5 Ways For Restaurants To Improve Their Online Sales

In recent years, the increased prominence of food delivery apps as well as the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the act of ordering food online from an optional extra to a core component of numerous restaurants and eateries.

With the online food ordering and delivery industry set to expand even further in the coming years, businesses have to start investing in a restaurant online ordering system to keep up with the needs and demands of their patrons.

Of course, having an online ordering system is the first step. In this article, we will discuss five ways you can help promote online ordering for your restaurant to take advantage of it properly.

1. Integrate Online Ordering With Your Point Of Sale System

While popular third-party online ordering partners can help expand your reach, directly integrating an online ordering platform into your restaurant’s POS system gives you more control over your sales.

The seamless integration of online ordering and POS systems allows restaurants to streamline their business operations. As orders made online are sent directly to your POS system straight from the customer, this greatly eliminates communication issues as the customer submits precisely what they want with no room for misinterpretation.

By having an integrated online ordering system, you can improve both order accuracy and customer satisfaction, resulting in more repeated orders and improving online sales.

2. Promote Your Web Ordering Platform Online

To promote your restaurant’s online ordering system, having a dedicated online presence is a must.

If you have a website, include a button that links directly to your online ordering platform. Have the link positioned visibly on your home page, raising customer awareness and making the online ordering platform easily accessible.

If you have social media accounts for your restaurant up and running, make sure to share the link for your online ordering platform on each of them. It costs you nothing and is a great way to promote your online ordering services.

With easy access to your online ordering platform, customers will be more inclined to place orders, which can help drive up your online sales.

3. Create A Google My Business Profile

Google is an incredible asset for reaching out to potential customers, and this applies to individuals looking for their nearest take-out and delivery options. If someone has never heard of your restaurant before, odds are they’re going to Google it to find out more.

Google My Business (GMB) is a local business listing service that allows you to optimise and manage the information that customers see when they search up your restaurant on the Google search engine.

With GMB, you can publish your business information, post your menu, and put up photos of your dishes and your latest offers. Having a GMB profile can increase your digital presence and promotes your online ordering platform, allowing you to reach more local customers and increase online orders.

4. Have Flexible Online Ordering Options

Try offering various food collection options, such as scheduled home delivery or self-pick-up, for the convenience of your customers. The added flexibility makes ordering food from your restaurant even easier and can even boost your sales numbers.

That being said, it is essential to manage customer expectations with delivery and pick-up by providing an estimated time for preparation and the delivery/pick-up to be completed. Customers will appreciate knowing how long they can expect to be waiting, and they’ll be more likely to order again.

5. Offer Special Promotions Through Online Ordering

A dedicated POS system can offer insights on what and when your customers make their orders, with detailed data analytics on your sales throughout business hours.

Attractive offers are a great way to entice your customers and bring in more income for your business. Change up your products and offer special discounts on the days of the weeks where sales are lower or incorporate promotions and discounts to attract more consumer interest.

What Next?

Stepping into the world of online food ordering and delivery can be tough, but now that you have a proper online ordering system in place and have taken steps to promote it, the only thing to do now is to deliver the quality food that your customers deserve.