Convenience is the indulgent threshold by which a business is judged.
Free or fast shipping, online ordering, and responsive customer service are some of the sure fast ways into consumers’ heart and wallet. Online ordering is compelling some companies to rethink the structure of their operations – this is especially true in the restaurant industry. Giving consumers the option to order food online can be an enormous undertaking for a business, but necessary if one wants to compete and secure business longevity.
Whether you’re a retail store or a restaurant, consumers will expect you to offer online ordering. Millennials, the children who grew up using technology and can’t remember a time before the internet, are now young adults. Unsurprisingly, they’re most comfortable using their phones to text instead of call. Physically dialing a phone and calling to order a pizza or a piece of furniture is almost unheard of for this generation. They would much rather order it online. Businesses that are not willing to meet these standards of one of the most fiscally fickle age groups will lose out on potential business.
The restaurant industry has seen huge growth through online orders
Many restaurants, particularly small restaurants, note that an online presence helps drive sales. In fact, many millennials discover new restaurants through online searches. As previously mentioned, millennials are more likely to order their food online. The good news is that the time and effort you put into offering online ordering should be easily recouped and will help boost your overall sales.
Here are two common online ordering mistakes and how to solve them
1) It’s important to make this process as convenient as possible for the customer. If you require extra steps — logging into an account or creating an account, captchas, etc. — people may become frustrated enough that they abandon their purchases. Carefully consider the information that you absolutely must have to make a sale, and don’t require anything else, especially at the beginning of your endeavor.
2) Customers may not be aware that you offer online ordering. It is wise to advertise your online presence from inside your brick and mortar location by posting flyers or cards letting customers know they can now order online. Another way to increase your website traffic is to use social media to direct people to your website. You should also share any new inventory or special menu items.
Setting up an online ordering system can be a little time consuming, but it is an important change in the industry where the benefits will present themselves quickly. We’re happy to walk you through your options and help you set up an online ordering system. Once that’s set, you can bet that we’ll help you keep it up to date and integrate it into your other marketing efforts.
