Are there any menu and online store designer/consultant recommendations?

[MacsIce]

We operate a shaved ice stand and we've been using Square for several years. We get by with the way our menu is setup, but I would like to improve the work flow of the menu and also add some mobile/online ordering capabilities. I know that I can do it on my own, but I don't have a lot of time and someone who knows the system well could probably get it done pretty quickly. Any suggestions? Maybe I am making it harder than it is. I would also look at some good tutorials that would help me make these improvements. Thanks.

[tranguyen]

Welcome to the Seller Community, @MacsIce 👋

It can definitely feel overwhelm when you start working on it so it might be easier to make small improvements one by one rather than changing everything overnight. Do you currently have your menu setup on your online site? If you can share a screenshot or a link to your menu, that will make it easier for folks to jump in and share suggestions for improvement. 

If you're looking to streamline the workflow in-store, can you share a bit more with us about how you're currently setup? Are you using the standard Square Point of Sale or the Square for Restaurant app (with the orange icon)? 

If you are looking to setup online ordering with Square Online Site, this is a great video to get started with. The interface is slightly outdated but the main setup instructions are still correct. You can find a more detailed guide in our Support Center too. 

I'm going to tag in a few of our Super Sellers — @Sam_400º @MAXSDELI @TheRealChipA, I'm sure you have some great advice on how to setup menus and online ordering! 

[mksavage]

@MacsIce I don't happen to know of any actual designers/consultants, but I bet there are lots of sellers on here who would be happy to take a look at your site/store and provide suggestions about flow & design. I've seen that happen several times here in the community and it's always super helpful. The sellers @tranguyen are total pros, but I'm sure there are others who would chime in too. If you already have something started, feel free to share the link so we can check it out and share some feedback!

[Sam_400º]

Hey @MacsIce - online ordering for my food truck is the king right now! 

My biggest suggestion (if you’re doing it yourself or get someone else to) would be to start backwards. Get a sheet of paper and write points that are important. 

Do you want:

one page with everything on or different pages for different categories? 
lots of add on options to customise or more set items?

Ordering as the first thing you hit or have into pages first? 

The online editor has soooooo much choice to appeal to different types of business it can be overwhelming with the options, or it can be very easy to want to try and incorporate everything you see as an option. Starting with your end goal helps a lot! 

[mksavage]

Love this suggestion @Sam_400º! As the experts in our businesses, it's a good reminder to think like a customer first. How do you want them to experience the menu, work their way through the options, etc. Great idea to work it out on paper first. I've always just jumped in, and then end up having to rework a lot of things as I get further in.

[MacsIce]

@tranguyen @Sam_400º @mksavage 

I'm using Square POS. I have started an online menu, but never finished. I have a functioning in-store menu, but I feel like it can be better. I set it up at least 8-9 years ago and haven't changed it. 

My goals:

1.  Improve my in-store menu to make it flow better. 

2.  Setup an online menu that really looks good and works well for my team.

How do I share my in-store menu with you guys?

[Sam_400º]

@MacsIce you can screen shot or take pictures and upload them into your posts here (but just make sure there's no personal info on your screen as it's an open forum!). 

For goal 1 I think it's worth downloading the restaurant app and seeing how you feel about that. The 'conversational modifiers' are a really nice work flow for coffee shops and sounds like it could be a good fir for you too (there are free tiers,  paid options and a free trial too). 

For goal 2 - the online side of things kinda takes care of itself once it's set up (example is my site - 400degrees.co.uk). The big thing for your team will be how you get the order notifications..... You could have a ticket printer, just the email or the KDS. I use solely the KDS now as it sets a SMS to the customer when their order is ready and there are no bits of paper for me to loose. If you end up with the paid restaurant option then the KDS is included too. 

I've mentioned paid options - and with Square having such good free stuff in their standard POS it's somethings hard to justify a monthly charge. It really is worth checking out what could save you time (and therefor money/staffing) and it then fits for your business. If you're seasonal then it's worth knowing that you can stop/start your subscriptions anytime too so you'd only be paying when you're needing it. 

[mksavage]

@MacsIce For your in-store menu, do you mean your POS/how your team enters the order? Or the paper/digital menu that the customer looks at to choose their items? For the POS, we've always used just the basic Square platform, but we're about to switch to Square for Restaurants for the conversational modifiers that @Sam_400º mentioned. I think it will be a more natural flow for our team as they take orders quickly.

For online orders, I think it's helpful to keep it as simple as possible. Most people will be ordering on their phones, so the fewer clicks the better. Ours is https://savagegoods.square.site/, if it's helpful to see other examples. We limit some of the modifiers in the Online Store to try and simplify the process and make it easier on our kitchen, but for the most part, that's the same menu we have in the cafe.

[Bentsai]

Hey! For improving your menu workflow and integrating mobile/online ordering, hiring a consultant who specializes in Square setups could really streamline things. They can tailor the system to fit your specific needs, saving you time and hassle. If you’re looking to DIY, Square has some solid tutorials on their help center, but also check out YouTube—there are plenty of step-by-step guides that might give you the insight you need.