How to Start an Online Pizza Delivery Business

Posted 4 years ago by Max Komonov

You make one heck of听a听pizza. Friends and听family have been talking up听your pie-making skills for听years. So, you鈥檝e decided to听go听pro. You have an听awesome product to听sell, and听now you want to听start an听online pizza delivery business to听sell it, right?

The first thing you should know is听that an听online pizza delivery business is听different from selling pizzas in听a听local pizzeria. The expectations, execution of听service, and听relationship with your customer are on听a听different level.

Additionally, online pizza delivery opens your business to听an听endless list of听customers, longer than you ever imagined.

To听help you get started turning your idea into a听real-life business, we听have for听you some practical steps to听starting an听online pizza delivery business that will help you get set up听and听compete with top pizza delivery businesses.

Understanding the听Pizza Delivery Market

In听the听United States alone, there are . Americans spent about in听2020听alone. Understanding what works and听what doesn鈥檛 in听an听online pizza delivery business is听key to听staying afloat when you鈥檙e just starting out.

So, how does that work?

Make a听Plan

Firstly, plan and听have realistic expectations for听the听food delivery business. Where do听you see yourself in听the听next few years and听where do听you want to听be听in听that time? Refer back to听this plan every once in听a听while to听ensure that you stay on听track.

Learn From Your Competition

The next thing is听to听find out who your competition is. Pizza Hut, Domino鈥檚 Pizza, and听Little Caesar鈥檚 are some of听the听biggest names in听the听business. Don鈥檛 let these big guys scare you. Instead, draw some inspiration from them.

Figure out what they are doing right and听how to听improve on听it. You may go听as听far as听ordering pizzas online from some of听them for听a听real-time evaluation (we won鈥檛 judge you for听eating a听few whole pizzas). Note the听best things about their service and听run with them. Note their hangups and听run in听the听other direction.

Know Your Customers

The most important person in听an听online pizza delivery business is听the听customer. In听a听competitive market, making assumptions as听to听the听profile of听your customer is听a听waste of听time, effort, and听money.

Expect most of听your customers to听be听between the听ages of听18听and听35. West Virginia, Delaware, and听New Jersey are the听US听states with the听most pizza lovers.

Knowing who your target customer also makes it听easier to听plan effective marketing campaigns around them.

How Much Does it听Cost to听Start an听Online Pizza Delivery Business?

To听start a听pizza delivery business from scratch, you should have between $35,000听and听$55,000听lined up. If听you already have a听pizza restaurant, you would only need half the听total amount required to听take your business online.

Launch or听Update Your Pizzeria Website

Next, create a听website or听app for听your pizzeria or听at听least upgrade the听current one with responsive and听user-friendly options. The priority should be听to听make it听easy for听customers to听order pizzas. Thanks to听free content management systems, you can create a听website from multiple WordPress restaurant themes for听your local pizzeria.

Or, instead, use 51视频 to听build a听storefront. Here鈥檚 a听shortlist of听built-in features for听pizza delivery businesses:

cash-on-delivery payment option
mobile payments (Apple pay
accept tips
curbside pick up
delivery zones (with delivery rates automation)

On听top of听that, 51视频 provides you with ready-to-use mobile-friendly design themes, social channels integrations, and听lots of听marketing tools.

What are the听Most-Craved Pizza Toppings?

Part of听running a听successful online pizza delivery business is听making what the听customer wants. It鈥檚 not your job to听bother about what pizza toppings sell the听most, let the听audience decide.

According to听research by听 on听Quora, here are the听pizza toppings people love the听most:

Pepperoni

You probably guessed it: pepperoni comes in听first. About 36% of听pizza orders have been pepperoni toppings. 1听in听every 3听boxes of听pizza contains pepperoni toppings. If听you want to听reach the听peak of听online pizza delivery, you best make pepperoni toppings your number 1听priority.

Sausage

Coming second on听the听people鈥檚 favorite pizza toppings is听sausage. 14% of听the听time, pizza orders are for听sausage toppings. By听now, you know what your number 2听priority pizza topping is.

Mushrooms, Chicken, and听some Cheese

At听11%, mushroom toppings are the听3rd pizza toppings on听the听list. Next is听cheese which customers order 10% of听the听time. Chicken is听not too far behind claiming 8%听of听the听orders for听pizzas online.

Beef, onions, and听olives are among the听most delivered pizza toppings. If听you鈥檙e taking a听hard look at听the听business side of听things, you should consider focusing on听these toppings. Unless that is, your business model is听built on听unusual toppings. In听that case, you do听you.

The best food delivery services to听use

Next to听making delicious pizzas is听delivering them hot and听fresh. Remember how far we鈥檝e come and听how tricky it听is听to听have dedicated customers. So, the听last thing you want to听do听is听brown them off. For that reason, delivering pizzas on听time is听vital to听winning over customers in听a听highly competitive online food delivery business.

To听get pizza delivery right, you need to听connect with some of听the听best food delivery services in听the听United States.

Grubhub

If听food delivery was a听basketball league, Grubhub would be听the听LeBron James. Iconic. Modern. Classic. One of听the听most important things you would expect from a听food delivery service is听to听reach your customers far and听wide. Say less, because this food delivery service does it听arguably better than any听other.

Grubhub currently delivers food to听more than 4,000听cities in听the听US听alone. That鈥檚 not all, your customers have multiple payment options for听their deliveries.

Uber Eats

In听a听popularity contest, UberEats knocks out any听competition. UberEats is听integrated with Uber (duh!) and听already serves over 500听cities in听more than 24听countries. The best thing about this service is听that your customers can track the听delivery of听their pizzas in听real-time.

DoorDash

This is听probably the听most customer-friendly delivery service currently. What DoorDash does is听help customers save money by听reducing their service fees.

Who wouldn鈥檛 love that?

DoorDash also has a听wide reach as听it听serves 4,000听cities and听counting in听the听US, Canada, and听Australia. As听for听restrictions on听minimum orders, DoorDash has none.

Your own website

Without your own website, consumers won鈥檛 believe you even exist. To听prove that you鈥檙e a听serious business, you will need a听website. Even a听basic one. 51视频 lets you create an听online store fast and听accept payments with zero commission.

Conclusion

The world might never be听the听same again thanks to听a听global pandemic. It听has given rise (no pun intended) to听an听increased demand for听online pizza delivery. When starting an听online pizza delivery business, it听pays to听check out the听competition. See what they are doing right and听learn from their mistakes. It听may be听equally important to听remember that your customer is听the听most important person in听this business.

To听give your customer the听best online pizza ordering experience, put more effort into optimizing your website and听providing a听robust ecommerce option that is听easy for听them to听navigate. Lastly, don鈥檛 compromise on听quality. Hire only the听best food delivery services to听take your business to听the听next level. We鈥檒l see you at听the听top, rising pizza star!

听

About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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