Many customers like ordering food online because it’s easy and convenient.
Estimates show that there will be 2.5 billion online meal delivery users by 2028. Meanwhile, food delivery revenues worldwide hit $760 billion, with approximately $300 billion coming from online meal delivery.
Do you want to follow the trend and improve your online ordering revenue in 2024? We can help you!
This article will discuss three effective strategies to maximize your restaurant’s online ordering revenue.
1. Use an Online Ordering System
Online ordering systems for restaurants are apps or software that allow food businesses to process online orders.
Here’s how an online ordering system for a restaurant works.
- Customers check your menu online via desktops, laptops, or mobile devices.
- Customers choose their orders and optionally add specific orders or delivery instructions (e.g., adding or removing certain ingredients).
- Customers pay directly through the online ordering system using their preferred payment option (ex., debit or credit card, online payment gateways like Apple Pay or PayPal).
- You process the payment securely from the online ordering system.
- Customers can wait for delivery or pick up their order at a specific time.
Here are a few benefits of using an online ordering system.
- Customization
Unlike third-party food ordering apps (ex., Uber Eats, GrubHub, and DoorDash), online ordering systems are often more customizable. They let you customize your online ordering system to suit your unique business needs.
- Increased revenue
Third-party apps like Uber Eats take around a 25 to 30 percent commission from restaurants, which eats into your revenue. Online ordering systems usually have transparent pricing and don’t charge you anywhere near 30 percent of your sales, allowing you to maximize your online ordering revenue.
- Customer rewards
Online ordering systems let you add loyalty programs that encourage customers to keep returning and ordering.
2. Implement a Customer Loyalty Program
An effective loyalty program will incentivize your customers to keep ordering from your restaurant, maximizing your order revenue and increasing customer retention.
The loyalty program you offer depends on your type of restaurant, the food you offer, and the customers you serve. Here are some examples to inspire you.
- Reward points as currency
You can implement a loyalty program where customers earn specific points depending on their order. They can track these points using their account with your restaurant and use it as currency to pay for orders.
For example, every $10 that customers spend could equal $1 of online currency they can save until they have enough points to order something from your menu.
- Points for star collection
You can also implement a program where customers earn one star for every order that reaches a specific amount. Then, once customers collect a certain number of stars, they get a free item from your menu, whether it’s a drink, dessert, or an entire meal.
You can set how many stars or points customers must collect before getting a reward, whether 5, 10, or 20 stars.
- Subscription
Implement a subscription program where you reward customers for reaching specific milestones or goals. For example, you could reward customers according to the number of orders they make monthly or the length of time they’ve been a member.
You can also implement paid subscription tiers where customers get bigger and better rewards based on their tier.
When launching a paid subscription program, ensure the cost is proportional to the rewards. Customers won’t want to pay $10 for a subscription if the only monthly reward is a $2 item from your menu.
You can simplify the process of implementing a customer loyalty program by using a customizable online ordering system that lets you integrate your own rewards programs.
3. Offer Multiple Payment Methods
Nowadays, customers want things to be quick, easy, and secure, especially with online transactions. Foster loyalty and make customers’ lives easier by letting them pay via multiple methods.
Here are the most common payment methods you can offer.
- Cash
Although cash isn’t as common as it used to be, offer cash as a payment method just to be safe. Some customers may still prefer to pay cash once their deliveries reach their doorstep.
- Credit or debit cards
Your online ordering system should be able to accept major credit and debit cards from Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express.
- Mobile payment gateways
Mobile payment options are more popular than ever, accounting for approximately 50 percent of all e-commerce payments in 2022.
Provide a positive and more streamlined customer experience by accepting payments via Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other mobile payment gateways. Customers prefer these methods because they’re fast and highly secure. These options don’t give merchants customer information, like credit or debit card numbers.
Offering as many payment options as possible is easy if you use an online ordering system that integrates seamlessly with various third-party technologies, like online POS tools.
Boost Your Restaurant’s Online Ordering Revenue Today
You can do many things to boost your food business’s online ordering revenue, and this article is far from an exhaustive list. However, using a customizable online ordering system is an effective way to start. With the right online ordering system, you can efficiently implement customer loyalty programs and offer various payment options.
Interesting Related Article: “How to Set up an Online Ordering System for Your Restaurant“