The convenience of making a reservation, placing an order, and having food delivered entirely online has become the standard. Many business owners in the restaurant industry have taken note of the growing technological dependency of their customers. Restaurants that don’t have a strong online presence and food portals for taking online orders will fall further behind the competition.
If you want to be successful in the restaurant business, you need to cater to the preferences of your potential consumers by providing them with a solid online ordering option. But why do eateries gain from having an online ordering option?
No Loss profit to third-party Commission
If your restaurant is one of the many that uses services like DoorDash, UberEats, and Skip the Dishes for delivery, then you are well aware of the pros and cons of working with these companies.
Using these order-gathering platforms comes with a significant price tag, as the more people who order from you, the higher the commissions you’ll have to pay. More visibility on these channels is beneficial but comes at a cost.
Despite over 43% of restaurant owners believing that third-party apps create an interference between the restaurant and the customer, it’s surprising how many eateries fail to consider the demand from diners to place orders directly with them. Particularly now, when many people believe that the fees charged by these apps to restaurants are excessively high. According to recent research, more than 70% of customers would instead purchase via the restaurant’s website than through a third-party online meal ordering service.
Larger customer spending
Since 2014, online food ordering has grown by 300% faster than dine-in, and it now accounts for roughly 40% of total restaurant sales. Customers who order online rather than dine in typically spend more money. Customers using an online ordering system have more time to explore the menu, increasing the likelihood of an upsell or cross-sell.
Fewer Phone call interruptions
One of the most notable advantages of online ordering for restaurants is the simplicity of automation. It eliminates the need to take food orders over the phone. Your team will have more time to attend to other things, such as the needs of dine-in clients. And customers who prefer takeout or pickup will appreciate the convenience of ordering from your online menu.
Increases your restaurant’s Marketing ability
With the help of a reliable food ordering system’s built-in promotion engine, integrated customer database, and multi-channel campaign management, you can get more customers, advertise your deals, and make it easier to run your restaurant.
Among people who have never used a food delivery app before, 26% believe that coupons are a major incentive to try a new restaurant. You can create and release an offer or add discounts to orders with a few mouse clicks. The online ordering system also allows you to access your customer data to discover who to send promotional campaigns to. Additionally, you may monitor the success of your campaign in real-time.
The advantages of accepting internet orders for restaurants extend far beyond the simple facilitation of food sales. Having a solid system in place brings you and your customers much closer together.
Reduce ordering errors
Restaurants lose a lot of money when online orders go wrong. There is no room for misunderstanding, as there would be with a phone order because the consumer is responsible for their selections.
You can also plan ahead for daily specials and promotions with our online ordering system. With this kind of automated marketing, your restaurant will grow with little work from your staff.
Reduce food waste and profit loss
Restaurants, especially those that are frequently full, lose a significant amount of money and food due to incorrect orders. It only takes a moment of a server’s undivided attention to accidentally mistake a customer’s phone request or serve the wrong dish. Both your business and your reputation can take a serious hit from these errors.
Customers can select menus and choose their preferred dishes through an online ordering system. By eliminating the need for any human intervention in the ordering process, your restaurant will save both time and money.
More growth opportunity
Maintaining a consistent flow of money is always a top priority for the owner or management when it comes to running a profitable restaurant. Having your full menu ready for online orders allows diners to place orders using their cell phones. This is one of the best strategies to increase your restaurant’s customer base is to advertise it online.
Online food ordering systems are profitable to the extent that they bring in a sufficient volume of orders. In addition, 34% of online food ordering customers spend more than $50 per order, and 45% of consumers say that providing mobile ordering or loyalty programs would encourage them to use online ordering services more often.
Built a Customer loyalty
When compared to one-time customers, repeat customers can create 67% higher revenue, highlighting the importance of implementing a customer loyalty program to keep these regulars coming back.
Unfortunately, not all online ordering systems for restaurants include sophisticated customer loyalty tools, which is a shame because they can significantly reduce advertising expenses. You’ll need this functionality, so make sure to choose a service like Blaabit that offers it.
How to find the right online ordering system for your restaurant?
If you’re looking for an all-inclusive online ordering system that can help you boost revenue while cutting expenses, look into a subscription-based platform. These tools will also make taking phone orders less of an inconvenience.
It’s important to find a service that lets you keep your customer and transactional details while charging no commission. You can count on that when you use Blaabit’s ordering system. The online ordering platform can also be customized to better reflect your company’s image.
By now, you may have found what you’re looking for in Blaabit, and here are a few more reasons why:
Easy integration with your website – Integration with your website is simple using our system. Payments are handled by Stripe, a safe online payment platform used by millions of customers and companies in the US and Canada.
Know your traffic better – The longer you collect data, the more precise your demand forecasts will get, allowing you to better plan for the future of your company as a whole.
Food ordering on automation – By taking orders online and automating the process, you and your staff will have more time to focus on other matters.
All the marketing that your restaurant needs – Marketing tools are one of Blaabit’s many unique selling points. You can boost your online sales with the use of built-in features like customer loyalty programs and promotional materials. Additionally, you can give your most loyal clients a little more of what they love by setting up special pricing on certain days and times.
An online extension of your brand – Blaabit provides comprehensive service to practically any style of restaurant, including fast food, food trucks, pizza parlours, catering firms, and smaller, local restaurants. In its entirety, the system is designed to look like an extension of your restaurant. Put your company’s logo front and centre on the online ordering page to demonstrate your brand’s individuality.
No commission fees and more profit – Blaabit lets you set up your own online ordering system without paying any commission, unlike other food portals. Simple menu engineering and upselling techniques can be easily implemented, leading to higher expected earnings per order.
Conclusion
Customers are increasingly preferring to place their orders online rather than over the phone due to ease and speed. With all these potential gains, the question becomes whether or not your business can do without an online ordering system.
