10 Big Advantages Of Your Own Online Ordering System For Restaurants

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The introduction of online ordering for restaurants helped them to optimize different areas of their operations that needed improvement.

It has addressed operation to customer-related needs that guided restaurateurs to success on their online optimization journey.

Online ordering systems can provide answers for your revenue, management, customer, and even staff concerns. It may be the closest one-size-fits-all solution that you may be looking for.

If you’re new to online ordering integration, partnering with third-party online order providers may appear to be a great option for you, but through this article, you’re about to uncover why creating your own is the best step you can make for your restaurant now.

Advantages of Having Your Online Ordering System

Third-party online ordering providers may help you when you’re just starting, but take time to learn the big advantages and effective ways to achieve drastic restaurant growth once you work with your in-house online ordering system.

No high-commission fee

This is considered the crown jewel advantage of having your online ordering system.

An average full-service restaurant business operates with 3-5% profit margins after accounting for different expenses such as rent, labor, and food costs, and adding monthly commission fees affects this number. It might be workable but don’t let your restaurant operate on very thin ice, and start working on your expenses.

You don’t have entire control of your expenses, but there are areas you can manage, such as subscription and commission fees to different types of software and programs. The leading third-party apps such as UberEats and Just Eat operate on a commission fee ranging from 30-35%.

They may help you generate customers for your online ordering service but they are eating your revenue in the long run.

Creating your ordering system online may have an upfront cost but it serves you great deals in the long run. There are no high commission fees to pay, and all your revenue from your online orders on your website or app (if you decided to create one) will be all yours.

Control over online orders and deliveries

Since it is your ordering system everything is under your control, starting from confirming online orders to tracking your deliveries. It may look like additional work on your end, but since everything is automated, there are tools available that can help you with these tasks.

Also, online orders will be more accurate since your customer will be sending them directly to your website or system.

Special and additional requests will also be clear on both ends, and mix-ups and confusion are unlikely to happen.

Boost in sales

This comes naturally as customers love online food ordering and delivery. In the UK, online ordering usage has grown at a steady rate since the pandemic started.

Takeaways and deliveries are a huge part of the Food Industry in the UK. Two of the largest third-party online ordering apps for restaurants are based in the UK.

Generating and managing your online orders without costing you a high-commission fee will greatly contribute to the growth and increase in your sales.

Upselling privileges

If it’s your online food ordering system, then you have the authority to customize it however you want it to appear and function for your customers. This gives you a lot of opportunities and privileges, one of which is the upselling privilege.

Since it’s easier for customers to complete their transactions, because of the seamless and user-friendly platform that you provide, they’re most likely inclined to spend more.

Upselling and cross-selling on your platform allow your revenue to grow 10% more.

Management of finances

Systems for online ordering are way more than online order management. It also functions as a backup for your administrative tasks under the sales and accounting department.

It produces accurate and easy-to-understand reports which you can use to analyze your current business health.

All data and information that your ordering system encounters are recorded, therefore, you can monitor every movement happening under your management. It will be easier for you to monitor your finances, create sales reports and forecasts, and launch marketing campaigns.

Own necessary data

Every type of useful and essential data will be in your hand. This is great news for you, especially now that the competition is moving in a data-driven path.

Owning essential data such as your customer data is one of the highlights of having created your online ordering system.

If you have data such as name, birthday, contact information, average spend, frequency of visits, most popular menu item, and the like, you can create various effective marketing campaigns, sales forecasts, and you can also use this to handle your staffing more efficiently.

Marketing opportunities

There is creative freedom on how you want to market your restaurant and its services if you have an in-house online ordering system. Third-party apps are a great way to raise brand awareness but since it caters to a lot of restaurants, brand retention is not often part of the package. You can also endorse new trends in the food and health industry like Keto Trim to your clients.

If you’re currently in partnership with a third-party app provider, it is wise that you slowly market your ordering service through their platform by encouraging your customers to order directly on your website or own app.

If you started as an independent business right from the start, more or less, you already have an idea of how to target your customers. You’re now capable of crafting different effective and targeted campaigns for your customers.

Growing brand awareness and retention leads to a stronger online presence and this gives you an edge over the competition.

Wider customer base

If you start launching targeted marketing campaigns on your target demographic, you now have a wider reach for your customers.

These campaigns are based on the data that’s working for your current market, so there’s a high possibility that they will work with the same demographic, or the same group, or even the same company.

Also, since you also have full control over your delivery service, you can adjust your delivery area accordingly. It allows you to cater to as many customers as you can while still monitoring your capacity.

Command over customer experience

You now have the opportunity to establish organic and genuine relationships with your customers. Third-party apps often have customer support that relies too much on scripts and is mostly apathetic to customer’s concerns as they have different goals in their work.

But if you create your own dedicated customer support team, you can manage and control the customer service for your restaurant.

Make sure that you and your team share the same business philosophy and goals to ensure that they’ll deliver the customer experience that you envisioned for your restaurant’s growth.

Launch of customer loyalty programs

Let your customers feel that you value their patronage over your brand. You must know how to earn and take care of your customer loyalty. It is a rare gift nowadays, especially since every food business is trying to offer online ordering.

With the help of the data that you gathered through your system, build customer loyalty programs that are interesting enough to encourage your customers to sign up for them.

You must not forget to market this program for it to gather enough audience.

 

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