Posted in: Restaurant Business
5 Keys to Making Your Restaurant Online Ordering Easy to Use
Red Tractor Pizza has an Online Ordering link in their navigation and a feature in their slider area.
If you’re looking for a way to boost sales for your restaurant, there is a simple solution:
Restaurants that offering online ordering enjoy an increased amount of pickup and delivery orders, and as well as larger order sizes; not to mention an increase in customer loyalty (more loyalty = more sales).
In this day-and-age, when people have jam-packed schedules and are extremely limited on time, online ordering helps to simplify their lives. Just imagine yourself running around, carting the kids around, running errands and attending to all of your other responsibilities after you have put in a full day at work. The very thought of trying to prepare dinner is daunting. Then you remember that your favorite restaurant offers online ordering – dinner solved!
Yes, online ordering really is quite appealing. But, in order for it to be a success, you want to make it as easy for your customers to use as possible.
So, how can you make your online ordering option easy for your customers to use? Try these tips:
1. Easy to Locate
The first key to making your online ordering option as easy for your customers to use as possible is making the option easy to locate. When your customers visit your website, they should be able to see the online ordering option right away.
If they have to search around for the option, they may get frustrated, or think that you don’t have this option available, which could cause them to click off your site and onto another one. So, make your online ordering option easy to find.
Make the button a bold color and place it right along the top, or the side of your homepage. (tweet this)
2. Easy to Read
Your online ordering should also be easy to read.
Make sure that your menu is very clear. It should be broken down according to the different options; appetizers, sandwiches, main courses, etc – just like the hard copy of your menu. Also, make sure that the descriptions are clear and that the font is large and easy to read.
3. Visible Total
Your customers are going to want to know how much their order comes to before they make a payment; whether they make that payment online or in your store.
Your online ordering option should clearly highlight the order total, including a breakdown of any tax that you may charge. (tweet this)
4. Online Payments
In order to make the process of ordering online even easier, offer the option for paying online. Sure, some customers may want to pay when they pick up their order, but even more will want to pay as soon as they place their order. With this option, all they have to do is walk in to your restaurant and pick up their order; it doesn’t get much easier than that.
5. Mobile-Friendly
Making your online ordering mobile-friendly can increase orders.
A recent study found that 34% of the people who own a mobile device use that device as their primary Internet source and that number is growing.
So you’re going to want to make sure that your online ordering option is mobile-friendly. Your customers should be able to easily access, read and use your online ordering option from their mobile device.
Conclusion
There is no denying the powerful effect that online ordering can have on the success of your restaurant. However, if this option isn’t easy to use, you could actually be driving your customers away. By incorporating these keys into your online ordering, you will be sure to increase customer satisfaction, which will allow you to enjoy increased success.
Have you integrated any of these tactics into your online ordering option?
If not, and you need help figuring out how to set up successful online ordering, reach out to us to set up a free consultation. We will help you make this option an absolute breeze for your customers to use.
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I liked ….. but If the project site for more than a restaurant
can I get A feasibility study project order food via the Internet
Great to know that you save when combining restaurantengine.com with opendining.net,
Good article that is lacking one important piece of info…You’ve offered no solution whatsoever to an online ordering system.
Thanks – The system we recommend would be RestaurantEngine.com, with Online Ordering powered by OpenDining.net (you save when combining our services). Any questions, feel free to reach out!