The need to meet the demands of your customers can put so much pressure on you that you’re willing to not just give up profits, but actually lose money. Online ordering systems like GrubHub and UberEats are popular because of all their advertising to customers, but they take anywhere from 25-30% per order. Which means that at best you’re breaking even when selling through one of those big delivery providers.
If you’re like most restaurant owners, you’re hoping that the customer’s order through those delivery providers will lead to more orders directly through you. Unfortunately, this rarely happens.
You deserve better. You can do better. Using an online ordering system allows your restaurant to maintain control of your data and branding and, most importantly, keeps profits in your pocket. Here are some of the biggest benefits to using an online ordering system built for your restaurant.
Adapt to Today’s Demands
Given current events, your customers are looking for convenient ordering options. They want to securely place their order online and then choose the delivery option that best works for them.
By bringing your online ordering in-house with a tool like eHungry, you’re able to customize your options. You’re not just limited to pick-up or delivery. You can offer choices like curbside pick up (including the ability to ask for vehicle description) and contactless delivery, which have become expected by customers.
Get To Know Your Customers
Data = digital gold. When you bring your online ordering in house you get control and ownership of your customers’ data. Tools like UberEats keep email addresses and order history to themselves, which makes marketing to and understanding your customers nearly impossible.
By owning customer data you can get a better understanding of what your customers want from you and use that data to design promotions and menu options that appeal to them.
Simple Marketing
Marketing is all about figuring out your customers’ pain points. One of the most obvious ones for restaurants is the need for safe, secure online ordering. When you offer online ordering to customers you’re meeting that need.
This could be the one thing that sets you apart from your competition (aside from your amazing food).
Marketing your online ordering is super simple to get started:
- Add it to your website with a prominent button or link
- Post it on your social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
- Update your Google My Business (GMB) listing with your website and ordering links
- Mention it on your takeout menus
- Add reminder cards or flyers with every takeout bag
Increase Revenue
Have you ever been shopping on Amazon and found yourself adding extra items to your cart? It just…happens. Online ordering allows your customers to do the same thing. The average cost of an online food order is $50.
Your revenue can grow exponentially through not just online ordering, but also utilizing the upsell feature (included with eHungry). This feature allows you to suggest items that complement your customer’s order.
Instead of just allowing a person to order a pizza, you can suggest a dessert or drinks before they finish checking out. It’s easy, non-intrusive, and helpful to your customers.
Staying Ahead
Bringing your online ordering in house allows you to stay ahead of those who aren’t yet offering online ordering and, because you started early, you’ll have that treasure trove of data that we talked about earlier, so developing marketing initiatives that keep you ahead in the game will be that much more easy.
eHungry is the most affordable, flexible, and simple online ordering system for restaurants. With us, restaurants keep their data and their profits. Give us a try for free today and see why thousands of restaurants trust us with their online ordering.