In today’s time, the Restaurant Online Ordering System has become one of the strongest foundations of the Food and Restaurant Industry. Prior to this pandemic, there’s already a steady rise of demand for online ordering systems and delivery platforms. If your Restaurant Business is still not doing an online food ordering system, you’re missing a huge number of profit.
Before, online ordering systems were utilized mainly for convenience but now restaurateurs employ these systems in order to support and pick up their sales plus to comply with the new safety protocols. Restaurants are now adapting to the transition being made by the whole Food Industry, and if you want to continue in operating your Restaurant Business, it is time for you to gain a good knowledge about online ordering systems.
Here, you’ll see some quick tips that’ll help you to get back on your feet and improve your Restaurant Online Ordering System.
Online Ordering System
Online ordering systems allow restaurants to receive orders from customers’ computers and smartphones. There are three main options for adding online ordering to your restaurant operation.
- create a branded online ordering website,
- use a Point of Sale (POS) with online ordering functions
- partner with a third-party delivery platform.
Most restaurants use a combination of these options to create the most cost-effective online ordering system for their business.
(Source : Fit Small Business)
- Orient your Staff
Running a Restaurant Business is surely demanding and fast-paced, but if you decide to integrate an online ordering system for your business your staff should be able to support the added pressure and demand for your service.
A good training on food handling and food preparation is needed for your staff to provide an effective and efficient service for your business.
- Research for the right POS System
Listed as one of the main options for adding an online ordering system to your restaurant, POS Systems is a technology that’ll act as your back-up in managing your restaurant.
Getting the right POS System could help you capture customer information, tailor your delivery options, and operate your online ordering.
- Check out for Delivery Service Options
With the sudden increase of demand with online ordering, there are many options to support this demand. There are a number of 3rd-party apps such as Just Eat, Deliveroo, Food Hub, and Uber Eats. You can make a good research on what would work the best for you. For example, some people have experienced problems with Uber restaurant hub and Deliveroo sign in.
One thing to keep in mind though, these 3rd-party apps may come out cheaper at first but they take a huge cut with your profit and they have the control of your marketing, menu, and customer information while if you choose to have your own delivery service, it will be costly at first but the freedom of creative marketing will be yours and ROI will be high as well.
- Delivery Transportation
There are things to factor in order to decide what delivery transportation you should employ with your Restaurant Business. You can decide if you’ll buy your own or hire people who have their own vehicles.
You can also choose to hire employees part-time or full-time to do the delivery service for you. Weigh out these factors and options. If you decide to hire and buy your own vehicle, you have a choice for your own branding but this means you have to pay additional for their insurance.
- Mobile-friendly Website
One thing that you must have if you want to capture customers online is to have a user-friendly website that contains everything vital information about your Restaurant Business. Having a website is one thing, but optimizing it to be viewed on a smartphone is another.
Take advantage of the fact that people spend a huge amount of their time everyday with their smartphones. Make it easy for them to navigate through your website on their mobile phones.
- Update your Menu
Not every food item on your menu would be delivery-friendly. You have to simplify your menu in order to cater the needs of your customer while upholding the quality of your food service.
Simplifying doesn’t necessarily mean you have to cut out the options you’ll offer to your customers, you can provide them family meals, food bundles, and DIY kits for them to enjoy.
And when you place this menu on your website, make sure it’s accessible and easy to locate.
- Utilize your Supplies
What did we say about offering your customers options? With online ordering, you can also offer items straight from your suppliers. This tip is really helpful especially with the effect of this pandemic, you can check your inventory, mark up your ingredients, and sell it to your customers.
People are not so fond of going out right now and having grocery items being delivered to them is one of the things they never knew they wanted until they got it.
- Clear out your Liquor Supply
Why let your booze just sit inside your storage room? Make that additional sale through an online ordering system by offering them to your customers. With the restrictions on outdoor drinking being implemented here and there, it is advisable to give your customers the convenience of having their sealed drinks delivered to them.
- Use a Packaging with an Outstanding Design
With online ordering, you need to step up your packaging game. This is one of your representatives to your customers. Your packaging should speak your branding well and meet the needs for an online ordering and delivery system.
Make sure it is insulated, spill-proof, and maintains the quality of your food item. At the end of the day, no matter how good your delivery service is, if your food item is not delivered the way it should be, it still leaves a bad impression for your Restaurant Business. No one pays for soggy fries.
Here’s one platform that helps restaurateurs with their packaging.
- Brand Brand Brand
Since there’s less to zero human interaction with online ordering, it is up to you on how you’ll make your customers not forget about your Restaurant brand. You have to provide them with branding that is so good that your customers would be able to associate your Restaurant business from your menu or even your website design.
Customers should have a good familiarization with your Restaurant brand in order to gain repeat customers.
- Market your Brand
Even with a good branding, if you don’t do proper marketing, it’ll all come down to drain. A good brand needs a well thought of marketing plan. And since you’re already using an online ordering system for your Restaurant Business, take this time to do online or digital marketing as well.
Make a good social media presence, provide your customers online promos and delivery gift cards, make noise with email as well. You can also discount popular delivery items to add to your promos.
With this tip, the increase with your customers online will be surefire.
- Extend your Delivery Hours
By extending your delivery hours, you’re also extending the time of your customers to avail your service meaning it leads to more sales for your Restaurant Business. Cater the needs of the millennials who usually stay up late, or those who just have late-night cravings.
Restaurants are already opening and adapting to the new normal, service hours may still be altered but you can refer here to check the restaurants that offer late-night deliveries and try to observe their ways of operating.
- Offer Curbside Pick-up as an Option
Yes, online ordering mostly focuses on delivery options but Curbside Service has their own market as well. Give your customers the chance to enjoy your food while they drive without the hassle of them waiting for their food.
They could just schedule a pick-up time and have minimal contact with your staff, and this also gives you an advantage as you’re sure of the quality of the food you’ll be serving.
- Manage the ‘New’ Tipping Policy
Going online means there’s a less chance for your staff to collect tips from your customers. Tips are given because they provided an exemplary service, but with delivery options or curbside service, they can’t justify why they’re worthy of this tip.
It is your responsibility as a restaurateur to check the ways on how your staff can claim this additional source of income. You can set a minimum delivery or charge delivery fee – these are just some of the ways you can secure ‘tips’ for your staff.
- Transparency is the Key
Don’t belittle the effect of being transparent to your customers. Your honesty with them will decide if they’ll remain loyal to your Restaurant Business. Provide a breakdown for your customers every time they’ll check-out for them to be updated with what they’re paying for.
source https://www.etakeawaymax.co.uk/tips-about-restaurant-online-ordering-system/
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