Online Ordering Launch Best Practices Checklist

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Toast Classroom: Getting Started with Online Ordering

Let guests know your restaurant is open and how quickly and easily they can order pick-up and/or delivery from you. How can you do this? Follow the best practices checklist below to grow your brand presence and order volume and get the most out of your Toast Online Ordering experience!

In this Article:

Online Ordering Best Practices Checklist

Online Ordering Best Practices Checklist

Step 1: Add your Toast Online Ordering link to your website

Add your menu link to online pages where guests will search for your restaurant.

Ensure that as many guests as possible order directly from your restaurant when they place an online order to avoid paying costly commissions on third-party orders. To do this, try to think of all the ways a guest could find your online ordering menu and add or update your link.

Your website should have "Order Online" and "Download the Local by Toast app" buttons at the top to allow guests to quickly and easily access your menu. To simplify this for you, we've created buttons in a number of styles. To add them to your website, simply right-click to save files of the images you wish to use, and paste the corresponding HTML into your website where you'd like the button to go.

For more information on personalizing your Online Ordering page, see the following articles:

Step 2: Toast Delivery Services® settings

Toast Delivery Services® can be powered by either Uber Direct or DoorDash Drive. Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive are white-label delivery services, meaning drivers deliver Toast Delivery Services® orders from Toast Online Ordering. If you have a subscription to Toast Online Ordering, your Toast Delivery Services® set-up checklist will be visible in Toast Web. You will begin with the steps on the Toast Delivery Services onboarding page.

Step 3: Order with Google

Order with Google is a free integration included with Toast Online Ordering, allowing guests to order directly through you from Google Search and Maps, commission-free. Guests can search for restaurants near them, discover your Toast first-party ordering link, and order directly from your Toast Online Ordering page. Some of the benefits of using Order with Google:

Unlock a new commission-free channel for more orders
Get up and running easily and manage your orders in one place
Offer a seamless ordering experience for guests

For the full overview of Order with Google, see Manage Order with Google.

Step 4: Check Local by Toast app settings

Local by Toast is a digital ordering platform that allows you to receive more orders and delight your diners without additional work or exorbitant fees. It's an app that allows your diners to order ahead, skip the line, and pick up food in-store!

Local by Toast uses the same settings as Toast Online Ordering and is auto-enabled in Toast Web. You can check your settings by selecting the button below. For complete setup details, see Get Started With Local by Toast.

Show me in Toast Web

Step 5: Take your first orders

Ease in by turning online ordering on during a slower day for your restaurant, like a Tuesday or Wednesday.
Create a test order to ensure you have an approval method set and auto-firing device configured. See Get Started with Online Ordering and select the Place a Test Order section for instructions.
Take things at a pace that works for you! Delay orders or snooze online ordering altogether as you’re ramping up. Learn more in the Manage Online Order Volume (Delaying/Snoozing Orders) article!

Step 6: Post on social media about it!

If your restaurant has a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account, add a link in your profile encouraging followers to place an order online.

To add an "Order Now" or "Gift Cards" button to your Instagram business account, check out Posting Your Online Ordering or E-Gift Card Purchase Link on Instagram and Facebook.
Please follow these instructions to set up a "Shop Now" call-to-action button on Facebook. See below how Toast customer Pizza Pie on the Fly has added this link to their restaurant's Facebook page.
For Twitter, please follow these instructions to create a Business Profile Link.

Step 7: Send guests an email announcing it!

If you use an email marketing tool, try adding an "Order Online" button to your emails with a link to your menu. Interested in adding Email Marketing to your Toast Suite? Let us know, and our team will be in touch.

Hungry for more? Read Online Ordering: Advanced Settings for further tips on optimizing your online ordering experience.