The Business Behind Online Ordering
There are multiple reasons why any restaurant today should at least consider online ordering. Besides the obvious, which is, that most customers live online. The amount of time that most people spend online and on mobile devices is ever increasing. Millennials are said to spend at least 18 hours a day on social media. The greatest benefits to online ordering is in the ways it will increase your revenue and increase customer loyalty.
Increasing revenue is every restaurant’s bottom line.
Online ordering is proving to be extremely beneficial to increase business for restaurants. Restaurant owners who make use of online ordering have reported that their restaurants have become more visible to their customers and have increase sales even if their foot traffic is down. In fact a study by GrubHub (an online ordering company), reported that online sales were able to increase an additional 30% on average. As a matter of fact, one in five restaurants are said to have doubled their take out business due to online ordering. A study conducted by The National Restaurant Association states the over 60% of adults they surveyed stated that they were likely to order online. Studies have also shown that online orders tend to be larger than traditional takeout ordering. In fact it is agreed that they are over 23% larger! Because of the convenience of online ordering, customers can order at their leisure. They are able to browse your menu and are able to view at a simple glance all your restaurant has to offer. Online ordering is a great alternative for those who rather not cook and wish to dine at home after a busy day at the office.
Your restaurant’s efficiency is also increased by online ordering.
Mistakes are left to a minimum when customers are able to place an order themselves. Online ordering eliminates most of the need for customers to call in to your restaurant and run the risk of being misunderstood because of background noise or a bad connection. Customers will be delighted that their order was handled correctly and your staff will no longer have to re-make orders adding to your bottom line. Disagreements about what was ordered will also be avoided Most online ordering services connect the order directly to the staff member that it needs to get to and the transfer is immediate.
Also phone conversations occupy time from your staff.
More than 75% of ordering calls take more than a minute and another 30% can take more than 3 minutes. It is estimated that for every 100 orders placed from an online site, a restaurant saves 2.5 hours of additional staff time. Your staff can utilize this additional time for cooking, taking orders and interacting with guests. The benefits were even larger for small restaurants where staff is at a minimum.
There is a trend that online ordering may in fact save customers money.
Restaurants must now compete for customers. The movement is to increasingly engage with customers online. This means that customers will be reaping the benefits of online promotions including instant discounts and restaurants seeking to motivate customers to order online will drive their prices down. All of these factors will see a rise in customer loyalty.
The benefits for your customers can add to customer loyalty.
Everything your customer needs to know is visually displayed for them on the menu. There is no need for questions such as, what sides a dish comes with, if there are sauce options, or do you have gluten free? Software used for online ordering purposes gather valuable information for an establishment to get to know their customers. Besides gaining address, phone and email information, online ordering also acquires additional information that will benefit the restaurant and customer alike. The data will be able to track what the customer will most likely eat and when. This will allow restaurants the ability to fine tune menus in order to access new customers. Data such as this will also benefit customers by making the ordering process more concise and uncomplicated. Other information that aids in customer engagement is where they work and how much they spend weekly on food ordering. Another convenience for customers would be the ability to pay online, which not only simplifies the transaction but again adds to customer loyalty. All these elements should be considered when choosing an ordering platform.
Orders2.me has developed a software that seamlessly incorporates your present POS system with online ordering. Online ordering and the ability to pay online is directly cohesive with your current mode of operation. There are no hidden fees assuring that your revenue remains your revenue. Contact us so that we may acquaint you with our system.
The perks associated with online ordering can mean increased revenues and customer loyalty for your restaurant. It gives today’s restaurants the technology and the devices to encourage dialogue with your customers. And your customers will embrace online ordering in order to simplify their lives.