Once you have your online ordering system is in place, the challenge can be to get regular customers to order online. Ordering online is convenient in a world where everyone is busy. It allows customers to enjoy your food in the luxury of their own homes. They pay as they order and only need worry about opening the door to take delivery of their delicious meal.
Online ordering is a win win situation for everyone. But, how do you get your customers to order online? Here are some strategies to help.
Websites are the biggest asset
Your website is your biggest asset. People searching for food search online so you need it to show up in search results. But this is not enough. When someone clicks on your website there has to be something worthwhile to keep them there. It is a reflection of your business and food so it has to make an amazing first impression.
Provide the information customers look for. Add your menu with prices. Don’t keep your prices a big secret. Link your own online ordering system to your website. Encourage people to order while you capture their imagination with your delicious offerings.
Educate regular customers to order directly from your website.
Drive all marketing to your website
Make sure you drive all restaurant marketing to your website. Ditch the third-party website references that take a commission for all your sales. All your marketing should contain your web address and details, and use social media to get the word out.
Shout it out
Shout it out to the world you are now master of your own destiny with your own online ordering system linked to your website. Launch your online ordering capability. Make it a big deal. Get people talking about your restaurant and the food you offer. Use social media, stickers, flyers and specials to create a buzz that tempts people to use online ordering to enjoy your food.
Stickers
Use stickers that advertise your online presence. They stick in people’s minds. They are affordable to produce so you don’t need to spend a lot of money. Give them away with every meal.
Stickers are a great marketing tool. They are a great reminder of the great food, service and convenience you provide through your online ordering system.
Flyer Drop
Don’t forget about flyers. They work and inexpensive to produce. Make sure to add your online ordering and website information in a prominent place on the page. Use bold letters so people cannot miss it. Organise a letterbox drop in target areas. You will be surprised how simple but effective flyer drops are at driving people to order online.
Discounts and specials
Offer exclusive discounts and/or specials to regular customers for ordering online. A great example is a customer receives a great discount for every fifth online order. Another idea is buy one and get one free, or offer a discount for first time ordering online. Even offer free delivery on orders of more than a certain value.
Remove commission providers from your Google listing
When Google adds third-party menu ordering sites to your restaurant listing, remove them. It is not as easy as it sounds but it is worth taking the time to do this. You don’t want them taking commissions for sales especially now you have your own online ordering system.
You may not even know you are listed on one of these sites. Google has been testing ads from third party sites by adding them into the local knowledge panel. Sometimes you may not even be aware as this is happening. It diverts your traffic to third-party ordering sites who charge you a commission for sales. These do not increase your actual orders or sales; the traffic was always yours. Make sure you add a link to your own online ordering in your Google listing. It will not replace the third-party site. You have to contact the third-party site and ask to have your business removed from there. Then contact Google to have the third-party site removed from your Google listing.
Brandjacking
Avoid brandjacking. Often third-party commission sites buy up domain names and extensions similar to a business already operating. This is to brandjack the businesses. People looking for you can end up on these websites instead of yours. To prevent this, buy up all the similar domain names to your own. Also buy extensions and point them to your own website. For example, if you buy bobspizza.com also buy bobs.pizza.com and the various extensions like .net and com.au, and any others relevant to you.
If your commission-based online ordering providers already have websites for your business name, demand that they release domain names to you. Once they do, you can point the domain names to your main website to drive all this web traffic to your own commission-free system. You may not think this will work, but remain firm and they will give your domain names back.
Website search engine optimisation
When your website isn’t performing well on Google, invest a little money and/or time by adding SEO to your website. If you don't know how to do this, or your website developer is charging you too much, get help. Takeaway Solutions can provide you with a proven SEO website solution for just $20 per month. Also talk to use about brandjacking , we can help have you domain names returned to you.