6 Reasons To Move Your Take-Out Ordering Process Online
The pandemic affected the hospitality industry the most but many restaurants survived and even thrived despite the hard times. One thing that helped these restaurants is going digital and finding innovative ways to continue serving their patrons.
Most restaurants did this by building a simple website for the restaurant and integrating an online ordering system for take-out & delivery.
70% of consumers would rather order directly from the restaurant than through a third party app. What better way to capitalize on this than to have your own online ordering system for take-out or delivery?
What is an Online Ordering System?
Simply put, it is a software that lets restaurants accept orders and payments without having to come in physical contact with their customers. Depending on your restaurant’s capacity, the order can be picked up by the customer over the counter, at your doorstep, curbside, or it can also be delivered to them by you or through a delivery service to the customers, or both.
Why Should You Have Your Own Online Takeaway Ordering System:
Over 90% of customers try new dishes when ordering take-out or delivery!
What better way to make it easier for them to order food than by having your own Online Takeaway Ordering System? There’s more!
Reduce Admin Work:
Having to man the phone or even take orders as customers mill at the restaurant waiting to get their takeout can be overwhelming. Let’s not forget having to keep track of the order in which orders were placed, delivery times, and manually clubbing orders based on order time or location…. Phew!!
An online ordering system automated all these tasks and gives you all the order details you need in a single pane of glass view!
Reduce Order Errors:
When taking orders face-to-face or over the phone, it’s easy to get the phone number, address wrong or even the order itself wrong.
An online ordering system makes it easy and convenient for the customers to place orders, add customizations, and provide phone numbers and address information without worrying whether it was noted down correctly or not.
Returning Customers:
Having an online ordering system for takeaway will keep your customers coming back for more because,
- They won’t have to wait in line to place or pick up their orders
- They can place orders from anywhere
- The whole process can automated & contactless
- They can choose to let your system remember their details making their next checkout quicker
Collect Crucial Customer Data:
As a marketer, this is the best part of an online ordering system for me!
43% of restaurateurs believe third-party apps make it difficult to build relationships with their customers as most of them withhold data!
Remember, data is not just phone numbers and addresses but through an online ordering system you can understand your customers’ favorite dishes, how often they order, when is their favorite time to order, and so much more!
You can use these details to engage with your customers through your marketing activities like email marketing, social media posts, etc. You can also use this to give your regulars special discounts and promotions!! The list is endless!
Increase Profits:
Of Course! the most obvious and important benefit of all, revenue.
Did you know orders placed online are on average 20% larger?
This means investing in an online ordering system will have a direct positive impact on your business. Let’s not forget, putting your menu along with specials and promotions online would make you more discoverable making it an awesome low-cost marketing tool!
Things to Look for in an Online Ordering System for Take-out:
Now that we’ve convinced you (we hope) that an online ordering system is no longer an option anymore, we want to leave you with a list of things you should look for in an online ordering system for your restaurant:
Easy to Set-up and Use:
The whole idea behind taking your restaurant online is to make life easier for your customers and you. Which means your Online ordering process must be quicker and simpler than placing orders over the phone or counter.
Look for systems that reduces the number of steps and screens your customers have to go through to place an order.
Cost Effective for You and Your Patrons:
3rd party ordering & delivery service providers charge upto 20% in commissions and that's quite expensive for most restaurants. By integrating an online ordering system that works on flat rates or zero commission will help you plan for the cost better and ensure you don’t lose money.
Allows Multi-channel Ordering:
Your online ordering system should give your customers options but also give you multiple platforms to reach, engage, and convert. Look for solutions that allow you to accept orders through multiple channels like mobile app, your website, or social media!!
Considering 1 in 7 American adults are on Facebook, being able to let them order food while they are catching up on social updates can be very lucrative!
Allows Table Booking:
Look for an online ordering platform that allows your customers to not only order food online for delivery or takeout but also allows them to book tables at your restaurant. This way you’ll be able to engage your dine-in regulars online too! !
Must Be Accessible on:
Almost 40% of millennials order food on their smartphones making it very important for your online ordering system to be accessible and user-friendly on those pesky touch screens! All the better if it’s available as a mobile app.
Must Allow Customizations:
Your online ordering system must scream ‘you’, must allow you customize your patrons’ journey through the app, and let you choose the kind of data you want to track and use to provide your regulars with the best possible experience.
So, What Do You Need to Set Up an Online Ordering System for Take-out?
- Simple mobile-friendly restaurant website
- Search optimized content to make your restaurant discoverable online
- User-friendly online ordering system
- A secure payment system
- A delivery partner or service provider (Ideally commission free!)
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