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A Google Business Profile (GBP), previously known as Google My Business, is an online listing that showcases your business on Google Maps and Google Search. It’s a key part of your local SEO strategy. For example, if you have an optimized profile, potential customers searching for “bakery” will see your business populate as one of the search results. So, the stronger your local SEO, the higher your business will rank in query results.
Your GBP captures customer reviews, contact information, photos, hours of operation, and menus. In essence, anything that gives guests a glimpse into their experience should they choose your business lives on your profile.
But GBP isn’t solely for informational purposes. You can add an online order button to your GBP so customers can easily engage with your business and place orders.
The GBP online order button streamlines the process for customers trying to place digital orders for delivery or pick-up. Guests can engage with your business and order food in whatever way suits them, allowing you to reach a wider audience. To get started with the online order button, follow these four simple steps:
Pro Tip: Add a toggle button on your online order landing page that allows guests to choose between delivery and pick-up.
Setting up your GBP online order button is the first step. Next, it’s time to implement the best practices to help you successfully manage online ordering options. Take advantage of these three tips when rolling out the online order button:
Pro Tip: Give customers insight into their order status through online tracking. That way, there’s no guesswork when guests want to know how long until their food arrives.
Google will periodically change their SEO guidelines that impact your strategy and profile. Additionally, as customer preferences shift or new technology emerges, it’s important to pivot your business practices and stay ahead of competition.
Make it a practice of monitoring your online order button. Based on the data you collect, make changes to your ordering process to ensure you meet customer demand. Use these two techniques when managing your online orders:
Integrate your account with Google Analytics to maximize the data you collect from online orders and engagement on your entire Google Business Profile. Use the aggregated data to make adjustments that enhance guest experience.
Pro Tip: If you’re looking for tips on optimizing your online order strategy, we can help—check out our 2024 Online Ordering Guide.
Just as you implement best practices to boost the effectiveness of your GBP, you should also have common GBP challenges on your radar. You can create strategies to handle these issues and avoid setbacks after first identifying them. Here are two common problems with tips to navigate each:
Key Insight: Negative GBP reviews aren’t entirely bad. First, take the time to craft a thoughtful response to the feedback so the customers feel confident that you’ve taken their complaints seriously. Next, consider whether their review highlights part of your business that could use improvement. If it does, devise a strategy to resolve it.
Here are our answers to common questions about optimizing your Google Business Profile and the online order button.
After you’ve claimed, verified, and completed your GBP account, navigate to your profile and select the “Food Ordering” button. From here, you can enable online ordering. Add a link to your online order platform or select a third-party provider.
Through your GBP account, visit “Edit Profile” and select “Turn on reservations.” The button will then appear on your profile.
If you already have a booking provider, integrate its systems with your Google account and select it from the dropdown menu. If you don’t have a booking provider, you can opt for “Reserve with Google.”
Follow the same steps to set up the online order button on your GBP account. You can edit the button from this “Food Ordering” page.
Head to “Food Ordering” within your GBP account to find the “Accept Orders on your profile” toggle button and turn online ordering on or off. Now, your profile will show customers when you’re accepting online orders.
To accept online orders, first integrate your online ordering system, like Paytronix. Then, you’ll want a payment platform to securely manage customer payments, such as Stripe or Square. Make sure the payment platform and online ordering system work together seamlessly.
When guests place an order and process their payment, all this information feeds into your online order tool. Here, you’ll see what they ordered and can start fulfillment.
Attracting more customers to purchase online is an ongoing, interactive strategy. First, you must build awareness. You can do this through personalized emails or targeted social media campaigns.
Additionally, make it easy for customers to place orders once they click the button. The user experience should be smooth and intuitive.
By placing an order online button front and center on your Google Business Profile, you let customers know that you offer online ordering and make it simple for them to do so. The easier it is for guests to engage with your business, the more likely they’ll place orders. Over time, you’ll build a strong base of loyal customers.
It’s also essential to always iterate on your GBP profile. Local SEO updates, customer demand changes, or new technology can alter how you manage and promote online ordering. Stay up to date on the latest trends to adjust your strategy.
With the key tips and tricks to add an online order button to your GBP on deck, it’s time to turn it into a revenue-driving part of your business. Paytronix is an all-in-one tool for managing purchasing data and coordinating marketing campaigns. Book a demo with our team to launch your online order marketing campaign and grow your business.