Fast and Easy: A major benefit of online food ordering for restaurants is that it makes it easier for customers to place their orders faster and faster and the restaurant receives them. It is ideal for both the customer and the restaurant, thus, you should switch yourself to this technology to get more profit.
No possibility of misunderstanding: The major problem with the telephonic order is that it causes many misunderstandings. Most of the times, the person who is taking your order fails to hear your voice clearly due to a mess on the line or any other reason, leading to the delivery of the wrong order. But with online food ordering, you can clearly customize it according to the requirements that cut all the confusion and keep the customers satisfied.
Less hassle: When placing an order, the customer takes a lot of time to think about what they really want, but with the help of online food ordering, this hassle goes away and one can simply ask for whatever they want. This will save the restaurant owner as well as the customer's time, thus, it is not a bad thing to try.
These are some of the benefits of online food ordering for restaurants that give you a reason to switch to such options available nowadays. This will increase the number of subscribers than before and make it easier for you to reach them. Furthermore, it wins their loyalty and makes tracking easier for them. If delivery is not possible for you, you can join hands with a company engaged in online food ordering and delivery services. This will expand your business, half your burden and give you a chance to gain more customers and credibility in the market.
1. Makes the ordering process easier
Traditionally, people had to make calls to place orders or drive to the restaurants for a take-out, then wait for the food to be prepared and delivered. Sometimes, placing an order on the phone means that there could be mistakes in order. Clearly, these aren't really the best solutions to order food from restaurants especially for people with busy lifestyles.
The best solution is switching over to online ordering. Restaurants owners can create a website or an app or both that will not only make the ordering process easier for customers but also streamline restaurant operations. Having an online ordering system can make the day-to-day operations more efficient for a restaurant. On the other hand, when a customer places an order online, they take their time to browse the menu and get familiar with add-on deals and offers that your restaurant must be offering. This can lead to an exponential increase in the total sale value per order.
2. Efficient customer and order management
An online ordering system for Restaurants helps enhance the customer-restaurant relationship by providing end to end Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. It provides a complete sales dashboard with information about new/active/canceled orders, lifetime sales details, etc.
It also comes with an order management system that streamlines the entire ordering process starting from order placement to final delivery.
Whenever customers place an order, an efficient online ordering system sends notifications via email or SMS to help the restaurant staff make the order execution faster. On the other hand, such software are also equipped with GPS systems that help you capture the entire address that in turn ensure timely and fast deliveries.
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3. Monitor your expenses incurred in real time
This is the greatest benefit of the online ordering system, it gives precise information about the cash flow in the restaurant. You get to keep track of costs incurred during preparing an order and compare it to the cost you are giving it to the customer, all this while keeping a track on the profitability. In a day when you receive hundreds of orders, an online ordering system will give you an accurate monetary translation of each order without having you look into cash registers.
4. Free and cheap marketing
By enhancing your brand’s online presence in the market, you can boost your sales with additional new and returning customers.
Having a strong online presence simply means being in front of your customers 24X7 without having to pay for expensive media advertising and billboards. How? Internet is a free community and all you need is a user-friendly website and a decent social media engagement on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram to reach your target audience. All this comes at a fraction of the cost that you would have spent on traditional means of marketing and promotions. You can also invest some time in creating a strong company profile on Google My Business so people looking out to order food in your area or in your delivery range can find your business with a quick search. Having a dedicated team that can post on social media regularly and engages with your customers will prove to be a good investment to drive traffic and sales on the website.
Pro Tip: Show the human side of the business and engage with the local community positively. Establish yourself as someone who really cares about the customers, and don’t be shy to show it. Use these social platforms to their fullest.
5. Better customers data
Who are your regular customers? What do they like ordering from your restaurant? Which food items are popular? Are they aware of the promotions and offers on the website? Do they prefer ordering from website or app? These and many other related questions can be answered using analytics and insights provided by a robust online ordering system for restaurants. This data is valuable since you can use it to send targeted promotions to your customers and entice them to keep coming back.
In-house solutions allow you to analyze ordering trends and customer preferences in depth so you can customize your menu, offerings, deals prices, and so on to provide a tailored experience to everyone.
6. The convenience of mobile ordering
From meetings to crowded areas, there are times when one may not be able to make a phone call to order food. Online ordering allows customers to order anytime, anywhere using their mobiles, tablets or other handheld devices. There is no need for the customer to reach out and make a call meanwhile disturbing their privacy or disrupting a meeting for a lunch order. With a mobile app, the customer can quietly place an order without the hassle of talking over the phone. A mobile-friendly website or app will make sure that you never lose a customer.
7. Stay ahead of the competition
Did you know there are only 2-3% of restaurants in the world that offer online ordering facility? This is your chance to make the most of this opportunity and make your restaurants available to your customers on their fingertips. With the growing consumer demand for faster, more convenient ways to order, independent restaurants are investing in this new takeout technology to stay ahead in the competition.
“In 2016, the percentage of restaurant orders placed online exceeded the quantity placed verbally over the phone”.
Domino’s Pizza introduced their online ordering system in 2010 and since then the company has grown to become the second-largest pizza chain in the world with the stock price rising from Rs 600 to Rs 15000.
Race ahead of the competition now!
8. Grow your bottom line
Because in the end, that's what that really matters!
According to the survey conducted by Restolabs' research team, it was found that Orders placed online are 20 percent larger on average, which means more revenue. When customers can browse the menu without feeling rushed by lines, they tend to spend more time deciding what to order. The math is simple: the more time they have to look over, the more they are likely to order. You can highlight specific items on menus and run promotions to influence their purchase. Now that’s profit!
Take the first step towards increasing your profits now.
9. Greater reach
Your restaurant seating capacity may be 100-200 at a time, or even less, but with online ordering, you can reach thousands of people at a time, and cater to a much larger number without having to make any additional investment in staff or infrastructure. All you need is a well-integrated online ordering system and you are good to go!
Want to grow beyond your physical limitations? Go online now!
Now it’s your turn
These 9 benefits do not scratch the surface of the numerous benefits of Online Ordering For Restaurants. Setting up an online ordering system sets up a restaurant for efficiency, growth and a steady increase in revenue.
Most people are online for hours every day. By implementing an online ordering system coupled with effective marketing strategies, you’ll not only meet your customers where they are, but you’ll also stand out as an innovative business. If you’re new to online ordering, a good way to start is to encourage customers to order on your site by offering discounts.
