Do you have a drawer devoted to restaurant menus somewhere in your house? When it’s time to order dinner for your friends and family, do you find yourself rifling through the mess, looking for something specific, only to find that the number doesn’t work, the line is busy, or your menu is outdated? Do you hate having to call in orders?
You aren’t alone, and restaurants know this. They are only one of the many industries that are joining the app revolution, offering online and mobile apps to appeal to their patrons.
Recent studies show that restaurants who do not have mobile optimized websites or apps with mobile ordering available are actually losing out on money.
It is time to equip your business with an app, or you could actually lose revenue.
Part of being a successful restaurateur is by being forward thinking and quickly adapting to this fast-changing industry. Today, consumers want convenient and easy ways to order food from your restaurant. Luckily, that’s what an online ordering system can do for you.
1. Drives More Revenue
The most significant benefit of online ordering is the increase in revenue. Restaurants that offer online ordering get more orders, on average, than those who only accept orders placed over the phone or in-store. Not only that, but ticket sizes on online orders also average is higher.
When guests order online, they don’t feel rushed like they do in-person or by calling in. They order at their own pace and feel more inclined to browse through all your menu offerings, increasing add-ons, average order value, and bottom line.
2. Captures Valuable Customer Data
In-house online ordering systems capture customer data for your customer relationship management system (CRM). This data can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns and loyalty programs. Use it to attract new customers online, retain your hard-earned ones, and drive repeat purchases.
Online ordering systems provide insight into your customers’ spending habits, purchases, preferences, and more. Data from order patterns allow you to make personalized recommendations for up-selling and a custom ordering experience.
3. Consumers Expect It
With the rise in off-premises dining, it has become apparent that consumers gravitate toward restaurants that offer convenient ordering options.However, it doesn’t stop there. Ordering needs to be easy to navigate the moment a guest reaches your website. Research has found that diners will avoid ordering from a restaurant if the menu is difficult to navigate, particularly on mobile. Make sure you’ve taken the time to get a website created or updated and that the ease of use of your ordering platform is topnotch.
4. Restaurants are jumping on the trend.
The food service industry is already participating in mobile apps and online mobile sites. As of right now, few restaurants are allowing customers to submit orders via mobile phones, with a handful of those using apps, while the majority of restaurant owners think that it is an up-and-coming innovation that they may take advantage of in the future.
Studies show that restaurants who have mobile apps simply have more frequent business, which means they make more money. You’ll also save precious time by not having to field so many phone calls during business hours. Many businesses are even hiring extra staff to deal solely with online and app orders. The numbers speak for themselves.
5. Increases Order Accuracy
Call-in orders and orders from third-party platforms require you to manually enter your guest’s order into your restaurant’s point of sale (POS) to send to the kitchen. Restaurants are fast paced, and there’s room for error when servers are in a rush to input orders during service, or if they’re having trouble hearing customers on the phone. This leads to order error, food waste, and disappointed customers.
5. Optimizes Time & Labor
There are numerous other things that your staff needs to be doing other than spending time on the phone. Also, call-in orders can lead to mistakes such as:
- Accidentally hanging up on a customer
- Rushing to input orders leading to order error
- Giving inaccurate pickup times
- Miscommunication and extra time on the phone resolving the issue
7. Enhances the Customer Experience
As mentioned above, people are looking for quick-and-easy ways to engage with restaurants. The usability and experience customers have throughout every bit of your restaurant affects their impression of you.
From finding your restaurant online to checkout, to in-store or curbside pickup, all need to be simple, convenient, and easy to use.
If you need any help in building your ordering app we are here don’t hesitate to contact MEWS today and experience the trend.
MEWS is a full service web development Internet marketing company and technology integrator founded in 2003, by leading industry consultants with previous technology experience.MEWS is an Internet services and solutions company with interests in website development – Mobile applications– domain name registrations - web hosting.