Three Conversion Lessons from eCommerce Sites to Help Your Restaurant’s Online Ordering


Conversion Lessons Restaurant Website

Conversion is important for making the most of your restaurant website.

You’ve heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and you probably know the importance of a strong CTA (Call to Action). We’d like to introduce you to another vitally important acronym – CRO, otherwise known as Conversion Rate Optimization.

CRO is the optimization of your overall website design to raise your conversion rate. In other words, the goal is to get the highest possible percentage of visitors to your site to convert by ordering through your online menu.

A good restaurant website not only attracts visitors, but it should convert them to online ordering customers, restaurant visitors, or both. This is done through conversion rate optimization.

There is no middle ground in website conversions. You’re either converting visitors to customers, or you’re losing them. When it comes to ordering from your online menu, you want to keep the sale and in turn, the long-time customer.

According to a study, 50% of survey respondents ordered takeout or delivery 1-3 times per week. This astonishing number suggests the stakes are high when it comes to online ordering. The results show people are ordering take-out or delivery online; we want to make sure they are doing it on your website. In this article, we offer you three conversion lessons taken from ecommerce sites that will help you increase your restaurant’s online ordering success.

Show Your Menu Items with Big, Beautiful Photos

Restaurant Website Conversion

Big photos can entice people to come in and order your best items.

Images are powerful. They fill in the details and tell the story – can the website visitor “smell” that freshly baked bread? Is the meat grilled to perfection? Is the lettuce crisp? Quality photos entice your potential customer. Never use stock photography; stay authentic to your unique menu items.

The size of your photos matters, too. An econsultancy study found that increasing image size increased conversions. Use zoom lens for multiple sizes and click from varied angles to achieve better image displays. One online retailer found that offering a 360-degree spin on their images converted website visitors at a 27% higher rate than standard photos.

Use big, bright call to action buttons. Experiment with buttons of different sizes and colors. An A/B test by Hubspot found a red button outperformed a green button on the test site. Does this mean a red button will work better for you? Maybe, maybe not. We recommend testing colors on your page and with your unique audience.

Remember the ABCs and Don’t Forget the Upsell

ABC means always be closing.

Make checkout easy. Fine tune the details. (tweet this) Give your visitor next action links; always suggest where they should go next. Make a back button readily available in case they want to update their order.

Online ordering makes the upsell easier than in person because your online ordering system does the work.

Have you heard about the 60×60 rule?

It suggests 60% of your customers will buy an additional product worth 60% of the one they just bought when offered an upsell. If they order a pizza, suggest a salad, drinks or dessert. Since they are already in the process of purchasing items from you, they are likely to continue.

Use Reviews to Entice the Reader

Customers love to read reviews before purchasing. According to a recent Nielsen Trust in Advertising report, 92% of consumers said they trust reviews from people they know, but a startling 70% trust consumer opinions posted online.

Include testimonials for every menu item. For your reviews to be effective, they should be specific to each item, easy to understand and from a reputable source. This encourages people on the fence to try something new from your menu. Make it easy for your customers to leave reviews, too.

Go the extra mile: Take your online reviews to a new level. Snap a photo of a diner enjoying your food and post their review along with the photo (make sure to get written permission) and an attention-grabbing headline.  (tweet this)

The photo grabs your website visitor emotionally and prompts them to read the review. Additionally, you could include video testimonials. While text reviews are very effective, using photos and videos of real people adds an extra layer of validity.

A Few Final Action Items

  1. Have a mobile-friendly website: Make sure your mobile customer can order easily.
  2. Make checkout easy: Your checkout button should be readily available on all pages.
  3. Include a back button: Your customers may want to add or change an item. It should be easy for them to go back without losing any vital information.
  4. Offer a loyalty program: Show your diner you appreciate them with a discount for a specified number of online purchases.
  5. Follow up with time information: Send a confirmation email. Don’t leave them guessing. Let them know you received their order. Tell them what time they can pick it up or when it will be delivered. This extra step lets them know you value their time, encourages their repeat business and gives you customers for life.

Always Test Everything

We’ve covered just a few of the many website conversion factors affecting your online ordering. Your brand and your website are uniquely yours. Just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. We encourage you to test, measure, interpret and tweak your strategies. Start with one of these conversions lessons and fine-tune it before moving on to the next guideline.

Are you interested in setting up online ordering on your website? Contact us today to request your free consultation and learn more about our complete restaurant website package.

Images: Mark Ramsay & Founding Farmers

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