, payment done and a menu that takes three taps.
Can customers still order directly on Google?
No. Since June 2024 the order button sends people to a website. Add your own ordering link in your profile and set it as preferred.