Online ordering for restaurants has been the Food and Beverage industry’s saving grace. The pandemic took an instant and devastating toll on restaurants all across the country with so many being forced to fold due to a lack of business. Those who have managed to stay afloat have done so mainly because of delivery and pickup, with orders coming in mainly virtually.
Using an online platform to order food is becoming so entrenched that it is absolutely certain that online ordering for restaurants will remain popular even once we have put this pandemic behind us. While an online ordering system can bring in a lot of business, simply having one is insufficient. Customers need to know about it. You need to get the word out that your restaurant offers online ordering.
Here are five effective ways to promote online sales:
01. Use your website
Your website is now even more important than your brick-and-mortar restaurant. It is often the first point of contact for your customers and so you need to take special care about its design and content. Given the kind of traffic your website generates it also becomes the perfect place to promote online ordering. But do not just hide it away in some unseen corner – have it right up there, somewhere central, preferably as one of the first things a visitor will see. Make it big and bold and maybe even try using some animation to grab attention. Link it directly to your online ordering system – customers are more likely to order with you when they realize that all they need to do is simply click that button.
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02. Run exclusive online order promotions
Make discounts and some other benefits exclusive to online orders. Everybody loves a good deal. Some people even go in search of these when trying to order a meal. Reduced prices are appreciated even more during these times of pay cuts and other pandemic-induced financial difficulties. Discounts, two-for-one deals and ‘get a free XXX with…’ offers are order magnets drawing more customers your way. You should publicize these promotions on every channel available to you – your website, social media platforms and even receipts. Actually, especially receipts – these are a great tool to drive repeat orders – you can make additional special offers through a code printed on the receipt. Reward a customer for their purchase and you will be rewarded with their regular patronage.
03. Post on social media
4.76 billion people around the world now use social media. Social media is a goldmine for restaurants. It is a place to be discovered and build a following. Use all your social media platforms to tell your followers about your online ordering service. Post tantalizing photos and videos of your dishes and entice them to order them online. Encourage your patrons to post about the food that they have ordered online and tag you. Go a step further and create your own hashtag. If you can, come up with something that incorporates the idea of online ordering or at least suggests it. Use this hashtag widely and persuade your customers to use it too. Each social media platform has millions of users – that is a whole lot of publicity for your online ordering system
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04. Add it to your Google My Business Info
We turn to Google almost by reflex when looking for information. Google My Business makes sure that your restaurant is easily discoverable by hungry diners. If you do not have a Google My Business listing already, you should not be wasting any more time – get with the programme and claim your listing! Include the online order option in it so that it will appear in search results. For those of you who already have a Google My Business listing, update your details by adding the online ordering option. You can also publicize your online ordering service on the ‘Posts’ feature of Google My Business.
05. Stay visible in the real world
While going hammer and tongs in the digital arena, you must not overlook the potential of outdoor publicity. Paste printed notifications of your online ordering site on your storefront and windows. If you are one of the lucky ones that is able to open for dine-in customers, then use the tables and counter spaces too for the notices. Push your online ordering on any outdoor advertising you may already have. While people’s movement may be curtailed, they are not completely stuck indoors. Take advantage of the outings they make to the supermarket, drugstore or for exercise and get noticed via those good old-fashioned printouts, posters and billboards.
Conclusion
Online ordering for restaurants is currently one of the primary revenue streams for F&B outlets. For it to work for your establishment, you need to let people know that the option is open to them. The logic is simple: the more people who get to know about your online ordering system, the more orders you will get. So go ahead and spread the word!
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