The real question is time, not just skill
Managing delivery accounts well is not a single setup task, it is continuous: watching which keywords perform, adjusting bids as competitors change theirs, keeping menu photos and descriptions current, tracking order faults, and reviewing promotion performance. A restaurant owner or manager already running daily operations often does not have the ongoing time this requires, even if they understand the concepts perfectly well.
What ongoing account work actually involves
Keyword research for what customers actually search, testing different ad and targeting variations against each other, adjusting bids based on competitor activity, removing underperforming keywords and promotions, suggesting menu add-ons to lift average order value, and reviewing feedback alongside sales data. This is the pattern across the accounts we manage, and it is the standard to measure any option, in-house or agency, against.
- Keyword and targeting research, ongoing, not one-time.
- Bid adjustment based on competitor activity.
- Menu photo, description, and add-on upkeep.
- Review and rating monitoring alongside sales.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is this ongoing work or a one-time setup? | Delivery accounts need continuous attention |
| Is ad spend separate from the fee? | Platforms deduct ad spend per order directly |
| Are results labeled by account, not averaged? | Averages hide what any specific restaurant can expect |
| Is the process explained clearly? | A clear process is checkable, a vague one is not |
What to check, in-house versus agency
| In-house | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Time required | Ongoing, competes with daily operations | Dedicated, but adds a fee |
| Ad spend | Still deducted by the platform directly | Still deducted by the platform directly |
| Reporting standard to expect | Self-tracked against clear goals | Should be labeled by account, not averaged |
Ask us how we manage GrabFood and LINE MAN accounts
Questions worth asking an agency
Is ad spend included in the fee, or deducted separately by the platform per order? Can they show specific, dated, labeled results rather than general claims? Do they explain their process clearly enough that it makes sense, rather than presenting it as something only they can understand? How do they handle LINE MAN listings, which depend on the client supplying photos and descriptions the platform does not generate automatically?
What honest reporting looks like
Results reported from an agency should be labeled by account and period, not presented as averages across all clients, since individual outcomes vary meaningfully by starting point, cuisine, location, and execution. Our own results page follows this same standard, every figure tied to one specific client account and time range.