Recent years have seen a lot of change in trends for the restaurant business, one of them being the change in preference of customers from dine in to the food being delivered at their doorsteps. Obviously, many people still prefer to dine out but many now prefer that they can just order online and it can be conveniently delivered to them so that that can enjoy it in the comfort of their homes. Also, with the onset of the corona pandemic, most countries have gone into lockdown and others are taking extreme social distancing measures, which means online ordering and food delivery is probably the only option left to restaurants in these hard times.
Also, customers want that food can be delivered to them easily whenever they want and wherever they want. Whether it be a night in, or they feel like an early morning breakfast, successful restaurants are the one which are able to provide their customers complete convenience and ease in their delivery.
For all these reasons, online ordering is a must and, in this article, we will tell you what is online ordering, the importance of online ordering and different ways to do online ordering.
What is online ordering?
Through an online ordering system, customers can place an order using the restaurant’s website, app, or a third-party app. These orders can usually eb done through all kinds of devices, such as laptops or smartphones.
There are 2 different ways to do online ordering:
The restaurant’s own website
This method allows customers to place orders through your ow website. The good part? You get to keep all the money you make. The bad part? You can get overwhelmed with work and it might start to feel like a great burden. However, there are some POS companies that are there that can help customers order from your site and also let you keep all of the profits, for a fee.
Third-party online ordering
Some examples of third-party ordering apps are Uber Eats and Food panda, which have a wide variety of restaurants, and help you browse their app by location and type of food so you can get to know what is available in your area, what restaurant will take less time to deliver and what you would like to eat.
These are pretty beneficial for a restaurant, as you will get more exposure and customers will get to know more about your place and what it offers. However, the problem here is the cost. If you are on a low budget, it is possible you might not be able to afford these apps since they charge a good amount of money for their services.
What are the benefits of an online ordering system?
You make more customers
Some people prefer ordering online without having to use the phone to call a restaurant. Especially when someone wants to place large orders or customize their food dishes. For these customers, online ordering is key. If you don’t have an online ordering system, you are bound to lose them. Hence, this system helps you gain customers and makes them more aware about your restaurant and your menu.
More sales
Since the number of people ordering from you increase, so will your sales and your revenue will get a big boost.
Save precious time
An app will save your time since your staff will not have to cater to all the orders by phone and will be able to show more productivity in other areas. You can also focus more of this time on aspects of your restaurant you need to improve or develop.
You get more customers, more sales and greater revenue while saving time and spending a very little amount of money. What more would anyone want?
