Why a round number is the wrong starting point
Picking a budget because it is a comfortable round number, rather than because it relates to your actual margin, means you cannot tell afterward whether the spend was reasonable. Size the budget from your break-even math instead, covered in our guide on whether delivery advertising is worth it.
A workable starting approach
Pick two or three best-selling items rather than advertising the whole menu. Set a budget you are comfortable testing for two to four weeks, long enough to gather a meaningful number of orders without committing a large sum before you have data. Track cost per order acquired against your margin ceiling throughout, not only at the end.
- Start with best sellers, not the full menu.
- Test for two to four weeks before drawing conclusions.
- Check cost per order acquired weekly, not just at the end.
- Expand spend only on what is already proving itself.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Select items | 2 to 3 best sellers, not the full menu |
| Set test budget | Modest, sized against your margin ceiling |
| Test window | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Review | Weekly, against cost per order acquired |
| Expand | Only on what is proven, not untested keywords |
A simple test-then-expand budget sequence
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What changes the budget over time
Once a campaign proves it stays below the margin ceiling, it is reasonable to increase spend on that specific targeting, rather than spreading a larger budget across untested keywords. Underperforming keywords or targeting should be removed rather than left running, which keeps the overall budget efficient as it grows.