As you know only too well, offering takeaway and home delivery services is now, and will continue to be in the months to come, the only way to stay in business if you can't accommodate your customers at your fast-food restaurant or point of sale.
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.
Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat... These platforms quickly put a restaurant in touch with a large customer base. They handle logistics, payment, marketing and take a commission on each order.
The main drawback of these platforms is their cost. Uber Eats charges up to 30% of the basket including VAT, which considerably reduces the profitability of restaurants, especially those with already tight margins.
Customer relations are delegated. You have no control over customer data or the post-purchase experience. This limits customer loyalty and can damage your brand image.
In the event of a drop in visibility or a change in algorithm, your business can be impacted without warning. This dependence on a third party can jeopardize your business model.
With a direct solution, you avoid commissions. You keep 100% of the sales, and above all, you have access to your customers' data (basket, frequency, history), a powerful lever for growth.
From the order page to delivery or pick-up, you're in complete control of the entire process. This ensures perfect consistency with your brand image.
You can set up loyalty programs, collect reviews, follow-up with your customers by e-mail or SMS... all actions that would be impossible via a third-party platform.
Solutions like Innovorder enable you to deploy a complete online ordering module, quick to integrate into your site, and designed to maximize your conversions.
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.
For your offer to work, several dimensions need to come together:
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.
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 we can see, the restaurant chains and brands that have managed to do without a presence on a marketplace like 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.
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