You know only too well: in today's world and in the months to come, offering take-out and home delivery has become the must-have approach to keep your business going if you can't accommodate your customers in your restaurant or outlet.
However, it is important to note that outside the context of Covid-19, responding to these consumer trends is crucial in order to remain competitive, develop new sources of revenue and diversify one's business model, while preserving one's know-how in the kitchen!
Many independent restaurateurs, franchisees or food entrepreneurs are wondering, when launching their omnichannel options, if it is relevant, dangerous or on the contrary inevitable to go through Uber Eats, Deliveroo or Just Eat.
How to successfully deliver your online orders?
I'm starting a delivery business: should I knock on Uber Eats' door?
Let's not beat around the bush: unless you have a large customer file and a very loyal and committed community on social networks, it can be difficult to get the word out about your online orderquickly and effectively...it takes time for the sauce to take hold!
The delivery giants (some of which offer EV options) such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo or Just Eat can play a very effective role in promoting your offer, making you visible, managing marketing operations... and thus propel your business in the middle of a crisis.
However, and this is a particularly important "however": relying solely on marketplaces is a mistake to avoid at all costs.
You risk becoming 100% dependent on them, not creating any link with your new customers and having to pay high commissions on each order, and this throughout the year when consumers will be used to ordering from you through a third party.
The right approach: diversify your sales channels
For your offer to work, several dimensions need to come together:
- The notoriety of the service (and therefore the visibility of your brand)
- Customer experience (ease of ordering, delivery, retrieval...)
- Cost control (arbitration between budgets dedicated to marketing, emailing and those dedicated to commissions)
A diversification of your presence is therefore a safe approach, since being present on marketplaces allows you to benefit from a visibility that can cost more to build yourself.
The idea is to maximize your offer on these platforms to make your brand known and to recover more easily a part of this traffic directly, via your own online order (without intermediary costs and in order to build loyalty in a direct way).
Whatever your initial choice, think about building a real communication strategy to control your image and make yourself known to your target markets, reduce your dependence on third-party sites and attract a local clientele that is increasingly demanding direct contacts.
Add a pinch of paid ads
And if your marketing budget allows, consider adding a little paid advertising to your strategy (Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram), to convert as many customers as possible on your own site!
As you can see, the restaurant chains and brands that have managed to avoid a presence on a marketplace such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats are often those that are particularly active with their communities.
In conclusion, vary the channels but build your independence and secure your turnover by developing your own direct online ordering business.
