How To Increase Restaurant Delivery Sales With Online Ordering

• Why Online Ordering Can Skyrocket Your Restaurant Sales
• 1. Optimize Your Online Menu
• 2. Implement A Seamless Checkout Process
• 3. Leverage Analytics For Data-Driven Decisions
• 4. Boost Sales With Smart Marketing Strategies
• 5. Build Strong Customer Loyalty
• 6. Balancing Third-Party Apps And Direct Online Ordering
• 7. Expanding Revenue Through Catering Delivery
• Why Orders.co Is The Key To Increase Restaurant Food Delivery Sales
• FAQ

Key Takeaways: 

• Highlight profitable dishes and ensure your menu is mobile-friendly to enhance customer experience and sales.
• A seamless checkout experience is key to converting interest into sales.
• Track customer behavior and sales trends to adjust your strategy and increase restaurant delivery sales.
• Tailored email campaigns and social media engagement can significantly boost online visibility and sales.
• Establish a loyalty program to encourage repeat business, which is vital for sustained growth in increasing restaurant delivery sales.

In the restaurant business, adapting and thriving in the digital space isn’t just a bonus; it’s necessary for your growth. Currently, 56% of consumers in the U.S. prefer restaurants that provide a streamlined online ordering system.

If you’re aiming to thrive in the restaurant industry, mastering online ordering is your golden ticket. 

Here’s what we’ll unpack:

• Why online ordering? It’s not the future—it’s the now.
• How can Orders.co help? Simplify, streamline, and promote sales effortlessly.
• Ready for action? We’re diving deep into practical, actionable tips that will turn your online ordering from good to great.

Stay tuned because we’re about to transform your approach and ramp up your revenue. 

Why Online Ordering Can Skyrocket Your Restaurant Sales

Online ordering is a game-changer for customers who prefer their meals delivered straight to their doorstep. It’s quicker than traditional ordering methods and simplifies the entire dining experience. Over 112 million Americans have used a food delivery service.

Here’s why integrating online ordering can benefit your restaurant’s revenue:

• Ease of Use: Customers can browse your menu, select their choices, and order—all without a phone call. This convenience means they’re more likely to order again.
• Boost Sales: Access to a broader customer base and the convenience of online ordering encourage more frequent orders, helping to increase restaurant food delivery sales.
• Save on Costs: Reducing the need for staff to handle phone orders frees up your team to focus on preparing food and enhancing service.
• Customer Satisfaction: The ability to customize orders and the convenience of ordering anytime improves customer satisfaction, fostering repeat business.

If your restaurant isn’t offering online ordering yet, now’s the time to consider it. It’s an effective way to attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back, ultimately increasing your sales.

Also read:

• How to Set Up Your Online Restaurant Delivery System.
• 11 Advantages of Online Ordering for Your Restaurant
• How To Get More Online Orders & Manage Them Efficiently For Restaurants
• Online Ordering Systems in Restaurants: How Do They Work?

1. Optimize Your Online Menu

To transform your online menu into a compelling sales tool, consider these straightforward and effective menu management strategies:

• Mobile Optimization: 64% of customers dining in prefer to order through a mobile device rather than directly from a server. Ensure your menu looks great and functions smoothly on mobile devices, as many customers will order via their phones. Simplify interactions like selecting items and checking out to improve user experience.
• Spotlight High-Profit Dishes: Arrange your most profitable items and categories where they’re most likely to catch the eye—like the top of the menu. This method can subtly encourage higher spending.
• Easy Navigation: Organize the menu into intuitive sections (e.g., Starters, Mains, Desserts, Beverages) to help customers find what they want quickly. Keep descriptions clear but brief to speed up decision-making.
• Professional Photos: Use high-quality images that showcase your dishes attractively. Good visuals not only tempt the customer but can also influence them to order more.
• Order Customization: Allow easy customization of menu items. Whether it’s choosing pizza toppings or dietary preferences, flexible options can make the difference between a completed or abandoned order. 

For example, at Starbucks®, customers have over 170,000 ways to customize their drinks, making it easy to create a favorite that suits their lifestyle. To help with choices, we provide nutrition facts and ingredient details.

These practical steps can significantly improve how customers interact with your menu and increase your sales.

2. Implement A Seamless Checkout Process

Creating a frictionless checkout experience is key to converting menu browsers into actual buyers. Here’s how to refine the process:

• Reduce Steps to Order: Streamline the number of actions required to place an order. Ideally, customers should be able to add items to their cart and check out in just a few clicks.
• Transparent Pricing: Display all costs upfront, including any additional fees for delivery or service. Surprises at checkout can lead to cart abandonment.
• Multiple Payment Options: Cater to all customers by accepting various payment methods, including credit cards, digital wallets, and perhaps even cryptocurrency. The easier you make it for customers to pay, the quicker they’ll complete their purchase.
• Guest Checkout Option: Not everyone wants to create an account. Offer a guest checkout option to speed up the process for first-time or casual users.

Each of these elements helps ensure that once customers decide what they want, they can finalize their purchase smoothly and swiftly, increasing your sales and improving customer satisfaction.

3. Leverage Analytics For Data-Driven Decisions

To continuously improve your online ordering system and upgrade sales, it’s crucial to use data analytics effectively. 

Here’s what to focus on:

• Customer Behavior Tracking: Monitor which items your customers are viewing most frequently and which ones convert to sales. This insight can guide you in optimizing your menu and promotional strategies.
• Sales Trends: Analyze peak ordering times and popular menu items. Use this data to tailor special offers during slower periods or to stock up effectively, ensuring you never miss a sales opportunity due to lack of inventory.
• Order Feedback: Collect and review customer feedback regularly. Understanding what customers like and dislike about your service and menu can help refine your offerings and improve overall satisfaction.
• Marketing Effectiveness: Track the performance of different marketing campaigns and channels. See which promotions drive the most traffic and conversions, and allocate your marketing budget accordingly.

By understanding your customers’ preferences and behaviors, you can tailor your services to meet their needs better and drive sales. 

Orders.co’s reporting feature offers detailed analytics to help you optimize your restaurant’s operations. It tracks customer behavior, busy times to hour intervals, and sales trends overall and on specific platforms. This lets you adjust your menu and promotions based on real-time insights, helping you meet customer needs more effectively and increasing sales.

This way, you can swiftly adjust your strategies to meet market demands and maximize your revenue potential.

4. Boost Sales With Smart Marketing Strategies

Here’s how to use focused marketing to draw more customers to your online ordering system:

• Email Campaigns: Send emails that match your customers’ past orders. For example, if someone frequently orders pizza, send them special deals on their favorite pizzas or new toppings.
• Social Media Posts: #food ranks among Instagram’s top 50 most frequently used hashtags on IG. Keep your followers interested with fun and engaging posts. Share pictures from your kitchen, do quick interviews with your chefs, or highlight dishes people love. This keeps your restaurant at the top of your mind when they’re deciding where to order from.

Ways in which Generation Z engages with food content on social media

Source: Statista

• Local Search Optimization (SEO): Make sure people in your area find you when they search online for good places to eat. Use keywords that describe your location and what you offer, and keep your Google My Business profile updated.
• Work with Influencers: Team up with local food bloggers or popular social media personalities. They can try your food and share their experience with their audience, helping you reach more people.

These marketing tactics can help more people learn about your restaurant and encourage them to order from you. 

5. Build Strong Customer Loyalty

Cultivating repeat business is crucial for long-term success. Customers who order online are 67% more likely to revisit a restaurant than those who don’t.

Here are straightforward strategies to implement a rewarding loyalty program:

• Points for Purchases: Set up a points system where dollars spent convert into rewards. This motivates customers to accumulate points for discounts or freebies, increasing their likelihood of returning.
• Members-Only Specials: Offer unique deals accessible only to loyalty program members, adding an exclusive layer to your customer service.
• Celebrate Special Occasions: Give personalized treats on birthdays or anniversaries, making your customers feel valued on their special days.
• Encourage Feedback: Offer incentives for feedback. This engages customers and supplies you with critical insights to refine your offerings.

Tip: Use Orders.co’s straightforward loyalty rewards program that lets you create incentives for repeat customers. They can earn points with each purchase, redeemable for discounts or free items. This feature promotes repeat business and helps build a loyal customer base, enhancing overall customer satisfaction and increasing sales.

6. Balancing Third-Party Apps And Direct Online Ordering

Integrating third-party delivery services with your restaurant’s direct online ordering website can create a robust sales strategy. 

Third-party apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats expand your reach, exposing your restaurant to a broader audience. In 2023, 70% of businesses reported that using DoorDash boosted their profits, and nearly 20% said they wouldn’t be operating today without it.

However, by also maintaining your online ordering system, you retain more control over the customer experience and keep a larger portion of the profits.

Here’s how to make this dual approach work for you:

• Increased Visibility: Use third-party apps to attract new customers who might not find your restaurant otherwise.
• Customer Retention: Invite customers who order through third-party apps to try your direct ordering site by offering a reward for signing up for your loyalty program. With Orders.co, offer a signup bonus that can be redeemed for $5 off their next order. This encourages customers to order directly and keeps them coming back through your loyalty rewards.
• Data Control: While third-party apps provide valuable exposure, having your own platform allows you to collect customer data directly, enabling personalized marketing and better customer relationship management.

This strategy allows you to leverage the extensive networks of third-party services while building customer loyalty through your personalized ordering system.

7. Expanding Revenue Through Catering Delivery

Introducing catering delivery services can significantly expand your restaurant’s revenue streams by catering to events, businesses, and large group gatherings. 

To optimize this opportunity, consider the following practical steps:

• Catering-Specific Menu: Create a specialized menu tailored for larger groups, ensuring items are suitable for mass catering and travel well. Consider including packages that simplify customer decisions and streamline kitchen operations.
• Efficient Online Ordering: Adapt your website to handle bulk orders seamlessly. Provide clear details on minimum order requirements, advance booking times, and customizable options.
• Logistics and Delivery: Establish a reliable delivery system to manage large orders, focusing on maintaining food quality and presentation upon arrival.
• Active Promotion: Use digital marketing and partnerships to promote your catering services. Target local businesses, community centers, and event organizers by showcasing the ease and value of your catering offerings.

Implementing these strategies will benefit restaurant food delivery sales and expand your customer base through exposure to various events and gatherings.

Why Orders.co Is The Key To Increase Restaurant Food Delivery Sales

Integrating online ordering caters perfectly to today’s convenience-focused diners and significantly increases your restaurant’s sales potential. By deploying a user-friendly online ordering system, smartly balancing third-party delivery partnerships with direct orders, and continuously improving how you serve your customers, your restaurant can flourish in the digital era.

Custom Ordering Website

Orders.co enables your restaurant to set up a branded direct ordering website. This not only cuts down on fees paid to third-party apps but also helps in building your brand’s loyalty and keeps valuable customer data in-house for more focused marketing strategies.

Orders Consolidation

We streamline the chaos of managing orders from different platforms by consolidating them into one user-friendly interface. This integration reduces the hassle of handling multiple devices and interfaces, cutting down on errors and freeing up your time.

Menu Management

With Orders.co, you can manage your menu items across all digital platforms from one central hub. This ensures your menu is always consistent, strengthens the operational efficiency, and enables you to swiftly adapt to changes in stock or introduce new dishes.

AI-Enhanced Marketing Solutions

Leveraging our AI restaurant marketing solution fine-tunes your marketing efforts across various channels, such as email and SMS marketing. It delivers personalized messages and promotions tailored to the right customers, which improves conversion rates and strengthens customer loyalty.

Local Business Optimization

Orders.co’s local business optimization feature expands your restaurant’s online visibility in local searches and maps, driving more physical and online traffic. By uploading your full menu to these platforms, your restaurant becomes more discoverable not just for general searches like “Mediterranean food near me,” but also for specific dish searches such as “beef shawarma,” helping you attract more customers looking for exactly what you offer.

Guest Feedback Management

Our guest feedback management platform gathers and organizes customer feedback directly, providing invaluable insights into what your customers think and want. This feedback lets you refine your service and menu items to better meet your customers’ preferences.

Loyalty Reward Programs

Orders.co supports the creation of a point-based loyalty reward program that encourages repeat visits. These programs allow customers to earn points for every purchase, which they can redeem for discounts or rewards, helping to build a loyal customer base and drive repeat sales.

By leveraging these features, Orders.co helps your restaurant meet the demands of today’s diners and use technology to streamline your operations and benefit customer engagement.

Ready to see how Orders.co can transform your restaurant’s sales? 

Get a free demo today and take the first step towards optimizing your restaurant operations!

FAQ

1. What initial steps should I take to start online ordering and increase restaurant delivery sales?

Begin by selecting a robust online ordering platform that integrates smoothly with your existing POS system. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly to accommodate online orders and consider setting up dedicated delivery logistics from the start.

2. How can I leverage customer data to further increase restaurant delivery sales?

Analyze purchasing trends and customer preferences from your ordering system to tailor your menu and promotions. Utilize targeted marketing campaigns based on this data to attract repeat business and new customers.

3. What cost-effective marketing strategies can I use to increase restaurant delivery sales?

Employ social media marketing to engage with your audience and offer exclusive promotions. Email marketing can also be a powerful tool to send personalized deals based on past orders.

4. How often should I update my online menu to optimize restaurant delivery sales?

Regularly update your online menu at least quarterly to reflect seasonal items, customer favorites, and new dishes. This keeps your menu exciting and encourages repeat orders.

5. Are there specific technologies that help increase restaurant delivery sales more effectively?

Invest in AI-driven marketing tools that automate customer interactions and promotions. Consider apps that optimize delivery routes or services that provide real-time order tracking to increase customer satisfaction.

6. What are the best practices for handling negative feedback to improve restaurant delivery sales?

Address negative feedback promptly and transparently. Offer solutions or compensations to dissatisfied customers and use feedback as a basis for improving your service and menu items.

7. Can community engagement help increase restaurant delivery sales? How?

Yes, participating in community events, sponsoring local sports teams, or hosting charity events can significantly advance your visibility. Use these opportunities to distribute coupons or samples to attract local customers.

8. What partnerships should I consider to help increase restaurant delivery sales?

Partner with local businesses for cross-promotions, join food delivery apps to reach a wider audience and collaborate with food bloggers or influencers to enlarge your online presence and credibility.