Online ordering system is a feature that can very much make or break a restaurant business. Maybe it sounds a bit preachy but these days it is hard fact.
These online food ordering systems provide a quick and easy way to earn more revenue from your restaurant and are relatively easy to set up. Online ordering has caught up as one of the favorite additions to restaurants due to the significant advancement and proliferation of mobile technology.
These software provide a greater convenience to the customer and allow them to place an order without dialing a number or visiting your brick and mortar location. These software enable the customer to easily place an order without the fuss of waiting over busy phone lines or actual lines at your location.
Are you looking for an effective way to boost sales and save operational costs in your restaurant? This article covers this issue in detail. Learn more about online ordering for restaurants and why every restaurant should have one?
What is a Restaurant Online Ordering System?
A restaurant online ordering system is an online representation of your menu, where customers can browse your menu and place an order. They are designed to work on many devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops, so your customers can order at their convenience.
Using a restaurant ordering system, you can set up your restaurant menu and run customized promotions. Your customers will love the option to place an order from the comfort of their own home or when they are on the go – through their smartphone.
What are the Benefits of Using a Restaurant Online Ordering System?
Online food ordering systems provide a decent return on investment. For a small monthly subscription, you can set up this software for your restaurant. Not only it increases revenue but it also increases productivity.
Some of the top reasons for using online ordering for restaurants include:
Mobile Friendly Ordering
Online ordering makes it possible for the customers to simply order using their mobiles from their homes or workplaces very easily. 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.
Makes the Ordering Process Easier
In a normal take-out setting the customer has to call the restaurant, for that the customer requires a contact number, then the customer needs to write down the items on the menu she wants to order.
This is quite a painstaking process, and at the receiving end, the restaurant needs to process the order which doesn't make it any easier.
In an online process, the customer completes all of this in one go, selecting the items from the menu and mentioning any other details. No hassles, the order gets placed on the system and can be processed by the restaurant very quickly. It provides a simple and efficient and it establishes a good takeout experience.
Orders are ‘Right’ all the Time
Often orders are misplaced due to faulty communication. And usually, this happens over the telephone. This can happen due to a noisy background. And during peak hours kitchens are not known to be very quiet places.
This may result in wrongly heard item and establish an ill rapport with the customer.
Any wrong order can be bad for future business for your restaurant. As it kills future business opportunities from the customer.
An online system correctly provides the information to the restaurant and keeps the process easy for the customer which is always a good thing to do!
Keeping the Costs Transparent
In an online ordering system, the customer is sure of the costs incurred and there is no problem regarding the costing of the items.
There is no guessing and hidden costs. This will establish a good relationship with the customer and in future promise you more repeat business.
Monitor Expenses incurred in Real Time
Online ordering system gives a precise information of the cash flow in the restaurant. By accepting payments on a digital platform you will give more reasons for your customer to come back again.
You also get to keep track of costs incurred during preparing an order and compare it to the cost you are giving it to the customer and keep a very keen eye on your profits.
In a day when you receive hundreds of orders, this system will give you an accurate monetary translation of each order without having you look into cash registers and order notebooks.
Reduce Human Error
In a manual system a lot is dependent on the staff member receiving the order.
It involves so many variables, and why should you put your business in an unpredictable condition. Even the most experienced of the servers can make a mistake while taking an order.
An online ordering system reduces these errors as everything can be checked before ordering and they are received in a well-formatted manner which makes them easy to process.
Free Marketing
Get your restaurant out on every social media platform available. Be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Plus and much more. An online presence promises better marketing tools which can be used to get more customers.
Don’t be hesitant to spend a bit on public relations, it is a really good investment. Cover the events of the restaurants regularly on these platforms, give unique “peek in” into your kitchen, showing the process of how the food is being prepared.
Establish yourself as someone who really cares about the customers, and doesn't be shy to show it. Use these social platforms to their fullest. Showing the human side of the business can mean a whole lot when you engage with your customers over various social media. Inside peeks of your kitchen, a team lunch can really show a positive side of your business.
Loyalty
The key is to achieve better loyalty is to actively maintain a social media outreach and reward your customers with little discounts and giveaways, especially to those who reach you by the online platform.
Think of the youngsters who spend a loooot of time on the phone, everybody does that nowadays but here’s the catch. How many effectively use it as a marketing strategy to engage more customers.
You need to put in a bit effort to convert these one-time goers into regulars. And your loyalty program can be the answer to this.
Using a restaurant online ordering system, you can start to enhance the online visibility of your brand. The online food ordering system will let you upload your menu online, you can edit your menu with just a few clicks and no fuss of editing and printing. Online ordering software will enable you to receive online orders from your website, facebook page and any other social media platform you wish to utilize. This will also provide a boost to your website’s search engine optimization. This will not only help you attract more customers, it will give you more online exposure.
The greatest benefit will come from the customer satisfaction that it brings. Your customers will love having the option to place orders online. And nothing is better than repeat business!
How Can You Set Up an Online Ordering System for Your Restaurant?
Setting up online ordering for restaurants is a simple and quick process. With a good online ordering software, you can have your menu uploaded and receive online orders within a matter of hours. After signing up, you can upload the menu and customize the software for your needs. You can input your address, operating hours and such. A good restaurant ordering software will provide prompt support to resolve any of your issues.
Setup Your Restaurant Online Ordering System
You may have already noticed, but the majority of the top restaurant chains is already using online ordering for restaurants. Customers love having the option to place an order online and it can streamline the process of handling orders. If you do not get on board with your own restaurant online ordering system, you will soon be behind the times.
For any further queries and suggestions, you can reach us at info@restolabs.com. To get started with your own restaurant online ordering system, Sign up for your free trial now.
