Are you still wondering whether it's worth implementing online ordering in your restaurant? Trust the figures! By 2024, home orders in France will represent sales of 10.3 billion euros, according to a study by Food Service Vision. 46% of consumers now order online(Les Echos). It accounted for 6% of sales, or 3.3 billion euros, in 2018.Â
To adapt to an increasingly connected clientele, with new eating habits, it has become essential for restaurateurs to embark on a digital transformation. How can you boost online ordering in your restaurant? Here are 7 tips to boost your restaurant's online sales.
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Being present on online ordering platforms or offering a live service improves your visibility and enables you to reach a wider customer base. With the rise of digital habits, not offering this option would be tantamount to depriving yourself of an important market share.
Online ordering increases the average basket thanks toupselling and cross-selling options . By simplifying the purchasing process and eliminating some of the constraints associated with in-store service, you can optimize your revenues while enhancing the customer experience.
Above all, customers are looking for convenience, speed and choice. Online ordering allows them to order at their own pace, avoid queues and benefit from a wide range of payment and personalization options. Offering this service means adapting to their needs and building long-term customer loyalty.
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Online ordering has become an established part of French consumer habits. In fact, the majority of restaurants now offer online ordering. It's a great way to generate additional revenue and improve profitability. But it's not enough to set up online ordering! You also need to promote it and encourage customers to use it... Discover our tips for boosting online ordering in restaurants.
Click & collect is a service that allows customers to place an order online, then collect it directly from the restaurant.
Since the Covid crisis, click and collect has become an integral part of French consumer habits. As customers are no longer able to eat on the premises, they have become accustomed to ordering online and then picking up their order to eat at home or at work. Long confined to supermarkets and fast-food outlets, click-and-collect is now making inroads into traditional foodservice.
On the restaurant side, the click and collect system makes it possible to :Â
Another major advantage of click and collect is that it maintains direct contact with the customer, who visits the point of sale to collect his or her products.
👉 Further reading: The ultimate guide to click and collect
As a complement or alternative to delivery platforms: you can choose to develop your own delivery service, with your own delivery drivers.Â
Home delivery is fast becoming one of the pillars of the restaurant market. For a restaurant, it represents a major competitive advantage, given that home delivery is not offered by all restaurants.
The benefits?Â
The drawbacks?
Order errors have a major impact on customer satisfaction. We recommend that you offer order tracking. In this way, your customers and delivery personnel can track the status of their orders in real time on a dedicated display screen.
👉 To find out more: Why franchisee Anthony hired a delivery driver
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To optimize your delivery strategy, it's essential to choose the right platforms to collaborate with. You can opt for a mixed approach, developing your own service while maintaining a presence on certain platforms.
Players such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat offer immediate visibility and attract new customers thanks to their high profile. According to a study by Statista, 60% of French Internet users have already had their groceries delivered to their home, and 42% have ordered meals, with Uber Eats remaining the favorite delivery service. However, not all platforms are created equal. Take the time to compare their commissions, their local audience and the services they offer (dedicated delivery drivers, payment management, customer support, etc.).
Bear in mind that these platforms charge relatively high commissions, up to 30% of the order value, which can impact your profitability. It's better to use them as an acquisition lever than to rely entirely on them.
Finally, explore other alternatives, such as specialized delivery platforms for businesses, which can represent an interesting and often more profitable line of development.
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You need to ensure your visibility and let your customers know that you offer online ordering. To do this, point-of-sale advertising (POS) has a profound impact on consumer buying behavior. POP refers to all the advertising media that can be present at the point of sale.Â
When it comes to online ordering, the aim is to draw customers' attention to the existence of click and collect or your home delivery service, for example. The aim is to capture customers' attention and encourage them to use online ordering for future purchases.
In concrete terms, you can advertise online ordering at your point of sale using a variety of media: posters on walls, displays and leaflets on counters, packaging, interactive screens and terminals, window advertising, etc.Â
It's all about highlighting the benefits of online ordering in a straightforward way, and getting customers interested!
To maximize the impact of your online ordering service, it's essential to focus on effective digital communication. In addition to on-site advertising, use all the digital channels at your disposal: social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), emails and push notifications. The objective? Inform your audience and generate maximum engagement around your service.
Create hard-hitting campaigns with attractive visuals and a catchy slogan to grab your customers' attention. For example, a publication or email announcing a limited promotion on a click-and-collect or delivery menu can create a sense of urgency and encourage your customers to place orders quickly.
Look around you for inspiration, and observe the communication strategies of tried-and-tested brands like Pokawa, Sushi Shop or Alfi, who rely on dynamic, engaging publications to promote their delivery offers and services.
Finally, build customer loyalty by implementing a dematerialized loyalty program. Like King Marcel, offer an online customer space where orders can earn benefits. This approach encourages repeat purchases while rewarding your most loyal customers.
A well-presented and optimized menu plays an essential role in customer decision-making. Present your dishes with detailed, appetizing descriptions, add high-quality photos and highlight your best-sellers. Classify your dishes by category for easy navigation. In addition, adapt your menu for online ordering by offering dishes that travel well and remain appetizing.
Efficient service is the key to satisfying your customers and encouraging them to recommend. Make sure your team is well trained to handle online orders quickly and error-free. Use an order management system (KDS) to improve coordination between kitchen and delivery. Don't forget to monitor customer feedback to adjust your operations if necessary.
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A digital loyalty program is an excellent way to encourage your customers to order more often. Offer points for every purchase, attractive rewards and easy tracking via an application or online customer area. A well thought-out loyalty system can significantly increase repeat orders.
Thanks to order data, you can offer suggestions tailored to your customers' preferences. Highlight dishes they've already eaten, offer discounts on their favorite products, or suggest new items that might interest them. This personalized approach enhances their experience and keeps them coming back for more.
Maintain a regular link with your customers by sending them engaging newsletters and subscriber-only promotions. Offering exclusive discounts, previews of new dishes or advantages for repeat orders strengthens their attachment to your restaurant. Thanks to these well-targeted communication techniques, you'll stay top-of-mind with your guests and foster their loyalty over the long term.
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Innovorder online ordering lets you create your own online ordering site for your restaurant, effortlessly. It's simple and optimized for both the restaurant owner and your customers.
Offer your customers a white-label ordering space, fully customized in your establishment's colors, with no intermediaries.
Customers place their orders online in a dedicated area: a veritable extension of your restaurant.
Online ordering is part of an ecosystem of solutions: the order arrives directly on your cash register software, and the kitchen simultaneously receives the information in order of priority, without you having to do anything.
Orders are paid for online. Online orders are automatically managed in your daily report.Â
Customers are 100% autonomous when it comes to payment, but above all they spend more thanks to the systematic offer of extras (desserts, menus, etc.). ‍
Your customers can choose between click & collect and delivery.
Slot-based order management automatically suggests the next available collection slot to your customers, so you're better organized and less rushed!
Building customer loyalty is essential to the long-term success of your restaurant, and Innovorder can help you do just that with a high-performance kitty system. Thanks to this digital loyalty program, your customers accumulate points with every online order, which they can then exchange for discounts or exclusive advantages.
This system encourages repeat purchases while rewarding your most loyal customers. You can customize rewards to suit your sales strategy, whether in the form of discounts, free menus or VIP benefits.
By using our services, loyalty management becomes simple and automatic, offering a fluid and engaging experience for your customers, while increasing their order frequency and satisfaction.
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