Restaurant ordering is one of those things that can improve the quality of life of your customers and staff if implemented correctly.
If you’re unfamiliar, online ordering consists of letting your customers order from your menu via their mobile phone, usually through QR code scanning.
Ordering apps are great, but might not be the most user-friendly thing. So, we’re focusing on a web-based solution that can be used on any platform!
Sit back and relax, because in this article, we’re going to be discussing the practical benefits of online ordering for restaurants!
Capture & Adapt to Younger Customer Bases
One of an online ordering system’s biggest benefits is being able to capture the younger customer base.
Gen Z customers (those born between 1997 and 2012) grew up natively using phone and computer screens, which means they’re used to using their phones to do most everyday things – including ordering their food.
Furthermore, many Gen Zers experience anxiety when ordering or booking reservations, often due to call anxiety, which impedes their ability to communicate verbally over the phone or in real life.
An online ordering platform can address these concerns, making it easy for them to make orders, whether they’re opting for takeout or dining in.
This not only caters to their digital preferences but also alleviates the stress associated with making phone calls.
Customers Can Pre-Order in Advance
Pre-ordering is a win-win: it streamlines the dining experience for your customers, particularly large parties, who can order and pay ahead, making sure their meals are ready upon arrival, without the need to wait.
For you, the restaurant owner, it’s a great forecasting tool, predicting sales and enabling bulk purchasing to cut costs.
Not to mention, it’s a data goldmine, which allows you to identify and engage your most devoted customers with tailored marketing strategies, to foster long-term loyalty!
Online Ordering Can Increase Revenue Organically
By far the best thing that comes from an online ordering system is definitely having the ability to increase revenue and upsell organically!
If you optimize your online menu incredibly well, you’ll be able to increase order basket size at a large scale – considering you might get hundreds of people viewing your menu every single day.
There are many ways to do this, but the simplest ways are to:
- Placing higher-margin menu items in strategic spots.
- Curating items for a ‘Best-Sellers’ section for people who are unsure of what to order.
- Motivate users to purchase add-ons when ordering.
- Encourage and make it easy for upsizing.
- Prompting cross-selling messages whenever certain items are placed in the basket.
- Adding a ‘Customers Also Enjoy’ section at checkout.
These are just a few of the many ways that you can optimize an online menu to increase sales!
You can also do the same thing for your very own online delivery system, which means more sales on takeout and delivery!
Online Ordering is Great for Large Groups of Customers
When you’re serving large groups of customers, an online ordering system will help tremendously.
Not only can you reduce the rate of errors and improve order accuracy, but you also make it easy for your customers by letting everyone order individually.
This means that your waitstaff won’t have to go around the table, taking orders one by one.
If your restaurant might have a lot of different add-ons and special requests, like maybe an Italian restaurant – this could be something that can be a game-changer.
This leads to better table turnover and faster service for your customers, and ultimately leads to a better customer experience!
Environmentally-Friendly & Flexibility
An online ordering system also allows you to edit, remove, or add menu items or other add-ons whenever you want, without the need to keep printing new physical menus.
TerraSlate mentioned that it could cost restaurants $50 for a single menu cover, now imagine you want to edit an item every few months. Even if you only need 30 menus in your restaurant, that’s still up to $1,500 every time!
This doesn’t even take into account everyday stuff like wear and tear and customer or staff clumsiness – which could add up over time.
This is coupled with the fact that menus are usually made from paper and plastic, which can be an environmental hazard.
Being able to add or edit menu items whenever you want is one of those quality-of-life changes that is seriously underrated!
Data Collection & CRM Integration
Most good online ordering systems can also help you collect customer data. Don’t take this data lightly, as it could very well make or break your restaurant.
Some key metrics that are incredibly helpful are:
- The average customer basket size.
- Popular item in a certain customer segment.
- The average amount of people per table.
- Time taken from ordering to payment.
- Special requests from loyal customers.
The data collected from your online ordering system can be integrated with your customer relationship management (CRM) system, which gives you access to data at a glance so you can which area of your operations needs improvement.
Decreases Administrative Workload Significantly
Online ordering can also be a lifesaver for your waitstaff, especially during rush hours.
With wait staff having to bring orders, attend to customers, and take orders while maintaining accuracy – it can be overwhelming and lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction.
Yes, some customers do prefer ordering with waiters, but that doesn’t mean online ordering doesn’t have its place in your restaurant.
It doesn’t hurt to provide an extra option for customers when they’re dining in. For those who are okay with using an online ordering system, it can be a great convenience when they can’t get a waiter’s attention.
Not to mention, it’s one less thing that waiters have to put their emphasis on.
Online Ordering Allows for Delivery and Pickups
Another overlooked benefit of online ordering is that it’s a great avenue for customers who want to skip the dine-in rush altogether and get delivery or pick-up orders instead.
During peak hours, wait staff might not be able to answer the phone and take orders, they usually barely have enough time for all the dine-in guests.
Since your restaurant has a finite amount of space to seat customers, having an online delivery platform allows you to diversify and get more sales while having the same amount of foot traffic.
Not to mention, having your own online ordering/online delivery also lets you pivot away from using third-party delivery platforms like DoorDash and UberEats.
As you might already know, these platforms can charge up to 30% in commissions on every order!
If you need something like this to diversify your online orders, click the button below to contact us! We can also give you your own online delivery platform to help you diversify!
Smoother Customer Journey & Higher Conversion from Marketing
An online ordering system is also what makes digital marketing effective! Let us explain.
Here’s our rationale: By setting up alternate campaigns on platforms like Facebook or Google, you can direct your customers straight to your website’s online ordering portal, where they can easily place orders for either pickup or delivery.
Having this setup streamlines the customer’s path to purchase, reducing the steps needed for conversion compared to directing them to your physical business location.
The risk of losing leads after they exit your website landing page is mitigated, keeping the lead warm.
By implementing separate campaigns focused on pickups and deliveries, you enhance your conversion rates due to the simplified actions required from your customers to generate revenue.
The key is to diversify and supplement your existing ads for more options, to make sure you have the highest return on investment (ROI) possible!
Feedback & Review Collection
Gathering feedback is incredibly important for any business, particularly for restaurants, as it gives insights as to what you can improve on.
However, a common problem is that customers usually only post reviews if they’ve had exceptionally positive or negative experiences.
This eventually results in a disproportionate number of 1-star and 5-star ratings, leaving out the middle and skewing the overall feedback.
As you might’ve already guessed, an online ordering system can solve this issue. A good one can automatically prompt customers to leave a review post-purchase via email or text, directing them to a CSAT survey or your Google Business Profile.
To further encourage balanced and honest feedback, you can try providing an incentive, such as a discount voucher for future orders.
This not only motivates honest reviews but also fosters customer loyalty and repeat business!
A voucher management system (like the one we’ve got, Click2Redeem), allows for QR code vouchers to be sent directly to your customer’s email!
Plus, you can validate it on your end without any hassle!
Click the button below to check out our voucher management system page to find out more!
Hey there! I’m Jeffrey Hau, and my journey in the digital world started after I wrapped up my psychology degree at UCLA. Imagine coming back to the bustling streets of Hong Kong from the tech haven of Silicon Valley – it was a whirlwind of inspiration! Seeing how social media platforms were evolving at breakneck speed and realizing the limitations of traditional advertising in this digital age, I decided to dive in.
In 2012, I laid the foundation of Prizm Group. From our humble beginnings, we’ve now blossomed into a global powerhouse with a team of over 200 passionate professionals. Our HQ is right here in Hong Kong, and we’ve spread our wings to SG, AU, NZ, JP, and China.
As a digital problem solver, our team found that several industries are in need of reservation systems, especially for F&B, Hotels, Beauty, and Medical sectors. Our digital magicians started crafting reservation systems tailored to cater to these specific needs. We extended our expertise to e-commerce, voucher management systems, and campaign management systems, combining them into KlikNRoll – an all-in-one solution. We deep dive into various industries, understanding their unique challenges and developing innovative solutions.
We’re not just a company; we’re your dedicated partners in transforming how you navigate the digital landscape. Our passion lies in providing businesses with intuitive and tailored solutions using KlikNRoll’s powerful capabilities.
Ready to embark on this exciting digital adventure with us? Let’s make your brand stand out in the digital jungle!
